This tour is designed for the person with special interests in culture and art; providing an opportunity to spend more time in the world-famous Hermitage Museum as well as see fascinating collections of the Gold Rooms, which are normally not shown to the general public. The Hermitage Museum is the largest art museum in Russia and ranks among the most prestigious museums in the world. Its collection of Western European art is second to none. It was founded by Catherine the Great in 1764 as a private court museum and evolved into the most remarkable collection of art in the world, containing nearly three million objects of unparalleled importance. The Hermitage Museum occupies the Winter Palace – the winter residence of the Russian Tsars, and four more buildings: the Little Hermitage – Catherine's original collection – the Old Hermitage; the Hermitage Theater – Catherine's private theater – and the New Hermitage. The tour covers the State Rooms of the Winter Palace, the collection of Western European art, featuring Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titian and others, Dutch and Flemish Art collections, including Rembrandt, Rubens and Van Dyck, and the French Impressionists Collection. You'll see a collection of Spanish art second only to the one at Madrid's Prado. The collection of French art is the largest outside France, displaying works by Degas, Renoir, Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Matisse. During the tour you'll visit the Gold Room, just opened to the public in 1997. Note: Tour has extremely limited capacity. Tour order may vary to accommodate scheduled visits to the Gold Room. The Russian government charges a nominal fee to use your camera and video inside various palaces and museums of St. Petersburg. Fees are payable to your guide and exact change is required. Flash photography is prohibited in the Hermitage. Photo/video is not allowed in the Gold Room. This tour is not recommended for guests with walking or climbing difficulties due to steep staircase, absence of elevators and long walking distances.