St Petersburg - Historic Heart (PDF Chapter)

This is the Historic Heart chapter from Lonely Planet’s St Petersburg guide-book.

The Historic Heart is a fast-paced, crowded area that’s the commercial and tourist focus of the city. For an unforgettable first impression, head straight to vast Palace Sq and the Winter Palace, home to the main collection of the Hermitage.

• survey millennia of global art and culture and be dazzled by the gilded apartments of the Romanovs at the State Hermitage Museum
• maps
• gawp at the jewel-box-bright exterior of the Church on the Spilled Blood, then be awestruck by the epic mosaics inside
• transport
• get to know the world’s best collection of Russian art at the fantastic Russian Museum
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.