List Of Sites To See In St. Petersburg

[Sominex]

Hi all; could those that have been to St. Petersburg give me a list of what sites we should see? I'm planning on booking with a tour Co. for 8 adults and not sure what are the best sites that I should ask for i.e. cruise tour included and should we book something for the first evening; we're docked for two days.

Many thanks to those that have been there, any recommendations/suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Som

[sbhdmh]

Check out this thread on Can't Miss Places in the Baltics. In post #6 I give a full summary of St Petersburg.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1154378&highlight=can+miss+petersburg

[Sominex]

Check out this thread on Can't Miss Places in the Baltics. In post #6 I give a full summary of St Petersburg.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1154378&highlight=can+miss+petersburg

 

Thanks cool cruiser for responding so quickly, I've made a note of the sites. We also want to book a tour to Berlin and some companies that do St. Petersburg also do this one. Did you travel to Berlin as well and if so which co. did you use?

Thanks again,

Som

[Giantfan13]

I would say that every independent tour company will do the main sites in St Petersburg. If you wanted to add something different then you would need to speak to them about it.

 

The only thing we added, that wasn't on our main itinerary was the Choral synagogue. Each independent tour covers the same things, but some offer more time at certain places, others may include free lunches while others may offer a free canal boat tour also. That is why you should not take one persons recommendation of an independent tour operator, until you have spoken to several and see how each differs from the other.

 

Some of the places you should not miss are

Church of the Spilled Blood (make sure you do an inside visit also_

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe647.jpg

 

Catherines Palace and gardens

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europemaster712.jpg

 

Peteroff

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe730.jpg

 

The Fortress of Peter and Paul

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe878.jpg

 

Yusupov's Palace (where Rasputin was murdered)

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe882.jpg

 

And, of course, the Hermitage

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe927.jpg

 

Cheers

 

Len

[Sominex]

I would say that every independent tour company will do the main sites in St Petersburg. If you wanted to add something different then you would need to speak to them about it.

 

The only thing we added, that wasn't on our main itinerary was the Choral synagogue. Each independent tour covers the same things, but some offer more time at certain places, others may include free lunches while others may offer a free canal boat tour also. That is why you should not take one persons recommendation of an independent tour operator, until you have spoken to several and see how each differs from the other.

 

Some of the places you should not miss are

Church of the Spilled Blood (make sure you do an inside visit also_

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe647.jpg

 

Catherines Palace and gardens

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europemaster712.jpg

 

Peteroff

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe730.jpg

 

The Fortress of Peter and Paul

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe878.jpg

 

Yusupov's Palace (where Rasputin was murdered)

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe882.jpg

 

And, of course, the Hermitage

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe927.jpg

 

Cheers

 

Len

Hi Len; I have a quote that includes either the inside of St. Isaac's Cathedral or inside the Savior on the Spilled Blood Cathedral; which would you recommend.

Also would you recommend a tour of the Metro?

Thanks again,

Som

[Giantfan13]

Hi Len; I have a quote that includes either the inside of St. Isaac's Cathedral or inside the Savior on the Spilled Blood Cathedral; which would you recommend.

Also would you recommend a tour of the Metro?

Thanks again,

Som

 

Som

 

If I had to chose between the inside of St Isaacs or Spilled Blood, I would opt for the Church of the Spilled Blood. But that is just one person's opinion. Both are magnificent

 

Most of the indie tour companies include a Metro ride. It is nice to do. We, being from NY, have ridden trains all our lives, so it wasn't anything very special. But we found facinating was the depth of their subways,and the info that they are all considered bomb shelters with enough supplies to house about 100,000 people for 3 years. The stations are much nicer than anything that you will see in the USA, especially NY. If offered to you, I would definitely do it.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[Sominex]

Som

 

If I had to chose between the inside of St Isaacs or Spilled Blood, I would opt for the Church of the Spilled Blood. But that is just one person's opinion. Both are magnificent

 

Most of the indie tour companies include a Metro ride. It is nice to do. We, being from NY, have ridden trains all our lives, so it wasn't anything very special. But we found facinating was the depth of their subways,and the info that they are all considered bomb shelters with enough supplies to house about 100,000 people for 3 years. The stations are much nicer than anything that you will see in the USA, especially NY. If offered to you, I would definitely do it.

 

Cheers

 

Len

Thanks Len; did you spend the extra to see the Amber Room and if so is it worth it as you have cut short the main tour?

Som

[Giantfan13]

Thanks Len; did you spend the extra to see the Amber Room and if so is it worth it as you have cut short the main tour?

Som

 

The Amber Room at Catherine's Palace is one of the rooms that most tours visit. There is suppose to be no photography in the Amber Room, so very few have pix of it. It is well worth the time to see it.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[greyhound101]

Just got back from the Baltic where we did 3 days of touring with SPB tours in Saint Petersburg and they also filled our needs for 2 days in Berlin. Suggest you check into SPB they took inside the Church of the Spilled Blood and into Saint Isasscs. Just look up the website http://www.SPB-Tours.com The directors name is Viktoria and she is wonderful as are her tour guides.

 

Because we had an overnight in Berlin, they did a tour for us and others on Days 1. Many of us elected to do the second day on our own. So we spent the night in a hotel in Berlin, and on Day 2 I went to the Berlin Zoo, SPB tours picked us up at our hotel at 3 in the afternoon for transport back to the ship with other couples as well.

 

I have ridden subway, underground trains in many cities especially in NYC, the Metro Ride in Saint Petersburg was quite different. Aside from being about 150 meters underground, the length of almost 2 football fields, it was just interesting to see the unique underground stations. Photos are not allowed because the stations are considered to be a security risk. Also on the escalator, there are no stairs, stay to the right so those running can pass you on the left.

[TMLAalum]

We loved the Peterhof Gardens and Fountains, but were very disappointed in the palace there. It was renovated by Catherine and is not nearly as spectacular as her palace. We had a long wait to be admitted and found it jammed with larger tour groups that our group of 8 couldn't pass by.

[Sominex]

The Amber Room at Catherine's Palace is one of the rooms that most tours visit. There is suppose to be no photography in the Amber Room, so very few have pix of it. It is well worth the time to see it.

Cheers

Len

I again Len: Did you see the Imperial Carriage Collection (extra charge) while at the Catherine Palace? If so was it worth it?

Thanks,

Som

[Giantfan13]

I again Len: Did you see the Imperial Carriage Collection (extra charge) while at the Catherine Palace? If so was it worth it?

Thanks,

Som

 

Som

 

Sorry, no we didn't. I do not beleive anything on our tour was an extra charge.

If this is something you really want to see, speak to others on your tour (if you are on a roll call with them) or speak to your tour operator about it. If you feel the extra cost is worthwhile and you would gain a lot of pleasure by seeing it, go for it. For most, St Petersburg is a once in a lifetime experience so 'go for it' if that's what you really want to do. You will kick yourself many times if you don't do somehting you wanted to and return home. You may never get another chance.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[tonyd285]

Two sites not mentioned that are well worth seeing are the battleship Aurora (the cannon shot that began the revolution of 1917 was fired from this vessel which is now a museum), and the Choral Synagogue which is the center of Jewish life in the city.

[MercedMike]

Hi all; could those that have been to St. Petersburg give me a list of what sites we should see? I'm planning on booking with a tour Co. for 8 adults and not sure what are the best sites that I should ask for i.e. cruise tour included and should we book something for the first evening; we're docked for two days.

Many thanks to those that have been there, any recommendations/suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Som

 

A very good starting point is DenRus' Tour Options:

 

http://denrus.ru/viptours2.html

 

This will give you almost all the possible things to do in St. Petersburg in various forms. (Incidentally we loved the Lunch With a Russian Family!)

 

From there you can begin to design the custom tour that YOU want.

 

We found we were exhausted the first evening. One member of our group did book the Ballet and loved it, but we had to keep waking her up all the next day! ;)

 

Check out our trip report and pictures at http://www.bully4.us/baltic.html for the choices we made and the tour with DenRus that we loved.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[MercedMike]

The Amber Room at Catherine's Palace is one of the rooms that most tours visit. There is suppose to be no photography in the Amber Room, so very few have pix of it. It is well worth the time to see it.

 

Cheers

 

Len

 

However, the docents didn't mind me standing OUTSIDE the Amber room and "taking a picture of the door." :D It is truly stunning. Check out our trip report and pictures at http://www.bully4.us/baltic.html

 

Perhaps it is the Gold Room at the Hermitage that you are thinking of, that adds extra time and cost to the tour? It is indeed well worth doing too.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[Joy2theWorld]

We just got back from 2 days of doing an active tour in the city. It was incredible and we saw a ton. I heard some complain about the crowds of the Hermitage. It wasn't too bad for us, but we went after lunch time. The places I wouldn't miss are (in order):

Church of the Spilled Blood- absolutely incredible

Catherine's Palace- magnificent (Amber Room was open for all to see... ship said only 15 people or something are allowed in at a time, but that wasn't the case when we went. It was part of the open tour)

St. Isaac's- gorgeous

Peterhoff- beautiful gardens, grounds...

We saw many more things, but those were the highlights.

 

If I had to cut one thing out, it would have been Yusopov's Palace. It was the last stop on our tour and although there are some pretty rooms, it was underwhelming after seeing the other places. My husband said they should have started with that one so the standard wouldn't have been so high and he was right. Unless you are fascinated by Rasputen or something, I wouldn't say this one is a must by any means.

[bardstowntraveller]

We just returned from our St Petersburg. The most memorable sights for us were:

1. Church on Spilled Blood-- entire inside is covered in mosaics

2. Catherine's Palace, especially Amber Room

3. Peterhof Fountains

4. Hermitage -- early entry is well worth the extra cost

5. Canal Cruise

6. Folkloric Show

[Sominex]

We just returned from our St Petersburg. The most memorable sights for us were:

1. Church on Spilled Blood-- entire inside is covered in mosaics

2. Catherine's Palace, especially Amber Room

3. Peterhof Fountains

4. Hermitage -- early entry is well worth the extra cost

5. Canal Cruise

6. Folkloric Show

Did you see the Imperial Carriage Collection at Catherine's Palace?

Som

[MercedMike]

 

If I had to cut one thing out, it would have been Yusopov's Palace. It was the last stop on our tour and although there are some pretty rooms, it was underwhelming after seeing the other places. My husband said they should have started with that one so the standard wouldn't have been so high and he was right. Unless you are fascinated by Rasputen or something, I wouldn't say this one is a must by any means.

 

AH, but if you ARE fascinated by Rasputin, as I am, then it is not to be missed. There is a wonderful wax representation of him in the actual room where he was poisoned. It was a highlight of St. P for me. YMMV.

 

Check out our trip report and pictures at http://www.bully4.us/baltic.html to see the old boy with his fatal drink ... ;)

[laverendrye]

Did you see the Imperial Carriage Collection at Catherine's Palace?

Som

 

I have been to the Catherine's Palace twice and was not aware of an Imperial Carriage Collection there.

 

Could you be thinking of the carriage collection in the Kremlin Armoury Museum in Moscow? It contains quite a few carriages of the Russian emperors and empresses, including several of Catherine the Great.

[Sominex]

I have been to the Catherine's Palace twice and was not aware of an Imperial Carriage Collection there.

 

Could you be thinking of the carriage collection in the Kremlin Armoury Museum in Moscow? It contains quite a few carriages of the Russian emperors and empresses, including several of Catherine the Great.

 

I have a quote of $20 pp extra to see this at the Catherine Palace. Just wondered if it was worth it....

Som

[pant21]

I have a quote of $20 pp extra to see this at the Catherine Palace. Just wondered if it was worth it....

Som

Som,

If you are into the history of transportation, the Catherine Palace collection is a must.

 

Extracted from a 'Guide to Tzarskoye Selo -

 

COURT CARRIAGES OF THE 18th

THROUGHOUT EARLY 20th CENTURIES:

 

'This exhibition is currently operating in the former Imperial Stables which were built in 1824 according to the plans by the architect Vasily Stasov and Smaragd Shustov. The exhibition features 23 imperial carriages by well-known Russian and Western European masters of the 18th and 19th centuries. Already in the 19th century it became clear that the collection of court carriages was of historical and artistic value. In 1860 Emperor Alexander II opened the Court Stable Museum in Saint Petersburg, thus bringing to fruition an idea that appeared as early as the reign of Emperor Nicholas I. A special two-storey building was built according to the plans by P.S. Sadovnikov in Saint Petersburg specially to house the court carriages. During the late 1920s the museum was disembled. Part of the carriage collection went to the State Hermitage and 52 carriages were donated to the Catherine Palace Museum which already possessed 23 carriages. Prior to the 1930s the collection of carriages at Tzarskoye Selo was kept in the Cameron Gallery, in the Grotto and in the former Imperial Stables. Having survived the Blockade under the vaults of the Hanging Gardens of the Hermitage in Leningrad, part of the collection again went to the Catherine Palace Museum in 1969. Most of the carraiges have been restored. In 1971 an exhibition consisting of 14 carriages was opened in the Cameron Gallery. The opening of the museum in the former stables was preceded by new reconstruction work during which 20 carriages were refurbished. Today the exhibition features various vehicles: carriages, phaetons, cabriolets, and sleighs which were used for formal appearances and the most lavish ceremonies held in the imperial court during the 18th and 19th centuries: the coronation. Three carriages created for Empress Catherine II by the famous Petersburg carriage master Johann Conrad Buchendal during the late 18th century are remarkable for their impressive size, lavish gilt carvings and wealth of interior decor. The carriages from the mid-19th century are no less amazing in the quality of their workmanship. These are vehicles created at the Court Carriage Workshop especially ten carriages produced for the coronation of Alexander II by the Petersburg masters Tatska, the Frobelius brothers and Yakovlev brothers. The Tzarskoje Selo collection also contains carriages from the Nellis Carriage Works and uniquely constructed carriages produced by the Ivan Breitigam factory in 1873. A special place is occupied by the carriage in which on March 1, 1881, Emperor Alexander II was fatally wounded after members of the People's Will party threw a bomb at the carriage. The last room of the exhibition contains sleighs which are comparable in their rich decoration 'The sleigh makes the man' as one Russian saying goes. The exhibition features sleighs belonging to Emperor Paul I, and a ten seat sleigh for transporting the ladies-in-waiting of Empress Catherine II produced by the carriage master Johann Conrad Buchendal in 1793.'

[Sominex]

Hi Pant21; many thanks for this information; I've added it to our tour!

Som

[makiramarlena]

Sites my group saw in order (the ones in which we actually got out of the van):

 

St. Isaac's Square

Catherine's Palace

Metro (subway)

Canal boat tour

 

Rostral Columns

Fortress & Cathedral of Peter & Paul

Church on Spilled Blood

St. Isaac's Cathedral

The Hermitage

Peterhof

 

It was renovated by Catherine and is not nearly as spectacular as her palace.

 

Catherine Palace was named for Catherine I, who was Catherine the Great's grandmother-in-law (although the Great did use the palace)

 

Saw many other sights through the windows of the van while driving around.