St. Petersburg:
Sightseeing and travel information

Saint Petersburg is one of the world’s most beautiful cities in Russia and one of the most important cultural centers in Europe. St. Petersburg is also called the "Northern capital of Russia" and the "Window to Europe".

Saint Petersburg has a population of 5,028,000 people (2013) and is the second largest city in Russia, after Moscow, and the world’s most northern city with more than one million residents.

St. Petersburg area code is 812
To call Russia / St. Petersburg dial ++7 812 subscriber number
Russia: Country and area codes

The time zone for the city of Saint Petersburg is GMT/UTC +4 hours during Winter Time (standard time) and +3 hours during Summer Time (daylight saving time). Russia abolished Winter Time in 2011.

To travel to St. Petersburg it is necessary to obtain a Russian visa.
The best time to travel to St. Petersburg is the period of the so-called White Nights from the end of May till the middle of July. During this period, St. Petersburg has about 19 hours of daylight and the shortest night falls on June 21/22.

International airport in St. Petersburg: Pulkovo

Distance from St. Petersburg to

• Moscow:
  By car: about 700 km
  Travel time by airplane: about 1 hour 30 minutes
• London:
  Travel time by airplane: about 3 hours 30 minutes
• New York, USA:
  Travel time by airplane: about 12 hours
• San Francisco, USA
  Travel time by airplane: about 15 hours
• Sydney:
  Travel time by airplane: about 30 hours

Where to stay:
A selection of well located St. Petersburg hotels in different price categories

Currency Converter Rouble /Euro /US-Dollar

Saint Petersburg is situated in north-western Russia at the mouth of the Neva River at the East end of the Gulf of Finland. It is the main Baltic Sea harbor in Russia. Like some other European cities, St. Petersburg is sometimes called "Venice of the North" as it is also known for its rivers and canals. There are 342 bridges in the city of St. Petersburg, 13 of them are lifted at night in summer to let big ships pass. That is why it is important to mind Bridge Lift Times.
Sightseeing in St. Petersburg: Bridges with short description and city map

The Metro of St. Petersburg is one of the world’s deepest subways (about 100 m deep). There are 5 lines with 67 stations.
TIP: Use the Metro to get around St. Petersburg and marvel at wonderfully designed stations, also called "people’s palaces". The station Awtowo (red line number 1) is one of the most beautiful ones.

St. Petersburg has one of the world’s longest tram system. Since 2013 the trams are being provided with WiFi.

St. Petersburg is one of the 18 cities that will host the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Laying the foundation stone for St. Petersburg in 1703, tsar Peter the Great, who was very fond of Europe, had two purposes in view: first, to establish the civilized European lifestyle in Russia and, second, to show the world that his countrymen were not just peasants and barbarians. Thousands of workers gave their lives building the magnificent city on a swampland. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why St. Petersburg also has this somewhat depressive atmosphere which one can clearly feel reading Fjodor Dostoevsky novels.

From the 18th till the beginning of the 20th century St. Petersburg was the capital of the Russian empire. The historic centre of Saint Petersburg and related groups of monuments were included in UNESCO World Heritage List in 1990.
Sightseeing in St. Petersburg:
Places, Buildings & Monuments with short description and city map

The city that used to be a political and cultural centre of Russia for more than 200 years is still very impressive and hasn’t lost its appeal.

During its history, the name of city has been officially changed several times:
1703 -1914: Saint Petersburg
1914 -1924: Petrograd
1924 -1991: Leningrad
since September 6, 1991: Saint Petersburg
Regardless of its official name, the Russians call St. Petersburg just "Piter" (Russian: Питер).

St. Petersburg celebrates The Day of the City each year on May 27.

Museums

In St. Petersburg there are over 200 museums. The most popular is the State Hermitage Museum with one of the world’s most famous collections of fine art. The Hermitage is so huge that it can take more than a day to visit it. Especially in summer there are long queues at the ticket office and crowds of visitors in the museum. On the first Thursday of the month the Hermitage offers free admission.

Other important museums in St. Petersburg are: the Russian Museum, the Kunstkammera. The Cabin of Peter the Great and others.

Best museums of St. Petersburg with short description and location on the map

Cathedrals and Churches

St. Petersburg is also famous for its beautiful churches. One of the most beautiful ones is the Church of Christ's Resurrection which resembles St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. Near this church there is a market with lots of souvenirs like Russian matryoshka dolls.
Cathedrals, Churches & Monasteries of St. Petersburg with short description and location on the map

Mariinsky Theatre is one of the symbols of the Russian culture. The world-famous soprano Anna Netrebko made her debut at the Mariinsky Theatre and still performs here. A visit to the Mariinsky Theater is the highlight for many St. Petersburg travelers.
Theaters, Concerts and Circus in St. Petersburg

Peterhof and Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin) are the most popular tourist attractions near St. Petersburg. These two summer residences of the Russian tsars have beautiful palaces and gardens. Peterhof is famous for its fountains and the magnificent Great Cascade. In the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo one can visit the fabled Amber room.
Peterhof and Tsarskoye Selo with short description and location on the map