St. Petersburg

We wanted to backtrack to recap on our time in St. Petersburg.  The main reason being that so far it's probably been our favorite of the three cities we've visited in Russia.

Matt - Winter Palace

St. Petersburg had an abundance of museums, cathedrals, rivers, and historic buildings.  Much of wich are deemed World Heritage Sites by the United Nations.  We found the city to be very unique and interesting in a number of ways.  The city is full of small canals that give it a more quaint feeling.  That said it has so many unique historical sites and grandiose buildings that its indeed something to behold.  The Hermitage Museum is one of those well known sites, located within a number of buildings (one being the Winter Palace which was home to the Russian Monarchs) and is considered to be one of the largest museums in the world.  The museum contains everything from Egyptian antiquities to famous Italian art (like Picasso and Da Vinci), but the most incredible part was the side of the museum housed in the Palace.  The walls, the columns and even the floors were all incredibly unique and ornate.  We couldn't get over it.

Wood Floor - Room In Winter Palace

Ballroom - Winter Palace

Another incredible spot was Catherine's Palace (there are a ton of Palace's here) which is located just outside of town in an area called Pushkin.  The Palace sustained significant damage during WWII and was occupied by the Germans.  The restoration of the site is incredible and a true testament to the Russians' commitment to the preservation of their history.  The Palace is made of various rooms that all have different themes and purposes.

Christine - Catherine's Palace

Amber Room - Catherine's Palace

Christine took some amaaazing photos from within Kazan and St. Issac's Cathedral.  The lighting and ceiling photos were too good not to put on here. :) 

Kazan's Cathedral

St. Issac's Cathedral

We spent a week in St. Petersburg and still feel like there was more to be seen.  That being said we felt like a week allowed us to see the major sites and still have time to stroll down some back streets.  We think anyone who comes to Russia to see sites shouldn't miss coming here.


Click Here For More Pics