Saint Petersburg: Routes, Seasons and Suburban Palaces

The Imperial Centre on Foot: One Day Between the Neva and the Fontanka

The historic centre is compact: from Palace Square to the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is about 1.5 km, to Saint Isaac’s Cathedral — 700 metres, and you can walk to the Peter and Paul Fortress across the Trinity Bridge in 25 minutes.

In a single day you can visit the Hermitage, walk across Palace Square with the Alexander Column, climb the colonnade of Saint Isaac’s for the panorama, study the mosaics of the Savior on Spilled Blood, and stroll down Nevsky Prospect to the Anichkov Bridge with Klodt’s horses.

The Hermitage occupies the Winter Palace and five other buildings. Its collection holds more than 3 million items, so on a first visit it is better to pick 2–3 departments and see them without rushing.

Saint Isaac’s Cathedral rises 101.5 metres — the fourth‑tallest domed cathedral in Europe. It took 40 years to build, from 1818 to 1858.

The Savior on Spilled Blood was raised on the spot where Alexander II was fatally wounded. Inside the church are about 7,000 sq m of mosaics.

Kazan Cathedral is a working church with a colonnade of 96 columns. Field Marshal Kutuzov is buried inside, and admission is free.

White Nights and Bridge Openings: The Main Season from Late May to July

The white nights last roughly from late May to mid‑July, with the lightest week falling around 22 June.

From April through November the Neva is open to navigation and the bridges are raised. About twelve bridges go up in the centre on a regular basis. The main ones are the Palace, Blagoveshchensky, Trinity, Birzhevoy and Liteyny bridges. The exact schedule depends on the season — it is best to check on the day of your trip.

Several major events fall within this period. First, the “Stars of the White Nights” festival at the Mariinsky Theatre runs from late May to mid‑July. Second, the graduates’ celebration “Scarlet Sails” will be held in 2026 on the night of 27–28 June. The programme includes a concert on Palace Square and a tall ship sailing along the Neva with fireworks. Third, Navy Day falls on the last Sunday of July. On that day the bridges are raised in the morning rather than at night.

Where to Watch “Scarlet Sails”

On the night of the celebration Palace Square is closed — you can only get in with a personal invitation as a graduate. But the tall ship’s passage along the Neva is clearly visible from the embankments near the Winter Canal and from the Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge. The metro runs longer than usual that night — until the early morning.

Suburban Residences: Peterhof, Pushkin, Gatchina, Kronstadt

A large share of Saint Petersburg’s famous architecture sits outside the city.

At Peterhof, the Grand Cascade has 64 fountains and 225 sculptures — everything runs by gravity, without pumps. The ceremonial opening of the cascade usually takes place on the third Saturday of May.

In Pushkin you will find the Catherine Palace with the Amber Room. It was recreated for the city’s 300th anniversary — that happened in 2003.

Gatchina is known for its residence with a large park, a lake and an underground passage from the Grand Palace.

Kronstadt, set on Kotlin Island, draws visitors with the Naval Cathedral of Saint Nicholas, the forts in the bay and the “Island of Forts” park.

Meteor hydrofoils to Peterhof depart from the piers near the Hermitage and the Admiralty from late April through October. They moor right by the Lower Park. Suburban trains run year‑round — a good option for a winter trip.

Sapsan, Pulkovo and a Metro 86 Metres Down

From Moscow to Saint Petersburg the Sapsan train takes about four hours and arrives at Moskovsky Station. Flying takes 1 hour 30 minutes. Overnight trains are also available — those take 8–9 hours.

Pulkovo is the city’s only airport. It sits 17 km south of the centre. From the airport you can take express bus 39 to Moskovskaya metro station — the ride takes 25 minutes. Then it is another 15–20 minutes on the metro to Nevsky Prospect.

The Petersburg metro has five lines and around 75 stations. Because of the soft ground, the stations sit deep underground. Admiralteyskaya, for example, is about 86 metres down — one of the deepest stations in the world. The metro runs roughly from 5:40 to 00:30.

The tram network in Petersburg is one of the largest in the country. On Vasilyevsky Island the tram moves faster than the bus.

Vitebsky Station is the oldest in Russia, opened in 1837. Suburban trains to Pushkin and Pavlovsk depart from here.

Where to Eat and Where to Stay: Rubinshteyna, Sevkabel and Districts Near the Centre

The main culinary street is Rubinshteyna. Along a 700‑metre stretch there are about 60 venues, from bistros to bars.

Sevkabel Port on Vasilyevsky Island was once a factory and is now an industrial cluster. It has a food court, markets and a view of the Gulf of Finland.

Vasileostrovsky Market gathers oyster bars, burger joints and coffee shops under one roof.

Local food worth noting:

• smelt — best in April and May, it smells like fresh cucumber;
• Petersburg pyshki (sugared doughnuts) — try them at Pyshechnaya café at 25 Bolshaya Konyushennaya (open since 1958);
• the local shawarma.

If walking distance to the Hermitage and Nevsky Prospect matters, look for accommodation in the Admiralteysky and Tsentralny districts. On Vasilyevsky Island prices are lower, and you can reach the centre across the bridges or by metro.

Moya Bron lists more than 1,450 hotels in Saint Petersburg, with rates starting from 8,640 ₽ per night.

Notable picks include:

• Helvetia — a hotel on a pedestrian street near Nevsky Prospect. Rating 9.6, from 17,640 ₽ per night;
• the Saint Petersburg Hotel with a view of the cruiser Aurora and the Neva. From 8,640 ₽ per night, 11,010 reviews.