Conceived from the first to be one of Europe’s great cities, St Petersburg grew from the vision of just one man, a monarch who engaged the finest architects of the day. At first sight almost too beautiful, Peter the Great’s showcase capital, his gateway to the world, raised from a windswept marshland, has survived, and mellowed, for over two hundred years.

If The Hermitage teems with package tourists, there are many more fine museums and monuments that remain more accessible, more rewarding even. Simply to stroll beside the city canals is stimulation enough. Stay up on a summer’s night to see the bridges raised in the wee hours – reverting to Peter’s own vision of a Venice of the North.

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