| What to see on the weekend Where else to go on your own Where to go for free Interesting places Stories, routes and tips from tourists Where to stay in St. Petersburg Sightseeing tours Walks along rivers and canals Tourist buses and CityPass cards Where to go from St. Petersburg for the weekend |
Spending a weekend in St. Petersburg is a popular holiday option, although you cannot see all the sights in 2 days. You can go to popular tourist spots, as well as visit interesting courtyards, museums and markets, go up to observation decks and go out of town.
At Vitebsky station Photo: © Andrey Panin
TOP 1: Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
The cathedral was built on the site where Emperor Alexander II was mortally wounded in 1881.
It's time to refresh yourself
In the city on the Neva there are places where you can eat delicious food for little money.
The Marketplace chain of self-service establishments consists of restaurants and markets with farm products. The cost of a business lunch is 199 rubles. Addresses: Griboyedova, 8/1, Nevsky Prospect, 24, Ligovsky Prospect, 30 a.
Cheap and tasty train - it's in Marketplace.
Cafe "Pir O.G.I." (Fontanka river embankment, 40) offers lunches at a cost of ≈ 200 rubles.
Smelt is a traditional St. Petersburg dish. You can taste it in the restaurants: “Koryushka” (Peter and Paul Fortress, 3), “Jerome” (Bolshaya Morskaya St., 25/11), “Russkaya Ryumochnaya No. 1” (Konnogvardeisky Boulevard, 4).
Restaurant "Koryushka" on the Neva embankment.
In the famous “Pyshechnaya” (B. Konyushennaya St., 25) you can have breakfast with crumpets (or in our opinion, donuts) according to a special recipe. The average bill per serving is ≈ 50 rubles.
St. Petersburg breakfast - cocoa with donuts.
It is better to buy products in online stores. Their prices are similar to prices in supermarkets in most Russian cities.
TOP 2: Winter Palace
The Winter Palace is one of the visiting cards of St. Petersburg. This palace was once the residence of the emperors of Russia. It is located on Palace Square.
Look how harmoniously buildings made in different styles are combined here!
Thus, the Winter Palace is made in the Baroque style with its inherent luxury and wealth, and the Main Headquarters of the Guards Corps is in the classical style.
Now the palace houses the country's main museum, the Hermitage. It began with Catherine the Great. After the completion of the palace, the empress bought a collection of works of art from a Berlin merchant. She ordered the construction of a two-story building to store them. And today the Hermitage houses approximately 700 thousand works of art, and it is one of the twenty most visited museums in the world. So, in 2016 it was visited by 5.3 million people.
Where to go on a weekend in St. Petersburg for free
Where to go on a weekend in St. Petersburg and save money? You can simply walk around the city, which is called an “open-air museum,” and enjoy the architectural monuments. Or come up with a theme for a walk - go through unusual streets, places with lions, courtyards-wells, etc. You can also go to churches for free - Kazan Cathedral , Alexander Nevsky Lavra , Smolny Cathedral , etc.
Smolny Cathedral Photo: © Sergey Arkhipkin
Creative spaces and museums
A weekend program in St. Petersburg may include museums where you don’t need to spend money on tickets. Typically, 1 day a month free entry to some museums is provided; check the information on the institutions’ websites. There are also those that you can enter for free on any day, but sometimes pre-registration is required. Permanent free admission is organized at the V. Nabokov Museum on the street. Bolshaya Morskaya, 47, Museum of the History of Brewing at the plant, Museum of the History of Photography (free visit to the historical exhibition only), etc.
V. Nabokov Museum Photo: © Laskovsky
Where to go on a weekend in St. Petersburg for those who love a creative atmosphere? You can visit various creative urban spaces without an entrance fee; you only pay for visiting individual locations, exhibitions, etc. A weekend trip to St. Petersburg can coincide with interesting markets and festivals with free admission to such places.
New Holland Island is a modern multifunctional space, where there are: a green area for recreation and events, buildings with shops and cafes, rooms for master classes, a children's playground in the shape of a frigate frame.
New Holland (children's playground) Photo: © Natalia Semchina
The loft project “Etazhi” includes a variety of shops, studios, cafes, galleries, co-working spaces, etc. You need to pay to go up to the roof - the official observation deck at a height of 27 m.
The Sevkabel Port space is a former industrial zone with an embankment on the Gulf of Finland. There is an entrance fee for various exhibitions and some events. The largest workshop often hosts food markets, flea markets and other events with free admission.
The creative quarter "Golitsyn Loft" occupies several buildings on the Fontanka embankment. Showrooms, design studios, bars, restaurants, galleries and other creative projects are located here.
Golitsyn loft:
Parks
On weekends in St. Petersburg the streets can be crowded; you can go to the city parks to take a break from the hustle and bustle. Entrance to most of them is free, and at the same time, many can be called historical attractions created under the emperors with the involvement of famous masters of park art.
The Summer Garden is famous for the many sculptures decorating the park’s alleys and the ancient lattice on the side of the Neva embankment. It is located close to central attractions, so it is usually included in a weekend trip to St. Petersburg.
The Tauride Garden is another pleasant place for walking; there are ponds with islands, a greenhouse, and sports grounds.
to the 300th Anniversary of St. Petersburg Park for a picturesque view of the Gulf of Finland and relaxing on the sandy beach. There are other parks in the city where you can take a walk.
In detail: parks of St. Petersburg
Summer Garden Photo: © Dmitry Roslik
TOP 3: Moika River
This small river is about 5 kilometers long. But its banks are very beautiful and are in no way inferior to the canals of Venice. The Moika flows past many sights of St. Petersburg: Mikhailovsky and Summer Gardens, the Field of Mars, the A.S. Pushkin. There are 15 beautiful bridges across the river.
Museum-apartment of F. M. Dostoevsky
The great Russian writer Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky lived his last three years in an apartment at 5/2 Kuznechny Lane. It was an ordinary apartment in a tenement building, small and cozy. Today everyone can find out how the writer lived, as well as his closest people, his wife and children. It is recommended to take an audio guide.
As an alternative, you can also consider the apartment museums of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin or Anna Akhmatova.
TOP 4: Palace Bridge
Perhaps this is the most popular bridge in St. Petersburg. From here you have a stunning view of the city with its Palace Embankment and the Winter Palace. It is bred twice a night, and then the picture is especially beautiful. By the way, the best way to watch this is from Palace Embankment.
TOP 5: St. Isaac's Cathedral
The temple was built in 1858. Now it has the status of a museum, but services are held here daily. Malachite and lapis lazuli columns, mosaics, and stunning interior will not leave anyone indifferent. This is another symbol of St. Petersburg. And yes, it is beautiful at any time of the year.
Bookstore “Subscription Editions”
St. Petersburg is a city of reading people. The Subscription Editions store opened in 1926 and is still in existence. This amazingly atmospheric and pleasant place is popular among locals and city guests. There you can find intellectual literature, company stationery, badges, souvenirs and shoppers. There is also a small cozy coffee shop in “Subscription Editions”.
TOP 6: Alexander Garden
The garden is located in the very center of the city and surrounds the Admiralty from the south and west. It was opened in honor of Alexander II. These 9 hectares are simply made for walking. And around are the main attractions of the city.
TOP 7: House or House of Books
The building, designed in Art Nouveau style, now has the status of a monument of federal significance. By the way, in its place there was supposed to be a skyscraper, but this contradicted the decree on the construction of high-rise buildings in St. Petersburg: they should not exceed 11 fathoms. This is how an elegant tower topped with a glass globe appeared. So the architect got out of the situation without overshadowing the domes of the main cathedrals of the city.
TOP 8: Naval St. Nicholas Cathedral in Kronstadt
This is the brightest monument of the neo-Byzantine style, the main temple of the navy, the latest and largest naval cathedral of the Russian Empire. And this church is the tallest building in Kronstadt.
Shop of the Eliseev merchants
Travelers wander into the Eliseevsky store as if into a museum, because both the external and internal appearance evoke silent admiration. Inside the store, everything is imbued with luxury, and on the shelves and counters there are delicacies, prestigious alcohol, fresh pastries and handmade chocolate. You can wander around the store for a long time, to the accompaniment of a piano that plays by itself.
TOP 9: Grand Catherine Palace
The palace is located in the city of Pushkin, formerly Tsarskoye Selo. This is the official summer residence of the Russian empresses: Catherine I, Elizabeth Petrovna and Catherine II. A striking example of late Baroque. At first, the building was not particularly rich, but Elizaveta Petrovna reconstructed it. The building is now covered with 99 kilograms of gold.
And, of course, here is the amber room - the most famous part of the palace. It was given to Peter the Great by the King of Prussia in 1716. More than 450 kilograms of amber were used to decorate it.
During the war, the amber room was plundered by the Nazis and taken to Königsberg. To this day, the fate of the room is unknown and shrouded in myths. Since 1979, Russian restorers carried out restoration work (part of their work was financed by German companies), and by the tercentenary of St. Petersburg, in 2003, the room was ready to receive its guests.
St. Petersburg life hacks for tourists
Some practical tips for those planning to explore the city on their own.
The purpose of the trip is to visit museums? Consider purchasing a Guest Card. The electronic option includes: visits to more than 70 museums, excursions on ships, electronic transport tickets, discounts. The cost of the “Guest Card” for 3 days is 5,690 ₽, for 5 days — 6,990 ₽.
The Visit SPb card will allow you to save money.
Bicycles are an alternative to public transport in good weather. Rental cost is 700 ₽ per day.
Many museums organize free admission days. Check the information on the websites.
TOP 10: Peterhof
This is a whole park ensemble on the shores of the Gulf of Finland. The main palace is not very large, but its appearance is quite impressive. And in general, you just want to admire the park: many fountains, frescoes and sculptures depicting heroes of antiquity and Christianity.
Seaside Park Victory
Primorsky Victory Park is located on Krestovsky Island. Huge and picturesque, it is ideal for comfortable relaxation in the fresh air. Here you can sit on a bench with a book or headphones, stroll along the paths, feed the ducks and swans in the lakes, and have a picnic.
On the territory of the Primorsky Victory Park there is also an amusement park “Divo-Ostrov”, where you can have a fun and noisy time on your day off.
