We visited Russia in the fall of 2011; St. Petersburg was the first stop on our Russian adventure!
Of all of the cities that we have visited, St. Petersburg has positioned itself as one of our FAVORITE places. This city is filled with history, the residents are polite, the streets alive and the architecture is like nothing you have seen (or will see) anywhere else in the world-colorful, detailed, and absolutely breathtaking.
Upon exploring this magnificent city we made the following observations:
Fashion:
· The women in this city are amongst the most beautiful people in the world. Any of them could have been a supermodel, dressed to the nine, using the streets of St. Petersburg as their runway.
· Stilettos were worn by every woman everywhere-the higher the heel, the better.
· Tights were another staple of women’s outfits. Unfortunately, not knowing that bare legs were inappropriate we received a lot of unwanted attention when we dressed up for the ballet and did not have tights to wear under our dresses.
Language:
· Not only does Russia speak a different language, they use a different alphabet. Because the Cyrillic alphabet utilizes different sounds and letters than the English alphabet it is not as easy for English speaking tourists to “get by.” Fortunately, the people in St. Petersburg are open to speaking English (if they are able to).
· We opted to take an "Introduction to Russian" class prior to our trip. Minimally, we wanted to be able to read the language (which came in handy for reading menus, subway signs, etc.). Whether online or in the classroom there are a variety of ways to familiarize one’s self with the Cyrillic alphabet.
Getting to and around:
· Visas are required for U.S. citizens. Obtaining a Russian visa is not only expensive, but the process can be lengthy and complex. For more information regarding visa requirements please visit the following website:
http://www.russianembassy.net/rusvisa.html
· Unlike the visa application process, getting around St. Petersburg is actually quite simple. The majority of our must-see sights were concentrated around Nevskiy Prospekt (which is the main street in St. Petersburg). In the event that we were not able to walk to our destination we took the subway (which we found to be easy to navigate).
There are so many things to do in St. Petersburg! Based on our experience in this amazing city, we came up with what we believe are the "Top 10" things to do in St. Petersburg. We recommend the following sites and/or experiences to travelers visiting St. Petersburg. 1. Catherine’s Palace (also known as Tsarskoe Selo): Summer residence of Russian tsars, located in Pushkin which is just outside of St. Petersburg.
Below Picture: The infamous Amber room located in Catherine's Palace. The entire room is decorated in amber (including the walls)!
***Because of the distance, we opted to use Alex’s Tours (see website below for more information) for visiting Catherine’s Palace. This was a private tour that included hotel pick up/drop off, as well as entrance into Catherine’s palace. Alex’s Tours provided a quality tour and we highly recommend them if you are looking for a reputable tour company to provide you with a custom tour in St. Petersburg.
http://stpetersburg-guide.com/offer/index.shtml
2. Hermitage: One of the largest and oldest museums in the world.
***Again, we opted to use Alex’s Tour’s to help us navigate the highlights of this monstrosity of a museum. To see everything would require days (which unfortunately, we could not spare). Please visit http://stpetersburg-guide.com/offer/index.shtml for tour information.
***Please note that if you are interested in visiting the Golden Room exhibit at the Hermitage not only is there an additional charge for this exhibit, but you will need to make a reservation (we highly recommend this exhibit).
3. Church on Spilled Blood: Beautiful exterior as well as interior-Interior is made up of mosaic tiles (yes, those are MOSAIC tiles, not paintings).
***There is a neat market across the street from the entrance of Church on Spilled Blood that has a great selection of Russian novelties (matryoshka dolls, palekh box, etc.).
4. Peter and Paul Fortress: Home to Peter and Paul Cathedral - burial place for historical figures including Peter the Great, Catherine the Great and the last tsar of Russia, Nicolas II and his family.
5. Russian Museum: Exhibits Russian art. The main building is the Mikhaylovskiy Palace.
6. St. Isaac's Cathedral: Beautiful cathedral with fantastic city views.
Below Picture: View of the Hermitage from the top of St. Isaac's Cathedral.
7. Ballet: We saw Swan Lake at Alexander Theatre (there are many venues for seeing a ballet; however, this theatre was recommended to us).
8. Caviar: Russia is known for caviar, so we decided to splurge and try some caviar at the Caviar Bar and Restaurant located in the Grand Hotel Europe. Although expensive, it was well worth the experience. There were several ways to order caviar, either a-la-carte or as a “package.” The package we selected allowed us to try both red and black caviar and came with 3 different types of vodka.
9. Teremok: Restaurant chain located all over the city that serves blinis- Russia’s version of a crepe. Teremok is quick, inexpensive, delicious, and offers many different options.
10. Gostinyy Dvor: Lots of neat stores, some of them specific to Russian novelties.
We hope you found this post helpful. If you have any questions about St. Petersburg, please feel free to contact us at twogirlsendlesstravel@gmail.com.
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