«Spring of Art»
4 days/3 nights.
Whole day in the Hermitage. Visit the treasury. In-depth exploration of the Russian State Museum and its rich collection of icons. English-speaking guides for all the visits.
SPRING: The best thing about the spring is that you can visit the museums in complete tranquillity. This is the calmest period for tourism.
OUR ADVICE: March to the end of May. Statistics show that this period may be hot as well as cold. You don’t have to bring your warmest clothes, but you’ll need a good waterproof jacket, woolly sweater and sturdy boots. During spring, the streets and the canals compete for the amount of water in them. Also bring some lighter clothes, since in April the temperatures can easily surpass +20.
Day 1: Arrive to Saint-Petersburg, transfer to a hotel.
Day 2: Tour of the city. General overview of the history and architecture.
Visit to the Fortress of Peter and Paul, an amazing example of Peter’s baroque, which being more Nordic than Italianate reflects the taste of the Tsar. It was built in 1703 in order to protect three branches of the River Neva against the Swedish navy. It also served as a political prison where the Tsar incarcerated his opponents. Inside this giant fortress there used to be a small wooden church, later rebuilt as an imposing cathedral, where its founder Peter the Great is buried as well as all the Romanovs.
Afternoon:
Visit to the Russian State Museum which is located in the centre of the City in the lavish Mikhailovsky palace, built by the architect Carlo Rossi for Prince Michael. Here you can find all the schools and styles of Russian art and an exceptional collection of icons.
Day 3: Visit the Hermitage, the most celebrated and the most important of Russian museums, one of the most beautiful in the world, not only because of its collections, but the buildings themselves. The five palaces of the Hermitage with their ceremonial suits also contain the collections of Italian, Flemish, Spanish, Dutch, German and French paintings, the works of French impressionists, the chefs d’oeuvre of Van Gogh, Gauguin, Matisse and Picasso.
Whole day at the museum and its treasury. Walk in the surrounding area.
Optional: Evening – ballet at the Hermitage theatre.
Day 4: Visit Yussupov’s Palace, built in 1760 by Vallin de la Mothe. It has highly ornate interiors and its Italian-inspired theatre is a real jewel. The infamous Rasputin was killed here on 16th December 1916.
Afternoon: Transfer to the airport. Departure
We can offer you tickets for the regular flights to Saint-Petersburg with British Airways and Aeroflot.
If you want to find the cheapest tickets, you may want to try www.lastminute.com, www.ebookers.com or www.ba.com. You can also compare the flight prices at www.cheapflights.co.uk or www.travelsupermarket.com.
This programme is only an example. You can always compose your own. Just consult us and we’ll be happy to help.