On the banks of the Neva River, the old Petrograd and Leningrad, now known also as  " North Venice " for its 40 islands and more than 400 bridges,  in 2003 the 300th anniversary of its founding at the hands of Peter the Great. The Hermitage, one of the largest art galleries in the world, Peter and Paul Fortress, St. Isaac's Cathedral or Peterhof will worth a visit.