A tour around St.-Petersburg. Days 4 and 5 by Tatyana Kogut

Back

A tour around St.-Petersburg. Days 4 and 5
by Tatyana Kogut

Day 4 could be dedicated to a walk around the city squares, the main of which is, of course, the Palace Square. But we have already talked about it, so let’s go farther. Start with St Isaac's and Decembrists Squares from which to observe the magnificent city panoramas. The symbol of the city – the Bronze Horseman – is located next to St. Isaac’s square and tourists often choose this spot for a photo session. In addition to the Horseman and the square, you can take pictures of the arch of the former Senate and Synod and the monument to Emperor Nicholas I. This walk will take no more than an hour, so after that our advise would be to visit St. Isaac’s Cathedral and its central dome. The cathedral is opened 11.00 – 19.00 daily, in summer time it works 20.00 – 23.00 and the day off is Wednesday.

Having stepped down from the cathedral steps walk a bit further down the Konnogvardeisky Boulevard as far as Truda (Labour) square. The boulevard itself is a curious place to walk along. You can slow down to observe numerous mansions or seat on a bench and relax. Landmarks at the Labour Square are: Nikolaevsky Palace and the complex of buildings called New Holland. If you want to see the famous New Holland arch, go a bit farther down the canal. New Holland is a short walk from the Theatre Square, the famous Mariinsky Theatre and the Conservatory Concert Hall. Walk farther down the embankment and you will reach the Nikolsky (Nicholas) Cathedral, which deserves your rapt attention. The cathedral is known for its bell tower, and its square which is very cosy to sit at.

Continue your walk along the Griboedova Canal, to the spot where it joins the Fontanka river. You will come across several beautiful bridges on your way, and an Estonian church, which is also one of local attractions. The whole trip will take up all your day. Finding a place for dinner is easy here as well: there will be numerous cafes, bars and restaurants on your way. Finish your day at Sennaya Squarel. There are two entertainment venues at the square: those are “Peak” and “Sennaya” stores.

Day 5.
Another day is St.-Petersburg can be once again spent in the city centre, not far from the Nevsky prospect. This time when coming out from the Nevsky prospect metro station you should turn to the Griboedova canal. You will soon reach Italyanskaya street. When the weather is good, the street is always filled with the sounds of music, which create romantic atmosphere. One of the things to see here is the monument to Ostap Bender, a character from a famous Russian novel “The Twelve Chairs” (by Ilya Ilf and Evgeny Petrov). One of the most famous churches of St.-Petersburg – Church of the Savior on Blood, decorated with beautiful mosaics – is a few steps from the street. One hour would be enough to see the outside and the inside of the church. Next to the church you will see a beautiful railing, behind which there is the Michailovsky Garden and St. Michael's Castle (or the Engineer Castle), known for the tragic night of 1801. On this night emperor Paul I was assassinated in the castle. A visit to this attraction will take about 1,5 hours. The Church of the Savior on Blood works: winter: 11.00 — 19.00, summer: 10.00 — 20.00, day off: Wednesday. St. Michael's Castle is opened: Wednesday – Sunday: 10.00 — 18.00, Monday: 10.00 — 17.00.

After you observed the castle, go to the Summer garden (closed in winter), renowned for its beautiful sculptures and its railing. This is where Peter the Great organised his assemblies. Walk around the garden, feed the swans, then go to the Field of Mars to see its eternal fire and the monuments to military leaders Pyotr Rumyantsev and Alexander Suvorov.
We advise you to finish your day at the Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts (Solyanoy Pereulok 13-15). The museum is rarely visited by travelers, but has a lot to look at. Note that local restaurants and cafes are rather expensive, so you will have to walk some distance to find a place to dine at.

Author's Biography:

http://travel.spb.ru/

Posted on: December 13,2007

Email: t_kogutenko@yahoo.com
Website: http://travel.spb.ru/