St. Petersburg is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Russia with a rich history and magnificent architecture. There are many beautiful places, historically important monuments, museums, parks, buildings, reserves, squares. All these sights of St. Petersburg are located on the spacious central streets, solemn squares, as well as among many outlandish buildings and structures. The brightest of them, which are definitely worth a visit, we will describe in this article.
Day trip: where to walk?
Thanks to the huge selection of travel companies, everyone has the right to choose the most suitable route for themselves. In each individual case, it will depend not only on financial capabilities, but also on the number of days of your stay in St. Petersburg. But what sights of St. Petersburg can be seen if you came here for just one day?
It would seem that just a day is so little. But even during this day you will be able to visit a lot of beautiful and interesting places. For example, you simply cannot do without a sightseeing walk along the central streetscities. It is best to start your acquaintance with this wonderful place from Nevsky Prospekt.
Go down to the very bottom and start moving through Alexander Nevsky Square to a delightful architectural creation - the building of the main Admir alty. Note its spire. You can see it almost everywhere. Therefore, while traveling, focus on it.
A few interesting things about the Admir alty
The Admir alty building is quite easy to recognize, as it is a huge architectural complex located on the Neva River. It arose thanks to talented city architects. It was they who managed to design the complex, to which one street leads - Gorokhovaya - and two city avenues at once: Voznesensky and Nevsky. The building itself, without which no tour of St. Petersburg is complete, is decorated with various stucco moldings and outlandish bas-reliefs. At its top is a spire with a gilded weather vane in the shape of a ship.
Initially, the complex, stretching 407 meters along the coast, was built of wood. Later, the building was rebuilt and became stone. In the 19th century, its architecture was complemented by bright elements in the Empire style and the picturesque Alexander Garden.
What else to see in the city in a day?
Going on a one-day tour of St. Petersburg, take a walk along the stunning Vosstaniya Square. It is here that the building of the Moscow railway station is located. Due to its unusual color of the facade, it looks like a majestic royal palace. Few people know, but a similar building was built in Moscow. This building is alsois a public place and is called the Leningradsky railway station.
Not far from one of the main squares of St. Petersburg, the Church of the Sign was once located. This building itself was exclusive, as it was erected in 1767. At the same time, Queen Elizabeth personally supervised the construction of the cathedral. However, a few days after its opening, the building of the cathedral was destroyed. In its place, the builders erected a rounded shape of the lobby of the current metro station Ploshchad Vosstaniya.
On the other side of the station building rises a modern building of a local hotel. Here, in the 50s, a square was laid out, and later an obelisk was erected in it with the inscription "To the Hero City of Leningrad." All these sights of St. Petersburg are easy to get around in just a day.
Visit to the brightest museum of our time
When there is more time for walking, it always makes sense to visit more places and take advantage of the interesting offers of travel companies with ready-made excursion options. For example, the State Hermitage Museum can be included in our list of the best tourist places in the city. This is not just a building, but a huge museum complex, which is one of the largest art galleries in the world.
There is always something to see within its walls. Here you will meet with numerous historical exhibits belonging to different eras, including the times of antiquity. Among the expositions presented in the State Hermitage, it is easy to find exhibitions of ancient Egyptian artifacts, expressionist paintings, ceramicancient Inca items and more.
Special Fortress on Hare Island
Another iconic and interesting sight of St. Petersburg is the Peter and Paul Fortress, located at the mouth of the Neva River, right on Hare Island. It is believed that it was built in the 18th century to defend the city.
Earlier, the fortress was equated with a military facility, so tourists were not allowed into its territory. Today, all lovers of antiquity can enjoy an unusually skillful structure and other objects located behind a huge defensive fence. So, on the territory of the complex are located:
- Peter and Paul Cathedral.
- The building of the military history museum.
- Mint.
- Former prison of the Trubetskoy Bastion and the current museum.
- The structure of the Grand Duke's tomb.
Moreover, it's quite nice to just walk around the territory of the complex. There are many beautiful places, hiking trails and places for a relaxing holiday in the bosom of nature.
Beautiful and unusual royal house
In addition to the above-mentioned buildings, the famous Peter's house is also located on the territory of Hare Island. This is one of the most dilapidated architectural buildings, once erected during the life of the ruler. Despite its many years of age, the building is quite well preserved. Rumor has it that this is because of the canopy that the builders built at the request of Peter.
According to many historians, it was in this summer building that Peter lived during the construction of the city. From his windows, he watched the progress of work, gave orders and criticized the masters. The house itself was built in the shortest possible time.
They say that the masters had only three days to do this. And all because the king wanted to enter it as quickly as possible. The fact that the building was done in a hurry is evidenced not only by the principle of erection of the structure, but also by the presence of low ceilings. Some sources claim that with a growth of more than two meters, the ruler of the spruce moved around the room, almost clinging to the ceilings with his crown.
Another unusual building
Not far from the Tsar's summer house, in a picturesque park on Petrovskaya Embankment, you can see an absolutely incredible building - a "case". You can distinguish it by a beautiful patterned fence and red walls. This house was also built under Peter I in 1844. It has a bedroom, a royal study and a dining room.
The walls of the building are covered with unusual gray ship canvas. The interior has been restored. And in the rooms you can see perfectly preserved furniture from the time of the tsarist reign. According to users, everything here is simple and no frills. For example, in the office there is a large pear-shaped chair with a wide back. It is said that at one time its design was designed by the sovereign himself. The dining room features dark and nondescript furniture, simple pewter and a double-headed eagle candlestick.
Be sure to visit this “case” house in order to see the difference between the royal chambers and the simple, almost ascetic lifestyle that Peter I was sometimes forced to lead. Next on the agenda will be the Mariinsky Theater. We will talk about him further.
Visittheater and surrounding area
The State Academic Theater is located near Sadovaya metro station. This is one of the oldest theater buildings in the cultural heritage of Russia, designed by the Italian architect Alberto Cavos. According to some reports, it was erected on the site where the Alexander Theater used to stand. This building was once badly damaged by a terrible fire. They decided to name the new building in honor of the famous royal person - Maria Alexandrovna.
Famous actors once performed on the stage of the Mariinsky Theatre, popular opera arias sounded, works by Asafev, Prokofev and Gliere were staged. On the day of its opening, which took place in the autumn of 1860, Glinka's opera was staged on the big stage.
The building of the Opera and Ballet Theater was repeatedly restored, and during the events of the Great Patriotic War, it was generally transferred to Perm. The Mariinsky Theater managed to return to its native Leningrad only by the autumn of 1944. The room was repeatedly restored, but despite this, it managed to preserve a piece of its long history.
If you came to St. Petersburg in summer
If your trip to the glorious city of St. Petersburg falls on a hot summer time, you are guaranteed a bright and unforgettable vacation. So, it is at this time in the city that you can see the legendary white nights. This extraordinary phenomenon is quite realistic to catch in the period from late May to early July. At this time, the night will be as bright as day. At a later date (approximately June 18-25) one of the longest white nights can be observed.
Simultaneously with the white nights in St. Petersburg, it is really possible to enjoy the delights of navigating drawbridges. Against the backdrop of these giant buildings, you can make the most impressive and romantic pictures. They are especially gorgeous at sunset.
The Great Catherine Palace
Regardless of whether you came to St. Petersburg for one day or decided to stay here longer, be sure to visit Tsarskoye Selo and the Catherine Palace. Few people know that the history of its origin goes back to the reign of Emperor Peter I. This building, which took about seven years to build, was erected in honor of his just and proud wife Catherine of Saar.
Initially, the building was not called the Great Catherine's Palace. Rather, it was the "Stone Chambers". But since the reign of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, the building has been improved: it has been painted in azure color interspersed with golden hues and acquired two more floors. At the same time, the building became three-story, acquired an incredibly beautiful front porch and gilded domes, reminiscent of the domes of a church.
Over time, there have been significant changes in the interior. Smooth transitions from one room to another appeared in the palace, the stairs were visually rounded, a front suite appeared with exquisite furniture and decorative elements.
The rider sung in poems
If you like beautiful monuments, pay attention to the legendary Bronze Horseman in St. Petersburg. It is located right on the Senator Square. This is a majestic pedestal.personifies Peter I, proudly sitting on a horse. At one time, the idea of its creation was put forward by Catherine II. With the support of experienced consulting architects, she ordered the creation of a statue that would represent Peter I in the guise of a real Roman emperor.
However, contrary to the expectations of the royal person, the creative sculptor Falcone decided to slightly change the general context and the exposition as a whole. In 1782, he showed the image of a young and ambitious ruler on horseback. At the same time, the animal, as conceived by the author, personified the rebellious people, and the horseman himself personified a strong and unshakable king.
Walk around the city in search of lions
If you are crazy about beautiful animal statues and sculptures, you will definitely like the lions of St. Petersburg. These are amazing and the most diverse creatures, of which there are simply a huge number. According to some reports, there are over 1000 of them. Moreover, they are made from a wide variety of materials. In St. Petersburg there are lions made of marble, plaster, copper, cast iron. Many of these statues are locally made by experienced foreign craftsmen, and some come from Israel, China and Italy.
The time of their creation also differs. Thus, the earliest representatives of these large cat species date back to the eighth century. The latest versions, according to the stories of historians and archaeologists, appeared in the current century. And they continue to appear today. It is only interesting why these silent statues were chosen as statues.
Why lions?
It is believed that the lions were not chosen by chance. Connoisseursoccult sciences claim that this particular beast in ancient times was considered one of the most powerful totems from the forces of evil. For the same reason, statues depicting lion torsos and heads were installed at the entrance and exit of the city, mounted at the front squares of palaces.
Moreover, these guards were often depicted looking into the distance (like guards on patrol) and standing on three legs. At the same time, one of their front paws was raised and stood on a ball. It was believed that in this way the rounded surface does not allow the lion guard to fall asleep. As soon as he begins to fall asleep, his paw weakens and rolls off. He feels it and wakes up.
Leaving for the suburbs
There are many beautiful and interesting places in St. Petersburg. However, there are quite remarkable cultural monuments that can be found in the suburbs. This is exactly what the museum-reserve in Pavlovsk is. This is a real royal complex, the core of which is the Pavlovsk Palace or the summer residence of the famous Russian monarch.
Not far from the palace, according to users, there is a beautiful and rich in vegetation park. Its total area exceeds 600 hectares. It is located near the Slavyanka River.
They say that the construction of this complex has been going on for over 50 years. Moreover, it was built with the participation of several generations of builders, designers and architects.
The king's stately country residence
And finally, you can complete your city tour in Peterhof (St. Petersburg). This is one of the most famous country residences of Tsar Peter I. It was foundedwas in honor of the victorious event (when there was a radical change in the Northern War). According to the stories of visitors, this is an incredible cultural and architectural monument, which can be safely called the Russian Versailles.
The residence is surrounded by a beautiful park complex called the Kingdom of Fountains. Moreover, this name is not at all symbolic, since there are over 150 beautiful fountains and cascades on its territory. All of them fit perfectly into the overall concept of the park. In addition to fountains, in the park you can see many statues, flower beds, pavilions, beautiful figured arbors.
According to eyewitnesses, there are a lot of interesting plants and trees in the garden. They say that several trees planted during the life of Peter I have even survived to our time.
In a word, St. Petersburg is an amazing city with a huge number of attractions and beautiful places.
