St. Petersburg Hotels

Perhaps because of the grand architecture lining the main drags of Nevsky Prospekt and Bolshaya Morskaya, St Pete’s inhabitants consider themselves to be quite the Western Europeans, even though the Triumphal Arch and Winter Palaceare Russian through and through. But for all that rich history, St Petersburg’s beatnik bands and bohemian nightlife are propelling it into the future in ways that would have Tchaikovsky spinning in his grave. It’s been over 100 years since this city last caused a revolution, so perhaps the time is nigh…

ST Petersburg’s Top 10

St Petersburg History

• The Winter Palace – Originally built in 1708 for Peter the Great and his family.
• Anichkov Palace – One of the oldest buildings on Nevsky Prospekt, it now houses several educational organizations.
• Yelagin Palace – Built by Carlo Rossi for Empress Maria Fyodorvna, mother of Alexander I.
• Kamennoostrovoskiy Palace – Once the favourite home of Alexander I, this is one of St Petersburg’s little-known imperial residence.
• Tavricheskiy Palace – Originally built for Prince Gregory Potemkin, this grand palace located in the centre of St Petersburg was an exemplary aristocratic residence.

St Petersburg Art & Culture

• Salvador Dali Museum – If you love modern art, this museum is an absolute must
• Russian Museum – Housed in Mikhailovsky Palace, this museum opened in 1898 and has the greatest collection in arts.
• Mariinskiy Theatre – Built in 1860, this world-famous theatre has continued to present the world with great artists.
• The Hermitage Museum – This museum presents gallery upon gallery of classic Western artists and treasures from the East.
• Kizhi Island – An open-air museum in St Petersburg that exemplifies wooden architecture at its best.

St Petersburg Shopping

• Gostiny Dvor – A huge department store in St Petersburg that was constructed between 1757 and 1785.
• Kuznechny Market – This market features fresh produce including fruits, vegetables, fish, meat and other fresh products.
• Belage – You can get antiques especially jewellery, glass, furniture, bronze, porcelain and paintings, especially from Russia and Western Europe.
• Babushka – This art store has a rich collection of Russian souvenirs.
• Dom Knigi – House of Books has a huge collection of books on Russian, as well as foreign literature, art and travel.

Gay & Lesbian St Petersburg

• Tri El Club – St Petersburg’s sole women-only lesbian club.
• Greshniki Club – An old mansion with four floors, this is a gay club with dance floor and more.
• Central Station Club – This award-winning gay club is quite impressive, with eight bars, a restaurant and plenty of dark corners.
• Gay Bar Blue Oyster – Located in the centre of St Petersburg, the bar is most busy on weekends.
• Gay Club Cabaret – Located near Baltic railway station, a colourful transvestite show after midnight is a specialty here.

ST Petersburg Events

January carries on the Orthodox Christmas celebrations with the International Christmas Film Festival. Family friendly flicks are screened across the city.

The biggest Russian holiday is Easter. Full Orthodox festivities are held at Kazan Cathedral.

St Petersburg celebrates its swampy beginnings on 27 May. Join the festivities on City Day with fireworks and partying.

June brings bloated guts, sore heads and the Beer Festival. Hundreds of revellers descend upon the Peter and Paul Fortress.

Brave the cold in late-December for sleigh rides and folklore shows at the Russian Winter Festival.

When To Go

• Pack your hat and coat – it’s pretty chilly in this part of Russia. The average temperature is around -8°C (18ºF), but it can get as low as -15°C (5ºF), with a lot of wind to boot.
• June to August bring warmer weather, with averages of around 20°C (68ºF).
• During the summer solstice, the days are long, with only a few hours of darkness around 1a.m. In winter, the nights are long and the days are dark.

Getting Around

The metro in St Petersburg is fairly efficient, with four lines covering the city.

Riding a bike is on the up in St Petersburg! Because of the size of the city, it’s quite a handy way to get around.

St Petersburg’s roads aren’t in the best of conditions, and its drivers are even more precarious. Be cautious when riding or driving.

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