My wife and I visited the Hermitage in June 2009 while on a Baltic cruise.The art collection was immense and impressive, although somewhat thrown together. The building was extremely crowded, and there is no climate control, which created a humid atmosphere. Our tour guide did rush our group a lot, and an elderly couple had to drop out because they ...

I went there in June 2006 and absolutely loved it. I took a 2 day pass and even then I did not have time to see it all. I wanted to go back again and again! Getting in was a problem, as there are always queues and annoying touts hanging around. You have to register your cameras and bags and put them in the cloakroom. Take your camera if you want, ...

I'd recommend getting a two day pass so you can stretch out your experience. You will probably be walking around the place in a daze for a while just admiring the architectural details of the buildings and then you can start over and go back and look at all of the incredible art you just missed! I don't recommend taking a tour because they ...

The Hermitage is a must see if you are in St. Petersburg. Even if you are not an art buff you would have appreciation for this mansion. It is simply breath taking. It is a once in a life time opportunity to see the famous pieces of art that it holds and to look back on the history of the home . I loved the throne room and was in awe to see in person my most favorite piece of art, "the prodigal son".

The Hermitage is a castle of wonders. I got lost in its spacious halls and kept discovering myself next to new wonders. I took a staircase... and ended up in a room of Picassos. Turned a corner... and encountered a Michaelangelo. There are marble halls of sculptures, unforgettable art. But the building itself is so worth a visit.

Take your ...