St Petersburg is a major European centre for culture, education and tourism. Founded by Emperor Peter I in 1703, it served as the Russia’s capital until 1917. All around the world, the city is famous for its fine architecture: palace complexes, city mansions and temples of all major world religions.

St Petersburg is Russia’s cultural capital and a marvellous jewel in the country’s crown. It welcomes over 8 million tourists annually, attracted by the city’s 300 museums. World-famous collections of the Hermitage, Russian Museum, Kunstkamera and Museum of Ethnography are only a fraction of what the city has to offer. More than 70 theatres and performance groups are eager to share their art with city’s guests and locals. A visit to Mariinsky Theatre, Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall, Alexandrinsky Theatre, Mikhailovsky Theatre, Tovstonogov Bolshoi Drama Theatre or St Petersburg Philharmonia is bound to leave a lasting impression and is an amazing opportunity to enjoy the works that are part of the global cultural heritage.

Although St Petersburg is the northernmost metropolis in the world, a walk along its streets is an obligatory experience, especially during the famed white nights from late April to late July. During this time, the nights are almost as bright as the days, so locals and tourists alike seize this opportunity to walk the streets of the city all night. St Petersburg is also dubbed the Venice of the North for its 40 rivers and canals and over 580 bridges. Taking a boat cruise along the city’s rivers and canals is an experience that you just can’t miss! St Petersburg climate is temperate and humid, in between continental and maritime. Its summers are rather moderate and not too hot, springs and autumns are cool and rainy, while the winters are also moderate with brief spells of frost.