Sights of Saint Petersburg

One of the largest cathedrals in the world of any denomination, St Isaac’s gargantuan size is certainly staggering to behold; its enormous gold-plated dome is visible from almost anywhere in Saint Petersburg. As it took 40 years to build, grander and more elaborate designs kept getting added to the original plans: over 100 massive columns were erected alongside several other smaller domes.

Inside is even more impressive as beautiful reliefs, mosaics, and iconostasis cover every imaginable surface. Although it still holds services, St Isaac’s Cathedral was turned into a museum in 1931 by the Soviet government and remains so to this day.

Located some 30 kilometers to the south of the city, the breathtaking Catherine Palace is where the Russian tsars came to relax and unwind during the summer months. The grand and flamboyant style of the palace dates to 1752, when the architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli redesigned and redecorated the original building, plastering elaborate stuccoes all over it. It is painted a bright bluish-green, with the white columns and gold statues and embellishments standing out delightfully; the Rococo palace really does make for a spectacular sight.

Inside are a number of lavish ballrooms for you to explore. The Golden Enfilade of staterooms are the undoubted highlight, while the Amber Room and Grand Hall are also must-sees. Named after Catherine I who commissioned it, the palace is set in some fantastically laid out and landscaped gardens; these are perfect for taking a relaxing stroll in after all the overwhelming splendor you’ve just taken in.

Commissioned by Peter the Great to outshine the Palace of Versailles with its opulence and grandeur, the Peterhof Grand Palace certainly makes a good go of it. Covering a considerable area, its series of palaces and gardens are simply spellbinding to wander around, with beauty, art, and nature on show wherever you look.

Built between 1709 and 1756, each new addition, palace, or building was grander than the last. Each architect added their own features, with the Throne Room and Chesme Hall being two of the most finely decorated of the lot. Located all around the palaces are a dazzling array of landscaped gardens complete with fountains, cascades, flowerbeds, and statues.

Not to be missed when in Saint Petersburg, the Peterhof Grand Palace fully earns its nickname of ‘the Russian Versailles’ and is equally splendid in terms of what it offers up.

The second-largest art museum in the world after the Louvre in Paris, the State Hermitage Museum’s vast collection is remarkably spread across five buildings and 360 rooms in the center of Saint Petersburg. Founded by Catherine the Great, an avid art collector, the huge number of paintings, sculptures, and antiquities were added to by various tsars, and it was Nicolas I who opened them to the public in 1852.

Following the Russian revolution, many extensive private collections were seized, which only further bolstered its numbers. Today, the State Hermitage Museum has around three million artworks in its collection. With such renowned names as Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Picasso, and van Gogh on show, wandering around its galleries really is a treat. One could spend days, if not weeks trying to see everything.

Whether it is prehistoric art, the Italian Renaissance, the Dutch Golden Age, or 19th-century Russian art that you are interested in, the State Hermitage Museum is simply a must when in Saint Petersburg.

Set in the exact spot where Saint Petersburg was first founded, the Peter & Paul Fortress was built all the way back in 1703. It is from its star-shaped defensive fortifications that the city slowly spread out around it. Occupying a prominent position on the banks of the Neva River, the fortress has lots of fabulous buildings for you to explore, such as the Trubetskoy Bastion and the magnificent Peter and Paul Cathedral.

Besides its fascinating historical sights and interesting exhibitions that relate to the Russian revolution and Imperial Russia, the fortress also hosts a number of festivals, events, and concerts during the year. In addition to this, the sandy beach that lies at the foot of its wall makes for a popular sunbathing spot when the sun is shining.

Also known as Moika Palace, due to its location on the banks of the river of the same name, Yusupov is one of the best places to visit if you want to see how aristocrats lived in Imperial Russia. While its exterior is quite plain, besides its pastel-yellow color, the interior is simply staggering to explore: its many halls are decorated with only the finest furniture, artworks, frescoes, and tapestries that money can buy.

Built in the 1770s and named after the wealthy Russian noble family that owned it, the colossal palace remarkably even boasts its own private theater. In addition to all its many riches, Yusupov Palace is famously where Grigori Rasputin, the Russian mystic who was believed to have influence over Tsar Nicolas II, was murdered in 1916.