This hotel, formerly knew as Nevsky 22, is comfortable, if you desire to spend your stay in the city centre of Petersburg.

In fact, it takes just a few minutes to get to the Hermitage (what a museum!). What is more, Nevsky Prospect is amazing: this boulevard was built in the 18th century and it is full of Italian and French influence: Saint Petersburg is really the union of two different cultures!

10 Bolshaya Konyushennaya St, 191186 St. Petersburg.
Tel: +7 812 3123131
Fax: +7 812 7033861
Website: www.nevskygrandhotel.com

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Also known as the Catherine Palace, this is the most spectacular of the former royal palaces in the environs of St Petersburg.

The first sight of it will linger always in the memory; the dominant blue, decorated with gold and white trimmings is overwhelming given the scale of the building. It contains the famous amber room, which is panelled entirely with amber taken from the Russian forests. The original is said to have been destroyed or stolen during the second world war, no one knows the truth, but they've just finished restoring it using the same original methods and materials.

Apparently Elton John played in the lavish ballroom not long ago - I'm surprised he hasn't put in an offer yet.

Pushkin, 25 km south of St Petersburg - there's plenty of organised tours; www.alexanderpalace.org/tsarskoe/

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This is the smallest of the three ‘out of town’ royal palaces and, from the outside, the least ostentatious. It was built for Catherine’s son Paul and is situated in the middle of a large, wooded park that seems very popular with the locals nowadays. Inside it’s decorated as lavishly as any of the others and includes a Grecian Hall, an Italian Hall and a Hall of War.

From St Petersburg Vitebsk station to Pavlovsk station. Then a 30 minute walk through the park or buses 370 or 383. Guided tours also available.

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On the banks of the Moyka canal, not far from the Mariinsky Theatre, is the yellow palace once owned by the Yusupov family. It’s rather subdued and conventional exterior belies some quite startling secrets within, not least that this was the place where Rasputin was murdered by Prince Felix Yusupov and his cohorts.

Besides an exhibition on the mad monk, you can view most of the rooms, which include one in a fabulous Moorish style and a superb miniature Rococo theatre that's hard to tear yourself away from.

The staff are used to coach parties, so seem a little surprised if you turn up on your own, but with a bit of sign language they're quite amenable.

Naberezhnaya Reki Moyki 94;
www.saint-petersburg.com/museums/yusupov-palace.asp

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Not particularly easy to find, as even when you’ve located the street, it’s hidden away in a courtyard behind a black wooden gate with a step-through opening. Once you do find it however, there awaits an interesting insight into the life of Russia’s most famous poet. It’s a fairly typical museum house, with all the usual artifacts, so you need the audio guide to fill in the stories behind them. It’s very likely you’ll have the place to yourself as it’s off the beaten tourist track. There’s a café there too, once you’ve had your fill of Pushkin.

Naberezhnaya Reki Moyki (near the Hermitage)

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