St. Petersburg

Romantic buildings sprawl across Baroque and Neoclassical settlements, and luminescent waterways slither among them in the sensuous streets of St. Petersburg. These days, the touristic appeal of the city transcends its imperial history and spreads to the backstreets, where vintage coffee houses, picturesque fountains, and a lurid collection of frescoes await. This ambient beauty of St. Petersburg is hidden from plain sight and has been a beacon for poets, novelists, artists, and travelers alike. Today, many visit St. Petersburg for the austerity beyond sumptuousness, and it never fails to satisfy.

At its heart, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood anchors the city with its flamboyance. The marvelous structure resembles one giant ornate cake and poses as an epitome of medieval Russian architecture. Surrounding it are several palaces dating back to the splendid days of tsardom in Russia, and today they constitute a celebrated part of the city’s main scene. Yet, for the truest relics of imperial glory nested in St. Petersburg, head to the Hermitage. With over three million items and 1,000 rooms, the museum alone will make your day.

What is more to this Baltic dreamland is ballet, opera, and scenic dinners in the rooftop restaurants. They fill your day from dusk till dawn but wait till darkness falls to get a taste of the city’s true spirit. Once the sun sets below the horizon, an enchanting charm takes hold of the winding streets, and the crisp weather makes it perfect for enjoying views as clear as a diamond. Come in June, and your stay will be blessed even more by the spectacular White Nights.