St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg was arguably the stop I was most excited about on our Baltic cruise. It is such an exotic place for Americans, and has an incredible history. This was definitely the longest day during our cruise. We were up and on the bus early in the morning, and didn't return to our boat until almost 11 PM. I am so glad we got the full day. Disney did an amazing job of showing us as much of the city as possible. The weather wasn't great, but I think it's almost kind of fitting to have depressing weather in Russia. We started our day at Peterhof Palace, which was already swarming. We weren't allowed to take any pictures inside, and we had to wear protective booties on our feet. The inside rooms were incredible, and I wish I had pictures, but not taking any allowed me to really soak in the beauty of everything! 

Peterhof Palace fountains showing off. 

I am glad I wore a sweater, down jacket, rain jacket, AND scarf. It was chilly and wet!

Next, we set off to see the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. This is the iconic St. Petersburg image that comes to mind for a lot of people. I was so excited to see it! Here is one example why Disney is the best company to travel with- the church was technically closed that day, and no one was allowed inside of it. HOWEVER, Disney made some sort of deal with the church, and our small group was allowed inside. We had the whole thing to ourself! It was one of the most beautiful, overwhelming things I've ever experienced. To be in the cavernous place alone, taking in the mosaics that cover every surface of the walls and ceiling, was incredible. I wanted to soak in every moment!! Can you believe those mosaics? 

Some background information about the church: it was built on the site where Emperor Alexander II was fatally wounded by political nihilists in March of 1881. The church was built between 1883 and 1907, and funded by the imperial family. It has more than 7500 square meters of mosaics--more than any other church in the world. 

I mean.?!?!

Selfie game too strong.

After some tea/snacks and a very scenic boat ride through the center of the city with traditional Russian folk music, it was time for our last stop of the day. The Hermitage Museum!!
This place is INSANE. First of all, it has the largest collection of paintings in the world. NBD. The main building is the Winter Palace, which used to be a residence of the imperial family in, you guessed it, the winter! Peterhof was their summer home, duh. So the Hermitage was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great. What a woman. Nowadays, the Hermitage has everything from ancient Egyptian art to DaVincis and everything in between. One of the coolest things about the museum is the fact that every room is more ornate and grand than the one before. In addition to appreciating the art, the museum itself is a work of art!! Also, if you are planning a trip to St. Petersburg, I would recommend going to the Hermitage a few hours before closing on a weekday. We pretty much had the whole thing to ourselves which was so nice. We were free to wander and linger and in a museum of this scale, it makes a difference!! I took way too many pictures here, which I will insert now. 

Our tour guides said they've never seen it so empty!