September 04, 2007

St Petersburg - Hydrofoil to Hermitage & Gold Room


We travelled from Peterfhof to the Hermitage by Hydrofoil. The Hermitage was designed by Rastrelli and built 1754-1762 as the Winter Palace for the Tsars. There are an estimated 3 million items in this museum.

We started with the amazing "Gold Room" which did NOT allow photos, so I have downloaded a photo from the Museum website. Most of the items in the gold room were hundreds of years BC. The most impressive item outside the Gold Room to me was the "Peacock Clock".

Then came the opulence to which we have become accustomed - fabulous ceilings, shell fountain, malachite vase, mosaic landscape, etc.


And the vast art collection including DaVinci and Canaletto...

Final note: The cafeterias for lunch were very disappointing but internet was cheap!

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