Catherine Palace and the Amber Room, Pushkin

The summer residence of the Russian empresses at Tsarskoye Selo (now Pushkin), 25 km south of St Petersburg. The huge blue-and-white baroque palace was rebuilt by Rastrelli for Empress Elizabeth and later redecorated in classical style for Catherine the Great by the Scottish architect Charles Cameron.

Its most famous room is the Amber Room, lined with panels of carved amber. The original was looted by the Nazis in the Second World War and never found; a painstaking recreation was finished in 2003. The Great Hall, gilded and mirrored, is breathtaking. The palace stands in vast landscaped parks with lakes and pavilions.

Go by train from Vitebsky station to Tsarskoye Selo, then bus, or by minibus from Moskovskaya metro station. Check your government's current travel advice before planning a trip to Russia.