Though St Petersburg has been deprived from the role of capital of Russia, in many senses it is the real capital of the country. Today, it is the most cosmopolitan of Russia’s cities. With a culture and personality of its own, St Petersburg is definitely Russia’s soul and heart. Since it was designed on a grand scale to satisfy the wishes of Peter the Great, now St Petersburg boasts a magnificent architecture, broad boulevards, Venetian-style waterways leading to the River Neva, and arched bridges. In conjunction with this, you’ll find that St Petersburg is a leading center for classical culture, education, and an incomparable source of entertainment.
St Petersburg is a city of a bit more than 300 years old. To celebrate that occasion in 2003 the city undergone several works of restoration to recover its original splendor and celebrate the anniversary of the so-long called "The Venice of the North". Several years later, St Petersburg still dazzles with a renovated beauty that is present in most of its booming districts. If you come to St Petersburg today, you’ll find a city of deep extremes: the luxury of its traditional buildings and recently-built modern edifices contrast with the simplicity of local homes and districts.
