Visit 'unmissable' St Petersburg and surrounding areas

St Petersburg is a must-visit for people on cultural solo holidays

St Petersburg is an ideal destination for people planning solo holidays, according to a famous actor-cum-author.

Nigel Planer - who has written novels and plays, but is probably better-known as Neil from 80s sitcom The Young Ones - visited Russia's second city for the Daily Mail newspaper.

He noted that the architecture of the city is fantastic, but also said the city is great for all types of art and culture.

"St Petersburg is the setting for many of the great Russian novels of the 19th century and is the home of the Hermitage, the biggest wedding-cake building of them all," he said.

"It houses an enormous collection of art and impressive artefacts from many centuries. Try to spend at least an afternoon here, or even the whole day if you can."

The actor and author added that just on the outskirts of St Petersburg are a selection of "unmissable palaces" that Peter the Great built for his granddaughter, Catherine.