Saint Petersburg, a World Cultural Capital

The city has won a prestigious award for the third year running.

In early December 2018, Lisbon hosted the World Travel Awards ceremony to celebrate excellence across travel industry sectors. St Petersburg was named “World’s Leading Heritage Destination” leaving behind Beijing, London, New York, Paris, Quito, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Sydney and Venice. The city won this title in 2016 while in 2017 it celebrated a double WTA victory. Statistics says that more than eight million people visited St Petersburg this year for its unique architecture and beautiful landscapes. Magnificent churches and palaces, draw bridges, fountains, monuments and parks are major attractions for travellers. Petersburg is also a destination for lovers of cultural events. With more than 200 museums and over 100 theatres, the city is a key venue for regular shows, exhibitions, musicales and festivals.

Petersburg, which is called Russia’s northern capital is not just a popular tourist destination but also an important education centre. It hosts more than 70 universities offering quality education in various fields. They include Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, ITMO National Research University, Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University “LETI”, Higher School of Economics (St Petersburg campus) etc. International students can apply to any of these universities. They can also join a summer or winter school to further their knowledge in the chosen area and see places of interest at the same time.