Sights & Attractions in St. Petersburg

Commissioned by Peter the Great as "a window looking into Europe," St. Petersburg is a planned city whose elegance is reminiscent of Europe's most alluring capitals. Little wonder it's the darling of today's fashion photographers and travel essayists: built on more than a hundred islands in the Neva Delta linked by canals and arched bridges, it was first called the "Venice of the North" by Goethe, and its stately embankments are reminiscent of those of Paris. An Imperial city of golden spires and gilded domes, of pastel palaces and candlelit cathedrals, it's filled with pleasures and tantalizing treasures.

The city's focal point is the Admiralteistvo, or Admiralty, a spire-topped golden-yellow building; a stone's throw away is the Winter Palace, the city's most-visited attraction. Three major avenues radiate outward from the Admiralty: Nevsky prospekt (St. Petersburg's main shopping street), Gorokhovaya ulitsa, and Voznesensky prospekt. Most visitors begin, however, at Palace Square, site of the fabled Hermitage. The square is one of the best starting points for exploring the city, and not just for geographical reasons: in a way it symbolizes the city's past, the transition years, and the present. The square housed not only the center of power—the tsar's residence and the great offices of state—but also the splendid art collections of the Imperial family. In the twilight of the tsar's empire, it was here that troops were ordered to disperse a workers' demonstration on Bloody Sunday in 1905—sealing the fate of the Imperial family and ushering in the Revolution of 1917.

Wherever you go exploring in the city, remember that an umbrella can come in handy. In winter be prepared for rather cold days that often alternate with warmer temperatures, often resulting in the famous Russian snowfalls. One note: as with most Russian museums, you will find that St. Petersburg's museums charge a small extra fee to entitle you to use your camera or video camera within their walls.

The city can be divided into approximately nine neighborhoods. The City Center embraces Palace Square, the Hermitage, and the northern end of Nevsky prospekt, with the Fontanka River as its southeastern border. Most of St. Petersburg's major attractions are within this area. Within the City Center is the smaller neighborhood of the Admiralteisky, surrounding the Admiralty building.

Second in number of sights, including the Chamber of Art and the Rostral Columns, is Vasilievsky Island, opposite the Admiralty and set off from the City Center by the Little and Great Neva.

North of the City Center and the Neva River is the Petrograd Side, which holds Peter and Paul Fortress and the sights of Petrograd Island. Back on the mainland, Vladimirskaya is an area south of the Fontanka, taking in the lower part of Nevsky prospekt and bordered by the Obvodny Canal. The Liteiny/Smolny region lies to the northeast of Vladimirskaya and includes the Smolny cathedral. The Kirov Islands (north of the city), the Southern Suburbs, and the Vyborg Side (in the northeast corner of the city) have just a few sights.

St. Petersburg is a large city of 5 million inhabitants, which makes it as likely a place for petty crime as any other metropolis. As a foreigner, you're an even more likely target. Whatever you've heard about crime and poverty in Russia has probably been exaggerated, but you should still exercise caution if you wander too far off the beaten path.

Less »