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St Petersburg
Russia

Things to do in St Petersburg

1,064 attractions · Russia

Photo: Виктория Стрижова, CC BY-SA 4.0

Northwestern Federal District, Russia · 59.937, 30.314

About St Petersburg

St. Petersburg serves as Russia's cultural capital, constructed on a network of islands and canals in the Neva River delta. The city is renowned for its imperial architecture, best represented by the expansive State Hermitage Museum and the adjacent Winter Palace. Visitors often congregate at Palace Square to witness the neoclassical design of the city center. Meanwhile, the Savior on the Spilled Blood offers a distinct contrast with its traditional Russian mosaic-clad domes, while the Peter and Paul Fortress stands as the city's original citadel.

Good to know

  1. 1

    The city's historical center and related monument groups are collectively designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site due to the integration of Baroque and Neoclassical architecture.

  2. 2

    During the summer months, the city experiences the 'White Nights,' a phenomenon where the sun barely sets, resulting in continuous twilight.

  3. 3

    The city's transit system contains some of the deepest metro stations in the world, with several stations built over 80 meters below the surface.

  4. 4

    St. Petersburg was constructed on reclaimed marshland, requiring the driving of millions of wooden piles into the soft ground to support its heavy stone buildings.

  5. 5

    The city's canal system, often called the 'Venice of the North,' features over 300 bridges connecting its various islands and river banks.

Plan your visit to St Petersburg

Best time to visit

June to early July, to coincide with the White Nights and the most favorable temperatures for canal exploration.

How many days

4-5 days, providing enough time to explore the major museums and nearby palace complexes.

Getting around

The city features an extensive metro system supplemented by an dense network of trams, trolleybuses, and marshrutka minibuses.

Where to stay

Stay in the Admiralteysky or Tsentralny districts to be within walking distance of the primary imperial sites and major transit hubs.

Budget

Mid-range; while luxury accommodation is available, local dining and public transport options are generally accessible for various budgets.

Top things to do in St Petersburg

The 1,064 most popular places in St Petersburg.

Filtered by
  1. 1 Palace Square
    Places of interest Very popular

    Palace Square

    Palace Square is the central city square of St. Petersburg, connecting the Winter Palace to the General Staff Building....

  2. 2 State Hermitage Museum
    Museums Very popular

    State Hermitage Museum

    The State Hermitage Museum is one of the world's largest art galleries, housed within a complex of six historic building...

  3. 3 Winter Palace
    Museums Very popular

    Winter Palace

    The Winter Palace serves as the centerpiece of the State Hermitage Museum complex in St. Petersburg. Designed by Bartolo...

  4. 4 St. Isaac's Cathedral
    Temples Very popular

    St. Isaac's Cathedral

    St. Isaac's Cathedral is the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral in Saint Petersburg, featuring a massive gold-plated dom...

  5. 5 Peter and Paul Fortress
    Historical places Very popular

    Peter and Paul Fortress

    Founded in 1703 by Peter the Great, the Peter and Paul Fortress marks the birthplace of St. Petersburg and occupies Zaya...

  6. 6 Park 300-Letiya Sankt-Peterburga
    Parks Very popular

    Park 300-Letiya Sankt-Peterburga

    Park 300-Letiya Sankt-Peterburga is the youngest major park in St. Petersburg, established in 1995 to commemorate the ci...

  7. 7 Savior on the Spilled Blood
    Temples Very popular

    Savior on the Spilled Blood

    The Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood is a Russian Orthodox memorial church constructed between 1883 and 1907 on...

  8. 8 Kazan Cathedral
    Temples Very popular

    Kazan Cathedral

    Kazan Cathedral is an active Russian Orthodox cathedral in Saint Petersburg, defined by its massive semicircular colonna...

  9. 9 New Holland
    Parks Very popular

    New Holland

    New Holland is an artificial island in St. Petersburg formed by the Krukov and Admiralteysky Canals. Originally commissi...

  10. 10 Summer Garden
    Parks Very popular

    Summer Garden

    The Summer Garden is the oldest park in St. Petersburg, established in 1704 by Peter the Great as his personal residence...

  11. 11 Cruiser Aurora
    Museums Very popular

    Cruiser Aurora

    The Cruiser Aurora is a protected cruiser of the Imperial Russian Navy that remains a commission-active ship while funct...

  12. 12 Primorskiy Park Pobedy
    Parks Very popular

    Primorskiy Park Pobedy

    Primorskiy Park Pobedy is a 168-hectare landscape park located on the western tip of Krestovsky Island in St. Petersburg...

  13. 13 Divo-Ostrov
    Amusement parks Very popular

    Divo-Ostrov

    Divo-Ostrov is a large-scale amusement park situated on Krestovsky Island in St. Petersburg, featuring a variety of high...

  14. 14 Grand Maket Russia
    Museums Very popular

    Grand Maket Russia

    Grand Maket Russia is an 800-square-meter interactive model railway and diorama representing the diverse geography and i...

  15. 15 Bronze Horseman
    Historical places Very popular

    Bronze Horseman

    The Bronze Horseman is an iconic equestrian monument of Peter the Great located on Senate Square in St. Petersburg, Russ...

  16. 16 Anichkov Bridge
    Places of interest Very popular

    Anichkov Bridge

    Anichkov Bridge is the oldest and most famous bridge crossing the Fontanka River in St. Petersburg, located on the histo...

  17. 17 Moskovsky Victory Park
    Parks Very popular

    Moskovsky Victory Park

    Moskovsky Victory Park is a sprawling green space in St. Petersburg dedicated to the memory of the Soviet victory in Wor...

  18. 18 Mariinsky Theatre
    Venues Very popular

    Mariinsky Theatre

    The Mariinsky Theatre is a historic Russian opera and ballet house located on Theatre Square in St. Petersburg. Establis...

  19. 19 Tsentral'nyy Park Kul'tury I Otdykha Im. S. M. Kirova
    Parks Very popular

    Tsentral'nyy Park Kul'tury I Otdykha Im. S. M. Kirova

    Kirov Central Park is located on Yelagin Island, covering the entirety of the island at the mouth of the Neva River in S...

  20. 20 The State Russian Museum, Mikhailovsky Palace
    Museums Very popular

    The State Russian Museum, Mikhailovsky Palace

    The Mikhailovsky Palace serves as the primary building of the State Russian Museum, housing the world's largest collecti...

  21. 21 Kunstkamera
    Museums Very popular

    Kunstkamera

    The Kunstkamera, or Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, is Russia's oldest museum, established by Peter the Great in...

  22. 22 Field of Mars
    Parks Very popular

    Field of Mars

    The Field of Mars (Marsovo Pole) is a large memorial park in central St. Petersburg that serves as the burial site for r...

  23. 23 Oceanarium
    Zoos Very popular

    Oceanarium

    The Oceanarium in St. Petersburg is a multi-level indoor aquarium housed within the Planeta Neptun shopping complex, des...

  24. 24 Erarta
    Museums Very popular

    Erarta

    Erarta is the largest private contemporary art museum in Russia, located in a restored Soviet-era building on Vasilievsk...

  25. 25 Leningradskiy Zoopark
    Zoos Very popular

    Leningradskiy Zoopark

    Leningradskiy Zoopark is one of the oldest zoos in Russia, established in 1865 in St. Petersburg. The zoo is located wit...

  26. 26 Botanical Gardens of Peter the Great
    Parks Very popular

    Botanical Gardens of Peter the Great

    The Botanical Gardens of Peter the Great, situated on Aptekarsky Island, represent one of the oldest botanical instituti...

  27. 27 Faberge Museum
    Museums Very popular

    Faberge Museum

    The Fabergé Museum is located in the restored Shuvalov Palace on the Fontanka River Embankment. It houses the world's la...

  28. 28 Peter and Paul Cathedral
    Temples Very popular

    Peter and Paul Cathedral

    The Peter and Paul Cathedral serves as the primary burial site for the Romanov dynasty, housing the remains of almost al...

  29. 29 Alexander Nevsky Lavra
    Temples Very popular

    Alexander Nevsky Lavra

    Alexander Nevsky Lavra is one of the four lavras of the Russian Orthodox Church and the oldest monastery in St. Petersbu...

  30. 30 Лофт Проект Этажи
    Places of interest Very popular

    Лофт Проект Этажи

    Loft Project Etagi is a multi-functional creative space housed within a converted former bread factory on Ligovsky Avenu...

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Frequently asked

How many attractions are there in St Petersburg?

Aventuro lists 1,064 curated attractions in and around St Petersburg, sorted by popularity.

What's the top attraction in St Petersburg?

Palace Square is the most popular place to visit in St Petersburg right now.

What kind of attractions does St Petersburg have?

The largest category is museums, with 279 places to explore.

Which other cities are worth visiting nearby?

Travellers also explore Moscow, Kazan, Novosibirsk.