20 essentials: what to see and do in Saint Petersburg (Russia) in 2, 3 or 4 days

I knew it was the most outstanding Russian city from a historical and tourist point of view, but until I traveled to San Petersburgo, I have not been aware of the incredible attractions it has for a tourism trip.

I tell you that San Petersburgo We have to place it among large world cities such as Paris, London o New York, and if you really want to know it, you will have to make several trips.

For this reason, at the outset you must bear in mind that San Petersburgo It is a city that requires several days to get to know its main corners and monuments.

For this, this article will be useful to you with the best tips for visiting Saint Petersburg, with topics such as what is the best time to travel, how to obtain a visa, how to get around the city by transportation, or the best tours and guided visits to get to know it.

What is essential to see and do in Saint Petersburg

In any case, for your first trip to the Russian city, I am going to highlight the best what to see in three days in Saint Petersburg, from the experience of my recent trip.

During this time you will be able to visit the main palaces, museums and corners of Saint Petersburg.

St. Isaac's Square in St. Petersburg

La St. Isaac's Square It is one of the main axes of the St. Petersburg center, where you find the St. Isaac's Cathedral, or the palace that is the current headquarters of the Parliament of the region, in front of which the equestrian monument to Nicholas I.

In the square there is also the historic building Hotel Astoria.

Saint Isaac's Cathedral in Saint Petersburg

La St. Isaac's Cathedral It is the fourth largest basilica in the world.

In this regard you must bear in mind that in San Petersburgo Large churches are called cathedrals, and only those of Kazan.

Saint Isaac was commissioned by Tsar Alexander I to a French architect, and up to 400.000 slaves participated in its construction, of which 100.000 died as a result of the mercury used in it.

Its great dome, whose terrace you can climb, is completely covered in gold

During Soviet times it housed a museum of atheism, and in the Second World War preserved the works of the nearby Hermitage museum, so the dome was painted gray so that it would not be recognized during the bombings.

Monument to Peter I

In the gardens that separate the St. Isaac's Cathedral and Neva river is the monument to Peter I the Great, who was the first emperor and founder of the city.

The pedestal is a large natural stone weighing 150 tons.

Nevsky avenue

Nevsky Avenue is the main axis of the center of Saint Petersburg, and along it you can cross various canals, see outstanding monuments and, above all, see the most commercial and lively side of the city.

Hermitage Museum in Winter Palace

As you already know, the Hermitage museum It is one of the essential visits of your trip to Saint Petersburg.

But I can tell you that due to its enormous dimensions, as it spans five adjacent buildings, during your visit you will only be able to visit a small part of it.

You will need several visits if you want to know it in depth.

The museum receives about 5.000 visitors a day, and its main building is the winter palace from the 18th century, which had an extension in the mid-19th century.

Palace Square in Saint Petersburg

On the south façade of the winter palace opens the palace square, the other large square in the center of St. Petersburg next to that of Saint Isaac.

It is a place of great celebrations, like the one we experienced during our visit coinciding with the aforementioned victory day.

In the center of the square there is a large column dedicated to Tsar Alexander.

Maliinsky Opera House

In that area is the Maliinsky Opera House, headquarters of the famous Russian ballet, and the main cultural stage for music and ballet concerts.

Seeing one of the performances of this famous ballet is one of the attractions of the trip to Saint Petersburg.

In advance of your trip, in the following link you can ensure the availability of tickets for the Russian Ballet, in performances that take place in the aforementioned Maliinsky Theater or others in the city.

The other great theater of st. petersburg is Alexandrinsky dedicated to the representation of theatrical works.

You find it in the Nevsky avenue and was the favorite of the Royal family.

St. Nicholas Cathedral in Saint Petersburg

The Cathedral of San Nicolás is one of the main temples of the city.

Built in 1750, its beautiful baroque architecture shows an aesthetic similar to that of the aforementioned Winter Palace.

Open to worship even in the communist era or during the Siege of Leningrad, it is the great center of the Orthodox religion in the city, which currently boasts of its religious tolerance.

Saint Basil's Island in Saint Petersburg

The one known as Saint Basil's Island, in its original design it was going to be full of canals like in Amsterdam.

You arrive at this area of ​​the city by crossing the Annunciation Bridge, the first to be built on the Neva river in 1830,

On this bank of the river you have the panoramic viewpoint known as the Mirador de las Esphigies, a name it takes from two enormous Egyptian sphygies from 6000 years ago that are located at that point.

It is an area of ​​old palaces that are now headquarters of the University.

On your tour you will also be able to see the small little palaces that the tsar Peter the Great, who was 2,20 meters tall, but who suffered from agorophobia, it was built.

In particular, the Peter the Great's Hut and Summer Palace of Peter I, recently restored.

Fortress of Saint Peter and Saint Paul

In this area of ​​the city is the St. Peter's Fortress and St. Peter, which is actually a walled citadel.

In the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul Found inside, the tombs of tsars and emperors are preserved, including that of Nicholas II and his family (also his daughter's Anastasia), which were transferred to that place after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Battleship Aurora

Another of the outstanding attractions in this area of ​​the city of Saint Petersburg is the Battleship Aurora, whose crew participated in 1917 at the beginning of the Russian Revolution firing the first shot against him Winter palace that started the revolt.

It is now a still functioning ship that houses the museum of the Revolution.

Smolny Cathedral in Saint Petersburg

Tras visit Saint Petersburg, I will tell you that perhaps the church that I liked the most is the Smolny Cathedral.

It is the church of a monastery that Queen Isabel He ordered it to be built in 1748.

Also known as the Smolny Cathedral of the Resurrection, of baroque style and Orthodox rite, was built by an Italian architect and its location in gardens allows its image to be highlighted.

Cathedral of Saint Savior on Spilled Blood

one of the images Saint Petersburg icon is Cathedral of Saint Savior on Spilled Blood, which was built at the end of the 19th century in homage to the Emperor Alexander II, who was murdered in an attack.

In Russian neo-Byzantine style, its construction commissioned by his son Alexander III It took place in the place where the assassination took place.

It is decorated with 7.500 square meters of mosaics, more than any other church in the world.

It was on the verge of being destroyed by the Soviet government, but the Second World War and it became a potato warehouse.

During the Perestroika It was rehabilitated and opened to the public for religious services and visitors.

Moscow Avenue in Saint Petersburg

If you arrive by plane to Saint Petersburg, or go to Pushkin palace, you will walk along a very long avenue where you will see a succession of buildings of soviet architecture.

This is the Moscow Avenue, exit route San Petersburgo towards the Russian capital.

Specifically you will see buildings of constructivist architecture, without any decoration whatsoever, and others of stalinist architecture, which already show statues, moldings and other decorations.

On your journey along this great avenue you will pass by the Moscow square, which was designed to be the central square of Leningrad instead of the Palace Square.

In the center there is a huge Lenin statue, and behind, the old buildings of the the soviets.

You will also pass through another large square with a huge monument to the Siege of Leningrad, inside which there is now a museum, and through an industrial area with factories of large multinational companies such as Daimler Benz o Coca-Cola.

Pushkin Summer Palace

In rural areas of India, families in charge of a blind minor frequently isolate and deprive him/her of the care and attention they provide to their other children; such situation becomes even more severe among lower-caste families, orphans and if the blind child is a girl. outskirts of St. Petersburg, 30 kilometers and about 45 or 60 minutes from the center is the Pushkin palace, also known as the Catherine Palace, who was the wife of Peter I.

This summer palace, built at the beginning of the 18th century in the Russian Baroque style, I can tell you that it has been the one that has impressed me the most.

Its main façade is impressive in the afternoon light, and it is surrounded by beautiful gardens where a large pond and several small buildings extend.

Inside of Catherine Palace is the Amber Room, a small room with a spectacular decoration for which up to seven tons of amber were used.

You will also be struck by its great Dance hall, decorated with 11 kilos of gold leaf, 1.200 candles and imposing ceramic fireplaces.

Grand Summer Palace Peterhof

When it comes to summer palaces, the most famous one on the outskirts of San Petersburgo is Grand palace: Peterhof palace.

Located on the shores of Baltic Sea, you can reach this palace by fast boat Hydrofoil from the pier Hermitage museum.

Built at the same time as the aforementioned Catherine PalaceIn addition to its large rooms, the Peterhof palace It stands out for its extensive gardens where there are more than 300 fountains and water elements.

Hence it is also known as the Versailles of Russia.

The main corner of these gardens is the large waterfall in front of the main façade, where several golden statues are arranged, initially made of gilded lead, but in the 19th century they were changed to bronze ones.

Fabergé Museum in Saint Petersburg

One of the museums highlights you can visit in Saint Petersburg is Fabergé.

Opened in 2013 in a palace belonging to a wealthy Russian family, this museum displays jewelry from the late XNUMXth and early XNUMXth centuries, and is dedicated to Fabergé and Russian jewelry in general.

Fabergé, of Russian origin, was the official jeweler of the Russian empire, and its most famous jewels are known as Faberge eggs, which give the image to the remembrances most popular in Russia.

At Fabergé museum in Saint Petersburg Shown are 11 of the 61 eggs made by himself. Fabergé and his workshop, and 13 others are exhibited in the krenlim museum in Moscow.

The origin of these artistic and highly valued jewels is in a trip that in 1885 the Tsar Alexander III did to Germany during the Easter.

There he was enchanted by the beautiful Easter eggs, and then he commissioned his jeweler to make a first golden egg, which was very simple, without any decoration.

In addition to the famous eggs, in the museum you can also see a room with modern icons made on a wooden base.

And other artistic pieces that you will see are, for example, silver boxes with precious stones, enamel objects and other Russian-style decorations reflecting popular tales and customs.

Other museums in Saint Petersburg

If on your trip you are interested in visiting more museums, another very notable one is the State Russian MuseumLocated in the Mikhailovsky palace, home to the largest collection of Russian art you can visit in the world, from ancient icons to paintings,

There is a branch of this museum in Malaga city under the name Russian Museum Collection Center in Saint Petersburg.

In what is known as St. Petersburg museum A set of large models is shown that represent what the city was like after its foundation in the 18th century.

Another notable museum is the one known as the Great Model of Russia, which houses a huge 800 square meter model that represents all of Russia, with scenes of cities and landscapes.

They are interactive scenes controlled by visitors, and every 15 minutes the light on the model changes from day to night.

It is the second largest model in the world.

Where to buy souvenirs in Saint Petersburg

Finally I am going to recommend one of the most popular and attractive stores remembrances in Saint Petersburg.

It is the so-called Eleseev's Tent, which you find in the Nevsky Avenue, in front of the square where the aforementioned is Alexandrinsky Theater.

Located in a beautiful modernist-style building, it is the most emblematic store where you can buy the most typical food products of Saint Petersburg, and where there is no shortage of caviar and vodka.