With its five million inhabitants, it lies in the northwest of the country at the Neva River and is the world's northernmost metropolis.
Saint Petersburg enchants people with its architecture, cultural sights and the charm of the bridges and rivers that run through the city. In 1703, the city was built under the reign of Tsar Peter the Great on swampy ground and is crossed by 68 rivers and canals. It is therefore very fitting that the city is often compared to Venice or called the “Second Amsterdam". Saint Petersburg is a city where art collections, theatre, literature, ballet and music are of international importance. It is also a centre of research and development and therefore holds great potential for companies.
The historic city centre with its 2,300 palaces, stately homes and castles has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been awarded with one of the most coveted prizes of the tourism industry “World Travel Awards" several times. St. Petersburg is also the cultural capital of Russia, one of the top 10 most attractive tourist destinations according to UNESCO and hardly any other city in Russia is so rich in large tsar's palaces, baroque churches and classicist buildings. There are also libraries, galleries and other cultural institutions, all of which rank somewhere between world-class and local attractions. High ceilings decorated with stucco, magnificent halls, chandeliers and world-famous works of art. Splendid places of worship are scattered throughout St. Petersburg and have an enormous influence on the image of the city.