There is something to see and do in St. Petersburg at any time of the year. Museums and theaters, festivals and exhibitions, gastronomic and public spaces, and of course, the unique St. Petersburg atmosphere make visiting the city on the Neva so attractive. We have compiled a short guide to the most fashionable places and not only.
LEARN NEW THINGS
The Palace Square, the Hermitage, the Kazan and St. Isaac’s Cathedrals are traditionally included in the mandatory program of guests of the city on the Neva. Thanks to the new tourist geography, travelers are happy to go to public spaces, modern museums, art centers and other facilities.
As told in the Committee for Tourism Development of St. Petersburg, the TOP 5 most popular new points of attraction include the museum and historical park “Island of Forts” in Kronstadt, Sevkabel Port, New Holland, Annenkirche and Faberge Museum.
A definite hit for a family trip is Kronstadt and the Island of Forts. Visit St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral and the Museum of the history of Kronstadt, stroll through the Summer Garden and Petrovsky Pier, find a wooden lighthouse, a footstool with a zero mark of the Baltic Sea level and a monument to the blockade stickleback.
Forts. Lighthouse. Photo provided by the press service of the Island of Forts
You can spend the whole day in the museum and historical park “Island of Forts”: this year the Museum of Naval Glory opened here, where a unique exhibit is on display – the legendary submarine K-3 “Leninsky Komsomol”. This is the world’s only museumized hundred-meter underwater nuclear-powered vessel, placed for public viewing on land in an indoor area. Photo shoots overlooking the Gulf of Finland will be a nice bonus.
The Faberge Museum has also become a popular place. Located in the Shuvalov Palace, it impresses with the luxury and sophistication of the interiors: everything is in gold, royal silk, fringe and brilliant painting.
In the Faberge Museum you can see masterpieces of jewelry art. Photo: ATOR
But that’s not why they come here: in its halls one of the world’s largest collections of Carl Faberge products, jewelry Easter eggs created for Russian emperors are on display. Each exhibit is fascinating – it’s such a fine piece of work. On the ground floor there is a small but very cozy cafe with original desserts: be sure to try the one, branded, made in the form of an egg.
It is often enough to take one step away from the usual tourist route to discover a hidden gem. One of them is the Annenkirche: the historic Lutheran church on Kirochnaya Street.
Excursion to the Annenkirche. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, by Annenhart, Creative Commons license
Deceptively simple on the outside, it offers a unique opportunity to get into a different, bizarre reality. It just won’t work not to take pictures here. Even more interesting is that, as an active church, the Annenkirche regularly holds cultural events – concerts, performances and art exhibitions. Coupled with the atmosphere of the place, every event here becomes a vivid story and a reason to return.
PLACES OF POWER FOR CREATIVE PEOPLE
Sevkabel Port on Vasilyevsky Island has become one of the most fashionable venues in St. Petersburg over the past few years, a place of strength for creative people.
Sevcable port. Photo: Visit-Petersburg.ru
This object of industrial architecture attracts with its authenticity, design elements and art installations, design workshops and creative projects.
There is always a way to have an interesting time here: from outdoor yoga classes to master classes of various directions. And you can also eat delicious food here and just dream. The beautiful views of the Gulf of Finland are quite conducive to this.
Another fashionable place is the New Holland public space. People come here for a walk, a meeting with friends and a photo shoot on any day and season. Festivals, concerts and lectures are held on the man-made island.
New Holland. Photo: provided by the Committee for Tourism Development of St. Petersburg
Seasonal dishes are served in restaurants and cafes open all year round, a sandy beach with colorful sun loungers is open in summer, and an ice rink is flooded in winter, mulled wine and cocoa are brewed in street stalls. Go to the Bottle building: in local shops you can find art books, designer items, souvenirs and designer restaurants.
THERE ARE MANY ATMOSPHERIC PLACES IN ST. PETERSBURG
But the list of modern facilities and routes that make St. Petersburg a fashionable tourist destination is much wider. One of the favorites of tourists is the Berthold Center on 13-15 Civil Street.
Berthold Center. Photo: Visit-Petersburg.ru
The creative space is located in a former dictionary workshop for the production of typographic fonts. Parties and concerts are held on the observation deck, and you can drink coffee, eat cheesecakes or pizza in the courtyard. There is also a vinyl record store, books, candles, a hotel, a coworking and author’s restaurants.
Winter fun is also being prepared in Nikolsky rows in the Kolomna district: here you can try Christmas treats to skate. This season, residents and guests of the city will find two more ice innovations unique to St. Petersburg – open-air curling tracks and ice mini golf.
The famous Subscription Publications store in St. Petersburg. Photo: ATOR
Another atmospheric St. Petersburg place where you want to stay for a long time is the bookstore “Subscription Editions” on Liteyny Prospekt, 57. Round tables with upholstered chairs lurk among the shelves to the ceiling, a bar and a coworking are hidden on the mezzanine. A great reason to slow down: drink a cup of coffee, flip through a book or look at the people hurrying outside the window.
TO THE GASTRONOMIC CIRCUMNAVIGATION AND LOCAL SPECIALTIES
Gastronomic experiences are probably the best souvenir you can bring back from your trip. Many cities have their own culinary traditions and secrets, and St. Petersburg is no exception. The gastronomic map of the Northern capital is very democratic: there are fine restaurants with original cuisine, and cozy cafes and fast food establishments.
The main gastrosuvenir is the St. Petersburg cake from the Metropol restaurant.. Photo: ATOR
Palatial Russian cuisine, seafood, designer sets, trendy pastry shops and new gastronomy – cuisines from all over the world are represented in St. Petersburg.
Among the fashionable places – Vasileostrovsky or Moscow markets, Eat Market in the Galeria shopping center near the Moskovsky railway station, creative Balagan on the Petrogradskaya side or VOKZAL 1853 – the largest food mall in Russia.
Sterlet in St. Petersburg restaurants is often served with porcini mushrooms, capers and crayfish sauce. Photo: ATOR
A fresh trend is St. Petersburg cuisine, whose dishes are prepared according to ancient recipes.
Try Nicholas II’s favorite porridge, pink pancakes according to Arina Rodionovna’s recipe, the legendary Leningrad pickle, Gatchina trout with spelt, fried smelt with potatoes, salad with Ladoga trout, olivier with grouse and crayfish necks, Demidov consomme, St. Petersburg coffee and other specialties in the participating restaurants of the St. Petersburg Cuisine project.
Elena Myagkova
