The Hermitage Museum & Palace Square: A Guide

The Winter Palace and Palace Square in St. Petersburg at dusk

At the centre of St. Petersburg lies one of the world’s greatest cultural treasures: the State Hermitage Museum, housed in the magnificent green-and-white Winter Palace. Facing it across the grand expanse of Palace Square, the museum and its setting together form the symbolic and artistic heart of the former imperial capital.

One of the World’s Great Museums

The Hermitage holds an immense collection of around three million items, spanning ancient artefacts to European masterpieces by Leonardo, Rembrandt, and the Impressionists. It is so vast that seeing everything in a single visit is impossible. The interiors themselves are part of the spectacle, with gilded halls, grand staircases, and the lavish state rooms of the former tsars rivalling the art on display.

The Winter Palace and Palace Square

The Winter Palace served as the official residence of the Russian emperors and is a baroque masterpiece in its own right. In front of it, Palace Square is one of the most impressive urban spaces in Europe, anchored by the towering Alexander Column and framed by the sweeping curve of the General Staff Building. The square has been the stage for pivotal moments in Russian history and is stunning when floodlit at night.

Planning Your Visit

The Hermitage is enormous, so it pays to prioritise a few collections rather than attempt everything. Buying tickets online in advance helps avoid long queues, especially in summer. The museum sits in the very centre of the city, a short walk from Nevsky Prospekt and easily reached on foot. Allow at least half a day, and arrive early to enjoy the most famous halls before the crowds build.

Vast, opulent, and unmissable, the Hermitage and Palace Square are the essential starting point in St. Petersburg.