Excursions

Tsarskoye Selo, or the Tsar`s village, about 25 kilometres from St. Petersburg, was the home of the imperial family from the days of Peter the Great until the time of the last tsar, Nicolas II. It is a fascinating monument of world architectural and gardening art during the 18th and 19th centuries. Tsarskoy Selo is quite different from Peterhof. Here, there are no massed fountains and no vistas over the sea. Here, you are much inland, in a beautiful English-style park, unrestrained by the geometrical formality of the "Russian Versailles." The centre of the ensemble is the Catherine Palace, containing exquisite objects d`art, furniture, paintings and unique collections of porcelain, amber and bronze. The Tsarskoselsky Liceum, an elite school established in Russia in the early 19th century for noble offsprings and which the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin attended, is next to the palace.

St. Isaac’s Cathedral built in 1858 by the architect Montferrand is the 4-th in height among one-cupola’s cathedrals in the world after St. Peter’s in Rome, St. Paul’s in London and Santa Maria del Fiorre in Florence. The richly adorned interior, lined with marble, and with malachite and lazurite columns, was intended for up to 10000 worshippers. Standing on the broad Isaac’s square, its golden dome can be seen all over the city. On a clear day the observation platform at the foot of the dome commands a fine view over St. Petersburg and its surroundings.

One of the most attractive beauty spots located right in the heart of St Petersburg is Church of the Resurrection of Christ built in the old Russian style with unusual – for St Petersburg- onion-shaped domes. It was put up in 1907 on the place where Russian Emperor Alexander II was mortally wounded by a terrorist’s bomb in 1881. The church is really unique - it’s both interior and exterior are richly decorated with fabulous mosaics.

Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg were founded by Peter the Great in 1703. Besides the ancient fortifications, one of the great attractions is Peter and Paul Cathedral, built by the architect Trezini in 1733, with the burial vault of Peter the Great and other Russian tsars. Soon after its foundation, the fortress became the first political prison in Russia, reserved for the most important state prisoners. The museum in Trubetskoy bastion prison is open for the public.

The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg ranks among the most famous museums in the world. The whole complex of Winter Palace, Small Hermitage, Old Hermitage, New Hermitage and the Hermitage Theatre is known as the "State Hermitage". The setting is magnificent and lavish; malachite, jasper, agate and marble provide a fine backdrop to the treasures.

The Hermitage collection shows the development of art and material culture in the West and the East from prehistoric times to the present day. There are remarkable collections of paintings, prints, sculptures as well as tapestries, carpets, objects d`art, archeological finds, furniture and unique articles of jewellery.

The Yusupov Palace is the only mansion of St. Petersburg nobility created in fascinating comfort by talented 18th and 19th century Russian architects, sculptors and artists. Visitors immersed in the cozy and homelike atmosphere of the palace are enchanted by the perfect harmony of its interiors and a breathtaking collection of objects d`art. It claims fame as the place where Prince Yusupov murdered famous "shadow of the tsar family" Grigory Rasputin in 1916.

Nevsky Prospect, Kazan Cathedral, Stroganov Palace, Admiralty, Palace Square, Bazil Island Spit, Peter and Paul Fortress, Naval Museum, St. Petersburg University, Menshikov Palace, Academy of Fine Arts, Senate Square, monument to Peter the Great (the Bronze Horseman), Isaac`s Square, Mariinsky Palace, monument to Nicolas II, St. Isaac`s Cathedral, Palace Embankment, Marsovo Fields, Summer Gardens, Robespierre Embankment, Rastrelly Square, Smolny Cathedral, Anichkov Palace, monument to Catherine the Great, Square of Arts, State Russian Museum, Koniushennaya Square, Our Saviour-on-the-Spilled Blood, Griboyedov Canal.

St. Petersburg is the second-largest city of Russia after Moscow. As European cities go, St. Petersburg is young. It was founded 311 years ago in 1703 by Peter the Great. Sixty-five rivers and canals, spanned by 360 bridges, criss-cross the city, located on 42 islands. It is not incidental that St. Petersburg is also called the Venice of the North. Our well-trained and experienced guides will colour your impressions and make your stay in St. Petersburg unforgettable.

Peterhof is located at the seaside, some 29 kilometres from the centre of St. Petersburg. It is known throughout the world as a jewel of Russian art, a place of parks, palaces and fountains. In the past, it was an exquisite summer residence for Russian tsars. Peter the Great was the first to realise that he would need not only a new capital and a naval base on the Gulf of Finland, but also a new country palace. He commissioned a Versailles-by-the-sea from the French architect Leblon, who liked many of the tsar`s ideas and soon translated them into reality.

Nowadays, the whole complex comprises the Grand Palace, the Lower and the Upper Parks with several park pavilions, 150 fountains and five monumental cascades. The Grand Palace was redesigned by Bartolomeo Rastrelly, the favourite architect of Peter`s daughter, Elizabeth, in the middle of 18th century. Its fabulous Baroque decoration surpasses any expectations. The palace houses collections of Russian and European paintings, sculpture, furniture, porcelain and crystal ware. From the marble terrace of the Grand Palace, there is a magnificent view over the Grand Cascade, made up of waterfalls, 64 fountains and 37 statues.