The State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg is one of the largest art museums in the world, founded in 1764 by the Empress Catherine the Great. Today it houses an enormous collection including over 3 million works of paintings, graphic works, applied art, numismatic coins and archaeological objects.

Museum’s visitors can learn about the vibrant history and culture of Russia, take a guided tour of the buildings, including the Winter Palace, Menshikov Palace and Museum of Porcelain, or admire the largest collection of paintings in the world.

Opening hours:

• Wednesdays and Fridays from 10.30am to 9.00pm, closed Mondays.
• Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10.30am to 6.00pm
• The Hermitage Museum is closed on Mondays, 1 January and 9 May
• The third Thursday of every month, 8 March, 18 May and 7 December the museum admission is free for all visitors. But, note that the museum is typically overcrowded on these days
• Please note entry to The Treasure Gallery: the Gold Room and The Treasure Gallery: the Diamond Room are by guided tour only

Audio guides are available for deposit price or with an ID (passports are not accepted):

• In Russian, English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese and Korean

You can pick an audio guide up from the audio guide desks:

• In the Main Gallery (right beyond the checkpoint)
• On the top of the Jordan Staircase
• Inside the Museum’s building accessed through Shuvalovsky Proezd (right beyond the checkpoint)

Reach the museum by public transportation:

• Metro: Admiralteyskaya, Nevsky Prospekt, Gostiny Dvor
• Buses: 7, 10, 24, 191
• Trolleys: 1, 7, 10, 11
• Please note that the Shuvalovsky Proezd entrance,which can be accessed from Millionnaya Street or the Palace Embankment located between the Small Hermitage and the New Hermitage buildings, must be used by all visitors who have purchased admission tickets online