We arrived at St Petersberg for a 2-night stay. The one thing you need to know is that entry into Russia is very tight. If you arrive by ship, you are only allowed off via immigration with your ship organised tour. If you wish to visit on your own, you need a pre-organised visa and a private guide.
We took a night tour and loved the architecture of St Petersberg and the city lights along the rivers and ever so many bridges. St Petersberg's known as the Venice of the North with all the rivers, canals & bridges. The bridges open and close to allow boats to get through, and can cause havoc in the city at these time with traffic, and with pedestrians trying to get around.
Catherine's Palace was built by, Catherine I in 1717 and renovated and extended by Empress Elizabeth in 1773, which in turn was completely overhauled again in 1752 to what it looks like now. It is a stunning palace that is slowly being refurbished after the Germans left only a shell when they left at the end of WW2. The German army had left bombs to destroy the palace when they left the Russias were able to find and defuse them before they destroyed the building. It has taken nearly ten years just to bring the ballroom back to its former glory with the all the gold leaf used. There are still many rooms to be brought back to life but what you do see now is the grandeur of the palace and the times and wealth of the Tzars of Russia.
The architecture and design of the Russian churches are quite beautiful and very impressive, the colours and the symmetry is a delight to the eye. Learning more about the history of Russia and St Petersberg, as well as the drama of the Tzar's history shows a turbulent time with a very powerful and competitive family wanting to rule this land.
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