Hermitage or not?

[ehogan]

We are conflicted about the Hermitage - we are not really art lovers, more into architecture and history.

 

We have scheduled tours for Peterhof (gardens), Church on Spilled Blood, the ballet, St. Peter and Paul.

 

I am considering the Hermitage, but wonder if the crowds, extended periods of standing and waiting would be worth it if the main attraction of the Hermitage is the art collection.

 

Any opinions? We could do a tour (through NCL) that allows early entry to the Hermitage or do you have suggestions on what other sites we might better enjoy.

 

A private tour is not an option for us.

[Moonglow]

The Hermitage is a destination in itself. The outside and inside of the building is very grand and beautiful. I was extremely surprised and enjoyed visiting and would have been sorry had we not seen it. It has so much more to offer than art (paintings), there are the throne rooms, the gold leaf rooms and so much more it's mind boggling. After all, this was Catherine the Greats winter palace and it's over the top like the other palaces there. An exceptional display is the gold room, it's full of jewels and jewerly and personal things from the tsars that are jaw dropping. If I had to choose between St. Peters and Pauls Fortress and the Hermitage I would go for the Hermitage. The fortress was a little dull after the palaces and churches we saw. The church on the grounds does contain the burial vaults of Peter the Great and other royalty. St. Petersburg has more than its share of beautiful palaces, churches and buildings and awe inspiring furnishings and personal possessions. It's easy to see why they had a revolution. This trip is one of our favorites and I know you will love it.

Carol

[teacherman]

We were in St Petersburg and did a 2 day tour with Red October. It was great. We also are not art lovers. I am happy I saw the Hermitage, from a historical perspective, but our group was there about 3 hours which for us was toooooo long. It has miles of corridors and hundreds of rooms, so it is a lot of walking to get anywhere. We did see the Gold Room, but about 15 minutes would have been enough for me. Because of the way guides are done, we had to be in there about 45 minutes. The problem with any short visit to a city, which is what cruises do, is feeling you have used your time wisely. We feel the one place we saw that amazed us was Catherine's Palace. Problem is that it takes about 45 minutes to get there. Everything is a trade off on time. I agree with previous poster about skipping the Peter and Paul fortress. After the palaces, it is a let down.

[Gram Cape Cod]

How could you possibly go to St. Petersburg and not include the Hermitage???:(

[as19111]

We are conflicted about the Hermitage - we are not really art lovers, more into architecture and history.

 

 

 

I'm learning that the Hermitage has 1,057 rooms, 117 staircases, 1,786 doorways and just short of 2,000 windows (ref: Saint Petersburg, Story of an Imperial City by John Lawrence). I'd say that that's some architecture and history! The interior is decorated with all kinds of semi precious stone, such as marble, lapis lazuli and malachite. Regardless of the art content, I can't wait to see the building itself!

[eh2zed]

We are not big museum types but going to St Petersburg and not seeing the Hermitage would be like going to Rome and seeing St. Peters or Paris without going to the Eiffel Tower You don't need to do an exhaustive tour but an overview tour is well worth it. It is itself a very historical and architecturally significant building.

[ehogan]

Thanks, all. We have decided to do the Hermitage per your advice and have booked it with a trip to Catherine's palace.

 

I wouldn't want to regret not seeing it, just as we have always regretted only going halfway up the Eiffel Tower!

 

Great advice on these boards, as always.