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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. 211 Subbota
    Venues Known locally

    Subbota

    Subbota is a professional repertory theatre located in a historic industrial district of St. Petersburg. Founded in 1969...

  2. 212 "Olympia" Palace
    Venues Known locally

    "Olympia" Palace

    Olympia Palace is a prominent event and banquet venue located in a historic building on Liteyniy Avenue in St. Petersbur...

  3. 213 Собор Святого Апостола Андрея Первозванного
    Temples Known locally

    Собор Святого Апостола Андрея Первозванного

    The Cathedral of St. Andrew the First-Called is a distinctive example of Petrine Baroque architecture located on Vasilye...

  4. 214 KidBurg
    Playgrounds Known locally

    KidBurg

    KidBurg is an interactive educational city-park for children located inside the Piter Raduga shopping complex in Saint P...

  5. 215 Ziferburg
    Places of interest Known locally

    Ziferburg

    Ziferburg is a multi-functional creative space located within a historic 18th-century building on the Fontanka River Emb...

  6. 216 Narvskiye Triumfal'nyye Vorota
    Places of interest Known locally

    Narvskiye Triumfal'nyye Vorota

    The Narva Triumphal Gate is a Neoclassical monument built in 1834 to commemorate the Russian victory over Napoleon in th...

  7. 217 Muzey Kofe
    Museums Known locally

    Muzey Kofe

    Muzey Kofe is a dedicated museum located on the Neva River embankment in St. Petersburg that explores the global history...

  8. 218 Dvor Nel'sona
    Places of interest Known locally

    Dvor Nel'sona

    Dvor Nel'sona, or Nelson's Courtyard, is a prominent street-art landmark located in the Petrogradsky District of St. Pet...

  9. 219 History of Money Museum
    Museums Known locally

    History of Money Museum

    The History of Money Museum is located within the historic Annin Cavalier building of the Peter and Paul Fortress in St....

  10. 220 Shadow Museum
    Museums Known locally

    Shadow Museum

    The Shadow Museum located on Bolshaya Konyushennaya Street in St Petersburg is an interactive art space dedicated to sha...

  11. 221 Palma
    Places of interest Known locally

    Palma

    Palma is a versatile creative loft space housed within the historical buildings of the former Orlov-Davydov orphanage in...

  12. 222 Grenadier bridge
    Places of interest Known locally

    Grenadier bridge

    The Grenadier Bridge is a three-span steel beam bridge crossing the Bolshaya Nevka River in St. Petersburg, connecting t...

  13. 223 The State Russian Museum and Exhibition Centre ROSPHOTO
    Museums Known locally

    The State Russian Museum and Exhibition Centre ROSPHOTO

    ROSPHOTO is Russia's premier federal institution dedicated to the history, theory, and practice of photography. Housed i...

  14. 224 Museum of Russian Vodka
    Museums Known locally

    Museum of Russian Vodka

    The Museum of Russian Vodka is a specialized cultural institution located in St. Petersburg that documents the history o...

  15. 225 Chesme Church
    Temples Known locally

    Chesme Church

    The Chesme Church, or Church of St. John the Baptist, is a distinctive 18th-century structure renowned for its Neo-Gothi...

  16. 226 Muzey Voskovykh Figur
    Museums Known locally

    Muzey Voskovykh Figur

    The St. Petersburg Wax Figures Museum is a long-standing exhibition located in the historic center of the city near the...

  17. 227 Magic Museum
    Museums Known locally

    Magic Museum

    The Magic Museum in St. Petersburg is a permanent exhibition dedicated to the history and practice of stage magic, house...

  18. 228 Dom Raskol'nikova
    Places of interest Known locally

    Dom Raskol'nikova

    Dom Raskol'nikova, located at Grazhdanskaya Ulitsa 19, is widely identified as the fictional residence of Rodion Raskoln...

  19. 229 Route 66
    Museums Known locally

    Route 66

    Route 66 in St. Petersburg is a private museum dedicated to American automobile culture and the history of the iconic US...

  20. 230 Blagoveshchenskiy Sad
    Parks Known locally

    Blagoveshchenskiy Sad

    Blagoveshchenskiy Sad is a small, historical public park located on Vasilievsky Island in Saint Petersburg. It occupies...

  21. 231 Monument to the lamplighter
    Places of interest Known locally

    Monument to the lamplighter

    The Monument to the Lamplighter is a bronze sculpture located on Odesskaya Street, a site historically associated with t...

  22. 232 Skver Kikiny Palaty
    Parks Known locally

    Skver Kikiny Palaty

    Skver Kikiny Palaty is a compact public garden situated directly adjacent to the historic Kikiny Palaty, one of the olde...

  23. 233 Aleko
    Venues Known locally

    Aleko

    Aleko is a specialized cultural venue located in the Moskovsky District of Saint Petersburg, primarily functioning as a...

  24. 234 Rumyantsev Mansion
    Museums Known locally

    Rumyantsev Mansion

    The Rumyantsev Mansion serves as the branch museum of the Museum of the History of St. Petersburg, focusing on the urban...

  25. 235 Kidburg Eksperimenty
    Playgrounds Known locally

    Kidburg Eksperimenty

    Kidburg Eksperimenty is an interactive science museum located in St. Petersburg designed specifically for children to ex...

  26. 236 Spice Museum
    Museums Known locally

    Spice Museum

    The Spice Museum in St. Petersburg is a specialized ethnographic institution dedicated to the history, cultivation, and...

  27. 237 Monument to Alexander Pushkin
    Historical places Known locally

    Monument to Alexander Pushkin

    The monument to Alexander Pushkin is a bronze statue located on Ploshchad Iskusstv (Arts Square) in St. Petersburg, depi...

  28. 238 Knyaz'-Vladimirskiy Sobor
    Temples Known locally

    Knyaz'-Vladimirskiy Sobor

    Knyaz'-Vladimirskiy Sobor is a prominent five-domed Orthodox cathedral located in the Petrogradsky District of St. Peter...

  29. 239 Teatr Na Vasil'yevskom
    Venues Known locally

    Teatr Na Vasil'yevskom

    Teatr Na Vasil'yevskom is a professional repertory theatre located on Vasilevsky Island in St. Petersburg, occupying a h...

  30. 240 Russkiy Levsha
    Museums Known locally

    Russkiy Levsha

    Russkiy Levsha is a specialized museum in Saint Petersburg dedicated to the art of micro-miniature craftsmanship. The co...

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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.