Photo by flickr user dorena-wm
Stunning St Petersburg makes an ideal destination for a three to four day trip in either romantic, snow-white winter or warm, blue-skied summer. Start at that elegant treasure house, the State Hermitage Museum (put aside several hours; you could easily spend a day there and only skate the surface of its extraordinarily rich collections) and then meander along the canals in a city that has been nicknamed the Venice of the North. Enjoy cultural offerings such as theatre and ballet, and if you hit the city's upscale bars, dress up: St Petersburg's inhabitants like their labels, and we're not talking H&M. Inspiring hotels are still a relatively new phenomenon, but there are now eight addresses that we are happy to recommend: we'll tell you more when they arrive. The order by which the hotels are listed bears no reflection on our preference.
Written by Tobi Cohen
