Founded in 1703, the city of St. Petersburg is the cultural center of Russia and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The Grand Hotel Europe is located in the heart of the city, within easy walking distance of its major attractions.
Just off Nevsky Prospekt, as you walk toward the golden spire of the Admiralty, is the monumental Palace Square, lined by the Tsars’ former Winter Palace and other buildings of the world renowned Hermitage Museum. Right across Nevsky Prospekt from the hotel are the magnificent Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan and the elegant arcades of the Gostiniy Dvor Department Store.
The Arts Square, dominated by a monument to Russia’s national poet, Alexander Pushkin, lies even closer. Recently renovated, the square is at the center of a 19th century architectural ensemble including the Russian Museum, which boasts the largest collection of Russian art in the world, and – you guessed it! – the Grand Hotel Europe. Also within a few paces are the St. Petersburg Philharmonic and the Mikhailovsky Theatre.
Just around the corner are the soaring onion domes of the Church of the Saviour on the Spilt Blood. One of the city’s most photogenic monuments, the church was built near the spot where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated on March 1st, 1881.