10: View of the Hermitage buildings from the Peter and Paul Fortress

The bastions of the Peter and Paul Fortress afford a fine view of Palace Embankment between Trinity and Palace bridges across the vast space of the Neva. A particularly impressive feature of the sight is the fascinating double arch of the bridge and passage gallery linking the main buildings of the museum complex with the Hermitage Theatre over the Winter Canal. The imposing row of the museum's buildings is followed by the palaces of the Grand Dukes and mansions of the Russian nobility, the panorama being completed with the Marble Palace put up for Grigory Orlov, a favourite of Catherine the Great (architect Antonio Rinaldi, 1768-85).