All Russian cities are unique in their own way. And each of them attracts tourists with its sights and monuments. However, St. Petersburg is rightfully considered the most beautiful city in Russia. After all, it is not without reason that it is called Northern Venice, a city on the Neva and the northern capital.
These romantic names are a clear confirmation that St. Petersburg is a beautiful legendary city. It is here, in the Northern capital, primarily those who travel across Russia who seek to get.
Tourist centre
The city of St. Petersburg arose on the initiative of Peter I. The same emperor made the main contribution to the development of his brainchild. So far, what has been created at his direction has been preserved in the Northern capital. And all this is due to the fact that during the wars that took place after the creation of St. Petersburg, the defenders of the city always defended it.
The air of the Northern capital is saturated not only with patriotism, but also with romance. Pushkin, Dostoevsky and many other representatives of Russian culture lived and created their masterpieces here. Poems and novels were composed about this city, novels and stories were written. It is not surprising that many travelers seek to touch the heritage of this unique region.
Tourists who come to St. Petersburg, waiting for a lot of interesting historical places, attractions and beautiful streets. There are many magnificent hotels, restaurants, cafes and parks in the city for leisure travelers. And this St. Petersburg confirms its right to be called the main tourist center of the country.
sights
Even the shortest trip to St. Petersburg is unlikely to take less than seven days. This time is enough only for a cursory inspection of the most famous places.
If you visit every gallery of the Russian Museum and the Hermitage, go to such famous suburbs as Pushkino and Peterhof, and also search for such small sights as Vasilisa’s cat or Elisey’s cat, then the trip can take a long time. And St. Petersburg is rich in places, when visiting which you can make a wish. These are the cats mentioned above, a bunny, located near the Peter and Paul Fortress, Chizhik-Pyzhik and many others. So it’s worth preparing small coins in advance.
Churches and cathedrals
Religious people are happy to travel around St. Petersburg. Numerous cathedrals of the city attract their attention. Of course, in Russia there are many temples and churches. However, such magnificence is not found anywhere else.
In St. Petersburg, a huge number of not only operating cathedrals and temples, but also those that are converted into museums. Most of them are historical sites.
Traveling around St. Petersburg, tourists certainly want to visit St. Isaac's, Smolny and Kazan Cathedrals. The Cathedral of the Savior on Blood also deserves attention.
Shopping
While traveling around St. Petersburg, many fashionistas and fashionistas seek to visit the shopping centers of the Northern capital. But those tourists who do not want to lose time on shopping, may well get souvenirs in small shops. Here they will be offered magnets and nesting dolls, shawls and much more that will evoke a pleasant memory of a visit to the city.
And art lovers can be offered a completely different route. St. Petersburg offers such tourists to purchase paintings directly from artists exhibiting their works on Nevsky Prospekt. Travelers can choose art objects in the shop located at the porcelain factory.
When do tourists prefer to visit the northern capital?
Tours to St. Petersburg are most readily purchased in the summer. And explaining it is quite simple. Only in the warm season, tourist Petersburg can invite its guests to the Summer Garden. In addition, during this period the city looks very majestic, and you can admire it endlessly. And only in the summer the St. Petersburg water route will offer its tourists. After all, a walk on the river on a boat is possible only in the absence of ice.
From the shore or from the ship you can watch the famous bridges in the world. This is often spent all night. After all, with the correct calculation of time, tourists have time to see how each bridge is divorced and then reduced.
A trip to St. Petersburg in the summer provides a great opportunity to admire the amazingly beautiful Peterhof. The overflow of its powerful fountains, raising jets of water against the background of numerous gilded sculptures, will not leave anyone indifferent.
Winter travel
Tours to St. Petersburg are popular with tourists and during the New Year holidays. These trips can certainly be compared with an exciting adventure. Only on the eve of the New Year the mystery of St. Petersburg's dark and gloomy streets is fantastically combined with rich festive illumination. The spectacle is able to capture the breath of both an adult and a child.
In winter evenings, the cathedrals are especially beautiful. The city is in a festive mood. The streets are decorated with elegant Christmas trees. There are Christmas markets.
Water walks
A trip to St. Petersburg in the warm season certainly includes river excursions. This city is decorated with many canals and rivers. He, like Venice, is literally born out of the water. Like Venice, Peter attracts tourists with its unique beauty.
Traveling along the canals of St. Petersburg and its rivers is a must for any program of visiting the Northern capital. Only during a water excursion can you feel the spirit of the city. It is worth emphasizing that, being on a boat or on a river tram, you can see Peter with completely different eyes. From the surface of the water the city does not look like it does from the avenues and embankments.
Tourists should keep in mind that you can make walks along the Neva only during the navigation period, which lasts from late April to late October.
Tickets for river trams are sold and boarded at the intersection of Nevsky Prospekt with the Moika, Fontanka and Griboedov Canal. You can also get on water excursions from the Admiralty and Palace Embankments.
The routes of boats and water trams pass through the numerous canals of Northern Venice. During such excursions, lasting 1-1.5 hours, you can see all the most interesting things that Peter offers its guests. Usually this is a passage along the Moika, Neva, Fontanka and other rivers and canals along which noble mansions and palaces are located. Among them are Anichkov and Shuvalovsky, Sheremetyevsky and Yusupovsky, Razumovsky, Stroganovsky and Beloselsky-Belozersky. Each of them has its own story, which is connected not only with the life of their owners. All these palaces and mansions were visited by rather influential persons in Russia.
The embankments are well visible from the water surface, on which there are many sights of St. Petersburg, such as St. Isaac's Cathedral and the famous Chizhik-Pyzhik. During river excursions you can see the cruiser Aurora and the famous Anichkov Bridge.
Of course, walks made in sunny weather leave the most vivid impressions. However, on a rainy day the river tram offers its guests to sit in its closed part and, covered with a blanket, enjoy a walk.
Palace Bridge
Boat trips give tourists a lot of amazing experiences. And these are not only the buildings of St. Petersburg. When viewing the sights of the Northern capital, one cannot but pay attention to its amazing bridges. One of them is the Palace. The bridge that connects Vasilyevsky Island and the central areas of the city is named after the Winter Palace. Today this is one of the attractions of St. Petersburg, undoubtedly, being its symbol.
The palace bridge began to be mounted in 1911. However, its construction was soon suspended due to the outbreak of the First World War. The opening of the Palace Bridge took place only in 1916, and in 1939, after the revolution, it was decorated with the famous cast-iron grates with Soviet symbols.
For some time the bridge was called the Republican. However, during the war with the Nazis, he was returned to his original name.
In 1977, the Palace Bridge was reconstructed and in this, already updated, form appears before the eyes of tourists today. This building is extremely interesting. Its uniqueness lies in special mechanisms that allow you to lift 700-ton spans in the blink of an eye.
In 1997, the Palace Bridge was decorated with an interesting highlight. Today, the wings of this building are often used as a screen for projecting films.
Cable-stayed bridge
During water excursions, tourists are given the opportunity to see the longest bridge in Russia (2824 m). Often it is called the Big Obukhovsky. The bridge is also unique in that it is the only non-adjustable on the Neva. This unusual structure consists of two parts - horseback and grassroots. In the first of these, transport moves to the east of the city, and in the second - to the west. In this regard, it seems that this is not one, but two bridges at once, with the opposite direction of the flow of cars.
Bolshoy Obukhov bridge has impressive dimensions. However, despite this, it seems light, graceful, as if floating in the air.
The bridge got its name from the Obukhovo district, on the territory of which the famous Obukhov plant is located. The name of the building was given by the Petersburgers themselves and the residents of the Leningrad Region.
In the city there is another bridge with a similar name - Obukhovsky. It was built in 1717 through the river. Fontanka.
Vasilievsky island
This is one of the most amazing places in St. Petersburg, not only for its geographical characteristics, but also for its historical and cultural heritage.
Vasilievsky Island is the largest of all islands located in the Neva Delta. Its total area is 10.9 square meters. km On this seemingly small patch of land the glorious history of the Russian state is reflected. That is why all the tourists who came to St. Petersburg are eager to get here.
Vasilievsky Island appears before the guests in all its architectural diversity. However, the main style is the one in which the buildings of the 18-19th centuries were erected. Many buildings preserve the memory of the times of Peter the Great, when the first Russian emperor brought everything advanced, European to the country.
The most notable construction of Vasilievsky Island is two 32-meter Rostral columns. They were built in 1810 by the French architect Jean-Francois Tom de Tomon and are located on both sides of Birzhevaya Square. These columns, which played the role of lighthouses for all ships approaching the pier, symbolized the power of Russia as a sea power. The buildings are made in the Roman style. The architect chose anchors and ships as decorations for them. Allegorical figures are installed at the foot of the columns, symbolizing the great rivers of the state - the Neva and Volga, the Volkhov and the Dnieper.
Another famous attraction of Vasilievsky island is the Gottorp globe. It was first installed under the Empress Elizabeth. In 1747, the globe completely burned out in a fire, but was restored later, and today this unique item can be seen in the Museum named after M.V. Lomonosov.
A popular place on Vasilievsky Island is the Cathedral of Three Saints. This is one of the oldest churches in the city. Many visitors to the city will like visiting the Central Naval Museum. This is the largest thematic museum in the world.
Arrow
So on the Vasilievsky island called its eastern part. At this end is a vibrant architectural ensemble. He is able to surprise and fascinate even the most sophisticated tourists. Here you can see the amazing harmony of urban architecture and the Neva coasts. In the same part of the city is Repin Street. It is notable for its small width - only about six meters.
The central place of the Strelka architectural ensemble is occupied by the Exchange. This building, erected in 1805-1810, was conceived in the style of an ancient temple.
Main street of the Northern capital
Where do tourists who come to St. Petersburg like to walk most of all? Nevsky Prospect is the most popular place for city guests and the central street of the Northern capital. It stretches for 4.5 kilometers from the Admiralty to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.
The most famous sights located on Nevsky Prospect are the Kazan Cathedral and Anichkov Palace, the House of the Dutch Reformed Church and the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace, the Book House and the Gostiny Dvor, the Chocolate Museum and the Comedy Theater. There are many restaurants and shops, cinemas and entertainment facilities on the avenue. On holidays, processions and special events are held on Nevsky.