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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.

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  1. 61 Yakhtenniy Bridge
    Places of interest Popular

    Yakhtenniy Bridge

    Yakhtenniy Bridge is a cable-stayed pedestrian and transport bridge in St. Petersburg, spanning the Bolshaya Nevka River...

  2. 62 Sankt-Peterburgskiy Gosudarstvennyy Teatr Muzykal'noy Komedii
    Venues Popular

    Sankt-Peterburgskiy Gosudarstvennyy Teatr Muzykal'noy Komedii

    The Saint Petersburg State Musical Comedy Theater is Russia's oldest professional operetta theater, established in 1929....

  3. 63 Pyat' Uglov
    Places of interest Popular

    Pyat' Uglov

    Pyat Uglov, or Five Corners, is a major intersection in St. Petersburg where Zagorodny Prospect, Rubinstein Street, Razy...

  4. 64 Домик Петра I
    Museums Popular

    Домик Петра I

    The Cabin of Peter the Great is the oldest building in St. Petersburg, constructed in just three days in May 1703 by sol...

  5. 65 Молодёжный театр на Фонтанке
    Venues Popular

    Молодёжный театр на Фонтанке

    The Youth Theatre on the Fontanka is located within the Izmailovsky Garden, a protected cultural heritage site in St. Pe...

  6. 66 Mozaichnyy Dvorik
    Places of interest Popular

    Mozaichnyy Dvorik

    Mozaichnyy Dvorik is a hidden courtyard in St. Petersburg transformed by artist Vladimir Lubenko and his students from t...

  7. 67 Yablonevyy Sad
    Parks Popular

    Yablonevyy Sad

    Yablonevyy Sad is a linear urban park located in the Frunzensky District of St. Petersburg, characterized by its extensi...

  8. 68 Lomonosov bridge
    Places of interest Popular

    Lomonosov bridge

    Lomonosov Bridge is a historic stone bridge spanning the Fontanka River in Saint Petersburg. Completed in 1787 and origi...

  9. 69 Teatr Im. Lensoveta
    Venues Popular

    Teatr Im. Lensoveta

    Teatr Im. Lensoveta is a prominent drama theater situated in a historic 19th-century mansion on Vladimirskiy Prospekt in...

  10. 70 Sankt-Peterburgskiy Teatr Komedii Imeni Nikolaya Akimova
    Venues Popular

    Sankt-Peterburgskiy Teatr Komedii Imeni Nikolaya Akimova

    The Akimov Comedy Theater is situated within the Eliseev Emporium, an iconic Art Nouveau building on Nevsky Prospect. It...

  11. 71 ArtMuza
    Museums Popular

    ArtMuza

    ArtMuza is a large-scale creative cluster occupying the former 'Muza' musical instruments factory on Vasilyevsky Island....

  12. 72 Lopukhinskiy Sad
    Parks Popular

    Lopukhinskiy Sad

    Lopukhinskiy Sad is a 17-hectare landscape park located on the banks of the Malaya Nevka River. The park features an Eng...

  13. 73 Datsan Gunzechoyney
    Temples Popular

    Datsan Gunzechoyney

    Datsan Gunzechoyney is the northernmost Buddhist temple in the world, located in St. Petersburg, Russia. Built between 1...

  14. 74 Театр Эстрады им. Аркадия Райкина
    Venues Popular

    Театр Эстрады им. Аркадия Райкина

    The Arkady Raikin Variety Theater is a historic performance venue located on Bolshaya Konyushennaya Street in the heart...

  15. 75 Chizhik-Pyzhik
    Places of interest Popular

    Chizhik-Pyzhik

    Chizhik-Pyzhik is an 11-centimeter-tall bronze bird sculpture perched on a granite ledge along the Fontanka River embank...

  16. 76 Sankt-Peterburgskaya Sobornaya Mechet'
    Temples Popular

    Sankt-Peterburgskaya Sobornaya Mechet'

    The Saint Petersburg Mosque is a large-scale religious site capable of accommodating over 5,000 worshippers. Completed i...

  17. 77 Greenhouse Tauride Gardens
    Places of interest Popular

    Greenhouse Tauride Gardens

    The Greenhouse Tauride Gardens, known as the Palm Greenhouse, is an 1878 iron-and-glass conservatory located within the...

  18. 78 Park Administration Ekateringof
    Parks Popular

    Park Administration Ekateringof

    Ekateringof Park is one of the oldest parks in Saint Petersburg, originally established in the early 18th century as a r...

  19. 79 Ioannovskiy Most
    Places of interest Popular

    Ioannovskiy Most

    Ioannovskiy Most is the oldest bridge in St. Petersburg, connecting the Kronverk Embankment to the Peter and Paul Fortre...

  20. 80 Nikolo-Bogoyavlenskiy Morskoy Sobor
    Temples Popular

    Nikolo-Bogoyavlenskiy Morskoy Sobor

    The St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral is a prime example of Elizabethan Baroque architecture, distinguished by its vibrant bl...

  21. 81 Mini-Gorod
    Places of interest Popular

    Mini-Gorod

    Mini-Gorod, or Mini-City, is an open-air exhibition located in Alexander Park featuring bronze architectural models of S...

  22. 82 Mikhaylovskiy Skver
    Parks Popular

    Mikhaylovskiy Skver

    Mikhaylovskiy Skver is an elegant, historically significant garden square located directly in front of the State Russian...

  23. 83 Petrovskaya Akvatoriya
    Places of interest Popular

    Petrovskaya Akvatoriya

    Petrovskaya Akvatoriya is a massive, highly detailed 1:87 scale historical diorama representing 18th-century St. Petersb...

  24. 84 Sobor Svyatoy Zhivonachal'noy Troitsy
    Temples Popular

    Sobor Svyatoy Zhivonachal'noy Troitsy

    The Holy Trinity Cathedral, also known as the Izmaylovsky Cathedral, is a prominent example of Empire-style architecture...

  25. 85 The Hermitage Theatre
    Museums Popular

    The Hermitage Theatre

    The Hermitage Theatre is a private court theatre commissioned by Catherine the Great and designed by Giacomo Quarenghi i...

  26. 86 Pionerskaya Square Garden
    Parks Popular

    Pionerskaya Square Garden

    Pionerskaya Square Garden is a public green space located in front of the Bryantsev Youth Theatre in St. Petersburg. The...

  27. 87 Baltic House Theatre-Festival
    Venues Popular

    Baltic House Theatre-Festival

    The Baltic House Theatre-Festival is a prominent St. Petersburg venue that functions as both a repertory theater and a m...

  28. 88 The icebreaker "Krasin"
    Museums Popular

    The icebreaker "Krasin"

    The Krasin is a historic Soviet icebreaker permanently moored at the Leytenanta Shmidta embankment in Saint Petersburg....

  29. 89 Dvorets Kul'tury Im. Gor'kogo
    Places of interest Popular

    Dvorets Kul'tury Im. Gor'kogo

    Dvorets Kul'tury Im. Gor'kogo is a historic constructivist monument located in St. Petersburg, recognized as Russia's fi...

  30. 90 Marble Palace
    Museums Popular

    Marble Palace

    The Marble Palace is a neoclassical building in St. Petersburg commissioned by Catherine the Great for Count Grigory Orl...

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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.