A must-see destination in the historic city is The State Hermitage Museum. Built as the Winter Palace residence in the mid 18th Century for Empress Catherine the Great, it’s now one of the world’s largest and most interesting collections of art. Works include those of Michelangelo, Van Gogh, Matisse, da Vinci and many others.

A unique feature of the museum is that it has been patrolled by a crew of working cats for the past two centuries. They’re official mousers, and are fed and cared for by museum staff. Daily visitors encounter many of the hundred friendly felines as they patrol the interiors and grounds. For more info, go to www.saint-petersburg.com/virtual-tour/hermitage