Hermitage Museum and Winter Palace, St Petersburg

One of the largest and oldest museums in the world, in the green and white Winter Palace of the tsars on the Neva, with around 3 million objects, including works by Leonardo, Rembrandt, Matisse and Picasso, and the dazzling state rooms. Palace Square in front was the scene of the 1917 revolution.

Allow a whole day. Many governments currently advise against travel to Russia because of the war in Ukraine; check your government's travel advice first.