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t Petersburg is a city of architectural finesse
that defies its northern latitude andwas built
over 44 islands within the mighty Neva River
delta system. This in turns flows into The Gulf of
Finland and the Baltic attesting to the city’s
importance as Russia’s principal western port and its
legacy as Imperial Russia’s “Window on theWest”.
It was from here in 1703 that its founder, Peter the
Great, assimilated the achievements and fashions
of the great western nations to create what is
undoubtedly one of the world’s most beautiful
cities resplendent in grand buildings of white
columns and baroque decorations. In the heart of
the city, none of the buildings are more than five
storeys and while they may have been built in
different styles, they all embody an aspiration for
grace and harmony.
Where Paris shines in the exactness of Hausmann’s
boulevards, so too St Petersburg displays an open
grace where the contours of the river Neva and her
many canals support heavy brown granite
embankments that provide a solid base for the
airy palaces, intricate churches, museums and
theatres that proliferate the banks above. Indeed,
whilst many buildings have truly monumental
dimensions like the grand Hermitage (possibly the
world’s greatest museum), there is a balance that is
cleverly maintained with her elegant open spaces.
Even the bridge railings are small masterpieces of
ornate metalwork.
The visitor to this fine city will be rewarded with a
cultural banquet with over 50 museums, 20
theatres and concert halls as well as some
spectacular imperial palaces. The city is best visited
between April and November.
S
Majestic St Petersburg
The jewel of imperial Russia
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