Saint Petersburg exists because of one man’s dream to have a Russian city to rival any in Europe. The fact that this man was Tsar Peter the Great, Emperor of Russia, does by no means diminish his achievement in building this great city.

Gathering the greatest artists, sculptures, architects and artisans of the time - to what was then little more than a swamp - Peter constructed a unique city full of rich aristocratic palaces and government buildings that line the streets alongside majestic cathedrals and elaborate churches.

The first Russian prince to visit the West, Peter was encouraged to introduce sweeping reforms aimed at modernising Russia, including building a new imperial capital.

Following the great North War with Sweden, Peter embarked on building his new city and port at what is now Saint Petersburg, looking out on to the Baltic, as his announcement to Europe about the newly reformed Russia.

It is here that the Russian imperial capital remained for all but four of its remaining 186 years and a great many of the baroque and neo-classical buildings constructed during this time still remain.

The city escaped almost entirely undamaged by the Stalinist regime and remains one of the most beautiful and interesting cities in the world, well deserving its title of ‘Venice of the North’ and the historic centre of Saint Petersburg now constitutes an impressive UNESCO world heritage site.

Situated on the Gulf of Finland on several islands that make up the Neva Delta it has many waterways and canals which are traversed by many bridges that wind between the wide boulevards, squares and are flanked by imposing architecture.

While this is the most European of all Russian cities, visitors will still find an authentic and unique Russian experience. A walk along the main street of Nevsky Prospekt is reminiscent of Paris, having been designed by French architect Alexandre Jean Baptiste LeBlond, but a stop off for a good Bliny (pancake) is a typically Russian experience!

A walk around the Marsovo Field and Mihailovsky Garden along Kanal Griboedova, where there are beautiful parks, a visit to the famous Winter Palace at the Hermitage and a night at the famous Kirov Ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre all make Saint Petersburg a truly remarkable experience.

Winter Palace and Hermitage Museum
The State Hermitage  is probably Saint Petersburg’s most famous landmark and is made up of six magnificent buildings on the banks of the river Neva, in the heart of the city.

The most outstanding of these is the lavishly decorated green, white and gold Baroque Winter Palace which stands at the heart of the complex. The palace was built as the official residence of the Tsars and has an addition of the Small and Large Hermitages built by Catherine the Great as a private refuge for herself and her private art collection.

The Hermitage Museum’s art collection is still one of the most impressive in the world, but it is now open to the public, and houses over three million exhibits. Spanning three floors of this impressive palace the collection houses works from all around the world: from ancient times to Russian works and 20th century Europe, it also includes a wonderful collection of both impressionist and post-impressionist paintings from a huge amount of artists.

All of the art works are set in the sumptuous settings of the Winter Palace’s marble staircases, golden ceilings, crystal chandeliers and elaborately decorated state rooms. The most spectacular of these are the Golden Rooms which contain an impressive display of the Russian royal jewels.

Palace Square
Outside of the Winter Palace is one of the most impressive city plazas in the world, the main square of St Petersburg. The Palace Square is surrounded by the imposing buildings of the Winter Palace on one side and the classical white and yellow buildings which were the former General Staff buildings of the Russian army.

The centre of the square is dominated by the Alexander Column which celebrates the Russian victory over the Napoleonic forces and is constructed of red granite and topped by an angel on the cross.

Palace Square was the site of both Russian revolutions in 1905 and 1917 and is steeped in Russia’s bloody history. The square today offers some beautiful views of the city, especially of the Admiralty with its golden spire and the dome of St Isaac's Cathedral and is filled with market stalls, cafes and horse drawn carriages taking tourists on sight seeing trips and has recently been used for large concerts, including Elton John who played here in 2007.

Nevsky Prospekt
Saint Petersburg’s main street stretches for nearly three miles through the centre of the city joining well known landmarks en route, from the Admiralty, with its golden spire, to the Moscow Railway Station and on to the Alexandr Nevsky Monastery, which is where some of Russia’s most celebrated figures are buried.

This is one of the most celebrated streets in Russia and has been the main artery of the city since it was first built by the French architect, Alexandre Jean Baptiste LeBlond. This wide boulevard is intersected by rivers and canals throughout its length and well worth exploring in its entirety. The most impressive section centres on the Griboedova Canal where a walk around the Marsovo Field and Mihailovsky Garden are a must for any visitor.

Here, also, is the grand exterior of the Kazan Cathedral which wraps around a small square offering views in the other direction of the equally impressive multi-coloured onion domes of the Church of Our Saviour on the Spilled Blood (officially called the Resurrection of Christ Church), built on the site of the assassination of Emperor Alexander II in 1881.

If the church domes look familiar that’s because they were based on Moscow’s St Basil's Cathedral in Red Square and are made up of equally ornate and colourful mosaics. This is certainly one of the most (of many) striking landmarks in Saint Petersburg, but not the only one to be found on Nevsky Prospekt. As well as the best dining and shopping opportunities in the city there are many other fine examples of the architectural styles of the city as well as many other interesting palaces and churches.

St Isaac's Cathedral
St Isaac’s Cathedral was originally built as the main church in the city and its striking gold domed roof still dominates the city skyline. Although smaller than the newer Church of Christ, St Isaac’s is a much more elaborate and impressive building.

The church took over 40 years to construct and was intended as the centre-piece of the new imperial capital and as such is decorated with extravagant sculptures, paintings, frescoes and beautifully crafted stained glass windows. The façade of the church is made up of a huge colonnade of red marble columns which leads to the sumptuous interior and some of the best views of the city, which can be viewed from the bas of the golden dome.

Although the church was built to accommodate a congregation of 14,000 it is rarely now used for services and is now open as a museum.

Peter and Paul Fortress
Saint Petersburg’s oldest building was originally built to defend the city from the Swedish army, but never served its intended purpose as the Swedes were defeated before it was completed. Designed by Peter the Great himself, the Peter and Paul Fortress is located on a small island on the Neva Delta across the river from The Hermitage.

Following the defeat of the Swedes at the end of the Great North War, the fort was turned into a prison and was used to house political prisoners including Alexei, the son of Peter the Great, Trotsky and Gorky, but now it only serves as a museum.

The fort complex also includes the Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul with its distinguishing golden pointed spire which was the first stone church to be built in the city and is home to the tombs of every Russian Emperor since Peter the Great.

The attitude to homosexuality in Russia has changed dramatically in recent years. During the Soviet era the gay scene was completely underground and it was only after perestroika that attitudes changed and homosexuality was decriminalised in 1993.

Since then gay life has become much more open in the city, although this still remains a conservative country and is fairly limited for a city of five million people. The gay scene here is also fairly fluid so clubs or bars can open and close at a moments notice.

New arrivals on the scene have become the most popular with locals and tourists alike, especially the Central Station club on ul. Lomonosova, although it is advisable to check that the venues are still running before you turn up (weather permitting) in your hotel pants!

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