20 MUST-SEE places in St. Petersburg (PHOTOS)
From luxurious royal palaces to modern cultural spaces. Our handy list below contains everything that can interest a foreign tourist in the northern capital!
1. Hermitage
The largest art museum in Russia, located in the royal Winter Palace, as well as several other buildings throughout the city.
2. Russian Museum
The main St. Petersburg collection of Russian art, initiated by Alexander III. It features large-scale paintings such as Karl Bryullov's ‘The Last Day of Pompeii’ (1830-1833), as well as plenty of 20th-century masterpieces.
3. Mariinsky Theatre
The premier stage for opera and ballet with a centuries-long history. It’s in no way inferior to Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre.
4. Peter and Paul Fortress
The cradle of St. Petersburg! There, you can stroll along the bastions of the former prison that held famous inmates and visit the cathedral where Russian emperors are buried.
5. St. Isaac's Cathedral
The largest Orthodox church in the city and a true architectural marvel, built over more than 30 years under the direction of French architect Auguste de Montferrand.
6. Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
This church was built on the site where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated. It somewhat resembles St. Basil's Cathedral, its older Moscow counterpart. The church is also famous for its interior, which is entirely decorated with mosaics.
7. Bronze Horseman
Transporting the enormous granite boulder that serves as the pedestal for the monument to Peter the Great was no easy feat, but, today, the horseman on a rearing horse is one of the city’s symbols.
8. Summer Garden
A very popular spot for city dwellers to stroll, where emperors once walked, as well. Marble sculptures, greenery, flowers – everything there is beautiful. Even its fence was immortalized by Alexander Pushkin.
9. Palace (‘Dvortsovy’) Bridge
Watching the drawbridges open is the main nighttime attraction in St. Petersburg during the summer. Palace Bridge looks especially epic!
10. Nevsky Prospekt
Kazan Cathedral, the Eliseevsky Store, Anichkov Bridge with its equestrian statues, as well as endless cafes, restaurants and souvenir stores – you can walk along the main street forever!
11. ‘Pyshechnaya’ on Bolshaya Konyushennaya Street
St. Petersburg is famous for its gastronomy: restaurants, cafes, bakeries and ‘shawarma’ (doner kebab) spots. But, it's at this legendary place that waiting lines always form for ‘pyshki’ («пышки» – fried donuts).
12. Yusupov Palace on the Moika
This mansion was once home to the wealthiest family in the Russian Empire. They even had their own private chamber theatre there. And every room is a true masterpiece! It was also there that conspirators killed royal favorite Grigory Rasputin.
13. Fabergé Museum
The famous jeweler who created the imperial Easter eggs also made many other objects from precious metals and stones. His main masterpieces are on display in this private museum.
14. New Holland
An abandoned ship repair yard that got a new lease of life 10 years ago – today it’s a beautifully landscaped public space with restaurants, loungers, playgrounds and exhibition spaces.
15. Lakhta Center
The northernmost skyscraper in the world and the tallest building in Europe. It houses a business center, but also features an observation deck and a planetarium, surrounded by a landscaped embankment and bike paths.
16. Sevkabel Port
In the harbor of the Gulf of Finland, on the site of a former factory, exhibitions, festivals, craft fairs and other contemporary urban cultural events now take place. It’s, coincidentally, a favorite new hangout for St. Petersburg's youth.
17. Aurora Cruiser
It’s believed that the shot from the ‘Aurora’ was the signal to storm the Winter Palace, a key event of the October Revolution of 1917. Today, it’s a museum ship permanently moored at the Petrogradskaya Embankment.
18. Alexander Nevsky Lavra
One of Russia's most important monasteries is located right within the city limits. Peter the Great had it built specifically to house the relics of St. Alexander Nevsky, saint patron of the city. The monastery also has a necropolis where the most famous people of Russia are buried, including Fyodor Dostoevsky.
19. Peterhof
On the outskirts of St. Petersburg lies a luxurious country residence built by Peter the Great and, later, significantly expanded, as each subsequent emperor left their mark. The place is especially famous for its park sculptures and fountains. We recommend taking a speedboat from the center of St. Petersburg to get there.
20. Tsarskoye Selo
A country residence famous for its gardens, palace and the Amber Room, which was lost during World War II and has since been reconstructed and restored.
