By Alice Marshall Public Relations
Belmond Grand Hotel Europe has launched a Cultural Heritage Escape package designed to immerse travelers in the Tsarist elegance and artistic history of St. Petersburg, Russia. The three-night experience includes an evening at the ballet in hotel’s private box at the Mikhailovsky Theater, guided tours of the Hermitage Museum, and a tour of the Peterhof, Pavlovsk or Pushkin palaces. The package is available until March 31, 2019 for $422 USD per night. To complement the overnight experience, Belmond Grand Hotel Europe will also open a pop-up ice bar featuring tastings with the property’s own vodka sommelier.
POP-UP ICE BAR
Throughout December, Belmond Grand Hotel Europe will host a pop-up ice bar on the corner of the iconic Nevsky Prospekt, constructed by sculptors from Veliky Ustiug in the Vologda region -otherwise known as the hometown of the Russian Santa Claus, Father Frost. Made with ice from the largest lake in Europe, Lake Ladoga, the ice bar will serve gluehwein and other traditional Russian treats while the hotel’s resident vodka sommelier remains on-hand to lead tastings and caviar pairing lessons.
NIGHT AT THE BALLET
In 1886, Johann Strauss, II famously stayed with Belmond Grand Hotel Europe while his latest operetta, The Gypsy Baron, was performed at the nearby Mikhailovsky Theater. Today, guests can continue the theatrical tradition with seats in Belmond’s private box in the very same theater. Notable performances for the festive season include iconic ballets such as The Nutcracker, Romeo & Juliet and Cinderella.
The on-stage magic continues back at the hotel, too, with Tchaikovsky Fridays in the hotel’s L’Europe restaurant. Celebrating the many works of Tchaikovsky, who spent his honeymoon at the hotel in 1877, the evening features a live orchestra playing his timeless melodies and a ballet duo performing the White Adagio from Swan Lake.
LIVE LIKE A TSAR
Available through Mach 31, 2019, the St Petersburg Cultural Heritage Experience package at Belmond Grand Hotel Europe includes the following:
● Three-night stay including return airport transfers from Pulkovo International Airport to Belmond Grand Hotel Europe
● Daily breakfast
● Special Russian gift
● Guided tour of the Hermitage Museum
● Two tickets to the opera or ballet at the Mikhailovsky Theatre
● One guided palace tour: Peterhof, Pavlovsk or Pushkin
● One set-menu dinner in L’Europe or Caviar Bar & Restaurant
Rates for the package begin at £334 (approx. $428 USD) + VAT per night based on double occupancy.
CULTURAL INDULGENCE & INTRIGUE
Throughout the winter in St Petersburg, there is a smorgasbord of choice for those looking to immerse in the rich history, heritage and contemporary culture of the city. During December, the Arts Square Winter Music Festival will include performances at three cultural intuitions, the State Russian Museum, Mikhailovsky Theatre, and the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood.
Continuing on into January, a number of notable exhibitions will be on display including: The Age of Rembrandt and Vermeer: Masterpieces of The Leiden Collection at the State Hermitage Museum; the renowned works by French master of photography Jean-Marie Périer at the Erarta Museum showcasing more than 50 works by the maître, including his cult images of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Karl Lagerfeld, Yves Saint Laurent and Vivienne Westwood; and a spectacular exhibition at the Russian Museum marks the 200th birth anniversary of the German philosopher, historian, journalist and socialist revolutionary, Karl Marx; located just across the square from Belmond Grand Hotel Europe. As an added treat, the museum is opened exclusively for guests of the hotel every Tuesday.
About Belmond Ltd.
Belmond Ltd. is a global collection of exceptional hotel and luxury travel adventures in some of the world’s most inspiring and enriching destinations. Established 40 years ago with the acquisition of Belmond Hotel Cipriani in Venice, the Company owns and operates 47 unique and distinctive hotel, rail and river cruise experiences in many of the world’s most celebrated destinations. From city landmarks to intimate resorts, the collection includes Belmond Grand Hotel Europe, St. Petersburg; Belmond Copacabana Palace, Rio de Janeiro; Belmond Maroma Resort & Spa, Riviera Maya; and Belmond El Encanto, Santa Barbara. Belmond also encompasses safaris, eight luxury tourist trains including the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, three river cruises and ‘21’, one of New York’s most storied restaurants. www.belmond.com
