The Taleon Imperial Hotel (former Eliseev Palace Hotel)

The Taleon Imperial Hotel (former Eliseev Palace Hotel).

Overview

The former capital of Russia has seen some dramatic changes in its 305-year history. Founded in 1703 by Peter the Great, St Petersburg has been described as the Venice of the North for its winding canals and grand Italianate architecture, yet the city narrowly escaped destruction during WWII.

Extensive restoration and beautification for the tri-centenary celebrations in 2003 have restored St Petersburg to its original glory. The renovation project was no doubt aided by the fact that former Russian president Vladimir Putin hails from St Petersburg.

Situated on a series of islands where the River Neva meets the Gulf of Finland, St Petersburg was a planned city. Peter the Great took up residence in a tiny log cabin by the Neva and personally supervised the construction of his grand European capital, a project continued by his niece Anna and daughter Elizabeth.

The city was more than just a vanity project - at the time, western Russia was threatened by Sweden, and a vast naval port was created to allow the Russian Navy to assert its dominance over the Baltic Sea. Nevertheless, the grandiose palaces immediately marked St Petersburg out as one of the great cities of Europe.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Tsars of St Petersburg lived a life of extravagant luxury in the magnificent palaces constructed by Domenico Trezzini and Bartomoleo Rastrelli. This opulent lifestyle depended on the abject poverty of serfs and peasants, sowing the seeds of discontent that eventually led to the Russian Revolution.

During the three-year Nazi blockade of St Petersburg from 1941 to 1944, more than 1 million residents starved or froze to death, and the city's artists and intelligentsia were decimated in Stalin's purges. The city persisted in a state of suspended animation for the rest of the Soviet era.

Following the collapse of Communism in 1985, St Petersburg was starved of state funding and many of its most glorious palaces and cathedrals fell into disrepair. Since then, the city has fought its way back to greatness, aided by foreign investors and the new Russian oligarchs.

The biggest concerns for modern-day visitors to St Petersburg are the prices (the city is almost as costly as Moscow) and the weather. St Petersburg is best visited during the warm days and white nights of midsummer, but it is bitterly cold in the depths of the Russian winter.

Tourist Information

Walking Tours
The City Tourism Information Centre (tel: (812) 310 2822; website: www.visit-petersburg.com) can put visitors in touch with private companies who offer themed tours around the city. Angloturismo (tel: (921) 989 4722) offers daily English-language walking tours, leaving from Cafe Rico (Nevsky prospekt 77/1) at 1000. However, you can see most of the famous sites by strolling along the 5km (3 miles) of Nevsky prospekt, from the Admiralty to Anichkov Bridge, and making small detours along the way. Along the way, you'll pass the some of the most outstanding neoclassical buildings in St Petersburg and a series of stately churches and cathedrals.

River Tours
Numerous small operators run tours along the river and canals, visiting famous sights like the Church on Spilled Blood and the bridge linking the Hermitage and Hermitage theatre, but only Angloturismo (tel: (921) 989 4722) runs tours in English. The best tours start from the Griboedova canal and boats leave as soon as there are enough passengers. You can also find jetties for boat tours on the Moyka River, the Fontanka River and Konverskiy proliv, the channel that runs around Zayachy island.

Helicopter Tours
Baltic Airlines (tel: (812) 117 0084; www.balticairlines.ru) operates short helicopter flights around St Petersburg as well as transfers to Peterhof, departing from the Peter and Paul Fortress every weekend.