The fortress itself is an impressive clay and brick construction from the early part of the 18th century that sits on a small island opposite the Hermitage museum. It was built by Peter the Great to protect the city against enemy attack that never happened, and it later became a political prison and a campaign center during the 1917 revolution.
The fortress embraces a set of buildings inside its perimeter:The Peter and Paul Cathedral, where Catherine the Great and most Tsars are buried; a Mausoleum; a printing house; a laboratory highlighting Soviet achievements in rocket and missile design; and the working building where Russian coins and medals are still minted.
A wooden pathway allows visitors to access the southern walls of the fortress for magnificent views of the city, the Hermitage, and the famous Trotsky Bridge across the Neva River.
Petrodvorets (The Peterhof State-Museum Reserve)
Situated 18 miles outside of St. Petersburg, this palace and park complex is easily accessible by hydrofoil taxi boats from the Heritage Museum esplanade. 176 fountains that operate without water pumps, plus four cascades, gilded marble statues, and exuberant palaces, cottages, and farm houses make this a place better enjoyed in summer, when all water features are fully functional.
Made famous by innumerable motion pictures, Petrodvorets is a fairy-tale sight with a touch of whimsy. Peter the Great was a buffoon, an action confirmed by several trick fountains around the state –Sit on the wrong bench or step on an innocent-looking stone and you’ll get a cold spray from the nearest fountain. You can’t help but smile at the royal humor.
Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography
The wonderful exhibitions of world culture and history are enough to guarantee a visit to this museum, but, truth be told, most tourists come here for something else. The museum is home to Peter the Great’s morbid collection of human deformities, which includes newborn skeletons, deformed fetuses, and severed body parts. Definitively not for the squeamish.