aventuro
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
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
During the summer months, the city experiences the 'White Nights,' a phenomenon where the sun barely sets, resulting in continuous twilight.
- 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
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
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.
Highlights of St Petersburg
The places our editors single out - and why they're worth your time.
State Hermitage Museum
It houses one of the largest art collections in the world within the former royal residence.
Winter Palace
This former residence of the Russian Tsars defines the architectural silhouette of the Neva riverfront.
St. Isaac's Cathedral
Its massive golden dome is one of the highest in the world and offers panoramic views from the colonnade.
Savior on the Spilled Blood
The exterior features elaborate multi-colored mosaics depicting biblical scenes.
Peter and Paul Fortress
This site contains the burial vaults of nearly all Russian monarchs from Peter the Great onwards.
Palace Square
This central plaza serves as the primary gathering point for viewing the Alexander Column.
Cruiser Aurora
This decommissioned protected cruiser is a preserved historical vessel famous for signaling the start of the 1917 revolution.
Summer Garden
It remains the oldest park in the city, established by Peter the Great in the early 18th century.
Top things to do in St Petersburg
The 1,064 most popular places in St Petersburg.
-
511
Places of interest Hidden gem
Dom Basina
Dom Basina, located at Ostrovskogo Square 5 in St. Petersburg, is a notable historic architectural landmark designed by...
-
512
Historical places Hidden gem
Памятник фельдмаршалу, князю М.И. Голенищеву-Кутузову
-
513
Historical places Hidden gem
Monument FE Dzerzhinsky
The Monument to Felix Dzerzhinsky in St Petersburg stands at Tavricheskiy Pereulok 5, commemorating the founder of the B...
-
514
Museums Hidden gem
Muzey-Kvartira Akademika I.p.pavlova
The I.P. Pavlov Apartment Museum is the former residence and workspace of the Nobel Prize-winning physiologist Ivan Pavl...
-
515
Temples Hidden gem
Khram Svyatykh Kirilla I Mefodiya, Prikhod Krestovozdvizhenskogo Kazach'yego Sobora
The Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius is a component of the Krestovozdvizhensky Cossack Cathedral parish complex loca...
-
516
Temples Hidden gem
Church of Our Lady Mother of All the Afflicted
-
517
Amusement parks Hidden gem
Dino Park
Dino Park is an outdoor dinosaur-themed amusement park located within the Gagarin Park attraction zone inside Moscow Vic...
-
518
Museums Hidden gem
Muzey "Anna Akhmatova. Serebryanyy Vek"
The Museum Anna Akhmatova. Silver Age on Avtovskaya Ulitsa in St Petersburg is dedicated to the life and literary herita...
-
519
Historical places Hidden gem
Watch the barometer on Malaya Konyushennaya Street
The public meteorological pavilion on Malaya Konyushennaya Street in St Petersburg features a large wall-mounted baromet...
-
520
Museums Hidden gem
Territoriya Byvshego Pivovarennogo Zavoda Im. Stepana Razina
The Stepan Razin Brewery site is a historic industrial complex located along the Fontanka River, representing one of the...
-
521
Places of interest Hidden gem
Prachechnyy Most
Prachechnyy Most is a single-span stone arch bridge crossing the Krivusha Canal, connecting the Second and Third Winter...
-
522
Museums Hidden gem
Tvorcheskaya Dacha Tspkio Im. S.m.kirova
Tvorcheskaya Dacha, located within the Kirov Central Culture and Leisure Park on Yelagin Island, functions as a dedicate...
-
523
Temples Hidden gem
The New Testament Church
The New Testament Church in St. Petersburg is a prominent evangelical Protestant congregation located in the historic ce...
-
524
Museums Hidden gem
Muzey Impressionizma
-
525
Temples Hidden gem
Church of the Assumption of Mary (Tserkov' Uspeniya Presvyatoy Bogoroditsy)
The Church of the Assumption of Mary is a notable example of Neo-Russian architecture located on the Vasilyevsky Island...
-
526
Parks Hidden gem
Skver Fedora Uglova
Skver Fedora Uglova is a dedicated urban green space located in the Petrogradsky District of Saint Petersburg. It is nam...
-
527
Museums Hidden gem
Museum of St. Petersburg avant-garde
The Museum of St. Petersburg avant-garde is dedicated to the life and work of the prominent Russian painter and poet Mik...
-
528
Historical places Hidden gem
Pamyatnik Muse Dzhalilyu
The Pamyatnik Muse Dzhalilyu is a bronze monument dedicated to the Soviet Tatar poet and resistance fighter Musa Cälil,...
-
529
Temples Hidden gem
Архиерейское Подворье храм Благовещения Пресвятой Богородицы города Санкт-Петербурга.
The Metochion of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is an active Eastern Orthodox church located on 5th Sovetsk...
-
530
Venues Hidden gem
STADIUM "Nevsky Zavod"
Stadium Nevsky Zavod is a historic sports facility situated on the banks of the Neva River in the Nevsky District of St....
-
531
Museums Hidden gem
Benois Wing - Russian Museum
The Benois Wing of the State Russian Museum houses the institution's premier collection of 19th- and 20th-century Russia...
-
532
Places of interest Hidden gem
Sfinksy Shemyakina, Skul'pturnaya Kompozitsiya
Shemyakin's Sphinxes are a surrealist sculptural installation located on the Voskresenskaya Embankment of the Neva River...
-
533
Venues Hidden gem
Театральная школа Образ
Teatralnaya Shkola Obraz is a specialized performing arts school in Saint Petersburg that focuses on actor training for...
-
534
Museums Hidden gem
Muzey Fonarey
Muzey Fonarey, or the Museum of Street Lighting, is located on Odesskaya Street, the site of the world's first experimen...
-
535
Museums Hidden gem
Narva Gate
The Narva Gate museum, also known as the Museum of Kirovsky Regional History, is housed within the Triumphal Arch of the...
-
536
Museums Hidden gem
Mining University Museum
The Mining University Museum in St Petersburg houses one of the world's most significant collections of minerals, crysta...
-
537
Historical places Hidden gem
Pamyatnik Pervoprokhodtsam I Issledovatelyam Arktiki
The Pamyatnik Pervoprokhodtsam I Issledovatelyam Arktiki is a monument situated on Vasilievsky Island in St. Petersburg...
-
538
Places of interest Hidden gem
Ulitsa Zodchego Rossi
-
539
Places of interest Hidden gem
Blagoveshchenskiy bridge
-
540
Temples Hidden gem
Khram Ikony Bozhiyey Materi Miluyushchaya
Around St Petersburg
Worth the short trip out of the city.
Explore by category
Jump straight to what you're into.
St Petersburg on the map
Top attractions plotted across the city.
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.
Explore more of Russia
Other cities ranked by number of curated places.
