From the 1760s the Winter Palace was the main residence of the Russian Tzars. Magnificently located on the bank of the Neva River, this Baroque-style palace is perhaps the major attraction of St. Petersburg. Many visitors also know it as the main building of the Hermitage Museum. The green-and-white three-story palace is truly impressive: it has 1786 doors, 1945 windows and 1057 halls and rooms, many of which are open to the public.

The Baroque Winter Palace was built in 1754-62 for Empress Elisabeth, daughter of Peter the Great. By the time it was completed Elisabeth had already died, and only Catherine the Great and her successors could enjoy their new home. Many of the impressive interiors have been remodeled since then, particularly after 1837, when a huge fire destroyed most of the palace. Nowadays the Winter Palace, together with four more buildings houses the extensive collections of the Hermitage. The Hermitage Museum is the largest art gallery in Russia and is among the largest and most respected art museums in the world.

The museum was founded in 1764 when Catherine the Great purchased a collection of 255 paintings from Berlin. Nowadays, the Hermitage has about 2.7 million exhibits and displays a full range of world art from Ancient Egypt to early 20th century Europe. It includes works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, unique collections of Rembrandt, Rubens, French Impressionists (Renoir, Cezanne, Manet, Monet, Pissarro), plus Van Gogh, Matisse, Gaugin and sculptures by Rodin. The collection is huge and very exciting. They say that "you can be absorbed for days in its treasures and still come out wishing for more". It has been calculated that if you decide to spend only one minute in front of each exhibit, you will have to stay in the Hermitage for 11 years.