Peter's city: The St. Petersburg of Peter the Great

Few cities have been so strongly imprinted with the personality and vision of their founder as St. Petersburg. The city that Peter the Great established on the shores of the Gulf of Finland grew as he wished (though not exactly as he planned) to become one of the great European capitals of power, learning, science and culture. This full-day tour, devoted to the extraordinary ruler who created a flourishing city out of an inhospitable swamp, takes in the main downtown attractions connected with Peter's life and work before heading west across the Gulf of Finland to Peterhof, the palace and estate that Peter created to rival Versailles.

This tour begins on the Petrograd Side - the area which Peter initially envisaged as the center of his new city - at the Cabin of Peter the Great. This modest wooden house (encased in a brick pavilion for protection) was Peter's home during the initial stages of the building of the Peter and Paul Fortress, and the date of its construction in May 1703 is now considered the date of the founding of St. Petersburg. Inside, the three rooms are now filled with artifacts connected with Peter's life and times.

The next stop, a short distance to the west, is the Peter and Paul Fortress itself. Inside the fortress, the tour will examine the imposing fortifications, visit the exhibition about the history of the fortress in the Neva Curtain Wall, and then head to the Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral. The first church in St. Petersburg, this stunning cathedral with its landmark golden spire is built in the Dutch baroque style beloved of Peter by Domenico Trezzini, the Italian architect who became the Tsar's chief lieutenant in the design of the new city. It is also the final resting place of Peter, along with nearly all of his descendants.

After leaving the fortress, the tour will cross the river to Vasilevskiy Island, the area that developed as the heart of St. Petersburg in the later stages of Peter's life. Here the group will view the landmark buildings of the Petrine era, including the Menshikov Palace and the Twelve Colleges, before going inside the Kunstkamera, the building that Peter commissioned in 1719 to become a centre of scientific research and learning. The tour of the museum will focus on the exhibits specifically connected to Peter, including the collection of freaks and curiosities prepared for the Tsar by Dutch anatomist Frederick Ruysch and the Great Gottorp Globe, one of the world's first planetariums, which Peter acquired during the Great Northern War.

At this point, there will be time for a break for lunch before departing for the second part of the tour in Peterhof. In the summer months, Peterhof can be reached by hydrofoil from the pier in front of the Admiralty, or the transfer can be made year-round by coach. Upon arrival in Peterhof, visitors will head for the Grand Palace in the Upper Park. This fine baroque palace was not in fact completed until several years after Peter's death, when his daughter Empress Elizabeth took the throne, but it retains much of the restrained elegance and simple ornamentation that the Tsar preferred.

The tour will then stroll through the Lower Park with its famous fountains and several buildings from the Petrine era, including the Peterhof Hermitage, the Marly Palace and, of greatest significance, Monplaisir. This charming villa on the shore of the Gulf of Finland was Peter's preferred retreat in the final years of his life, and its beautiful interiors are a summation of his tastes and interests, including several artworks from his personal collection. The tour ends with a transfer back to St. Petersburg either by coach or hydrofoil.

Itinerary and route details