St. Petersburg (Leningrad) is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The former capital of a grand and Glorious empire which stretched over much of the globe, St. Petersburg is chalk full of culture and history. Although just 300 years old, St. Petersburg has a rich and exciting history, full of dramatic events and major historical figures. St Petersburg is a relatively young city, by both Russian and European standards, founded in 1703 by Emperor Peter the Great as his "window on the West", the city enjoys a vibrant, cosmopolitan atmosphere and some of the most beautiful architecture in Europe.

St Petersburg's climate is mild, though unpredictable. Winters are cold, with freezing winds and snowfall in January and February (the coldest months), sometimes dropping lower. June to August is usually the warmest time of year. Summer tends to be the most popular time to travel to St Petersburg.

St. Petersburg's economy has traditionally been fueled by tourism. But the city's economy is actually more broad-based. Major growth industries in the metropolitan area include financial services, manufacturing, medical technologies, information technology, and marine sciences. St. Petersburg's economy is rooted in financial services. Manufacturing companies are attracted to the region's transportation infrastructure.

Locals in St Petersburg make good use of their public transport, which is extensive if not efficient and reliable. There are 65 tramlines, close to 200 bus routes and numerous trolley buses, but no night service is available after midnight. A popular form of local transport, more efficient than the buses, are passenger vans called “marshrutka” which follow the same routes as buses and trams, and stop on request. St Petersburg's metro has four lines and 54 stations and is extremely efficient and easy to use, even though signs are not in English. Taxis are clearly marked and can be hailed in the street or telephone booked. Self-driving is difficult in the thick traffic and on bad road surfaces with Cyrillic road signs.

The best way to see St. Petersburg is to walk around Nevsky Prospekt - the main street, which is 4.5 km long. It's not necessary to walk all of it, the best place is where it crosses Griboedova channel - there are nice parks there and Hermitage is quite close. The State Hermitage Museum owns the largest museum collection in the world, which is located in 6 buildings, one of which is Winter Palace (Zimni Dvorets) – the residence of Russian emperors. Impressive cathedral of 19th century is former main cathedral of St.-Petersburg. There is an observation deck on the colonnade which provides nice view of the city.

From the White Nights festival during the mysterious summer twilight to top theater and ballet productions and concerts on magical winter evenings, the city offers a vibrant cultural life that is second to none.

A truly exquisite estate with gorgeous gardens, fantastic fountains and picturesque palaces is a place outside of St Petersburg – Peterhof. Founded by Peter the Great, construction of the estate began in earnest in 1714. Peter was heavily involved in designing the estate before choosing German architect Johann-Friedrich Braunstein to realize his vision. Other architects to work on the project included Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Le Blond, Italian Nicolo Michetti and Russian Mikhail Zemtsov. The result is a palace and park complex that matches any in Europe and has been called “The Russian Versailles”.