The Peter and Paul Fortress was constructed by the order of Tsar Peter the Great to protect the delta of the Neva River from the Swedish fleet. Today it is situated in the heart of the city on a little island called Hare Island. The main attraction of the Fortress is the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul, which is the burial place of the Russian Tsars. All the ruling Romanovs starting with Peter the Great and up to Nicholas II are buried there.

In the Peter and Paul Fortress you can:

– Visit the former prison for political prisoners — a place where people who fought against the tsarist government in Russia were kept under investigation
– Visit the Grand Ducal Mausoleum to see the graves of the Grand dukes and an exhibition dedicated to the history of the Romanov family and its surviving descendants
– Walk around the Fortress, see the Boathouse, the Mint, the Monument to Peter I, the Nevsky (or Deadly) Gates
– Take a walk along the rampart of the Fortress to see the magnificent panorama of the Neva River and take pictures of the beautiful architectural ensemble of the Neva embankment.

You can find more information about the Peter and Paul Fortress here.