About Palace Square
The Winter Palace takes up one side, the curve of the General Staff Building closes off the other, and the Alexander Column marks the center. It's a composition that needs distance: stand too close and your camera starts negotiating with the facades.
Cross the square and notice how the arch frames the passage to the streets of the center. Then head to the entrance listed on your Hermitage ticket; the sheer size of the complex doesn't mean just any door will do.
