A city of palaces and museums, broad avenues and winding canals, St. Petersburg's short history has endowed the city with a wealth of architectural and artistic treasures. Alongside world-famous attractions such as the Hermitage, St. Isaac's Cathedral and the Mariinsky Theatre, the city has scores of lesser known but equally fascinating sights that reveal both the pomp and extravagance of St. Petersburg's political and Imperial past, and also the mysterious, tragic genius that has touched so many of the city's great artists and writers. Still considered Russia's cultural capital, St. Petersburg reflects the country's extraordinary fate like no other city, and its uniquely rich atmosphere exerts a powerful grip on even the most jaded traveler.
A short introduction to St. Petersburg's most famous and significant sights and attractions. Join us in an online tour of the breath-taking and majestic landmarks and monuments that dominate the City on the Neva.
St. Petersburg cherishes and venerates its history and culture in an incredible number of museums, ranging from the stunning treasures of the Hermitage to the private artifacts of world-famous artists, writers and scientists.
While the Winter Palace is undoubtedly the most famous, it is certainly not the only grand palace in St. Petersburg. In fact, a spate of projects in the reign of Catherine the Great ensured that the city had more than any other in Europe, and subsequent generations continued to create majestic residences in a variety of styles, many of them architectural masterpieces.
It is not only palaces and churches that make up St. Petersburg's treasure trove of architectural gems, many of the city's public buildings - from administrative buildings to army barracks, and up-market stores to universities and schools - are also architectural masterpieces spanning three centuries of styles and trends.
Famous for its sumptuous palaces, St. Petersburg also has a wealth of beautiful and enormously varied private homes from the pre-Revolutionary period. Some are not much less extravagant and ornate than Imperial palaces, while make up in architectural originality and character what they lack in size.
The majority of St. Petersburg's residents have lived in apartments since the latter part of the 18th century, and the apartment houses of the historic center include some of the city's most attractive and architecturally unusual buildings.
From cathedrals of awe-inspiring wealth and majesty to small parish churches redolent of the spiritual devotion of private citizens, St. Petersburg's religious sights form an integral and fascinating part of the city's history and architecture.
Find your way around St. Petersburg with our guide to the city's most famous addresses, from broad straight avenues to the historic side streets of the city centre and the famous granite embankments that line the Neva River.
St. Petersburg's monuments celebrate the great and good of this remarkable city, as well as the remarkable events the form the rich tapestry of its history. Discover the stories behind the city's most prominent public monuments.
St. Petersburg's waterways, from the majestic Neva River to the smallest canals, are an essential feature of the city's unique topography. Mostly lined with granite embankments, the rivers and canals of St. Petersburg reflect many of the city's most beautiful buildings.
Bridges are an essential part of St. Petersburg's architectural make-up, unsurprisingly considering that the city is built on over 100 islands. Among the city's over 500 bridges, there are numerous architectural and technological masterpieces.
Lying across the delta of the Neva River, St. Petersburg - the Venice of the North - is a city built on hundreds of islands, some of which have a unique character and history that is well worth exploring.
The centre of St. Petersburg offers vast areas of green space, including beautiful historic gardens and extensive leisure parks. Explore the historic and cultural attractions of St. Petersburg's numerous parks and public gardens.
The cemeteries of St. Petersburg not only contain the graves of many of Russia's greatest figures of culture and history, they are also home to moving monuments and memorials commemorating some of the city's most harrowing events and greatest tragedies.
Find new ways to explore St. Petersburg by following our self-guided walking tours of the city. Themed tours can be used as background reading or to take you step-by-step through St. Petersburg, with themes including the life and works of great authors and architects, the history and culture of different nationalities in the city, and tours of specific sights and attractions.
