St. Petersburg Trip

St. Petersburg’s most iconic sight is probably the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. But looks can be deceiving. Unlike the fabled St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, the Church of the Savior is barely 100 years old. It marks, however, the very spot where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated in 1881.

The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg is not only one of the oldest (if not THE oldest) museums in the world, it is also one of the best. It is located inside the Winter Palace of Empress Catherine the great and spans more than 1,500 rooms. Leonardo da Vinci, Monet, Van Gogh, but also ancient Scythian Gold and artwork from the dawn of time – this museum will quite literally take your breath away.

Peterhof Palace was built by Tsar Peter to outshine Versailles. He might not have managed to build a bigger palace, but the opulent water gardens his architects created beggar comprehension. Especially the grand cascade draws millions of tourists to Peterhof each year.

Kronstadt is a small island in the middle of the Gulf of Finland and part of the many UNESCO World Heritage sites of Saint Petersburg. The Naval Cathedral is certainly the highlight, but the historical part of the town and the fortress are just as impressive. It’s a beautiful idea for a half-day trip.

St. Petersburg is a city of many water canals. In fact, there are over 800 bridges crossing a total length of 300 kilometers of artificial canals. They served as important transport ways and kept the city built on marshland dry. These days, most traffic sticks to the roads. But as a tourist, you absolutely should go on a canal tour and see St. Petersburg from a different side.

Even a quick taxi ride through St. Petersburg will impress the sheer quantity of palaces in the city onto you. There are quite literally thousands! Perhaps the grandest of them all lies in Pushkin, some 25 kilometers outside. Catherine the Great built it to escape the many obligations at court.

The Nevsky Prospect is a 4.5-kilometer-long royal avenue at the very heart of St. Petersburg. Uncounted shops, palaces, churches, and luxury hotels line the fabulous street and there really is no way around visiting the Nevsky Prospect.

Even if you don’t plan to do any shopping, you really should walk along the street to breathe in the atmosphere. And truth be told, some of the most beautiful buildings in St. Petersburg can be found on Nevsky Prospect. You don’t want to miss it.

Saint Isaac’s Cathedral is an architectonic marvel. It is not only the largest orthodox basilica in the world but also the fourth largest cathedral in the world. Strictly speaking, it is not a proper church anymore either. Like the Cathedral of the Savior on Spilled Blood, it is now a museum. Only on the highest feast days service are held here. A small portion of the huge Cathedral is devoted to regular worship activity these days, though.

Pro tip: Absolutely go all the way to the top, as this is by far the best view of St. Petersburg!