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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. 151 Dinamo
    Venues Popular

    Dinamo

    Dinamo is a multifunctional sports facility located on Krestovsky Island in St. Petersburg, historically significant for...

  2. 152 Dvorets Belosel'skikh-Belozerskikh
    Museums Popular

    Dvorets Belosel'skikh-Belozerskikh

    The Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace is a late 19th-century Neo-Baroque landmark situated at the intersection of Nevsky Pros...

  3. 153 Petrovsky Stadium
    Venues Popular

    Petrovsky Stadium

    Petrovsky Stadium is a historic multi-purpose sports complex situated on Petrovsky Island in St. Petersburg. Historicall...

  4. 154 Leningrad Center
    Venues Popular

    Leningrad Center

    Leningrad Center is a multi-purpose cultural and entertainment venue housed within a historic building in the Tauride Ga...

  5. 155 The St. Peterburg Chamber Opera
    Venues Popular

    The St. Peterburg Chamber Opera

    The Saint Petersburg Chamber Opera occupies the 19th-century Baron von Derviz Mansion on Galernaya Street. Founded in 19...

  6. 156 Rotonda
    Places of interest Popular

    Rotonda

    The Rotonda is a unique circular architectural space located within a residential building originally constructed in the...

  7. 157 Gagarin Park
    Amusement parks Popular

    Gagarin Park

    Gagarin Park, located within the Victory Park (Park Pobedy) complex in St. Petersburg, functions as a seasonal amusement...

  8. 158 Yekateringofskiy Park
    Parks Popular

    Yekateringofskiy Park

    Yekateringofskiy Park is a historic landscape park located on the Gulf of Finland delta in the Admiralteysky District. E...

  9. 159 Ручные еноты в доме енота в СПб | Енотовиль
    Zoos Popular

    Ручные еноты в доме енота в СПб | Енотовиль

    Enotovil is an interactive raccoon house located on Sadovaya Street in Saint Petersburg, where visitors can directly int...

  10. 160 Санкт-Петербургский театр «Русская антреприза» имени Андрея Миронова
    Venues Popular

    Санкт-Петербургский театр «Русская антреприза» имени Андрея Миронова

    The Andrei Mironov Russian Entreprise Theater is located in the historic Count Pyotr Shuvalov mansion on the Petrograd s...

  11. 161 Парк им. 9 января
    Parks Popular

    Парк им. 9 января

    Park im. 9 yanvarya is a historic public garden in St. Petersburg, originally designed as a memorial park following the...

  12. 162 Lazarevskiy Bridge
    Places of interest Popular

    Lazarevskiy Bridge

    The Lazarevskiy Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge spanning the Little Neva River, connecting Krestovsky Island to Petrogra...

  13. 163 Pkio Kamennyy Ostrov
    Parks Popular

    Pkio Kamennyy Ostrov

    Kamenny Ostrov Park is an expansive historic landscape garden located on Kamenny Island in the Neva River delta of Saint...

  14. 164 Garden "Vasileostrovets"
    Parks Popular

    Garden "Vasileostrovets"

    Garden Vasileostrovets is a public park located on the western tip of Vasilevsky Island in St. Petersburg. The space fea...

  15. 165 Joki Joya
    Amusement parks Popular

    Joki Joya

    Joki Joya on Prospekt Kosmonavtov is an expansive indoor family amusement park located within the Piter Raduga shopping...

  16. 166 Zelonyy Most
    Places of interest Popular

    Zelonyy Most

    Zelonyy Most (Green Bridge) is the first iron bridge in St. Petersburg, crossing the Moika River along Nevsky Prospect....

  17. 167 Яани Кирик
    Temples Popular

    Яани Кирик

    Jaani Kirik is a historic Estonian Lutheran church located in St. Petersburg that currently serves as a multifunctional...

  18. 168 Uchebnyy Teatr Na Mokhovoy
    Venues Popular

    Uchebnyy Teatr Na Mokhovoy

    Uchebnyy Teatr Na Mokhovoy serves as the primary stage for students of the Russian State Institute of Performing Arts, o...

  19. 169 Драматический Театр на Васильевском. Основная Сцена
    Venues Popular

    Драматический Театр на Васильевском. Основная Сцена

    The Vasilyevsky Island Drama Theater, known as the Theater on Vasilevsky, operates out of a historic 19th-century mansio...

  20. 170 Peterburgskiy Angel
    Places of interest Popular

    Peterburgskiy Angel

    The Peterburgskiy Angel is a small bronze sculpture located on a park bench within the Izmaylovsky Garden in St. Petersb...

  21. 171 Monument to I.F. Kruzenshtern
    Historical places Popular

    Monument to I.F. Kruzenshtern

    The Monument to I.F. Kruzenshtern is a bronze sculpture honoring Admiral Adam Johann von Krusenstern, the leader of the...

  22. 172 Grand Choral Synagogue, St. Petersburg
    Temples Popular

    Grand Choral Synagogue, St. Petersburg

    The Grand Choral Synagogue in St. Petersburg is the second-largest synagogue in Europe, completed in 1888 following a Mo...

  23. 173 Zazerkal'ye
    Venues Popular

    Zazerkal'ye

    Zazerkal'ye is a renowned children's musical theater located in a historical building on Rubinstein Street in St. Peters...

  24. 174 Театр "Лицедеи"
    Venues Popular

    Театр "Лицедеи"

    Teatr Litsedei is Russia's first professional clown-mime theater, originally founded in 1968. The venue is currently loc...

  25. 175 Portret Tsoya
    Places of interest Popular

    Portret Tsoya

    Portret Tsoya is a large-scale wall mural dedicated to Viktor Tsoi, the iconic frontman of the Soviet rock band Kino. Th...

  26. 176 Monument to Poltava ship
    Historical places Popular

    Monument to Poltava ship

    The Monument to the Poltava Ship is an outdoor memorial located on the Voskresenskaya Embankment in St. Petersburg, comm...

  27. 177 Памятник Н.Г. Чернышевскому
    Places of interest Popular

    Памятник Н.Г. Чернышевскому

    The monument to Nikolay Chernyshevsky is a prominent bronze sculpture situated at the center of the square bearing his n...

  28. 178 Gosudarstvennyy Memorial'nyy Muzey Oborony I Blokady Leningrada
    Museums Popular

    Gosudarstvennyy Memorial'nyy Muzey Oborony I Blokady Leningrada

    The State Memorial Museum of the Defense and Blockade of Leningrad is dedicated to the 872-day siege of the city during...

  29. 179 Планетарий № 1
    Museums Popular

    Планетарий № 1

    Planetarium No. 1 in St. Petersburg is recognized as one of the largest planetariums in the world by dome diameter, meas...

  30. 180 Sobor Feodorovskoy Ikony Bozhiyey Materi
    Temples Popular

    Sobor Feodorovskoy Ikony Bozhiyey Materi

    The Feodorovsky Cathedral in Saint Petersburg is a landmark example of Neo-Russian architecture designed by Stepan Krich...

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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.