What to see and where to go in St. Petersburg in winter?

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

St. Petersburg is one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in Northern Europe. It is very good at any time of the year. Even in a cold and windy winter, it gives its guests a rich program of excursions and an unforgettable charm. There are many different cultural places here. Therefore, if you have a question about where to go in St. Petersburg in winter, then do not hesitate, because there are more than enough such places. There are many excursions. In the cold season, this city looks even more beautiful and touching.

General information about St. Petersburg in winter. St. Isaac's Cathedral

What awaits tourists this time of year? The Hermitage, numerous palaces, the Kazan Cathedral, the bridges of the Neva - this is only a part of what awaits you in winter, ready to open its doors and show all the secrets. When it's cold outside, the city looks even better. This is a very special moment in life, when the crowds of tourists are reduced, the rhythm of life becomes more measured and calmer, and the city looks even more elegant under the snow. Tourists will take a trip to a winter fairy tale, see the snow-covered geometry of the streets, numerous channels in the ice, trees in hoarfrost.

Winter will be a very good period for contemplating local museums, because there will be no terrible flea markettourists, which will allow you to fully explore the various expositions. Take, for example, an excursion to the famous St. Isaac's Cathedral. This is the place where you should definitely go in St. Petersburg in winter. This is the former main cathedral of Russia in its imperial times, and at the present time it is practically the largest domed building in the Old World. Go to the Art and History Museum. Climb to the colonnade of the institution, from where you can see the panorama of St. Petersburg.

Yusupov and Winter Palaces, Peter and Paul Fortress

The question of where to go in St. Petersburg is especially relevant in winter. Visit the banks of the Moika River where the Yusupov Palace built in the 18th century is located. It has well-preserved state apartments, art gallery halls, a small home theater and living quarters. The restorers even managed to revive its artistic interiors bit by bit. The soul freezes from the contemplation of this beauty. After all, it was here that Rasputin Grigory was killed under mysterious circumstances. On Hare Island, we recommend visiting the Peter and Paul Fortress. It was built at the base of the city on the Neva. Its golden graceful spire is noticeable from afar.

Several old museums now operate on the territory of this fortress. It is impossible not to mention the Winter Museum, the walls of which are witnesses to the love affairs of emperors, important decrees, social events, revolutions and magnificent balls. The Winter Palace is now the main building of the Hermitage. There are paintings by Titian, Rubens, Van Gogh, Cezanne. Try it, and maybe you will see with your own eyes and reveal the secretKazimir Malevich in his painting “Black Square”.

Mariinsky and entertainment center "Neptune"

Find some time and go to the Mariinsky. This is the oldest musical theater in Russia. In it, relax and abstract from the hustle and bustle of life, rest your soul. If you are looking for the sights of St. Petersburg in winter, you want something unusual, you can go to the Neptune entertainment center.

It has an attraction "The Horrors of St. Petersburg", with the help of which you can discover a very interesting mystical city and get to know its horror stories and legends. Such an unusual attraction consists of thirteen rooms, each of them illustrates the plots of literature and urban history. Rodion Raskolnikov, Peter the Great, Princess Tarakanova and Grigory Rasputin meet in the rooms.

Summer Garden and Book House

St. Petersburg wouldn't be a cultural capital if it didn't host countless business, entertainment, sports and music events throughout the year. The restored Summer Theater was opened next to the Champ de Mars, now it has become good to walk in it in winter, and not just in summer. This garden was laid by Peter the Great himself, he (the garden) was sung by poets and depicted by famous artists. Also at night you can walk on the roofs of St. Petersburg buildings, admire the Sablinsky caves, feel the atmosphere of wells-yards.

Next to the bridge is also the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, another symbol of the city. Where to go in St. Petersburg in winter if youlove literature? In this case, go to the Book House. On certain days, a real “Zooshow” is organized. It takes place in Lenexpo, located in pavilions 8 and 8a. Children are delighted with the visit to the Zoological Museum and the cruiser Aurora.

Evening walks in St. Petersburg

This city is famous for its evening walks, because during them all its beauty is revealed. You can visit Gostiny Dvor, the charming House of Books, Kazan Cathedral, Palace Square and the Winter Palace. Even if you have already been there during the day, we still recommend visiting in the evening - a completely different experience.

Now let's take a quick look at some more places to visit at night:

1. The Museum of Electric Transport is a very interesting place with retro trolleybuses and retro trams.
2. “Grand Model of Russia” – worth seeing this country in miniature.
3. Museum "Republic of Cats" - all cat lovers are delighted with it.
4. “Etazhi”, a loft project that brings together creative youth, hosts many curious and unusual exhibitions.
5. Erarta Museum of Modern Art.
6. Theatres, for example, Komissarzhevskaya and BDT.

So we answered the question of where to go in St. Petersburg in the winter in the evening. You can also add skating on an open or closed rink, games in a time cafe.

Engineering Castle, Sheremetyevo Palace, Museum of the Arctic and Antarctica

In the afternoon it is recommended to go to the Engineering Castle and listen to the guide, be sure to visit the Sheremetevsky and Stroganov palaces,touch the luxury and beauty in which noble and rich people lived in the past in St. Petersburg. And the best thing, of course, is to read in advance, familiarize yourself, make a plan, and then go along the route that you have outlined. After all, it all depends on your taste. There are all kinds of entertainment in the city. For example, go to the Museum of Antarctica and the Arctic.

These sights of St. Petersburg in winter can be viewed much better. The Arctic Museum opened in 1937. After the intensive development of Antarctica began, in 1958 a place of the same name was discovered. More and more it lost the direction of ideology, became a monument to the efforts of all generations of researchers and a good archive. In 1998, the museum was separated from the institute and made into a separate independent state institution with a new name - RGMAA. From the same year, its exposition consists of the following sections: "Antarctica", "History of development and exploration of the Northern Sea Route", "Nature of the Arctic". So if you decide what to do in St. Petersburg in winter, consider this option.

Where in St. Petersburg to have fun with a child under five years old

When a person looks at magnificent sculptures, parks, buildings, his heart stops. There is a desire to show something to your children. What to visit in St. Petersburg in winter with a child? The answer to this question will not be difficult, because life never stops here. There is even a special group that has been organizing such entertainment since 1999. She is very popular.

You will have the opportunity to walk with your children through the half-empty huge halls of the Hermitage, examining the masterpieces of world culture presented here: luxury items, furniture, sculpture, graphics and painting. In order for your child to have more than enough impressions, we suggest visiting several theaters and museums in a couple of days, a sporting event or a water park, walking around the magnificent city center, organizing a joint tea party in a quiet cafe. You can also look into the zoo, go to the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Lots of fun for kids!

Hikers

Where to walk in St. Petersburg in winter? You can choose one of the routes: from the Moscow railway station to the Peter and Paul Fortress, from the summer garden to the Bronze Horseman.

And if you are very cold and half an hour in a cafe will not solve anything, then you can go, for example, to the Russian Museum. For lovers of skiing, the best place is the Tuutari Park resort, which has several good ski slopes, as well as cottages and hotels with baths and saunas.

What you can see in St. Petersburg at night

Fans of relaxing in the dark will also get their portion of entertainment. Because of the climate, you don't wander around much in St. Petersburg, and most of the young people move to bars and clubs. There are a huge number of them. We will limit ourselves to a few: “Dacha”, “Griboyedov”, “Blizzard”, “Fidel”. In them, everything is the opposite, after sunset, life here is just beginning. Night St. Petersburg in winter is completely different than in summer.

ButNot everyone likes such entertainment. In this case, you can just see the city with night illumination. He's very handsome. Especially the Alexander Theater and the nearby monument. Or appreciate the beautiful picturesque alley that leads to the monument to Catherine II. It is worth stopping near the window of the Eliseevsky store.

The best tours in winter St. Petersburg

In winter, St. Petersburg is a dim, special beauty of all gray, including graphics, against a gray background. All this must be seen and experienced. After all, there are romantic, anomalous, mystical and unusual places. Now we will list them: the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Hermitage, the Trinity Bridge, the Field of Mars, the Kazan Cathedral, the Peterhof Museum-Reserve, the Savior on Blood, the Bronze Horseman monument.

These beautiful places of St. Petersburg in the winter for a few sightseeing days can be mastered. Check out the rest on your next visit. Then the task of studying the sights of St. Petersburg can be considered completed.