Although reportedly built to resemble such Western cities as London, Paris, and Vienna, one look at St. Petersburg’s regal palaces and vast public squares is enough to tell you that it is truly in a class of its own. The overnight call in St. Petersburg lets you immerse yourself in the city’s cultural immensity. The Hermitage alone could overwhelm you. One of the world’s great museums, it houses works by Titian, Dutch and Flemish masters, Michelangelo and Matisse, and the Peacock Clock. Ensconced in Catherine the Great’s Winter Palace, the museum is as evocative as its collection.
