10 Best Things to Do in St. Petersburg

I wildly underestimated the beauty of St. Petersburg, but then again, it’s hard to believe such beauty exists until until you experience it for yourself.

St. Petersburg is one of the most captivating cities in the world, offering a blend of rich history, grand architecture, and world-class museums. Founded by Peter the Great in 1703 as Russia’s “Window to the West,” St. Petersburg has evolved into a city of immense historical importance and artistic influence.

Its majestic palaces, canals, and museums make it a treasure trove for history lovers, art enthusiasts, and travellers seeking to experience the grandeur of imperial Russia. Here are my top things to do in St Petersburg.

See the Ballet

Without doubt, one of the best things to do in St Petersburg is watching the ballet. The Russians are the Michael Jordans of the ballet world. Maybe that’s an odd analogy to use because now I have the image of Michel Jordan dressed in a tutu in my head…! I’m you get the gist. The Russian rule the world of ballet.

The opportunity to see a performance any day of the week should not be missed. If you want to see the pinnacle of this art form go to Mariinsky Theatre, one of the best ballet companies in the world. It’s the real McCoy with an endless supply of talented stars.

However, budget travellers can still find tickets for Swan Lake and the Nutcracker in lesser-known theatres at more affordable prices capable of moving any audience to tears. There isn’t a better way to either begin or finish your trip in this fabulous city.

Get to know Dostoevsky, Nabokov and Pushkin

One of the first books that truly spoke to me was Notes From the Underground by Dostoevsky. It happened when I was living in China for a year. I was living in a language school and most of the books in the communal area were written in Chinese apart from a copy of this slim novella. Intrigued, I picked it up and immediately I was engrossed. Suddenly, I was no longer in China. I had travelled back in time, imagining myself in Russia at the turn of the 20th Century.

There is something incredibly wonderful about reading descriptions of places written by my favourite authors. The places come alive. It’s transportative. You travel without travelling. All the words and sentences I pondered over and drew fantasies from suddenly gain a new lease of life. Devoted fans have the privilege to visit three individual museums dedicated to Dostoevsky, Nabokov and Pushkin. The latter is less familiar in the UK but in Russia his name holds the same weight as Shakespeare.

Related: The Nabokov Museum in St. Petersburg – On Literature, Butterflies & Chess

Experience world-class art at the Hermitage Museum

Easily one of the world’s finest art galleries in the world, you’ll have no trouble finding our most celebrated artists from past and present at home here.

Founded by Catherine the Great in 1764, the Hermitage began as a private collection of European art and has since grown into a vast museum complex with over 3 million items, making it one of the largest and most comprehensive museums in the world.

The building itself is a work of art in both exterior and interior, a marvel of Russian baroque architecture. To acknowledge every piece of art in this museum you’d need at least a week, so my advice is to get up early and see what you can in a full day.

You might also like: An Art Lover’s Guide to St Petersburg

Pushkin gardens and the Amber room at Summer Palace

Displaying an uncanny resemblance to the Hermitage Museum, the Summer Palace (also known as Catherine’s Palace) is an extraordinary reminder of the huge appetite Russian Royalty had for material opulence on an unprecedented scale. Yes, two of the most impressive buildings in St Petersburg both once belonged to Catherine the Great. How the other half live, eh?

To visit, get a bus from nearby Moskovskaya metro station which takes you directly there in approx. 50 minutes. Sadly, it was just my luck that the day I turned up to the palace its doors were closed to the public so VIP guests could be chaperoned around. There wasn’t any notification on the website, but I guess Russia does its own thing sometimes. Very annoying! However, the gardens alone made it worth the trip from St. Petersburg!

KunstKamera

Long-time readers of my blog will know that I love a good museum, and the freakier it is the more likely I’m going to rave on about it. The brainchild of Peter the Great (who also introduced ballet to Russia), the purpose of KunstKamera in its day was to educate the Russian population with scientific and anthropological discoveries. Deeply inspired by his visits to Europe, and the Enlightenment, he hoped to liberate the nation from superstition and dogmas which suppress scientific growth.

Nevsky Prospekt

St. Petersburg’s main street is like a trunk belonging to an old oak tree, with myriads of smaller streets sprawling out from it like branches. The city doesn’t really have an obvious main square like in Moscow and other large cities around the world.

The absence of a big main square is unusual for city this size but Nevsky Prospekt acts as the hub bringing the city and visitors together. It’s where you’ll also find most of the attractions nearby and plenty of gargantuan architecture on display. The street is also an ideal place to gather your bearings if you get lost – simply make your way back to this main street and you’ll soon find your foot again. It’s huge.

Go inside the Church of Spilled Blood

The exterior of this highly ornate church can be compared to St. Basil’s in Moscow. It’s interior, however, is incomparable with extravagant gold-leaf and murals adorning the walls. Blinded by all the splendour it would be easy to overlook the scenes of martyrdom, including one that draws a parallel between the tsar’s death and the crucifixion of Christ.

Chesme Church

Every now and again you see something which looks unlike anything you’ve seen before and for that reason it makes you smile, Chesme Church has this effect.

It’s off the tourist radar too, so you don’t have to deal with the crowds who gather around the bigger attractions nearby Nevsky Prospekt. This is just as well because it’s only small inside. The best time to visit is right before getting on the bus to the Summer Palace since it takes about 10 minutes to walk from Moskovskaya metro station.

Eat at Teplo

This much-feted, eclectic and original restaurant has got it all just right. The venue itself is a lot of fun to nose around, I choose to eat in the outside courtyard but inside there are lots of nooks and crannies to make yourself feel cosy.

The restaurant is full of fun props, from table football to vintage books. Dishes come from all over the world and there’s a decent offering of vegetarian dishes too. If you’re planning to go for lunch, I recommend timing it with the Nabokov Museum since they are located next door to each other.

Go on a boat ride along the Neva River

If you want to see why St. Petersburg is commonly referred to as the ‘Venice of the North’, a boat trip is what you’ll need to do. Unfortunately there isn’t the option to float down the Neva on a gondola, but who cares when the views from the water are so beautiful?

Have you visited St. Petersburg before? Can you add to this list?