Lonely Planet Russia: St Petersburg

Discover Russia. Includes FREE planning and background information. Beautiful, complex and imperious, with a hedonistic, creative temperament, St Petersburg is the ultimate Russian diva. From its early days as an uninhabited swamp, the 300-year-old city has been nurtured by a succession of rulers, enduring practically everything that history and nature’s harsh elements could throw at her. Constantly in need of repair but with a carefree party attitude, Piter (as she’s affectionately known by locals) still seduces all who gaze upon the grand facades, glittering spires and gilded domes.

Discover Russia. Includes FREE planning and background information. Beautiful, complex and imperious, with a hedonistic, creative temperament, St Petersburg is the ultimate Russian diva. From its early days as an uninhabited swamp, the 300-year-old city has been nurtured by a succession of rulers, enduring practically everything that history and nature’s harsh elements could throw at her. Constantly in need of repair but with a carefree party attitude, Piter (as she’s affectionately known by locals) still seduces all who gaze upon the grand facades, glittering spires and gilded domes.