Luxury St Petersburg Holidays

Originally built on a swamp, 18th century St Petersburg has evolved into a modern European city, dubbed Russia’s ‘window to the West’. It was from St Petersburg that the tsars ruled Russia for two centuries until their downfall in 1917, followed by seventy years of communism. Nowadays, citizens are breaking down the barriers of generations past and exploring new ideas, investigating the possibilities of consumerism, creativity and careers. Unlike Moscow’s red bricks and onion domes, St Petersburg’s network of canals and Baroque and Neo Classical architecture give the city a European flavour of remarkable grandeur. And it’s not only Rastrelli’s architecture and Tchaikovsky’s operas that entice visitors these days, but also Beatnik bands, contemporary art galleries and delectable dining. St Petersburg is legendary for its White Nights: those long summer days when the sun barely dips below the horizon. Revels start in May, when the city finally succumbs to spring, but even when the skies are grey the rich culture of St Petersburg dazzles and delights.