Anyone not like St. Petersburg Russia

[stephensfamily5]

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Edited July 24, 2016 by stephensfamily5

[LondonTowner]

We did the two day Comfort Tour with Alla Tours. I thought it fascinating and we loved it all. I could have spent all day and more in the Hermitage.

 

Would love to return and visit the Faberge Museum which hadn't opened when we were there.

 

SPB was certainly the highlight of our Baltic Cruise. My partner isn't enthralled with museums unless they are military, but he also loved SPB.

[Pet Nit Noy]

With our two teenage sons in tow... The only time their attention flagged was in The Hermitage - art overload. (Others in our group suffered from art overload as well; at the end of that tour we still were slated to see the French Impressionist exhibit, and a number of folks in our group opted to visit the gift shop instead.)

 

For people who are concerned about art overload, consider going with on a totally private tour. That way you can visit the Hermitage and see only the collections that interest you. The Hermitage is so large visitors see only a small fraction of the exhibition halls. Make sure those exhibits are ones you want to see! Read the web site and talk about the possibilities with your tour company. Egyptian antiquities? Classical Greek antiquities? Prehistoric art? Armor of the Middle East in the 15th through 19th centuries? Armor of Western Europe in the 15th through 19th centuries? The portraits of the Romanovs? Notice I haven't even named a single collection that most people visit on the standard tour, but if you want to visit atypical halls, make arrangements that ensure you get there.

Edited July 25, 2016 by Pet Nit Noy

[makiramarlena]

I've been twice. Last time was a private tour for four. We went to the vodka museum. All signage is in Russian but the guide would translate for us. Has a tasting room and a good restaurant attached. Our guide said she didn't remember ever getting a tour that was interested in drinking vodka, lol. and in the Hermitage we did the diamond room. so many snuffboxes.

 

If you go with a private tour, any of the tour companies will customize it for you.

 

Catherine the Great wrote her memoirs...that's a good read too.

Edited July 25, 2016 by makiramarlena

[ljandgb]

It was our least favorite port, but not due to what we saw, just that the socio-political issues colored our visit.

 

That said, it is so easy to do tours that are not all (or any) museums, palaces, and churches. It is a once in a lifetime sort of place, and it is a huge city. There is surely enough things to keep anyone interested. It may just require a private tour to get off the beaten path.

 

We had a delightful meal at Teplo, which does "homestyle" food. Our guide was wonderful. We did a private tour with TJ, which was willing to create a day that held something for everyone in our family, ages 9-72.

[jagsfan]

We were blown away. It is a truly beautiful city and was completely restored after WWII. It's a real gem with very hospitable people. Peter the Great opened it up to the West and left us a gem.

 

 

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