Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo on Her Favorite Things to do in St. Petersburg

Maria Bartiromo, anchor and Global Markets Editor at Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network—and Westhamptonite—shares her favorite things to do in St. Petersburg.

Maria Bartiromo in the Amber Room at the Catherine Palace

Home Base

“I stayed at Belmond Grand Hotel Europe (belmond.com). It’s very old and historic looking, though newer hotels have since opened there.”

Artwise

“The Hermitage Museum (hermitagemuseum.org) is a must, especially the precious jewel exhibit, as well as some of Catherine the Great’s jewelry.”

The Hermitage museum as seen from the Neva River in St. Petersburg

Shocker

“I was surprised at how much St. Petersburg reminds me of Italy—until I learned the Italians built the city, with beautiful bridges and cobblestone streets so similar to many Italian cities I’ve been to.”

Best Time

“The amazing ‘white nights’ of June got their name because it is literally broad daylight for 22 out of 24 hours. For a few weeks, because of the high latitude, the sun does not go under the horizon deep enough for the sky to get dark. It’s amazing to be sitting at dinner at 8pm and it looks like 2 in the afternoon.”

Royal Flash

“I was able to get a private tour of the Catherine Palace, where I fell in love with the Amber Room, which is covered in amber that washes up along the shores of the Baltic Sea. The original Amber Room was looted by the Nazis during World War II.”

The cupolas of the Church of the Resurrection rise above the Catherine Palace

On Stage

“Mariinsky Theatre (mariinsky.ru) is the best for an opera or ballet. The Mariinsky orchestra under Valery Gergiev at the White Nights Festival at Catherine Palace was excellent, but I also visited the newly restored Mariinsky Theatre, which was so beautiful and rich.”

Dancers from the Kirov Ballet inspire at the Mariinsky Theatre

Eat & Drink

“The food in Russia can be heavy. I found mayonnaise in many dishes. Chicken Kiev is seeping with herbed butter but is very delicious. The vodka is excellent. I was never a vodka drinker, but here it felt light and breezy.”

Takeaway

“There aren’t many places I’d rather be away from Westhampton, but St. Petersburg is a treasure. Put it on your bucket list.”