Saint-Petersburg at a Glance

We are honored to welcome you to our beloved city, the most beautiful city in the World. Even if you only have one day to enjoy its splendor and unique charm, you will still leave with a palpable affection for St. Petersburg; you’ll be yearning to come back to this mysterious, stylish, unforgettable place.

We advise you to start early if you want to get around the city comfortably. If it is a working day, choose a time when most people have started work, normally by 10am. Nevskii Prospect, usually flooded with crowds at any time of the day, is relatively empty and quiet at this time. So if you go by metro to Mayakovskaya station, and then walk along Nevskii towards Gostinii Dvor, you can enjoy the fabulous architecture and the rarefied atmosphere unhindered. On the way, you will pass the beautiful Palace of Beloselskye-Belozerskye, which overlooks the famous Anichkov Bridge with its world-famous bronze equestrian statues by P. Klodt.

Palace of Beloselskye-Belozerskye

Walking along, you will come to Kazanskaya Square with its inimitable Kazansky Cathedral and the impressive yet elegant colonnade. Here you can turn to the right and walk along the Griboyedova Canal embankment towards The Church of Our Savior on Spilt Blood. Nearby is the Mikhailovsky Palace designed by the renowned architect C.Rossi; it’s a beautiful building, classically styled, and it houses the brilliant Russian Museum. After your done in the museum, you will undoubtedly be ready for a pit stop, and there’s no better place to take a break than the beautiful Mikhailovsky Gardens. You can find the Mikhailovsky Castle close by and in the opposite direction rests the famous Summer Garden, complete with Italian marble statues and a graceful grille facing the Neva.

Kazansky Cathedral

Take a moment to decide whether you would prefer to visit Peter-and-Paul Fortress, which is just on the opposite side of the Neva, and take a walk on the bastion roof there, admiring a unique panorama, or whether walking along the embankment towards the Hermitage is more your thing. If you are only here for day, then we would try to dissuade from visiting the Hermitage. Its collection is truly vast, and even a week is not enough to see all the masterpieces. It is more sensible to buy a book about the Hermitage and thus to get acquainted with at least small part of its collection.

The Hermitage

Continue along the embankment and you will see the immense Dvortsovaya (Palace) Square. It is one of Europe’s greatest squares, lined with historic monuments commemorating Russia’s victory over Napoleon. The grand column in the center of the square is cut from a single stone block, and is supported by its own substantial weight, without the need for any kind of adhesive. The angel on the top is said to bear a certain likeness to Alexander I. Nearby is the Admiralty, regarded as the symbol of the city, with its golden needle crowned by a ship, doubling as a weather vane. Beyond the Admiralty there is a beautiful alley along the embankment, which will lead you to the Dekabristov (Decembrists’) Square, home of the famous Bronze Horseman, immortalized by Pushkin, standing on its solid rock pedestal. and St. Isaak’s Cathedral behind it. A.Montferrand’s masterpiece is the largest cathedral in St. Petersburg. Today however, many of the city’s residents do not like the cathedral, labeling it the “Inkpot” for its shape. Nevertheless, it is a sight to behold; the construction itself lasted for 40 years! Montferrand died just after the construction was finished, his work completed. This cathedral is really one of the symbols of St. Petersburg. The observation platform on the colonnade provides a magnificent view of the city.