The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

The Hermitage is home to vast collections of art and artifacts dating from paleolithic times and continuing forward into the present day. With a variety of search capabilities, zoom and panoramic features, analytical discussions, and special thematic excursions, the museum is a storehouse of Russian and world culture not to be missed. Collections dedicated to prehistoric art, antiquity (ancient Greece and Rome), Western European art (especially that of the Renaissance), arms and armor, oriental art (including Islamic and Near Eastern art as well as the art of China, Japan, and India), and Russian culture (Byzantine-era icons and treasures from the collection of Peter the Great) find their home here. Excellent views and historical facts about the buildings that comprise the museum complex, such as the Winter Palace, can also be found.