Travel to St Petersburg by train as part of your holiday and you will discover a city which has witnessed many dramatic events in its chequered history.  Click Here to view our St Petersburg Add On.

Capital of Russia at the height of its Imperial era (1723-1918), St Petersburg is a dazzling mixture of baroque, rococo, classical and belle-epoque buildings created by Europe’s leading architects of the day. Nevsky Prospektis the city’s main Parisian-style avenue, and radiating from it are grand boulevards and canal embankments lined with the former palaces of Russia’s aristocracy. These days Nevsky is lined with world-name shops, alongside eateries priced from serf through to Grand-Duke… plus java-joints, internet cafes, museums, churches, theatres and more.

All of Russia was once ruled from the Winter Palace (on Palace Square) -Empress Catherine the Great kept her private art-collection in the adjoining “Hermitage” annexe, but these days the world-famous Hermitage Collection(Ancient and Western Art) is displayed throughout the Winter Palace itself too. Prefer Russian Art? Don’t miss the Russian Museum – the greatest collection in the world. St Petersburg is arranged over a network of islands, linked by bridges. As well as hundreds (literally) of palaces, the adventurous can find all kinds of attractions to visit – house-museums of famous people, churches, synagogues, cemeteries of the famous, and museums of every kind (including the Museum of Bread, the Museum of the Political Police, and the universally-popular Vodka Museum).

Stay a little longer to find time for the ring of Summer Palaces of the Nobility which surrounds the city – Peterhof, Tsarskoe Selo, Pavlovsk and others. Then dance the night away in Petersburg many nightclubs – or let the pros dance for you at the Mariinsky Ballet.

Including a tour to St Petersburg as part of your holiday is a decision you won’t regret. St Petersburg has something for everyone, and its rich history is reflected in its stunning architecture.