St. Petersburg is a truly remarkable city. It was only founded in 1703, but has managed to cram quite a bit of history in during the past 300 and some years. It was founded by Tsar Peter I, and he had some definite plans to make it a modern city.
One of the most famous landmarks in the city is the Hermitage. It encompasses several historic buildings, most notably the Winter Palace.
Visitors can explore the state rooms for the Imperial Court of the Winter Palace. These rooms, though extravagantly decorated, were actually toned down during a restoration after a fire in the 1800's.
There are over 350 rooms of exhibits in the Hermitage. Even with all that space, only a portion of the huge collection can be displayed at any given time. Visitors can browse through antiquities, prehistoric art, Russian state treasures, early European art, and modern European art. The Modern art collection boasts some of the most famous painting by Picasso, Matisse, and more.
Head to the Peterhof neighborhood to visit the incredible gardens built by Peter the Great. After a visit to Versailles, he was determined to have gardens as good or better and these are the result.
Another impressive destination in the city is St. Isaac's Cathedral. It goes by many different names, but it is unmistakable in person.
The interior of the Cathedral is decorated entirely with mosaics. Over 30 artists contributed to the effort of covering over 7,000 square feet in mosaics.
Luckily, the Angleterre Hotel is very close to St. Isaac's Cathedral. It's a rather modern hotel, but looks lovely and comfortable.
The hotel is also home to the famous Caviar Bar. Dining there is definitely a reason to get dressed up.
Take your pick from either outfit. No bag should be necessary unless plans are made to smuggle one last portion of caviar to enjoy in the room.
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