Even though St. Petersburg is a relatively “young” city, you will hardly find any other city wrapped in as many exciting stories, astonishing myths and mysterious legends. Over almost 300 years of its history, St. Petersburg accumulated all the grandeur of the Russian Imperial Court. As a visitor, you will plunge directly into its exciting history that reveals itself everywhere: in the streets, in the world-famous museums and in the splendid palaces.


And when you’re not admiring the beautiful architecture or losing yourself in the abundance of artifacts and artworks of the many museums, you can go for a walk along the many rivers and canals that have given St. Petersburg one of its many pet names, Venice of the North.

Welcome to the magnificent city on the shore of the Baltic Sea. The most beautiful city of Russia is waiting to unveil its treasures just for you.

The Hermitage Museum

The State Hermitage Museum occupies six magnificent buildings situated along the embankment of the River Neva, right in the heart of St Petersburg. The famous Winter Palace plays a leading role in this unique architectural ensemble. Put together over two and a half centuries, the number of artworks contained within the Hermitage run to more than 3,000,000 items.

The Russian Museum
The State Russian Museum is the world’s largest museum of Russian art. It is located in the very centre of St. Petersburg near the Nevsky Prospekt.

St. Isaac’s Cathedral
The dome of St. Isaac’s Cathedral dominates the skyline of St. Petersburg and its gilded cupola can be seen glistening from all over the city. You can climb the over 300 steps to the observation walkway at the base of the cathedral’s dome and enjoy the breathtaking views over the city.

The Peter & Paul Fortress
When Peter the Great re-conquered the lands along the Neva River in 1703, he decided to build a fort to protect the area from possible attack by the Swedish army and navy. The fortress was founded on a small island in the Neva delta on May 27, 1703 (May 16, according to the old calendar) and that day became the birthday of the city of St Petersburg.


The Church of the Saviour on the Spilled Blood
This marvelous Russian-style church was built on the spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in March 1881. The church was built in 1883-1907 and was officially called the Resurrection of Christ Church. Both inside and outside, the church is decorated with unique mosaics, designed by the most prominent Russian artists of the time.

Vasilievsky Island
The Vasilievsky Island is the largest island of the Neva delta. In the early 19th century, one of the most elegant architectural ensembles of St. Petersburg emerged on the eastern edge (Strelka) of the island. These included the St. Petersburg State University, the Academy of Arts and a number of museums, including the Navy Museum, located in the building of the former Stock Exchange.



The Palace Square
The Palace Square is one of the world’s most accomplished architectural achievements. On one side, it is restricted by the Southern facade of the Winter Palace, on the other side by gigantic semicircle of the Headquarters’ building. From the Palace Square you get a fine view to the Admiralty Building, the Alexandrovsky Garden and the beginning of the Nevsky Prospect.


The Mariinsky Theatre
The resident opera and ballet companies ( better known as the Kirov Opera & Ballet ) are famous the world over. The repertoire includes such classics as Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” and “Swan Lake” as well as works by Mozart, Verdi and Rossini.

The Nevsky Prospect
The Nevsky Prospect is St. Petersburg’s main avenue and one of the best-known streets in Russia. Cutting through the historical centre of the city, it runs from the Admiralty to the Moscow Railway Station and further on to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery.

The Summer Garden
It is always a great pleasure to take a stroll down the alleys of the Summer Garden, passing by the Summer Palace, the marvelous marble statues and the pond. It was Peter the Great who built a small palace in this park. The palace had no heating and was intended for the summer time, hence the name.

Currency
The currency of Russia is the Ruble but Credit cards, US dollars and Euros are accepted in many souvenir shops. For the current exchange rates visit www.xe.co

Shop Opening Hours and Banking
Normal Shop and Bank opening hours are Weekdays: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. but many supermarkets are open 24 hours.

Climate
While the general climate in St. Petersburg is quite mild & humid, with frequent fogs & rains, it can still snow as late as May. The best time to visit St. Petersburg is between June and August. Temperatures during these months can reach 20°C. Cooler temperatures arrive in mid-September and in October temperatures drop substantially to around 10°C. Snow does not usually fall until December. By January, temperatures can drop as low as -25°C, and the wind coming in off the Gulf of Finland can make it seem a lot colder. For more information about the weather visit www.worldweather.org

Tourist Information sites
To find out more about this magical city visit these tourist information sites. www.saintpetersburgvisit.ru / www.gov.spb.ru / www.spbculture.ru

Airport Information
Pulkovo Airport has two terminals, Pulkovo-1 which serves mostly domestic flights and Pulkovo-2 which serves international flights. The terminals are located approximately 20 kilometres (12 miles ) and 17 kilometres (11 miles ) to the south of the city centre, respectively.

For current visa requirements visit www.projectvisa.com