Saint Petersburg in the Summer

View from the Hermitage...our hostel was just through the archway
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St. Petersburg is a great city to visit because it is so beautiful and has such a fascinating history. There are a number of things to do here, but it's comparatively expensive and so I think for a traveler on a budget, 4 days is plenty of time. The prices here are similar to those of Western Europe and so it can really hurt the pocketbook. I stayed at a hostel ( Nord Hostel, didn't like it) and cooked my dinner at home, ate the free breakfast, and hardly any lunch and I still spent more than I wanted to just because things are pricey here. But, if you come to Russia, you have to visit some of these amazing sights.

Buy photo art from Valentine!
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The most important and rewarding place to go is the Hermitage , which was the palace of Russia's Tsars. It is astoundingly beautiful, with amazing architecture and decor inside and out. It has the second best art collection in the world, with many of the pieces having never been exhibited elsewhere. It has a vast collection and so for true art lovers and students, you would probably want the two day pass. I usually can't stay in a museum, no matter how much I love art, for more than three hours and I spent twice that amount of time there with only a few short breaks and some quick walking! The best part is how each room is unique and decorated with every detail in mind. Gilded staircases, classic marble work, lovely sculptures, columns, and fresco ceilings....it was easy to forget that it was a museum, as the art seems to be part of the room, rather than its focus. I strongly urge all travelers to buy your tickets online !!! You can read about my other blog, in which I describe the debacle that was the ticket line. It's worth the $4 processing fee. We had purchased them online, but were told students were free and were hoping to get a refund...unless you have a careless clerk who doesn't care, you will have to show an ISIC student card. You should also bring your guidebook with info and map, as most of the signs are in Russian and it can be difficult to navigate the massive collection and space.

A lovely mosque across the river
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Another great thing to do in Petersburg is to shell out the money for some ballet tickets. We saw Swan Lake in Moscow and really should have waited to see it in Petersburg , as the theatres themselves here are worth a tour and the city is the home of Russian ballet. The Moscow production we saw was not the Bolshoi and so was a bit cheesy and had dry choreography. The theatre known as the Pushkin theatre is gorgeous (and where Chekhov's The Seagull premiered!) and you can always find good ticket deals online.

My favorite memory, though, is of hanging out all day in the Summer Gardens park near the Hermitage. It is the best park in the city with tons of shade, big old trees, and benches galore. Old Roman and Greek styled statues adorn the walkways and we were lucky enough to have a classical guitarist playing for change all afternoon. It's very quiet and a nice break from the bustle and sweltering heat of the city. They have free outhouses (sad, but it really is a perk in this city!) and a really cool modern sundial made of twelve throne like chairs with stained glass backs. A great place to bring a book or journal, and free to boot!

I also really loved the bar Cynic . It is right off the canal near the statue that looks like the famous Bronze horseman one, but isn't (this one is set in a roundabout near the cathedral with the gold dome). It has an English sign out front near the entrance and the stairs descend into a regular grungy basement bar full of locals sipping big beers and eating the delicious grenki (garlicky toasted bread). They have music there on Friday nights with no cover. A really cool place (exact directions can be found in the Lonely Planet Guides).

Instead of taking one of the expensive and touristy boat rides, we walked along the lovely canals after the sun went down, but the sky was still light (it doesn't get dark here in the summer until after 11pm). The architecture is beautiful and there are nice cafes where you can stop for a drink. It's not busy at this time and you can get some really nice lighting for your romantic canal pictures!

Another free and fun night thing to do is to hang out at the Hermitage after dark , when all the locals come out with their rollerblades and bikes. It's a really festive atmosphere with tons of people and lots of laughter. Bring out a bottle of beer or some ice cream and relax in the cool evening air!

We took a bit of a trip out of the city to see Peter the Great's palace, Petrodovorets . It's the only palace we went to because the Winter Palace is in the Hermitage and it gorgeous enough! We didn't go inside (too expensive), but we spent the entire day meandering through the expansive grounds and marvelling at the gorgeous fountains. Bring a bathing suit because there are fountains you can jump around in and beach enough on the Gulf of Finland shore for a swim...much needed because it is HOT here! They have ice cream and snacks, but it's overpriced, so bring a sack lunch and have a nice picnic in the parks! It's also a good opportunity to see what Petersburg's outskirts look like because they are very different from the wealthy center of the city.

My second favorite museum was the Russian State Museum , which I mentioned in my other entry. It's a great opportunity to see a ton of Russian art and has some lovely gardens outside of it where you can go take a breather and have a snack. I spent hours there and it wasn't too expensive. They took my old university student ID, which gave me a half price ticket.

Nevsky Prospect is really touristy and expensive, but as you walk along it, you will find a great Internet cafe called Cafe Max ...just walk away from the Hermitage and keep going until you see it on your left. It's about a ten minute walk past the famous bridge with a bronze horse on each corner. Cheap Internet (use your card!) and lots of terminals...