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St. Petersburg was founded by Tsar Peter I of Russia on May 27, 1703, and his influence can still be felt throughout the city. In fact, one of the best ways to understand St. Petersburg is by following in the footsteps of Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov himself. Start off with a trip to the cabin of Peter the Great, a small wooden building that served as the Tsar's first palace. Then stroll through the Peter and Paul Fortress, the city's original citadel, situated on an island on the north bank of the Neva River. The Summer Garden and Palace of Peter I (pictured) are particularly beautiful in warm weather, with its ornate Dutch Baroque-style garden and 14-room Russian royal residence. But nothing can prepare you for the Winter Palace. This amazing building served as the official residence of the Russian Tsars from 1732 to 1917, and it was designed on such a massive scale to reflect the greatness of Russia. Today it serves as the main building of the massive State Hermitage , one of the largest and oldest museums in the world. Founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great, it has the largest collection of paintings on earth, only a small portion of which are on display at any time. Set aside an entire day to visit this stellar attraction, because it will take at least an hour to fathom the wealth and prestige of the city's founding father. The stylish new W St. Petersburg Hotel is now accepting reservations for arrivals on or after November 1, 2010.

Maxim Gorky (1868-1936) is one of Russia's most admired writers and playwrights, founding the socialist realism literary method and penning such classics as The Song of the Stormy Petrel - a thinly-veiled call to overthrow the tsar - and Children of the Sun, a play about the privileged intellectual elite of Russia. From 1931 until his death, Gorky lived in a fantastic Art Nouveau mansion in Moscow, which now houses the Gorky House Museum, dedicated to preserving mementos of the writer's life and work. Also known as the Ryabushinsky Mansion, the stunning building was completed in 1906 by architect Fyodor Shekhtel and features opulent columns, winding marble staircases, and intricate floral and mosaic stucco decorations - a surprising level of opulence for a proletarian writer. Gorky's furniture, artwork, and personal items are all on display, but most literary pilgrims make a beeline to his 12,000-volume library, which contains original works by some of Russia's most renowned authors. Pull up a chair, soak in the atmosphere, and return home inspired to write your own great masterpiece. The museum is convenient to three Starwood properties, the Hotel National, Moscow, the Sheraton Palace Hotel, Moscow, and Le Méridien Moscow Country Club.

From Dostoevsky to Tolstoy, Pushkin to Pasternak, Russia boasts a long tradition of great literary heroes. And several of the Moscow homes where these legendary writers lived have been turned into museums. One of the most interesting of these historical residences is the Chekhov House-Museum. Home to the most revered of Russian short-story authors and playwrights, Anton Chekhov, the two-story pink house is filled with a fascinating collection of items, and it's just thirty minutes by foot from the Sheraton Palace Hotel, Moscow.

Chekhov lived here with his family between 1886 and 1890, when he was in his late twenties. Having earned a degree in medicine after moving to the city, he worked as a doctor while maintaining a successful writing career. Visitors can see the original sitting room, Chekhov's study where he wrote his first play "Ivanov," and the writer's own bedroom, as well as those of his brother and sister. The former dining room is filled with an assortment of relics from Chekhov's life including original playbills, first edition volumes of his works, and historic photographs featuring the likes of Tolstoy and Maksim Gorky.

I love visiting the historic homes of famous writers when I travel. Which ones have you seen?

[image via Moscow Taxi]

In the Russian language, bolshoi means big or grand, and those are two words that definitely describe Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre. Home of the legendary Bolshoi Ballet and Bolshoi Opera, the opulent theater in central Moscow has been one of the world's most famous venues for nearly 200 years. The Bolshoi Opera is renowned for its performances of both Russian and international classics, including the works of 19th century composer Nikolia Rimsky-Korsakov, whose fantastical subject matter was influenced by Russian folklore. But when most people think of the Bolshoi, it's the ballet that comes to mind first, and the Bolshoi Ballet may just be the best in the world. Whether you see a classic three-act ballet like Prokofiev's Cinderella or a contemporary one-act performance such as Leah - which is set to the music of Leonard Bernstein - you'll witness the pinnacle of the form, as it was passed down through generations of lithe, graceful dancers. Starwood has three hotels in Moscow, including the opulent Le Royal Méridien National.