I’ve never really had a bucket list, but St Petersburg has fascinated me since I was 15 years old. My high school history teacher, Miss Digman, brought the city to life with stories of Tsars, revolutions, grand palaces and the plight of the serfs. So needless to say, my expectations were very high — especially after being slightly disappointed by Istanbul.

We arrived at 7am on an early flight from Yekaterinburg, fully loaded with backpacks. Navigating the packed commuter bus and then a crowded metro during peak hour wasn’t ideal, but helpful locals guided us to the right stop and we eventually made it to our Airbnb tired, hot and cranky.

The apartment turned out to be one of the best we’ve ever stayed in. Located in an upmarket historic building in old St Petersburg, it was owned by artists and beautifully decorated. Best of all, it was within easy walking distance of everything. I could have stayed forever.

On our first full day we visited the iconic Church of the Spilled Blood (officially the Church of the Resurrection of Christ). This is the colourful, onion-domed church you see in almost every photo of the city. Built on the site of Tsar Alexander II’s assassination in 1881, it features over 7,000 square metres of incredible mosaics. It was under scaffolding on the main dome when we visited, but still breathtaking. This was also the first place in Russia where we saw large numbers of Western tourists.

We crossed the river to the St Peter and Paul Fortress, founded by Peter the Great in 1703. It later served as a prison under the Bolsheviks. Today it’s a popular historical site with river beaches where locals sunbathe.

We dedicated two full days to the vast Hermitage Museum, the second-largest art museum in the world. Spread across several buildings including the stunning Winter Palace, we actually preferred the General Staff Building — fewer crowds and an excellent café. The main Hermitage palace itself is jaw-dropping; I spent as much time admiring the ceilings and interiors as the artworks.

TIP: Buy a 2-day ticket online via the official Hermitage website. It gives you access to multiple sites and lets you skip the queues through a side entrance.

The rest of our time was spent wandering the streets and parks, simply soaking up the beauty. The city is an architectural masterpiece — a blend of Italian Renaissance, French elegance and Russian grandeur. Between 1741 and 1825, Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine the Great along with Alexander I brought in the best European architects, and the result is spectacular.

We were lucky to be there during the White Nights. Around the summer solstice the sun barely sets — official sunset was around 11pm and sunrise at 3:20am. It felt surreal waking up at 4am to full daylight streaming through the windows.