St Petersburg

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

Russia

$29.99

Overview

The sheer grandeur and history of Russia's imperial capital never fail to amaze, but this is also a city with a revolutionary spirit.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

State Hermitage Museum

St Petersburg

The Hermitage fully lives up to its sterling reputation. You can be absorbed by its treasures for days and still come out wanting more. The enormous…
Kunstkamera

St Petersburg

Also known as the Museum of Ethnology and Anthropology, this is the city’s first museum, founded in 1714 by Peter himself. It is famous largely for its…
Yusupov Palace

St Petersburg

This spectacular palace on the Moyka River has some of the best 19th-century interiors in the city, in addition to a fascinating and gruesome history. The…
Mariinsky Theatre

St Petersburg

The Mariinsky Theatre has played a pivotal role in Russian ballet ever since it was built in 1859 and remains one of Russia's most loved and respected…
Russian Museum

St Petersburg

Focusing solely on Russian art, from ancient church icons to 20th-century paintings, the Russian Museum's collection is magnificent and can easily be…
New Holland

St Petersburg

This triangular island was closed for the most part of the last three centuries, and has opened to the public in dazzling fashion. There's plenty going on…
Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art

St Petersburg

Erarta's superb hoard of 2800 pieces of Russian contemporary art trumps its somewhat far-flung location. Housed in an ingeniously converted neoclassical…
Peter & Paul Fortress

St Petersburg

Housing a cathedral where the Romanovs are buried, a former prison and various exhibitions, this large defensive fortress on Zayachy Island is the kernel…