Side Trips from St. Petersburg Sights

1. Konstantine Palace

Of the palace's 50-odd rooms, several are open to the public on guided tours when no state functions are taking place. Grandest of all is the central Marble Hall, used to host official events, which lives up to its name, with yellow marble pilasters framed by bluish marble walls. A balcony here affords a breathtaking view of the huge park and canals leading to the Gulf of Finland. In addition to the rooms, you can see various permanent exhibits: Russian state symbols from the Hermitage; naval memorabilia from St. Petersburg's Naval Museum; the famed Rostropovich-Vishnevskaya art collection; and the Naryshkins' treasure, found in 2011 during the reconstruction works in an old mansion that used to belong to the Russian noble family and including 2,000 silver objects like tea sets made by the best Russian and European jewelers of the 19th to early 20th centuries. The grounds include the Upper (English) Park, Big Pond, canals, drawbridges, and the monument to Peter the Great, which stands just in front of the palace. Before visiting, be sure to call ahead to make sure the palace will not be closed for state functions.