We are used to talking about St. Petersburg - the "cultural capital". And, having heard “the city on the Neva”, everyone understands what city they are talking about. Peter has long been a part of Russian history. It is very colorful, and it is impossible to confuse St. Petersburg with any other city. It is for these reasons that trips to the "Venice of the North" are so attractive, and regardless of the season, there are many guests on the streets of St. Petersburg.
Content:
The most famous landmarks
- Cathedrals and temples
- Monasteries
- Peterhof
- Tsarskoe Selo
- Pavlovsk
- Peter-Pavel's Fortress
- Palace Bridge
Independent travel to St. Petersburg
What time of year is it worth planning a trip to the northern city? The streets and houses of St. Petersburg are beautiful in summer, winter and off-season. You should not worry, because whenever a trip falls out, it will surely become memorable.
Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
Nevertheless, many travelers prefer to come to St. Petersburg for white nights. At this time, a festive, friendly and romantic atmosphere reigns in St. Petersburg in a special way. Guests of the city like to walk at night, watch bridges being raised and take interesting photos.
The period when the city is almost as bright at night as during the day lasts from June 10 to early July. From mid-July, the nights become darker and begin to resemble twilight. On white nights, tourists arrive in the city from the end of May. It is necessary to take this into account and book the accommodation you like in advance.
It is very convenient to get to know Peter during the City Tour bus tour. Double-decker red buses run through the city center, passing by its most iconic landmarks. Anyone who buys a ticket for such a bus can use the services of an audio guide. The story about the city is conducted in 11 languages. The traveler can get off at any stop and take another red sightseeing bus during the day to continue the route. It is also nice that all tour participants receive a pair of headphones and a detailed map of St. Petersburg as a gift.
Kazan Cathedral
When planning a trip, you should pay attention that the city has many museums and galleries that work without asking for money from visitors. In addition, free holidays, festivals, interesting master classes, foreign language courses, classes in various sports and yoga are held in St. Petersburg all year round.
You can listen to free charming organ music in the Church of St. Mary, the Lutheran Church of St. Michael, the Catholic Church of St. Stanislav and in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Catherine.
Artists of the Mariinsky Theater regularly hold classical music concerts for guests and residents of the city, for which you do not need to pay for a ticket. Free performances are shown by the troupes of the St. Petersburg State University Theater-Studio and the Experiment Youth Theater. Free movies are available at Bukvoed, Rakurs Cinema Club, Lumiere Brothers Cinema Club and Francophones Cinema Club.
Winter Palace
Cycling enthusiasts have been using the free “Freebike” system to travel around the city for more than two years now. A white bike can be taken for movement and simply left at the end of the path for the next tourist to get on. Inexpensive bike rental is also offered by most St. Petersburg hotels and guest houses.
The choice of temporary housing in St. Petersburg is very large. Particularly noteworthy are the private mini-hotels located in the center. Rooms are relatively inexpensive, and there are hotels within walking distance of famous museums and palaces.
View of the building of the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography. Peter the Great (Kunstkamera). View from the Neva.
Big savings can be obtained by renting accommodation in St. Petersburg hostels. Especially if you are traveling with the whole family or a large company. Russian and foreign students also prefer to stay in hostels, because for many it is a pleasant opportunity to make new acquaintances and get good language practice.
The most famous sights of St. Petersburg
The architectural buildings and bridges of the northern capital are known to everyone. Photos of many palaces and monuments are on the pages of school textbooks and books. The main sights of St. Petersburg can be seen in travel guides to Russia, on centerfolds of calendars and banknotes.
Cathedrals and churches of St. Petersburg
Saint Isaac's Cathedral
One of the main adornments of the city is the Orthodox cathedrals and temples of St. Petersburg. There are more than 200 religious buildings in the northern capital. Residents of the city are tolerant of different religions, therefore, in addition to Orthodox churches, there are Catholic churches, mosques, synagogues and a Buddhist datsan on St. Petersburg streets and squares. Most of the old buildings have the status of architectural monuments.
Monasteries of St. Petersburg
Resurrection Novodevichy Convent
The ancient keepers of spiritual traditions in the city on the Neva are the monasteries of St. Petersburg. Within the city area there are two men's and two women's cloisters. The largest of them, the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, was founded by Peter I in 1703. The architectural complex of the monastery includes several churches, cathedrals and necropolises, where famous figures of the 18th-19th centuries are buried.
Peterhof
View of Peterhof
The picturesque museum-reserve is located on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, 29 km west of the city. Peterhof or “Peter's yard” is the former residence of the Russian Tsar Peter I.
Tourists come here to wander through the green alleys, see ancient fountains, beautiful palaces and park sculptures.
Tsarskoe Selo
Catherine Palace in Tsarskoe Selo
A unique complex of magnificent museums and palace buildings located 25 km south of the city. Tsarskoe Selo is a real center of attraction for domestic and foreign tourists. Visitors can take a walk in Catherine's, Aleksandrovsky and Babolovsky parks, visit magnificent palaces and admire pavilions and lakes. The main pearls of Tsarskoye Selo are the unique Amber Room and the Pushkin Memorial Museum.
Pavlovsk palace and park ensemble
Monument to Paul I against the background of the Pavlovsk Palace
Pavlovsk is located 25 km south of the city center, in the forested valley of the Slavyanka. Residential buildings stretch from the south of Sadovaya Street, and from the north - a magnificent royal palace and a uniquely beautiful landscape park.
The former summer residence of the Romanov imperial family is rightfully considered one of the most prominent sights of St. Petersburg. Today, the old palace and park complex has the status of a cultural heritage site and is protected by UNESCO.
Peter-Pavel's Fortress
One view of the Peter and Paul Fortress
The oldest stone building in St. Petersburg is located on a small Zayachy Island in the bed of the Neva. Today the stone fort has been turned into a museum. Tourists come to the Peter and Paul Fortress to see Peter's boat, look at the powerful bastions and ravelins, and hear the midday shot of a cannon. The Peter and Paul Cathedral contains the graves of several Russian emperors.
Palace bridge
Palace bridge
The drawbridge across the Neva is one of the most beautiful symbols of the city. It connects the central part of St. Petersburg with Vasilievsky Island. The picturesque Palace Bridge appeared over 100 years ago. It is not distinguished by any special architectural delights, but it looks very elegant. Tourists love to take photos of the long spans of the bridge at any time of the year.
Unusual sights of St. Petersburg
Many world-famous museums have been opened in St. Petersburg, for example, the Hermitage, in which queues often spiral around Palace Square.But in this amazing city there are enough places of little-known, no less curious, and many unique collections can be viewed without spending money. These are museums of the history of civil aviation and the subway, exhibitions that tell about the history of brewing and photography. You can visit the Museum of Brick History in St. Petersburg absolutely free of charge. Some museums tell how perfumery, the submarine fleet and naval aviation of the Russian Navy were created. High-tech museums, Nabokov's museum-apartment, as well as the historical and archaeological museum "Nyenskans" work free of charge.
Cruiser Aurora"
The largest model of our country is open to the public in St. Petersburg. The huge exposition occupies 800 sq. m and is called "Grand Model Russia". It is located in the city center on the street. Tsvetochnoi, 16. In addition to cities, the model shows a moving Sapsan train, as well as cars going along the highway. The moment of transition from daylight to night lighting is very interesting.
The multimedia project "The Horrors of St. Petersburg" will be interesting, as strange as it may seem, to history buffs. The attraction is designed for 50 minutes. Famous historical and literary events that once took place in St. Petersburg are staged in 13 rooms. These are the death of Princess Tarakanova, the murder of Tsar Paul I and Grigory Rasputin, as well as episodes from the works "The Nose" and "The Queen of Spades". You can watch the performances saturated with special effects in the building of the Oceanarium, on the street. Marat, 86.
The Bronze Horseman - a monument to Peter I
The most "St. Petersburg" coffee shops
To feel the unique flavor of the northern capital, you should look into the colorful St. Petersburg coffee houses. They are loved for their loyalty to traditions, pleasant decoration, delicious food and inexpensive prices.
Near the metro station "Admiralteyskaya", at 13 Gorokhovaya Street, an institution with the funny name "Society of Clean Plates" has been opened. Here you can have a snack from 12.00 to 2 am, and breakfasts are prepared until 17.00.
In the same place, in the center of the city, at 25 Bolshaya Konyushennaya Street, there is Pyshechnaya, where delicious donuts with aromatic tea or coffee with milk are served. Just so as not to offend Petersburgers, do not show them that you do not know the difference between donuts and donuts.
The building of the Main Admiralty
In Volkovsky lane, 24A, near the Volkovskaya metro station, an anti-cafe “Typical Peter” has been opened - a great place where you can not only and even not so much eat. The anti-cafe has all the conditions to have a good time with friends or make new acquaintances. Unlike traditional cafes, only entrance is paid here. Inside there are several halls where they play billiards, sing karaoke, dance and just relax at a common table, enjoying conversations or board games. The walls of "Typical Peter" are decorated with paintings and embroidery with city views.
A retro cafe “Kvartirka” awaits guests at the Mayakovskaya station, at 51 on Nevsky Prospect. The tables of this establishment are covered with checkered tablecloths, and the interior is full of reproductions, black and white photographs, samovars and vinyl records. The cafe prepares delicious dumplings and kvass, and also serves hot tea. They love "Kvartirka" for its family atmosphere and coziness.
View of the Spit of Vasilievsky Island
You can plunge into the artistic atmosphere of the city in the Attic of the Artist fondue bar. It occupies the top floor of the Glass Gallery on Lomonosov Street. They get to the establishment by the stairs. In half of the square, works of St. Petersburg artists are exhibited, and in the other half there is a cafe. The restaurant's menu is famous for its excellent specialty fondues, hearty breakfasts and lunches.
What to show to children in St. Petersburg
Many travelers come to St. Petersburg to show it to children. Near the Peter and Paul Fortress, in the Aleksandrovsky Garden, the "Mini City" has been opened since 2011. Here young travelers can see reduced copies of the most famous architectural monuments of St. Petersburg. "Mini City" is open during the warm season from 9.00 to 22.00, and you can visit it free of charge.
Miniature of St. Isaac's Cathedral in the "Mini City"
Peter is known for its historical monuments. Especially for children in the courtyard of houses 2-8, located on Pravdy Street, a park of sculptures "Emerald City" has been created. It is dedicated to the heroes of the beloved fairy tale work of Alexander Volkov.
Another unusual playground is located near 28 Zagorodny Prospekt. This is the Chess Yard. The courtyard space is designed in the form of a chessboard, and the height of the stylized metal figures reaches the height of a person. For children, there are dummies of cars and a swing.
There is also an interesting doll museum in the city, which was created on the basis of several private collections. Nowadays, more than 5,000 exhibits are exhibited there - dolls in national costumes, fairy-tale dolls and theatrical puppets. The museum even has a hall of frivolous dolls, where doll characters reveal the theme of love and eroticism. True, only adults are allowed there. The exposition is located at 8 Kamskaya Street.
In the sculpture park "Emerald City"
A trip to St. Petersburg is always a joyful and memorable event. The city does not let go, and everyone who has been here at least once strives to return again to their favorite monuments and avenues. St. Petersburg streets always endow with an atmosphere of aristocracy, patriarchy, delight with novelty and present unusual meetings and surprises.
