The simplest way to visit St. Petersburg for a couple of days is as part of a tour group. Whilst individual visas are possible, they take weeks and cost almost as much as a tour booked over the internet. Cruise ships offer a variety of tours, but they were very expensive compared with what can be organised over the internet. It must however be an authorised agent for the visa waiver to apply.
We found a company ‘TJ Tours’ which was offering a good 2 day itinerary at a good price. A city like St Petersburg with so much history could keep you busy for weeks. We had 2 days, hence focused on the ‘must see’ attractions. Even that in 2 days can lead to overload. Good thing a couple of attractions are a bit outside and the trip allows to digest some of the impressions, sights and places.
Day 1
Clearing custom was uncomplicated and fast. There was only one other couple doing the same tour as us, hence we had a guide and driver for the Mercedes Mini Van all to ourselves.
The first stop was the Monument to Nicholas I. This spot provides a beautiful view of St Issac’s Cathedral, Mariinsky Palace, and a view of the canals.
Next stop was the Hermitage Museum where we spend a couple of hours admiring the architecture of the former Winter palace and the collection of western art.
The Hermitage museum is Saint Petersburg’s prime attraction, a massive palace-museum showing the highlights of a collection of over 3,000,000 pieces spanning the globe, mostly western arts. The Hermitage is truly one of the world’s great museums, with an imposing setting displaying priceless works by Rembrandt, Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rubens and more.
Church of the Saviour on Spilt Blood, a traditional style Russian church built on the spot where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated in 1881. The interior is elaborately decorated with over 6000sqm of mosaics.
Lunch in a nice cafe; salad, mushroom soup, stroganoff goulash, dessert and coffee.
On the way to Pushkin we saw the memorial for the victory in WW II, but kept driving on to the Catherine Palace. We visited the museum, including the Amber Room. Most of it was destroyed during the war. This is a Rococo palace located in the town of Pushkin, 25 km south of St Petersburg. It was the summer residence of the Russian tsars. The gardens around the palace are not to be missed, especially the fountains which start playing to music at 11.00am.
Afterwards a walk in the park, enjoying the outside of the extensive palace and garden in the sunny afternoon.
Back in the city, a visit to the Peter and Paul Fortress. Other than the church, which is where the all of the Romanov Czars of Russia from Peter the Great (bar two or three) are buried, the other things on the island aren’t terribly impressive, so it might be worth it to just see the church.
Day 2
We started the day started with a one hour cruise on the waterways around the Peter and Paul Fortress, and some canals in the old part of town.
Keeping on the water, we then took the hydrofoil to Peterhof. This palace is surrounded by magnificent gardens. As we arrived by water, we first wandered along the lower gardens and making our way up to the palace to see the start of the famous fountains starting their show at 11am. We then had some time to explore the upper gardens before making our way to the Alexandria-Peterhof hotel for a traditional lunch.
On the way back, we stopped at one of the oldest Metro station of St Petersburg for s ride for a couple of stations. The Metro was build in 1955 in true communist grandeur. The stations are richly decorated with columns, chandeliers, plaques and statues. The Metro is connecting the islands and goes below the Neva river. As a result the lines run very deep and we were riding the longest escalator (I have ever been on) to return to the ground.
The next stop was the Saint Issac’s Cathedral, which, being such a striking landmark, we had seen a number of times from the outside. Walking up to the entrance gives an amazing impression of the huge size of this church. The Dom is the fourth largest in the world, the columns on the outside are massive single blocks of granite. Saint Issac’s Cathedral was built in 1818 and is a major attraction in the city. There are night time visits, too, and the view from the colonnade (observation deck) is one of the best views of the city, for those who are willing to climb 400 steps.
From the cathedral, a short stroll through the park leads to the monument of Peter on Horseback.
The last stop was the Yusopov Palace where Rasputin was killed (no photos allowed).
To end this post, a few more random pics from around town.
St. Petersburg was a great stop, so much history. A lot was destroyed during the war. Many of the palaces today were painstakingly restored to its former glory.
Apparently there are just 38 days or so of sunshine per year in St. Petersburg, and we were lucky enough to be there during two of them.
othmar & wichit's space 