SAINT PETERSBURG To book Close Saint Peterburg is the second largest city in Russia. It is located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. Saint Petersburg was founded by Tsar Peter the Great on May 27 1703. Saint Petersburg is often described as the most Westernized city of Russia, as well as its cultural capital. The city has 221 museums, 2000 libraries, more than 80 theaters, 100 concert organizations, 45 galleries and exhibition halls, 62 cinemas and around 80 other cultural establishments. Every year the city hosts around 100 festivals and various competitions of art and culture, including more than 50 international ones. The Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments constitute a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Saint Petersburg is also home to The Hermitage, one of the largest art museums in the world. There are more than two hundred museums, many of them hosted in historic buildings. The Palace Bridge drawn at night is one of the symbols of the city. Every night during the navigation period from April to November, 22 bridges across the Neva and main canals are drawn to let ships pass in and out of the Baltic Sea according to a schedule. Southern suburbs of the city feature former imperial residences, including Petergof, with majestic fountain cascades and parks, Tsarskoe Selo, with the baroque Catherine Palace and the neoclassical Alexander Palace, and Pavlovsk, which contains a domed palace of Emperor Paul and one of the largest English-style parks in Europe. Some other residences situated nearby and making part of the world heritage site, including a castle and park inGatchina, actually belong to Leningrad Oblast rather than Saint Petersburg. Another notable suburb is Kronstadt with its 19th-century fortifications and naval monuments, occupying the Kotlin Island in the Gulf of Finland. Saint Petersburg has significant historical and cultural heritage and is thus considered a highly attractive tourist destination.