After a 4 hour train ride that included apples and sleep masks, we hopped off onto the Saint Petersburg platform.

Venice of the North offers up a maze of canals, cafés and nights that last under two hours.  The pastel coloured building facades keep you zen and June is the night of white nights day time, all the time.

The architecture here will take you back to the time of Tsars and their dramas.  The Hermitage is every Museum lover’s dream come true, and you can spend 2 to 20 hours inside depending on your motivation.  All the stories to be learned are fascinating, especially Catherine the Great’s.

There are hundreds of restaurants to be tried, ranging from traditional Armenian & Georgian, to hip trendy spots serving up white wine until the wee hours, to sick views of St. Isaac’s.  See our list of recommendations below.

Don’t forget to squeeze in some ballet.

I’m thankful for today, Gorokhovaya St, 24, St Petersburg, Russia, 191186

Erivan, nab. Reki Fontanki, 51-53, St Petersburg, Russia, 191011

Schastye, Russland Russland, Nevsky Prospect, 55, St Petersburg, Russia, 191025

W Hotel, Voznesensky Ave, 6, St Petersburg, Russia, 190000