Saint Petersburg, Russia’s former imperial capital and the “Venice of the North,” is built across islands threaded by canals and grand 18th-century architecture. The Hermitage Museum anchors the Winter Palace, while Peterhof Palace dazzles with its Grand Cascade fountains.
The mosaic-covered Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood marks the site of Tsar Alexander II’s assassination, and the Russian Museum traces Russian art from medieval icons to the Soviet avant-garde.
Visit mid-June through September, when the city’s White Nights bring nearly 24 hours of daylight; winters are cold and dark with temperatures well below freezing.
