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St Petersburg
Kaliningrad
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Good reasons
why to visit St. Petersburg!
St Petersburg: A Russian
Open-Air Museum
The
title is well deserved as this city boasts some of the most beautiful
architecture and style. The river Neva splits the city into several
sectors (islands) which bear a lot of resemblance to Venice. The city’s
heart is best seen on foot in order to appreciate the waterside walkways
and elegant streetscapes. In communist times this city was called
Leningrad, but now it is once again what Peter the Great originally meant
it to be – Russia’s window to the world!
 International
flights arrive at newly renovated Pulkovo Airport terminal 2 which lies
some 18km from the city centre. The immigration queues are usually quite
long and the signs can be a bit confusing. Be especially alert with taxi
drivers as they are notorious for ripping off tourists don’t pay any more
than RUR500 for a trip to the city centre. You can take buses N113, N213,
minibuses K13 and T113 from outside the arrivals hall. They operate every
15 minutes and a single ticket to Moskovskaya metro station costs between
RUR7 and RUR15. From Moskovskaya station, you can take the short metro
ride into the city centre for RUR 8. Get out at the seventh stop, which
is Nevsky Prospect-Gostiny Dvor.
 There
is a shortage of accommodation in St. Petersburg, especially in the
mid-range category. So book early to avoid disappointment, even in the
low season. Advance booking is usually required anyway, in order to
obtain a tourist visa. The most luxurious hotels can be found on the
city’s main throughfare Nevsky Prospect e.g. The Corinthia Nevskij Palace
Hotel. An interesting and good tourist class hotel is The Pribaltyskaya
(in a city suburb). It has a magnificent view across the Gulf of Finalnd
- always ask for a renovated room at the back of the hotel! Another good
choice is the Best Western Neptune Hotel, which has its own bowling centre
(open 24h).
 St.
Petersburg was created by some of Europe’s best architects and remained
untouched during the Soviet era. The statue of Catherine the Great can be
found on Nevsky Prospect, as well as the Kazan Cathedral and Wax Museum in
the Beloselksy-Belozersky Palace. Dominating the skyline is St Isaac's
Cathedral with its golden dome, decorated with mosaic and marble. It is
43 metres high and you can climb all the way up for some fantastic views
of the city. Many of the city’s museums, such as the Art Academy and
Naval Museum, can be found on Vasilevsky Island. The Peter and Paul
Fortress is the oldest building in the city and was used as a political
prison. The famous Winter Palace can be found on Palace Square; it was
the residence of the Tsars in years gone by. Art lovers should definitely
visit The State Hermitage museum which is full of treasures and housed in
five connected buildings along the river Neva. When in St. Petersburg, a
visit to Pushkin is almost required. Take a train from Vitebsky station
to Detskoe selo. From here you can walk to the famous Catherine’s Palace,
created by Empress Elizabeth and Catherine the Great. Visit the palace,
its famous Amber Room and admire the beautiful gardens of Catherine Park
for just RUR400.
 The city’s shops are concentrated around Nevsky
Prospect. Here you will find many designer labels, Russian souvenir shops
and cheap CD’s and DVD’s.
 The
choice of restaurants in St. Petersburg is quite extensive. Certainly try
some typical Russian borshch, pork and fried potatoes. Pancakes are quite
popular here and there are dedicated eateries called ‘bliny’. The major
hotels will serve a mixture of Russian and international cuisine. A good
choice is the Admiralty Restaurant at the Corinthia Nevsky Palace Hotel,
which offers fine Russian food together with nightly Russian folk
performances.
 There
are numerous bars around, including a number of Irish ones, like Mollies (Ul.
Rubinshteina) and The Shamrock (Ul. Dekabristov). The nightlife is St.
Petersburg is quite lively and seems to operate 24/7. The city offers a
vibrant underground music scene and there are a lot of adult entertainment
venues. A good bar/nightclub to visit is Tribunal, which is located on
Pl. Dekabristov. They offer a cabaret show at 10pm every night and the
music policy is Eurodance and Latina-style. Russian Style ballet is a
type of entertainment not to be missed with numerous venues to choose
from. The Mussorgsky Opera and Ballet House (Pl. Iskusstv) offers operas
such as Carmen and The Barber of Seville and ballets such as The Nutcraker
and Les Sylphides.
More information
about St. Petersburg is coming soon...
View
the St. Petersburg picture gallery |
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