Tips on visiting Saint Petersburg

With its historic buildings, canals and museums, Saint Petersburg is among Russia’s most popular destinations. Its founder, Tsar Peter the Great, was inspired by Western European cities. Saint Petersburg therefore has a different layout than other Russian cities. The canals and bridges are reminiscent of Venice and Amsterdam, and the Palace “Peterhof” has similarities with Versailles. I have visited Saint Petersburg three times, namely in winter, spring and summer. Since there is so much to see here, three visits is not enough to write a complete city-guide with. But here’s my personal advice on why, when and where to go.

Why go?

The beauty of Saint Petersburg is the water and the architecture. You can enjoy the city by walking along its canals, the Neva river and iconic buildings. And even if you’re not into museums, the Hermitage is worth a visit. Besides having a huge art collection, it has a beautiful interior as well. If you’re a non-Russian speaker backpacking solo, Saint Petersburg has great and sociable hostels, an active Couchsurfing community and (compared to other Russian cities) many English speakers.

When to go?

Many sources claim Saint Petersburg should be visited in summer. My favourite time was actually the first week of January, during the Russian Christmas holidays. Streets were lively and decorated with lights and the city looked beautiful covered in snow. The frozen Neva river, a spot for ice fishing, was a great sight as well. There were fewer tourists compared to spring and summer but still a good crowd of backpackers in hostels and bars. You just have to dress warm when visiting Saint Petersburg in January. It was of course easier to walk around the city in April and July. The Neva river looks nice on a clear day when the sunlight reflects on the water. Having said that, in spring and summer there are already too many tourists for my taste. Think of segways, horse carriages and costumed actors on the palace square, street musicians playing “Pirates of the Caribbean” on Nevski Prospekt and big tour-groups at Peterhof.

Where to go?

The most iconic sights are the Hermitage and the Church on the Spilled Blood. These are in the historic centre, a walkable area with beautiful canals. My favourite part is along the Griboyedov canal. Many people climb the Saint Isaac’s Cathedral, though I don’t think the view from it is anything special. I’d recommend to walk from the Hermitage over the Palace Bridge to the Peter and Paul Fortress, enjoying the views of the Neva. Within the walls of the fortress is the Peter and Paul Cathedral, where the last members of the Russian royal family are buried. Other sights are the centrally located Kazan Cathedral and the Smolny Cathedral in the East. Though I wouldn’t spend to much time finding all famous churches and monasteries, unless you are really into religious architecture.

About 30 kilometers West of the city centre is the famous Peterhof Palace with its endless gardens. To get there, take the metro to Avtovo Station (Автово) on the red line, from where there are buses (I took the K300) to Peterhof. The gardens are definitely worth a visit. But the museum in the palace is unfortunately expensive (1000 rubles) yet small compared to the Hermitage (700 rubles). When you get back via Avtovo you might want to stop at the pretty metro station Narvskaya (Нарвская) on the red line. Though you could skip this if you are visiting Moscow as well, since the Moscow metro is way more impressive.

Getting around

The city centre can be explored on foot. To travel anywhere else take the metro or one of the many buslines. To enter the metro you’ll need to buy tokens at one of the vending machines at the metro stations. Bus tickets are sold on the bus when you get in. Saint Petersburg doesn’t have a public transport-card like Moscow’s “Troika card”, so keep small change for the bus.

Getting to the city centre from the airport is a bit of a hassle. From the airport you’ll have to take a bus (like the number 39) to Moskovskaya metro station and travel further on the blue line. I’d recommend to download the free app “Yandex Transport” to find bus and metro lines.

What to visit, Moscow or Saint Petersburg?

Having lived in Moscow, many people who plan a journey to Russia asked me this. For the ones who’ll go to Russia for the first time I’d say: try visiting both cities. Because they are equally interesting but totally different. Moscow is more impressive, Saint Petersburg is more beautiful. Give yourself at least two days in each city.

European Russia, Russia Backpacking Guide, Eastern EuropeArjan MookJanuary 11, 2019