What to See in St Petersburg: Explore Russian Cities
Absolutely unforgettable, vintage, and inspirational city. When seeing endless gorgeous palaces, baroque bridges, posh old mansions one completely forgets about a non-friendly climate of the northern capital of Russia. It was a home for many artists, Russian poets, musicians; they found their inspiration here when walking along countless channels, admiring breathtaking exteriors of buildings, and meeting other inspired people! So, what to see in St Petersburg?
Hermitage
Do not miss one of the oldest and largest museums in the world. Its collections also occupy the Winter Palace – the former residence of Russian empires.
Personal recommendation: go straight to the 4thfloor, where all works of impressionists are. Pure delight!
Working hours:
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday – 10:30 – 18:00
Wednesday – 10:30 – 21:00
Monday, 9thof May, 1st of January – Day-off
Address: Dvortsovaya Square, 2
Peter and Paul Fortress
It is the original citadel of St Petersburg, founded by Peter the Great. Nowadays it is the central and most important part of the State Museum of Saint Petersburg History. In the middle of the fortress stands the impressive Peter and Paul Cathedral, which you just cannot miss.
Working hours:
Getting to the territory of the fortress from 6:00 – 21:00 daily
On the territory of the fortress, there are objects to visit, check-out there working hours on official site of Peter and Paul Fortress.
Address: 3 Petropavlovskaya Square, how to get to Peter and Paul Fortress
Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood (locally known as Spas na Krovi)
It’s a beautiful gold-draped onion-domed church on the Griboedova Canal. It has some of the loveliest mosaic interiors.You can easily spot from Nevsky prospect, nearby Kazan Cathedral.
Working hours:
From 1 May to 1 October 10:00 – 20:00, you can buy a ticket till 19:00
From 2 October to 30 April 11:00 – 19:00, you can buy a ticket till 18:00
Wednesday – day-off
Address: Embankment of Griboedov Canal, 2B
Kazan Cathedral
The church is housing the icon Our Lady of Kazan, probably the most honored in Russia. Cathedral is just beautiful and is functioning and opened to tourists. The side facing Nevsky Prospect boasts a colonnade of 96 columns.
Working hours:
Daily 10:00 – 18:00
Address: Kazan Square, 2, along Nevsky Prospect
St. Isaac’s Cathedral
It is the biggest Orthodox cathedral of St Petersburg, it was built in 1818-1858. The cathedral’s main dome rises 101.5 meters (333 ft) and is plated with pure gold and for sure dominates the St Pete’s skyline.
Personal recommendation: climb the colonnade of the Cathedral to enjoy the stunning view from there!
Working hours:
From 1 May to 15 September 10:00 – 19:00, you can buy tickets till 18:00; Wednesday – day-off
From 16 September to 30 October 11:00 – 18:00, you can buy tickets till 17:00; Wednesday – day-off
Address: Isaak’s square, 4
Peterhof
It is series of palaces and gardens located in Saint Petersburg, laid out on the orders of Peter the Great. These Palaces and gardens are sometimes referred as the Russian Versailles. Since the time of Peter up until the early 20th century, it was the official summer palace of the Russian Tsars.
Personal recommendation: When arriving at Peterhof download the official app for Apple and Android, which is called “Vivat, Peterhof”, it contains the map and short information blocks for palaces and fountains. It is still working in test-version, but we liked it when tried!
Working hours:
Lower Park and fountains from 9:00 – 19:00
On the territory of Lower Park, there are many museums to enter, check their working hours on official site of Peterhof.
Address: 2 Razvodnaya street, how to get to Peterhof
