Historical sites
Since it has a large number of palaces, Saint Petersburg is often called the city of palaces. Peter the Great built several palaces, churches and monuments in the city, inviting craftsmen, builders and architects from all over Europe. Successive rulers built new monuments, which today make Saint Petersburg a popular tourist destination.
Some of the popular tourist spots in Saint Petersburg are:
1. The Summer Palace or Peter the Great’s Cottage : the first residence of Peter the Great, a wooden cottage built in three days. The cottage was sealed off in a protective brick enclosure
2. Winter Palace - luxurious interiors, more than 600 rooms, it also houses the Hermitage Museum
3. Engineer’s Castle - a fortress residence surrounded by a moat.
4. St Isaac’s Cathedral - largest cathedral in the city , it is the biggest gold plated dome in the world.
5. Peter and Paul Cathedral - contains the sepulchers of Peter the Great and other Russian emperors.