The State Hermitage is one of the world's largest and oldest museums, housed in the baroque Winter Palace and four adjoining buildings on the Dvortsovaya Embankment. The collection spans over three million items — from Egyptian antiquities to Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci, and a vast collection of French Impressionists. You could spend days here and barely scratch the surface.
The museum comprises the Winter Palace (built by Rastrelli, 1754-1762), the Small Hermitage, the Old Hermitage, the Hermitage Theatre, and the New Hermitage, all interconnected by passages and a hanging garden. The department of Western European art alone features masterpieces by Raphael, Rubens, Titian, El Greco, and Picasso.
Buy tickets online to skip the considerable queues. Students with valid ID get in free. The two-day ticket includes the Menshikov Palace and is worth it if you have the time.