Manege (Central Exhibition Hall), St. Petersburg

This exhibition hall on Isaakievskaia Ploshchad' (St Isaac's Square) is a good place to drop in for an hour or so if you are beginning to feel a little overwhelmed by the beautiful architecture of St Petersburg. Built in 1807 in classical style with gorgeous marble sculptures on its facade, "Manezh" looks fairly modern from the inside. The hall is always hosting some event or other, anything from a photo-video fair exposing the latest achievements of modern technology to a show by a local avant-grade artist breaking conventional taboos with far out paintings and installations. There is a cafe in the basement where you can have a cup of coffee and a sandwich. In the lobby, you can buy art books and catalogs of recent exhibitions.