Although it is not the capital of Russia, it is its cultural core. We are referring to Saint Petersburg , the second most populated city in the country, which has many attractions for tourists. And it is that, extending through the delta of the Nerva River, it offers nightlife, restaurants, cultural enclaves, art and splendid architectural jewels. For all these reasons, it is worth including this city in our list of possible destinations.
If we have convinced you that Saint Petersburg is a good place to get away, we recommend that you do not miss anything that we tell you below, since today we are going to talk to you about those places that you will not be able to miss. Of course, it has cost us a lot to make a selection, so some corners have been left in the pipeline. Therefore, we encourage you to make us your own suggestions through the comments. Would you like to join us?
Hermitage Museum
First of all, we want to talk about the Hermitage Museum, one of the largest art galleries in the world. Although it occupies six buildings, the most important of them all is the Winter Palace, the official residence of the former tsars. Its collection ranges from Roman and Greek antiquities, to Western European paintings and sculptures, including Russian art, jewelry, weapons, archaeological pieces …
Religious buildings
There are many religious buildings that are worth visiting in Saint Petersburg. The one you can see in the picture is the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, which was built where Tsar Alexander II of Russia was assassinated . We also recommend a visit to Saint Isaac’s Cathedral, Kazan Cathedral, Saint Peter and Saint Paul Cathedral, and the Alexander Nevsky Monastery.
Catherine Palace
The Catherine Palace, which was the summer residence of the Russian tsars, could not be missing from this list. Rococo in style, it is located in the city of Pushkin, 25 kilometers southeast of Saint Petersburg. A curious fact is that it took more than 100 kilos of gold to decorate the facade. Along with other palaces, parks and the historic city center of Pushkin, the palace is included in the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
Peterhof Palace
We must also talk about the Peterhof Palace, which is located on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland, also on the outskirts of Saint Petersburg. Along with its park, it is also considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO . The most important building in the complex is the Palacio Grande, in the Rococo style, although its parks and fountains are surprising.
Fortress of Saint Peter and Saint Paul
How could it be otherwise, we are also going to talk about the Fortress of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which is the original citadel of Saint Petersburg. It was designed by Domenico Trezzini and contains important buildings, such as the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Here are buried the tsars from Pedro I the Great to Nicholas II.
Nevsky avenue
Another place in Saint Petersburg that is worth visiting is Nevsky Avenue, which is the main avenue of the city, in addition to being considered one of the most historic streets in the world.
Subway
The Saint Petersburg Metro is also worth visiting, and especially its oldest stations, which are elegantly decorated. Of course, the most recent ones have a more current and functional design.
State Russian Museum
If you still have time to spare, we recommend visiting the State Russian Museum, which was known as His Majesty Alexander III’s Imperial Museum until 1917. It is located in the Mikhailovsky Palace and is dedicated to Russian artists.