St. Petersburg is a beautiful city filled with extravagant historical palaces, cathedrals and royal gardens. Long recognized as the intellectual and cultural center of Russia, this former capital has been spiffing things up with a growing number of luxury hotels and a vibrant restaurant scene truly befitting this City of the Czars. Below are my top 10 recommendations:
1. Climb the 330-foot staircase in St. Isaac’s Cathedral
Climb the 330-foot staircase in St. Isaac’s Cathedral, one of the city’s most important landmarks, for a breathtaking panoramic view of the city. French architect Auguste de Montferrand, built this impressive cathedral, the third largest in the world, which is topped with a colossal dome made from 100 kilos of gold!
2. Cross the street to the stunning new Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace
Once a 19th century Russian royal palace (also designed by Auguste de Montferrand), the Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace is their first Russian property. Be forewarned: you’ll be very sad if you did not make reservations to stay here! The sumptuous, imperial golden yellow and sky blue guest suites leave you feeling like Russian royalty as you snuggle under the down-filled comforter or watch TV while soaking in a deep tub filled with Bulgari bubbles.
Michelin-starred Executive Chef Andrea Accordi is wowing sophisticated locals and international guests with his innovative cuisine available at Percorso Restaurant, which specializes in fine Italian cuisine, the pan-Asian Sintoho Restaurant, the stylish, walnut-paneled Xander Bar or the glass-domed, garden-like Tea Lounge. And after a full day of sightseeing you’ll definitely want to take advantage of their traditional Russian steam room located in a modern four-level spa.
3. Visit the Hermitage Museum
With over 100 museums it can be a daunting task to choose which to visit but one no-brainer pick is the Hermitage Museum, located in the pastel green and white Winter Palace, once home of the Tsars and the setting for the 1905 and 1917 Revolutions. The Hermitage is huge, housing over 3 million of the world’s finest art works. While wandering the gilded hallways keep an eye peeled for Leonardo da Vinci’s “Madonna with Child”, the Rembrandt’s “Return of the Prodigal Son”, Michelangelo’s Crouching Boy, Matisse’s The Dance and Picasso’s Blue Period paintings.
