Princes and palaces
In its day, St Petersburg was home to the richest and most flamboyant aristocracy in Europe, and their memory is immortalised in the city's monumental architecture. Begun under Peter the Great and perfected by Catherine the Great, the city presents a unique collection of neo-Classical palaces, churches and monuments. St Petersburg stretches along the mighty River Neva and its tributary canals in a staggering series of architectural jewels, from the green-gold statues of the Winter Palace to the gilded dome of St Isaac's cathedral. Even the city's metro stations are works of art. St Petersburg was built to demonstrate the wealth and power of the world's largest country. It succeeds.

Art and enchantment
The contents of the palaces are as breath-taking as their exteriors. The Hermitage collection, housed in the Winter Palace and half a dozen other galleries, ranks among the world's most significant art collections. Its huge range of treasures includes works by all of Europe's greatest painters and sculptors, including da Vinci, Titian, Rembrandt, Rubens and Picasso, together with archaeological finds from Russia's enormous territories. The Russian Museum, the Kunstkammer - featuring Peter the Great's own collection of curiosities - and the Ethnographic Museum all boast worldclass collections, while lesser-known gems such as the Museum of the Arctic and Antarctic offer the charm of variety. With 2.7 million exhibits held by the Hermitage alone, St Petersburg's museums are a never-ending treasuretrove of interest.

Capital of culture
St Petersburg may no longer be the capital of Russia, but it regards itself as the country's cultural leader. Home to dozens of theatres, orchestras, bands, and performing companies - including the legendary Kirov ballet and the St Petersburg (formerly Leningrad) Philharmonic Orchestra - St Petersburg was the birthplace of Dmitri Shostakovich and the home of Piotr Tchaikosvky. Its cultural wealth has been immortalised in countless poems, novels and paintings. Now it hosts a flourishing series of festivals, from the White Nights and the Purple Sails at midsummer, to the White Days midwinter gala. Boosted by Russia's economic boom and an ever-growing tide of tourists, the city is more confident than ever in its claim to be the country's cultural capital.

Away from it all
If the bustle of the city seems too much, it is easy to escape: Petersburg is ringed with stately parks, and the imperial palaces of Tsarskoe Selo and Peterhof are a short ride away from the centre. Both palaces are works of art in their own right: the golden fountains of Peterhof and the Amber Room at Tsarskoe Selo are treasures which few cities anywhere in the world can match. But for many locals, the greatest advantage is the peace and quiet which they offer. At Peterhof, summer visitors paddle in the Gulf of Finland, and even in the fountains themselves, and newlyweds pose for pictures beside the countless statues. The palaces were built as a way for the Tsars to escape the stress of city life. Now visitors can follow in their footsteps.