Lindstrem’s Dacha

Around St Petersburg

Opposite the entrance to the Palace of Congress and scoring high on the modern kitsch factor is Lindstrem’s Dacha, once the home of the Grand Duke’s doctor Peter I von Lindstrem. Restored for the 2005 G8 summit, also hosted at the Konstantinovsky Palace, the modest-sized building was used by Putin to entertain his opposite numbers and their wives.

One can only wonder what they thought of the garish nouveau-russe interior, which has since been supplemented by a small shrine to all things Putin, including a chance to have a three-minute audience with a life-sized hologram of the man himself. When hunger strikes, you can have a meal at the relaxing restaurant (mains R550 to R1500).