Originally built to serve as the winter residence of the Tsars (in contrast to Catherine Palace), the Winter Palace of Saint Petersburg stands to this day and functions as one of the famous attractions for tourists visiting the country. From the outside, visitors can marvel at the Palace’s unique architecture and a huge amount of detail: nearly 2000 windows line the face of the structure.
Inside, visitors can marvel at a vast assortment of Russian art and history as the Winter Palace serves as the cornerstone for the city’s Hermitage Museum, one of the largest museums in the world, and the largest offering an insightful look at the treasures of the Tsars. In addition to the beautiful collection offered by the Museum, visitors with a thirst for history can get their fill as nearly all of the Palace’s one thousand rooms are now open to the public as part of the Museum tour.