Where the Neva flows into the Gulf of Finland, the urban landscape of Saint Petersburg rises. The city’s planning began in 1703 under Peter the Great; its cityscape includes numerous canals and more than 400 bridges. Saint Petersburg is regarded as the greatest urban planning achievement of the 18th century. The combination of its estuary location, waterways and urban planning makes the city as a whole a subject in its own right: you can shift your view from individual buildings to the broader urban landscape.
Architecture Between Two Styles
The architectural heritage brings together Baroque and Neoclassicism. The Admiralty, Winter Palace, Marble Palace and Hermitage illustrate this interplay. This combination makes the architecture particularly interesting to explore: rather than simply listing the buildings individually, you can trace how different styles contribute to the character of a city. If you are interested in architecture, these four examples offer a clear thread to follow without making the entire trip about a single building.
The City’s History and the Peter and Paul Fortress
The former name opens up another perspective: in the former USSR, Saint Petersburg was later known as Leningrad and is closely associated with the October Revolution. Alongside its architectural heritage, the city also invites a political-historical exploration. This gives your visit a different focus from exploring canals or palaces: the history of the city’s name and its connection to the revolution.
The Peter and Paul Fortress offers a tangible connection to the city’s early history: Peter I founded it in 1703. It is also a monument to 18th- to 20th-century fortification architecture. The Commandant’s House at the Peter and Paul Fortress houses a museum on the city’s history in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Trubetskoy Bastion houses an exhibition about the prison where political prisoners were held. The museum and exhibition offer different historical perspectives: one on the city’s history across two centuries, the other on the history of a prison and its political prisoners. If you would like to visit the interiors, check the current opening hours in advance.
Kronstadt: A Park and a Museum Park
Kronstadt offers further, tangible historical points of interest within the destination. Catherine Park lies in the centre; it was formerly known as Soviet Park. It runs from Gostiny Dvor along the Obvodny Canal and Sovetskaya Street, past the Naval St. Nicholas Cathedral. Its former name and place references give the park both a historical and a geographical character. The new historical and cultural cluster in Kronstadt also includes Fort Island Museum and Historical Park. This places a park defined by its local landmarks alongside a museum and historical park as two distinct Kronstadt themes.
Events, Palace Square and the Fabergé Museum
Culture here takes shape through events, a major square and specific collection pieces. Temporary exhibitions, guided tours, concerts, festivals and other events take place at all branches of the State Russian Museum, including the Summer Garden and Mikhailovsky Garden. If you have a particular event in mind, check the dates in advance. Palace Square is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered a centre of Russian culture and history. The nine Easter eggs made for Alexander III and Nicholas II, the last Russian emperors, are the most famous pieces in the Fabergé Museum. This distinction helps you choose a theme: Palace Square offers a broader cultural and historical perspective, while the Fabergé eggs provide a specific connection to the last Russian emperors.
Discover More Destinations
Saint Petersburg, Pushkin, Sestroretsk, Repino, Lomonosov, Strelna, Pargolovo, Komarovo, Zelenogorsk, Kronstadt, Lisy Nos, Pavlovsk, Pesochny, Metallostroy, Gorelovo, Kolpino, Solnechnoye, Molodyozhnoye, Lakhta, Pontonnyy, Olgino, Aleksandrovskaya, Volodarskaya, Levashovo, gorod Saint Petersburg
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