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St Petersburg
Trip Planning & Itineraries
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When Peter the Great built this city on a swamp, his subjects humored the Emperor. When he declared it the country's new capital, they were less amused. But history has shown that the forward-thinking, Westward-looking tsar was inspired. Gradually, St Petersburg evolved from a dreary backwater into a beautiful, modern European city, Russia's "window to the West".
Unlike Moscow's red bricks and onion domes, St Petersburg's network of canals and baroque and neoclassical architecture give the city a European flavor, no doubt because it was built by Italian architects. Even the residents of St Petersburg fancy themselves "European" and somehow slightly more sophisticated than their more easterly compatriots.
Best of St Petersburg: Top 3 Must-Do Experiences
Best of St Petersburg: Suggested Itineraries
St Petersburg is legendary for its White Nights, those long summer days when the sun barely dips below the horizon. Revels start in May, when the city finally succumbs to spring and the parks are filled with flowering trees. But even when the skies are gray and the ground is covered in snow, you'll be dazzled by the rich cultural delights of St Petersburg.
Get a taste for St Petersburg's churches, museums and palaces on a private grand tour. Touring with a personal guide is the best way to see the highlights of this beautiful city, including the Winter Palace, Nevsky Prospect, Senate Square, Peter the Great Monument, Smolny Cathedral and the gorgeous canals, bridges and architectural masterpieces. Also, you have the option of combining your grand tour with in-depth tours of St Petersburg's most famous sights: Peter and Paul's Fortress, burial place of Russia's emperors; magnificent St Isaac's Cathedral; and the famous Hermitage Museum, with its enormous collection of artworks. Then, in the evening, combine a Russian buffet dinner with a Folklore Show. It's the perfect way to experience the history and spirit of Russia in one evening, with Cossack song and dance, folk music and a classical stringed quartet.
Take a half-day private tour to St Petersburg's most famous imperial estate, the Peterhof, on the city's doorstep. The palace's elaborate interiors are breathtaking, and the landscaped parklands are dotted with fountains, statues and pavilions. You definitely won't want to miss a visit to the baroque Catherine's Palace, known around the world for its famous Amber Room and classically designed, ornate formal gardens. If time allows, add on a private visit to Pavlovsk, the stunning, palatial summer residence of the Russian emperor Paul I and his family. Your private guide will bring the heady days of Imperial Russia alive, with stories of the Tsars' elaborate lifestyles and personal histories.
Getting around Russia's second-biggest city has never been easier! With our pre-arranged private transfers, you'll be picked up in style when you arrive at St Petersburg airport, and driven to your hotel. Or arrange a private transfer from your hotel to the airport when you depart St Petersburg airport. If you're traveling to St Petersburg by train, you can arrange to be met at the station and driven to your hotel. And when you depart St Petersburg station, travel effortlessly from your hotel with a private transfer. Services operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Best of St Petersburg: Top 3 Hotels
Four-star luxury awaits at the Royal Antares, brilliantly located on Nevsky Prospect. Rooms are comfortably furnished and come with all mod-cons, and there's a bar and restaurant on-site.
Corinthia Nevskij Palace Hotel
This luxurious, top-end business hotel facing Nevsky Prospect is furnished in an up-to-date palette of browns and burgundy. Suites have terraces overlooking the domes of Vladimirsky Cathedral, and sights like the Hermitage museum and the Winter Palace are easily accessible.
You'll sleep like a Tsar at the five-star Astoria, next to St Isaac's Cathedral. Russian antiques and luxurious furnishings create a suitably Imperial ambiance, and the on-site restaurants include fine dining at Davidov's and the magnificent caviar and vodka bar - bring a thirst for vodka, as there are 80 vodkas to try!
Best of St Petersburg: Top 3 Museums
The State Hermitage occupies six magnificent buildings situated along the River Neva, right in the heart of St Petersburg. Tour the Winter Palace, former residence of the Tsars, to see art from the Stone Age to the modern era.
Two 3500-year-old sphinx monuments guard the entrance of this time-tested institution, a school for budding artists in Imperial days and now housing a fabulous collection of studies, drawings and paintings by academy members. The models for the original versions of Smolny Cathedral, St Isaac's Cathedral and the Alexander Nevsky Monastery are fascinating.
Housed in the south wing of the Sheremetyev Palace (1750-55), this touching and fascinating literary museum celebrates the life and work of Anna Akhmatova, St Petersburg's most famous 20th-century poet who lived here from 1924 until 1952. The museum offers a peaceful and contemplative opportunity to see the interior of a mid-20th-century apartment.
- Plan St Petersburg vacations on Yahoo! Travel
- St Petersburg trip planner & travel guide from NileGuide
- English-language news from The St Petersburg Times
