ST PETERSBURG

There is something extremely fascinating about arriving in St Petersburg. It's probably a combination of cold war memories and all sorts of warnings from the ship's staff about backpacks and black marketers. It doesn't help to walk past uniformed and stern customs officials before you can experience the city itself. However, controls are a given, but St. Petersburg certainly isn't. You will be amazed by its churches and magnificent palaces that still flaunt the immense power of the Tsars. A visit to the Hermitage will repay you for all the effort you put into disembarking.