How to Reach St. Petersburg
Pulkovo Airport (LED) serves St. Petersburg with connections across Europe and Russia. The Aeroexpress bus connects to the city center in 40 minutes. St. Petersburg is also superbly connected by high-speed Sapsan train from Moscow in 3.5 hours — one of Russia's finest rail journeys.
The State Hermitage Museum requires at minimum two full days to do justice — plan your visit thematically rather than attempting to see everything. Pre-book tickets online to avoid queuing.
Top Things to See & Do
1. The State Hermitage Museum
Housed in the Winter Palace of the Tsars — one of the world's most magnificent buildings — the Hermitage contains over three million objects including works by Leonardo, Raphael, Rembrandt, and Michelangelo. The ceremonial state rooms of the Winter Palace are themselves overwhelming.
2. The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
St. Petersburg's most photographed building — a riot of colorful onion domes and intricate mosaics built on the spot where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated in 1881. The interior is covered entirely in mosaics depicting the life of Christ in extraordinary detail.
3. Peterhof Palace & Fountains
Peter the Great's answer to Versailles — a vast palace complex on the Gulf of Finland whose cascading fountains and gilded statues were designed to outshine anything in Europe. The Grand Cascade's 64 fountains and 225 gilded statues remain breathtaking.
4. The White Nights
In June and early July, St. Petersburg barely gets dark — the "White Nights" of near-perpetual twilight create a magical, dreamlike atmosphere. The city parties through the night; the Scarlet Sails festival in late June is one of Russia's most spectacular celebrations.
5. Nevsky Prospekt
The great boulevard of St. Petersburg — 4.5km of magnificent architecture from the Admiralty spire to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery. The Singer House bookshop, Kazan Cathedral, and Gostiny Dvor department store are highlights along the way.
What to Eat in St. Petersburg
- Borscht — beetroot soup with sour cream, the Russian staple served everywhere
- Blini with caviar — thin pancakes with red or black caviar at any good Russian restaurant
- Beef Stroganoff — invented in 19th-century St. Petersburg, best eaten here
- Pelmeni — Siberian meat dumplings, available at fast-food pelmennaya throughout the city
- Kvas — fermented bread drink, mildly alcoholic and deeply Russian, sold from street barrels in summer
Best Time to Visit
June for the White Nights is unforgettable but book accommodation months in advance. May and September offer pleasant weather with fewer crowds. Winter transforms the city into a snow-covered fairy tale — the Hermitage in December snow is magical.
