St Petersburg

Saving the best for last, our 15-day river cruise of Russian waterways featuring Moscow and various sights along the Volga, Lake Onega and Neva, ended in St Petersburg. While Moscow may be fascinating and steeped in history, but there is no comparison with the cultural glamor of St Petersburg, home of the Hermitage, Winter Palace and Peter and Paul Cathedral.

In my opinion, The Hermitage Museum is one of the best museums in the world, having been to many of them. It is located next to Catherine the Great’s Winter Palace and was built as a relaxing place to house her many Western European paintings and other artifacts. Notable works include Da Vinci’s Madonna Litta and Benois Madonna, Raphael’s Madonna Conestabile, the Grand Staircase, the Malachite Room and much, much more. The best part of the Hermitage is the building itself. The rooms are works of art on their own, so take your time traveling through its 120 rooms. By the way, the day we were touring through the highlights with a guide there were several large cruise ships in port and it was near impossible to see the Da Vinci Madonnas in the crowd. The next day we went back and we had the museum to ourselves! This museum is worth at least a two day visit, if you love history and art, so plan accordingly.

Next day was a highlights bus tour through St Petersburg with stops at St Isaac’s Cathedral, Peter and Paul Fortress, Nevsky Prospekt, Cathedral of Kazan, Smolny convent and Resurrection Church.

St Isaac’s Cathedral is a very large architectural beauty, dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, patron saint of Peter the Great. Built by Peter the Great, Peter and Paul Fortress historically served as a prison for important political prisoners. However, the main attraction here is that is also serves as burial site for Imperial Russia’s rulers, including Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, and the last Russian monarch Nicholas II and his family. The mystery and history of the Romanovs is alive and well here at the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

More stops included a drive down the main street of Nevsky Prospect and a stop at the Cathedral of Kazan, a beautiful Russian neoclassical structure and former home of the venerated Icon of Kazan, a painting of the Virgin Mary and Christ Child, stolen in 1904 and unseen since. Many replicas of the iconic painting can be found in various cathedrals across Russia.

A drive past the Smolny convent and Resurrection Church completed the day. The convent, as many of the old cathedrals, were abandoned and treated as “museums” during the days of communism. It was only many years later that they were restored to their former grandeur if not their religious importance.

Our hectic schedule (so much to see in St Petersburg!) next took us to one of the most beautiful palaces in the world, Catherine the Great’s Summer Palace at Tsarskoye Selo in Pushkin, is a rococo architectural marvel. You may think you have seen royal glitz and glamour, but this really is the full picture. As if the exterior of the structure is not enough, make sure to see the Amber Room, the Chinese Room and the state rooms. This part of the St Petersburg World Heritage site is located about 30 km south of the city and is worth the drive.

Next day, our destination was Peterhof Palace, Peter the Great’s edition of the Palace at Versailles. The fountains themselves are worthy of the drive to visit. Nearly destroyed after World War Two, it was restored and rebuilt in high fashion. Don’t miss the thirty room tour of the palace including the Chesma Hall, Chinese Cabinets, Ceremonial Staircase, Throne Room and Ballroom. A lovely day trip for the gardens alone.

The State Russian Museum was on our agenda for the next day and featured works of Russian fine art from Eleventh Century to present. It’s a big museum so be prepared for a bit of walking.

Following our visit to the Russian Museum a visit to the iconic Russian Orthodox Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood was next up. The exterior of the museum rivals that of St Basil’s on Red Square in Moscow with it’s brightly painted exterior and onion domes, but the interior is equally stunning with its fantastic paintings covering every inch. History says that this church was built on the exact spot where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated.

Our final day featured a canal tour and a quick visit to the Kunstkammer, Peter the Great’s curiosity shop and one of the oldest museums in the city.

We loved, loved St Petersburg. Exquisitely restored in painstaking detail from Communist times, it is truly a cultural phenomenon and a joy to visit. So much history and beauty, we could’ve stayed another few days or longer to soak up the atmosphere.

Our fifteen-day river cruise was over way too soon and we highly recommend it. Note however, that we took this trip in 2014 during a relatively stable time in relations between the US and Russia. Hopefully, we will get back to normalized relations at some point soon, but for now, check the State Department website for travel updates.