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St. Petersburg was just named the best destination in Europehttps://www.businessinsider.in/st-petersburg-was-just-named-the-best-destination-in-europe/the-uniquely-colorful-church-of-the-savior-on-spilled-blood-marks-the-spot-where-alexander-ii-was-attacked-in-an-assassination-attempt-in-1881-hence-the-churchs-name-/slidelist/48906438.cms2021-07-26T12:46:34+05:30

St. Petersburg was just named the best destination in Europe

Jul 26, 2021, 12:46 IST

The uniquely colorful Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood marks the spot where Alexander II was attacked in an assassination attempt in 1881 (hence the church's name).

As if its exterior isn't breathtaking enough, the interior is covered in bright mosaics.

The Winter Palace is also known as the Hermitage Museum. The palace was completed in 1762, the same year that Catherine II rose to power.

Two years later, Catherine acquired the art collection of a rich Berlin merchant, Johann Gotzkowski. This acquisition motivated Catherine to build a two-story building to house paintings, and marked the birth date of the Hermitage Museum, which now houses close to 700,000 works of art.

The Winter Palace is located in the Palace Square, which is St. Petersburg's main square and is also home to the former building of the imperial army as well as the Alexander Column.

The square is an interesting mix of architecture: the Baroque style used for the Winter Palace, and the more classic style of the imperial army building.

Fontanka River is a branch of the Neva River, which flows throughout central St. Petersburg.

The Palace Bridge sits over the Neva River and is one of the city's most striking bridges, especially when it's lit up at night. This picture shows the bridge's framing of Smolny Cathedral.

Taking 40 years to complete, St. Isaac's Cathedral was built to be St. Petersburg's main church and the largest cathedral in Russia.

The church was completed in 1858. In 1930, it was closed and then reopened as museum.

The impressive interior is covered in detailed mosaics and features paintings as well as beautiful columns made of malachite and lapis lazuli.

Stretching between the Palace Square and St. Isaac's Cathedral, Alexander Garden was a popular place for the city's aristocracy to enjoy some leisure and gossip time. It's even mentioned in literature written by the country's favorite poet: Alexander Pushkin.

Originally built for Catherine I by her husband Peter the Great, Catherine Palace didn't become the magnificently ornate palace it now is until their daughter, Empress Elizabeth had it reconstructed in 1734.

The resulting palace stretches close to one kilometer and is covered in over 220 pounds of gold on the outside.

Empress Elizabeth used the palace as her summer residence. The interior is just as ornate as the exterior.

Especially the Amber Room, which is the palace's best known and most legendary room. Nearly 1,000 pounds of Amber was used for its original construction.

Unfortunately the room was dismantled in 1941, when the Germans took over the palace. Forty years later, the Amber Room was recreated, which took 20 years and more than $12 million; it was reopened in 2003.

Like Catherine Palace, the Grand Palace at Peterhof was originally commissioned by Peter the Great, but after his death in 1725, the building was abandoned until his daughter, Empress Elizabeth took over the construction in 1740.

Empress Elizabeth commissioned the same architect who worked on Catherine Palace to the Grand Palace and the result is stunning and elegant. The bright yellow and white palace is a little more understated but is surrounded by gorgeous fountains and gardens.

Occupying a corner of the Nevsky Prospekt — St. Petersburg's main avenue — the Singer Company Building or Dom Knigi (House of Book) is a masterpiece of Art Nouveau architecture. The metal and glass tower that tops the building gives it both height and a unique look.

One of St. Petersburg's more modern churches, the Naval Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Kronstadt was constructed in 1913, the year of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty.

The Byzantine style of the church reflects the fact that the origins of Russian Orthodoxy are in Constantinople.

The church is the tallest building in Kronstadt and, like many other churches in St. Petersburg, is covered in amazingly colorful mosaics.

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