Lonely Planet St Petersburg is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Tour the Hermitage, party through the White Nights, or enthral yourself in the Mariinsky Ballet; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of St Petersburg and begin your journey now!

Built on a swamp, the imperial capital is today a dazzling metropolis whose sheer grandeur never fails to amaze. Despite all that history has thrown at it, St Petersburg still feels every bit an imperial capital, a city largely frozen in time.

Which island paradise is the one for you? For this 7th edition we walked barefoot along every dazzling white beach, dipped our toes in every aquamarine lagoon, and checked the view from dozens of beachside pools. Plunge into these pages to reap the benefits of Lonely Planet's thoroughly enjoyable research. Lonely Planet guides are written by experts who get to the heart of every destination they visit. This fully updated edition is packed with accurate, practical and honest advice, designed to give you the information you need to make the most of your trip. In This Guide: No hype assessment of resorts. Read this book before you book! Snorkelling and Diving chapter to get you underwater with manta rays and turtles Most romantic island resorts and beaches.