St. Petersburg

Considered as Russia’s intellectual and cultural center, St. Petersburg is a treasure chest of fine art and royal estates. Overlooking the Neva River is the Winter Palace, which houses the Hermitage Museum where most of these treasures are found. It is what architects like to call a "planned city" which makes it easy to navigate and tourist-friendly.

Getting Around

The backpackers first choice of public transportation in St. Petersburg should be the metro. The metro is a fast and cheap way to get around. While it doesn’t not serve all the city’s key attractions, if operates frequently enough to be very convenient.

Things to See

The Dvorsovaya Ploshchad or the Palace Square is the city’s most important plaza. While it is shaped like a truncated piece of pie, it accommodates the Winter Palace and General Staff Headquarters perfectly to create a certain balance. Also, it offers a spectacular view of the city.

Things to Do

One of the city’s shopping trademarks is the matryoshka nesting dolls. These can be found almost anywhere. Hotel gift shops on Nevksy have higher prices compared to the outdoor markets like the ones found across the Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood. Just be equipped with your haggling skills and you’ll be able to purchase bagfuls of authentic souvenirs.

Where to Stay

In choosing your hostel or hotel, keep in mind that the bridges in St. Petersburg are drawn up during the wee hours of the morning in order to facilitate shipping traffic. If you plan to frolic on the other side of the Neva, make sure to check the drawbridge schedules. Better yet, to avoid this hassle, choose to stay on the city main where there are luxe and demi-luxe hotels with practical rates.