Members of Ten choose St Petersburg to:
- Explore the churches, palaces and waterways of the Venice of the North
- Have a cultural break in the city that's home to the Kirov Ballet
- Indulge in sophisticated, historic hotels
St Petersburg's fascinating history, sublime architecture and magical location make it an ever-popular destination for members. Ten UK's travel expert Maria Korelskaya says:
VENICE OF THE NORTH
St Petersburg, the maritime capital of Russia for over 200 hundred years, is a city where the Snow Queen might live. A fairy-tale metropolis of marble palaces and onion-domed cathedrals that glow in the clear northern light, it was built in the 18th century by Peter the Great on a marsh in the Gulf of Finland.
Long referred to as the ‘Venice of the North' for its network of canals and exquisitely ornate bridges, it's where Fabergé craftsmen designed their first egg, where Shostakovich was born and where President Putin grew up.
THE WHITE DAYS
A winter break during what are poetically known as the ‘White Days', when the rivers freeze over and the city's avenues lie deep in snow, is an enchanting, Dr Zhivago-esque experience. It's a stark contrast to a stay in high summer, when the sky hardly darkens. Talk to Ten about the charm of each season and the availability of rooms.
THE WINTER PALACE & OTHER PALACES
St Petersburg competes with Moscow in its cultural pull for tourists, and Ten can get its members access to some of its extraordinary sights.
The vast State Hermitage Museum has one of the world's largest art collections: its rooms are lined with Rembrandts, Matisses, Gauguins and Da Vincis. All collections are housed in six beautiful buildings, one being the Winter Palace, formerly the official residence of the Russian tsars.
Our members recommend the sumptuous Yusupov Palace (also called the Moika Palace) on the Moika River, where the infamous monk Rasputin was assassinated. Ask Ten as well about visits to the rococo Catherine Palace, just a few kilometres outside the city, which was once the summer palace of the tsars. Decorated with gold and white trimmings, it contains the world-famous Amber Room (a reconstruction of the original, which was looted in World War II and subsequently lost). Members say that the fountains and cascades in the grounds provide a peaceful contrast to the city centre.
NEVSKY PROSPEKT DISTRICT
The cultural heart of St Petersburg is avenue Nevsky Prospekt, a mix of designer shops, churches and palaces. For sheer ecclesiastical wonder and architecture, wander round the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood with its jewelled exterior and mosaic-covered interior.
The Alexander Nevsky Monastery and Necropolis, St Petersburg's oldest and most important monastery, has a fascinating cemetery, where both Tchaikovsky and Dostoevsky are buried. For panoramic views, survey the city from the observation deck on the colonnade of St Isaac's Cathedral, one of the world's largest churches.
LUXURY HOTELS, CHILLED VODKA & RUSSIAN CAVIAR
From the cathedral it's only a short walk to the luxurious five-star Hotel Astoria, with its spa facilities and exquisite selection of chilled vodkas and Russian caviar. It has a fabled history: so sure was Hitler of his victory after German troops had laid siege to St. Petersburg for 900 days that he had invitations printed to a celebratory party at the hotel. The party never went ahead. Now part of Sir Rocco Forte's hotel collection, its restaurant Davidov, overlooking St. Isaac's square, has an excellent reputation.
Members also choose to stay at the Grand Hotel Europe, one of the world's most luxurious hotels, close to the Russian Museum and Mussorgsky Theatre. It was at the Grand that Tchaikovsky spent his honeymoon and Stravinsky took a room after his many years in exile. Some of the hotel's exquisite rooms still have pianos; talk to the team about a romantic escape in one of the Belle Chambre suites.
Ten can also book members a room at the Kempinski Hotel, built by Dutch engineer Basil von Witte and famed for its cuisine - its executive chef trained under Alain Ducasse. If you don't stay there, it's still worth a visit for afternoon tea in one of the glass-covered courtyards.
BORSCHT & KHINKALI
If you prefer to eat away from your hotel, our members have raved about the Durak (the Idiot), with its 19th-century Russian décor, excellent vodka, borscht and novel ‘Crime and Punishment' cocktails. Or try the Kavkaz, which serves food from the former Soviet state of Georgia: the khinkali, enormous spiced meat dumplings, are one of its specialities.
Talk to Ten about reservations at the Taleon Club, which serves Russian and European cuisine in a renovated former residence of Catherine the Great. It has three bars with moderate prices. The Borselino brasserie at the Hotel Angleterre has minimalist décor and high chairs for children.
KIROV BALLET
After dinner, Ten can get members the best seats at the Mariinsky Theatre to see the world-famous Kirov Ballet, or at the Great Hall of the Philharmonia, the oldest in Russia, where Liszt, Berlioz, Wagner, and Mahler once played.
BARS (IN BOMB SHELTERS)
For jazz, we recommend the Manhattan Club. The Havana Club, with its three dance floors, is great for Cuban music. Our members recommend the Griboedov, housed in a former bomb shelter, which is probably the most respected music club in the city.
If you're still awake after all those, talk to us about arranging entrance to the Jet Set nightclub with its VIP suite, or the bohemian Ostrov club, set in a newly restored mansion.
