St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia during its Imperial era (1723 - 1918). To break with the Tsarist's past, the capital was moved to Moscow and St. Petersburg was renamed Leningrad after the first communist leader's death in 1924. The city's name was reverted to St. Petersburg in 1991.

St. Petersburg has a dazzling mixture of buildings created by European leading architects of the day. It is sited on over a hundred islands in the Neva River, linked by numerous bridges and canals. It is often referred to as "Venice of the north".

It has over hundreds of palaces, museums, cathedrals and churches.

The busy Nevsky Prospekt

Nevsky Prosekt is the city's main Parisan-style avenue. Radiating from it are gland boulevards and canals, which are lined with the palaces of Russia's aristocracy.

Smolny Cathedral in Smolny Monastry

Church of the Spilt Blood (Built on the spot where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated in 1881)

St. Isaac's Square & Cathedral

St Nicholas Cathedral

Peter & Paul Fortress (The golden spire of Peter & Paul Cathedral rises above the Fortress on the Neva River. It is the resting place of many Tsars, including Peter The Great. On the day of our visit, the remains of the last Tsar, Nicholas II were transferred from Pushkin to this Fortress.)

The Hermitage & Winter Palace

Founded in 1764, it occupies several buildings including the Winter Palace from where all of Russia was once ruled. The museum boasts of over 3 million works of arts, sculptures and paintings including those by De Vinci and Picasso.