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Is St Petersburg the most beautiful city in Europe? Peter the Great certainly thought so, and generations of visitors, dazzled by the glorious art and architecture, have been forced to agree.
Is it a suitable destination for a city break? St Petersburg can be daunting in scale – which is why you need a knowledgeable local guide – but we believe it can be done on a short break. Although a week would not be too long, four days are sufficient to see the key sights.
We suggest you spend two days exploring the city centre, taking in the great architectural set pieces and some of the world’s richest art galleries. Don’t miss the Hermitage Museum in the Winter Palace, where we can arrange an exclusive tour of the Gold Treasure Rooms. Our office in St Petersburg can also organise a performance at the world-famous Mariinsky Theatre and a private meeting with a ballerina at the intimate Hermitage Theatre.
We suggest you set aside two days of your St Petersburg city break to explore the surrounding countryside, visiting the glorious summer palaces built by the tsars. Among the treats that we can arrange, you should not miss a VIP tour to the Amber Room Workshops at the Catherine Palace.
When Peter the Great built St Petersburg, he envisaged a city as unlike Moscow as possible, a modern city designed to a plan. The first stone was laid in 1703, and Peter invited architects, masons, artists and craftsmen from every corner of Europe to help create his new capital. After Peter’s death, a succession of empresses and emperors added to the beauty of St Petersburg, each one lending it a new style: Baroque, Rococo, Classical and Russian Revival.
What is the best time of year for a city break? St Petersburg changes dramatically with the seasons. In summer it benefits from long days and white nights, the sun glinting off grand pastel-coloured buildings and golden spires. Winter – when the rivers are frozen and the city lies under a crisp blanket of snow – is stunning, and arguably the most romantic time of year.
To get the most out of your city break to St Petersburg, we will provide you with a private guide, who will be your own cultural concierge, helping you to circumvent the crowds.
Your guide will be able to arrange a number of Extraordinary Experiences including:
- A private tour of the Hermitage, one of the world’s greatest museums.
- Exclusive entrance to the storerooms of the Hermitage to see parts of the collection not open to the public.
- A VIP tour to the Amber Room Workshops of Catherine Palace.
- Exclusive access to the Gold Rooms at the Hermitage.
- A tour with your own private guide of the Chinese Pavilion of Oranienbaum.
- Early entrance visit to Peterhof Palace on the banks of the Baltic Sea.
- Bookings at the most exclusive and fashionable restaurants in St Petersburg.
- A performance at the Mariinsky Theatre.
- A private meeting with a ballerina at the Hermitage Theatre.
Find out more about Exeter International’s bespoke city breaks. St Petersburg has a superb range of hotels including Rocco Forte’s Hotel Astoria where a four-night stay including flights costs from £695 per person. For more details, call 020 8956 2756 or email enquiries@exeterinternational.co.uk.
Read a review in The Times of our Private Tour of the Hermitage in St Petersburg.
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