Hermitage Museum

Step into the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia, a world-renowned museum of art and culture holding the world's largest collection of paintings. Founded in 1764 when Empress Catherine the Great purchased a major collection of Western European paintings, it opened to the public in 1852. Today, its vast holdings comprise over three million items across six historic buildings along the Palace Embankment, including the Winter Palace—the former main residence of Russian emperors.

Explore five public buildings in the main complex, including the Small, Old, and New Hermitages, plus the Hermitage Theatre. You can also visit expanded sites like the General Staff Building and Menshikov Palace. Wander through grand spaces to view Classical antiquities, such as the Tauride Venus and the massive Kolyvan Vase, or marvel at prehistoric Pazyryk treasures like the world's oldest surviving knotted-pile carpet.

Highlights include Italian Renaissance masterpieces attributed to Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael, extensive Dutch Golden Age works by Rembrandt and Rubens, arms in the Knights' Hall, the golden Peacock Clock in the Pavilion Hall, and Modern and Impressionist art by Matisse, Picasso, and Monet inside the General Staff Building.

What to see at Hermitage Museum

• The 18th-century golden Peacock Clock in the Small Hermitage's Pavilion Hall
• Italian Renaissance masterpieces, including works attributed to Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael
• Extensive 17th-century Dutch Golden Age and Flemish Baroque paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, and Van Dyck
• Ancient Greek and Classical antiquities, including the Tauride Venus and the 19-ton Kolyvan Vase
• Prehistoric Altai treasures featuring the world's oldest surviving knotted-pile carpet

Visiting tips

Plan your visit for the third Thursday of the month if you want free admission, or take advantage of daily free entry if traveling with children or students.

How long: Full day · Best time: Third Thursday of the month

How to get there & what’s nearby

Hermitage Museum is easy to reach on Saint Petersburg’s public transport. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Saint Petersburg travel guide.