The museum was set up in several sections, and even with a map and a good sense of direction you can still find yourself a lot further from an exit than you want to be. There are some kiosks along the way where you can buy maps and souvenirs at American prices of course. The historical significance of some of the artwork was pretty incredible. I'm no expert in art - but the glimpse at what it was like to live as royalty hundreds of years ago had us all in awe - and wondering how people like us would have lived.

I was a little surprised at how many people were there. Many school groups, families, and couples, were bustling around the lobby, posing for pictures with 50 of their closest friends walking around behind them, and actually hurrying to see what they had probably studied for years, back wherever they lived. One artist was actually set up next to a painting, entranced in the music on his walkman, generating an exact replica of what stood before him (picture below). This was indeed a mecca for many historians and artists, and it was sometimes more interesting to watch their reactions to what they saw. I certainly didn't appreciate the exhibits' significance as much as they did.

The sculptures were my favorite. The blazing sun coming in at that low, "St. Petersburg at noon" angle made all of the stone walls, pillars, and sculptures come to life. OK - so we did spend over 2 hours there, and enjoyed it a lot. Stomachs were grumbling for lunch at that point however, and we made our way slowly to the middle of the building where we thought the exit was, passing the same great hall three times, and finally making it to the streets below.

The rooms themselves are amazing pieces of art. Each room is decorated differently and has amazing frescoes on walls and ceilings. The entrance hall to the Hermitage takes your breath away when you enter it. There are golden chandeliers everywhere, and the walls are covered in golden decorations. There are red rooms, blue rooms, green rooms, and every other colour. The beautiful paintings on the walls and ceilings could hold your attention for hours on end.

Then comes the art. There are apparently enough pieces on art in Hermitage that it would take you years to look at them all. Well, I definitely experienced that. I spent the whole morning there and looked around almost one floor. There are paintings, sculptures, jewellery, etc., from all different periods of history all over this museum. There are maps available for anyone who needs to find their way around, and I strongly recommend using these if there are pieces of art you really want to see.

If like me you just want to have a look at lots of different types of art, then just having a wander around is a very nice way to spend some time, and occasionally you can listen in to guides giving other people a tour around the art.

It's still worth going for the architecture and the Imperial Rooms. I literally would recommend skipping the canvases (unless there's something there you know you want to see) in order to focus more time on the Imperial Rooms and their furnishings.

If you're on a tight budget, don't eat at the Hermitage. It's expensive, and, honestly, not that great.

If you're headache prone, take an aspirin before you go. The marble floors and walls make it a noisy, echo-filled place. Take a sweaterm; it's usually cold.

Everyone complains that the Hermitage charges non-Russian visitors grossly more than Russian visitors. Just suck it up. It's still not expensive by Western standards.

A note: if you're into the Old Masters, the Hermitage is the place for you, go round, look at the incredible pictures and laugh at the labels which tell you the painting is of the Holly Family -- English can be a bit dodgy sometimes. If you're into imperssionists, although The Hermitage is wonderful and you get so much closer to the paintings than other galleries -- the Pushkin Museum of Fine Art in Moscow will blow your mind. Worth seeing also is Rembrandt's Danae, which was put back on show in 1998 after being vandalised and restored, along with a big display about how the restoration was done -- very good translation there. The guard sitting in front of the painting with a semi-automatic is a little bit distracting though!

Plan on allowing at least 2 days to fully take in all that the museum has to offer. Tours are available in many languages, including English, French, and German. The Hermitage has an excellent website here. There is an extra charge for using your camera or videocamera inside. As much of the museum is 'no flash allowed', you may find the camera to be a liability. Despite the admonitions, I noticed many locals using their flash--though I can't recommend it. Also, be prepared to check your coat in winter. It's required.

The exhibits are set up by geogrpahic location and time period, such as Oriental Art and Western European Art. The Hermitage is actually a collection of buildings, the largest of which is the Great Hermitage. It not within the scope of this review to describe all the art in the Hermitage. It is the largest collection in the world! Rather, rest assured, if you like an artist or type of art, there's a good chance that it's represented.

There is a cafe on-site and many vendors selling street food. However, you are very close to Nevsky Prospect and it's large selection of high-quality restaurants.