Hermitage Museum: Must-See Paintings & Visitor Guide (2026)

The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg is one of the largest and oldest museums in the world, occupying six buildings along the Neva River embankment, including the magnificent Winter Palace that served as the official residence of Russian emperors from 1762 to 1917. With over three million items in its collection and approximately sixty thousand on display across four hundred rooms, the Hermitage rivals the Louvre in both scale and significance. Its painting collection is particularly renowned, holding masterpieces by Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, Matisse, Picasso, and dozens of other major artists. This guide focuses on the essential paintings, the palatial interiors that frame them, and the practical information you need to plan your visit.

Why the Hermitage Is Unmissable

The Hermitage was founded in 1764 when Empress Catherine the Great acquired 225 paintings from the Berlin merchant Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky. What began as a private imperial collection grew rapidly as Catherine and her successors purchased entire collections from across Europe, eventually amassing one of the most comprehensive art holdings in existence. The museum opened to the public in 1852, and after the Russian Revolution in 1917, the Winter Palace itself was added to the museum complex, along with nationalized private collections.

The buildings alone justify a visit. The Winter Palace, designed by Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli in the Elizabethan Baroque style, features gilded state rooms, malachite columns, and parquet floors of extraordinary intricacy. The Jordan Staircase, with its white marble balustrades and trompe-l'oeil ceiling, sets a tone of imperial grandeur from the moment you enter. The Small Hermitage, Old Hermitage, and New Hermitage buildings each add their own architectural character.

The painting collection spans Western European art from the thirteenth through the twentieth century with particular strength in Dutch Golden Age works, French Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, and early twentieth-century modernism. The Hermitage holds one of the world's finest collections of Rembrandt paintings, an outstanding group of Matisse and Picasso works acquired from the pioneering Russian collectors Sergei Shchukin and Ivan Morozov, and significant Italian Renaissance holdings.

Must-See Paintings at the Hermitage

The Hermitage's painting collection is vast, spanning hundreds of rooms across multiple buildings. These ten works represent the essential highlights, from Renaissance masterpieces to groundbreaking modern works.

1. The Return of the Prodigal Son by Rembrandt van Rijn (c. 1668)

Widely considered Rembrandt's greatest painting and one of the most moving works in Western art, this monumental canvas depicts the biblical parable's climactic moment of forgiveness. The aged, nearly blind father embraces his kneeling, ragged son while other figures watch from the shadows. Painted in the last years of Rembrandt's life, the work glows with a warm, golden light achieved through thick layers of paint. The father's hands, one masculine and one feminine, have inspired volumes of theological and art-historical commentary. It hangs in Room 254 of the New Hermitage and is the crown jewel of the museum's Dutch collection.

2. The Dance by Henri Matisse (1910)

Commissioned by the Russian collector Sergei Shchukin for his Moscow mansion, Matisse's Dance is a monumental celebration of movement and color. Five nude figures join hands and whirl in a circle against a background reduced to three bands of vivid green, blue, and orange-red. The radical simplification of form and the pulsating energy of the composition shocked audiences when first exhibited in Paris. Together with its companion piece, Music, it represents the peak of Matisse's Fauve period. Both paintings hang in Room 343 on the third floor.

3. The Lute Player by Caravaggio (c. 1596)

One of several versions Caravaggio painted of this subject, the Hermitage's Lute Player shows a young musician in a white shirt, surrounded by a violin, fruit, and flowers, performing from an open sheet of music. The dramatic side-lighting, meticulous still-life details, and the figure's soft, androgynous beauty are characteristic of Caravaggio's early Roman period. Acquired by Alexander I in 1808, the painting hangs in Room 237 among other Italian Baroque works.

4. Madonna Litta by Leonardo da Vinci (and workshop) (c. 1490)

This intimate painting of the Virgin nursing the Christ child is attributed primarily to Leonardo, though scholars debate the extent of workshop participation. The Virgin's downcast gaze, the child's lively twist toward the viewer, and the twin arched windows framing a mountainous landscape are pure Leonardo in conception. The sfumato modeling of the faces and the compositional harmony place it among the finest small-scale paintings of the Renaissance. It occupies a place of honor in Room 214 of the Old Hermitage, displayed in a dedicated case.

5. Danaë by Rembrandt van Rijn (1636 (reworked c. 1643))

Rembrandt's sensuous depiction of the mythological princess Danaë awaiting Zeus, who will come to her as a shower of gold, is one of the most celebrated nudes in European painting. The warm, glowing flesh tones, the rich fabrics of the bed, and the golden light entering from the left create an atmosphere of intimate anticipation. The painting survived a devastating acid attack in 1985 and was painstakingly restored over twelve years. It hangs in Room 254 alongside the Return of the Prodigal Son.

6. Woman with a Fan by Pablo Picasso (1908)

This early Cubist work shows a seated woman rendered in angular, geometric facets of brown and ochre, her fan reduced to a series of sharp planes. Painted during the pivotal period when Picasso was moving from the influence of African art toward Analytical Cubism, it demonstrates the radical fragmentation of form that would transform modern art. The painting came to the Hermitage from the Shchukin collection and hangs in the modern art galleries on the third floor.

7. Judith by Giorgione (c. 1504)

This mysterious painting depicts the biblical heroine Judith standing calmly with one foot on the severed head of Holofernes, a sword resting against her thigh. Giorgione's characteristically soft, atmospheric style lends the violent subject an unsettling serenity. The Venetian landscape in the background glows with the artist's signature golden light. One of very few universally accepted works by the enigmatic Giorgione, it hangs in Room 217 and is one of the Hermitage's most prized Italian paintings.

8. The Conestabile Madonna by Raphael (c. 1504)

This tiny circular painting, just seven inches in diameter, shows the Virgin Mary reading a book while holding the infant Jesus, set against a luminous Umbrian landscape of snow-capped mountains and a tranquil lake. Despite its diminutive size, the painting radiates calm grandeur. It was purchased by Tsar Alexander II in 1871 from the Conestabile della Staffa family in Perugia and remains one of the Hermitage's most beloved works. It is displayed in Room 229.

9. Woman Holding a Fruit by Paul Gauguin (1893)

Painted during Gauguin's first stay in Tahiti, this work shows a young Tahitian woman holding a mango against a background of tropical foliage. The flat areas of saturated color, bold outlines, and deliberate rejection of European perspective reflect Gauguin's quest for a more primal, authentic mode of artistic expression. The painting came from the Shchukin collection and represents the Hermitage's outstanding holdings of Post-Impressionist work.

10. The Dessert: Harmony in Red by Henri Matisse (1908)

Originally painted as Harmony in Blue and then repainted, this large canvas shows a servant arranging fruit on a table in a room where the wallpaper and tablecloth share the same vivid red pattern with blue arabesques. A window at left opens onto a green landscape, collapsing the distinction between interior and exterior. The painting represents Matisse's decisive move away from representation toward pure color and decorative harmony. It was the centerpiece of Shchukin's dining room and now hangs in Room 343.

Gallery Guide: Navigating the Hermitage

The Winter Palace: State Rooms and Russian Culture

The Winter Palace's state rooms on the first floor are among the most lavish interiors in Europe. The Jordan Staircase, the Malachite Room, the Small Throne Room, and the massive St. George Hall offer an overwhelming display of imperial opulence. The palace also houses Russian art and culture collections, along with rooms dedicated to the history of the Russian empire. Even if you are primarily interested in paintings, walking through the state rooms is an essential part of the Hermitage experience.

Old and New Hermitage: European Old Masters

The Italian Renaissance collection is concentrated in rooms 207-238 of the Old Hermitage, including works by Leonardo, Raphael, Giorgione, Titian, and Caravaggio. The Flemish and Dutch collections occupy rooms 245-262 of the New Hermitage, with the Rembrandt gallery (Rooms 254-256) being the most significant cluster of his paintings outside Amsterdam. Spanish masters including El Greco, Velázquez, and Murillo are found in rooms 239-240. The Skylight Halls on the upper floor of the New Hermitage provide dramatic gallery spaces for large-format paintings.

General Staff Building: Impressionism and Modern Art

Across Palace Square from the Winter Palace, the General Staff Building's eastern wing houses the Hermitage's exceptional collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, along with early twentieth-century modernism. The Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, Gauguin, and Van Gogh galleries lead into the extraordinary Matisse and Picasso rooms formed from the Shchukin and Morozov collections. This building is less crowded than the main complex and deserves at least two hours of dedicated exploration.

The Treasure Galleries: Gold Room and Diamond Room

Two special treasury galleries in the Winter Palace require separate tickets and guided tours. The Gold Room displays Scythian gold ornaments, ancient Greek jewelry, and Central Asian treasures. The Diamond Room houses the Russian imperial crown jewels and Fabergé eggs. Tours must be booked in advance and are offered at set times throughout the day.

Visitor Tips for the Hermitage in 2026

• Buy tickets online to skip the line. The queue at the Hermitage can stretch for over an hour in summer. Online tickets purchased through hermitagemuseum.org allow you to enter through a dedicated line with minimal waiting. Print your ticket or have it available on your phone.
• Start in the General Staff Building. Most visitors head straight to the Winter Palace, leaving the General Staff Building comparatively empty in the morning. Begin with the Impressionist and modern art galleries while they are quiet, then cross to the main complex after the initial rush subsides.
• Budget an entire day or split across two visits. The Hermitage is simply too large to see in a few hours. Serious visitors should plan at least five to six hours for a highlights tour, or ideally split the visit across two days. The General Staff Building alone warrants a full morning.
• Visit on Wednesday or Friday evenings. The extended hours until 9 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays are the most pleasant time to visit. Crowds thin dramatically after 5 pm, and the golden evening light through the Winter Palace windows is magical.
• Wear comfortable shoes on smooth floors. The Hermitage's polished parquet and marble floors are beautiful but slippery and hard on the feet. Comfortable shoes with good grip are essential for a long visit.
• Do not miss the free first Thursday. Admission is free on the first Thursday of each month. While crowds are heavier on these days, the savings are significant, and arriving early helps avoid the worst congestion.

Getting to the Hermitage Museum

The Hermitage occupies the north side of Palace Square in central St. Petersburg, facing the General Staff Building across the vast open square. The nearest Metro station is Admiralteyskaya on Line 5 (purple), a five-minute walk south through Alexandrovsky Garden. Nevsky Prospekt station on Lines 2 and 3 is also within a fifteen-minute walk east along Nevsky Prospekt, St. Petersburg's main avenue.

Trolleybus routes 1, 7, and 10 stop near Palace Square, and numerous bus routes serve Nevsky Prospekt. Taxis and ride-sharing apps are widely available in St. Petersburg. If arriving by cruise ship, the Hermitage is approximately a twenty-minute walk from the main cruise terminal on Vasilyevsky Island, or a short taxi ride across the Palace Bridge.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much are Hermitage tickets in 2026?

General admission costs 500 rubles (approximately 5 US dollars) for foreign visitors when purchased online. Children under 14 enter free, and students with valid international student ID receive discounted rates. The Treasure Galleries require separate tickets at an additional cost. Admission is free for all visitors on the first Thursday of each month.

Is the Hermitage closed on Mondays?

Yes, the Hermitage is closed every Monday. It is also closed on January 1 and May 9. Regular hours are Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10:30 am to 6 pm, and Wednesday and Friday from 10:30 am to 9 pm. Last admission is one hour before closing.

How long do you need to visit the Hermitage?

A highlights tour covering the state rooms, Italian Renaissance, Dutch Golden Age, and Impressionist galleries takes approximately four to five hours. Seeing everything on display would take multiple full days. Most first-time visitors should budget a full day or plan two separate visits.

Can you take photos in the Hermitage?

Photography without flash is permitted in the permanent collection galleries. Flash, tripods, and selfie sticks are prohibited. Some temporary exhibitions may restrict photography. Video recording for personal use is allowed. The Treasure Galleries have their own photography rules, which are explained during the guided tour.

Is the General Staff Building included in the Hermitage ticket?

Yes, the standard Hermitage ticket includes access to all buildings in the museum complex: the Winter Palace, Small Hermitage, Old Hermitage, New Hermitage, and the General Staff Building. The only additional cost is for the Treasure Galleries (Gold Room and Diamond Room), which require separate tickets and guided tours.