ST PETERSBURG
The Winter Palace
From the 1760s onwards the Winter Palace was the main residence of the Russian Tsars. Magnificently located on the bank of the Neva River, this Baroque-style palace is perhaps St. Petersburg’s most impressive attraction. Many visitors also know it as the main building of the Hermitage Museum. The green-and-white three-storey palace is a marvel of Baroque architecture and boasts 1,786 doors, 1,945 windows and 1,057 elegantly and lavishly decorated halls and rooms, many of which are open to the public.
The Hermitage
One of the largest and most impressive art collections in the world the museum was founded in 1764 when Catherine the Great purchased a collection of 255 paintings from the German city of Berlin. Today, the Hermitage boasts over 2.7 million exhibits and displays a diverse range of art and artefacts from all over the world and from throughout history (from Ancient Egypt to the early 20th century Europe). The Hermitage’s collections include works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian, a unique collection of Rembrandts and Rubens, many French Impressionist works by Renoir, Cezanne, Manet, Monet and Pissarro, numerous canvasses by Van Gogh, Matisse, Gaugin and several sculptures by Rodin. The collection is both enormous and diverse and is an essential stop for all those interested in art and history.
Peter and Paul Fortress
The Peter and Paul Fortress is the oldest building in St Petersburg. Planned by Peter the Great as a defence against possible attacks from the Swedes, the fortress never served its original purpose as they were defeated before its completion, and the six bastions at its corners were turned into high security political prison cells. The notorious dungeons held many famous people, including Alexei, the son of Peter the Great, Trotsky and Gorky, and it is now a museum. Other buildings in the fortress house the City History Museum and the Mint. The midday gun is fired every day from the roof, echoing around the city from across the water. Also enclosed within the imposing walls is the Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul, its distinctive golden needle-like spire visible throughout the city. The first church in the city to be built from stone, it has a richly decorated interior containing the tombs of every Russian Emperor since Peter the Great.
Cathedrals
The former centre of a vast and diverse empire, St Petersburg is home to hundreds of different churches representing many denominations and faiths, though we believe that it is probably most famous for its collection of Russian Orthodox cathedrals. Amongst those worth visiting is Alexander Nevsky Monastery a beautiful complex of churches and prestigious cemeteries that shelter the graves of many Russian cultural giants including Tchaikovsky, Dostoevsky and Glinka.
Museums
St. Petersburg is often referred to as the "Gorod Muzei" and locals take great pride in preserving the city and country's great heritage in scores of museums ranging from the massive Russian Museum to the extensive Russian Ethnographic Museum.
Parks
One of St. Petersburg's many claims to fame is that it has more green space than Paris. Whether this is true or not, the city does have some exceptionally fine parks and gardens including the Alexander Garden - named after Tsar Alexander II, this is St. Petersburg's most central park, located right behind the Admiralty and opposite the Hermitage. It's home to a wonderful illuminated musical fountain. Also worth seeing is the Summer Garden - the oldest park in St. Petersburg, which was laid out in 1704 by order of Peter the Great around his first summer residence. Peter also drew up the original plan for the garden, which is home to Russia's oldest collection of park sculptures.
MOSCOW
The Kremlin
Russia’s historical and political centre combines sumptuous architecture with a fascinating history that spans nearly nine centuries of religious and secular power. A potent symbol of two mighty imperial cultures - that of medieval Muscovy and that of the Soviet Union - the Kremlin is at once fascinating and foreboding, a mixture of lavish opulence and austere secrecy, and its eclectic mix of architecture reflects these paradoxes and seismic cultural shifts. Today, the Kremlin remains as alluring and enigmatic as ever. Two thirds of the citadel territory is closed to visitors, but the remaining third contains enough treasures to occupy several days of sightseeing. Not only one of the largest and most interesting museums in the world, but also the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation, the Kremlin is the perfect place to begin your tour of Moscow.
Red Square
One of the most famous addresses in the world, Red Square is traditionally the first stop for visitors to Moscow, and it certainly lives up to expectations. Red Square remains, as it has been for centuries, the heart and soul of Russia. Few places in the world bear the weight of history to the extent that Moscow's central square does. From the 16th Century St. Basil's Cathedral - one of the most famous pieces of architecture in the world - to the constructivist pyramid of Lenin's Mausoleum, Red Square is rich in symbols of Russia's turbulent and intriguing past.
Cathedrals
Moscow was a vital religious centre for over 400 years, and the city's religious architecture is some of the richest and most varied in the world. With their distinctive onion domes and ornate, atmospheric interiors displaying dazzling artistic treasures, Moscow's cathedrals are the pride of the city's architecture, and essential destinations for visitors to the city. St. Basil’s cathedral Moscow's most famous landmark, recently renovated, is an inimitable and awe-inspiring experience.
Museums
Moscow’s wealth of museums ranges from the amateur to the imperious, from world-famous collections to freakish curiosities. In the Soviet era, Moscow was called the "world capital of museums". It's no surprise, considering that there are over a hundred very different museums open in the city, and each is unique in its own way. That's why anyone paying a visit to the Russian capital will be able to find something to satisfy his or her interests and passions.
Parks
Moscow has over 100 parks and gardens, with attractions ranging from medieval churches to funfair rides. Wherever you are in Moscow, there's an alluring green area not far away. Moscow is famous as one of the greenest capitals in the world, with over 100 parks within the city limits, not to mention countless gardens, boulevards and squares. And it's not just the number of green areas in the city; it's their incredible variety that makes Moscow park life so interesting. From the extraordinary Soviet pomposity of the All-Russian Exhibition Centre to the breath-taking beauty of the old Tsarist village of Kolomenskoe, Moscow's parks have something for everyone, and if you're planning to spend more than a few days in the city you'll almost certainly welcome the chance to get some fresh air and exercise in one or more of them.
Famous Streets
Moscow is a vast city, but the historic centre is surprisingly compact, giving visitors the chance to see many of the most important and interesting sights on foot. Streets to see include Tverskaya Ulitsa, the city's central thoroughfare since the Middle Ages, Tverskaya is now home to prestigious shops and restaurants, and has long been the centre of Moscow's theatre land. Ulitsa Varvarka, just off Red Square lays claim to be the oldest in the city and is also all that remains of the Zaryade merchant's district, with some of the most interesting buildings to be found in Moscow.