tourist district map

Saint Petersburg Printable Tourist Map

Saint Petersburg Map: The Attractions

St Isaac's Cathedral

The Church of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood

Hermitage Museum

Kazansky Cathedral

Palace Square

Nevsky Avenue

Peter and Paul Cathedral

Russian Cruiser Aurora

Winter Palace

Mickey & Monkeys

Sygic travel - a travel guide in your pocket.

More Tourist Maps

• Privacy Policy
• STOCK 360° TRAVEL VIDEOS

Saint Petersburg - Interactive map

Information about the map.

Check out the main monuments, museums, squares, churches and attractions in our map of St. Petersburg. Click on each icon to see what it is.

To help you find your way once you get to your destination, the map you print out will have numbers on the various icons that correspond to a list with the most interesting tourist attractions. This way, you’ll be able to see where each attraction is.

Icons on the St. Petersburg interactive map

The map is very easy to use:

• Check out information about the destination: click on the color indicators.
• Move across the map: shift your mouse across the map.
• Zoom in: double click on the left-hand side of the mouse on the map or move the scroll wheel upwards.
• Zoom out: double click on the right-hand side of the mouse on the map or move the scroll wheel downwards.

You may also be interested in

Where to eat

Vodka, caviar, borscht... the list of Russian delicacies goes on! Discover where, when and what to eat during your trip to Saint Petersburg.

General information

Learn everything you need to know for your trip to Saint Petersburg, from visa requirements and currency to language tips and which plugs to bring! We'll try and answer all of your most frequently asked questions.

• Quick Facts
• Sights & Attractions
• Tsarskoe Selo
• Oranienbaum
• Foreign St. Petersburg
• Restaurants & Bars
• Accommodation Guide
• St. Petersburg Hotels
• Serviced Apartments
• Bed and Breakfasts
• Private & Group Transfers
• Airport Transfers
• Concierge Service
• Russian Visa Guide
• Request Visa Support
• Walking Tours
• River Entertainment
• Public Transportation
• Travel Cards
• Essential Shopping Selection
• Business Directory
• Photo Gallery
• Video Gallery
• 360° Panoramas
• Moscow Hotels
• Moscow.Info
• Top 20 Attractions

Top 20 St. Petersburg attractions and experiences

St. Petersburg has a true wealth of attractions and experiences to offer travelers, from spectacular Imperial palaces to quirky and absorbing museums, from boat trips along the city's majestic rivers and canals to walks in the footsteps of St. Petersburg's literary and artistic greats.

In fact, there's more than enough to see and do in St. Petersburg to keep visitors entertained for weeks or even months. One of the biggest challenges for independent travelers is to work out what they will actually have time to fit in to their itinerary, particularly as St. Petersburg is one of Europe's largest cities, with the historical centre alone covering several square kilometers and some of the most famous attractions located far out in the suburbs. To help you get the most out of your time in St. Petersburg, our travel writers have drawn on their own expertise and years of feedback from travelers to compile this Top 20 list of attractions and experiences.

The Hermitage (The Winter Palace)

Undoubtedly St. Petersburg's most famous visitor attraction, and universally acknowledged as one of the world's greatest treasuries of art and antiquities, the Hermitage is a name to be conjured with, and reason enough on its own for many travelers to book a trip to St. Petersburg.

The Hermitage Museum now spans several sites, but for most visitors it is the main collection in the Winter Palace that is an essential component of any St. Petersburg itinerary. Here you'll find not only centuries of European fine art and a rich collection of Greek and Roman antiquities , but also the astonishingly opulent 18th and 19th century state rooms of Russia's imperial family.

Since the summer of 2014, much of the Hermitage's renowned collection of impressionist and post-impressionist art (in terms of artistic quality, undoubtedly the highpoint of the collection) has been transferred across Palace Square to the General Staff Building , so if your main reason for visiting the Hermitage is to see the art, then you have to consider making time for the second location, possibly with a break for refreshments between the two.

Optimal: One day for the Winter Palace and General Staff Building collections.

Minimum: Two hours

Further reading

Explore the Hermitage: An introduction to St. Petersburg's greatest museum.

The Mariinsky Theatre

St. Petersburg's other internationally renowned cultural institution, and for some visitors an even greater draw than the Hermitage, the Mariinsky Theatre has profited in recent years from the financial and creative turmoils of Moscow's Bolshoi to become the undisputed preeminent musical theatre in modern Russia.

Renowned for the impeccable discipline and devotion to tradition of its ballet company, and blessed in Valery Gergiev with one of contemporary classical music's most exciting and exacting conductors, as well as international stars of ballet and opera including Ulyana Lopatkina, Diana Vishneva and Anna Netrebko, the Mariinsky Theatre is a world-class venue for ballet, opera and orchestral music.

Recent years have seen the Mariinsky spread beyond its historic home, the wedding-cake late-19th century opera house on Teatralnaya Ploshchad ("Theatre Square"), with the addition in 2006 of the Mariinsky Concert Hall, and in 2013 the long-awaited opening of the second opera and ballet stage, Mariinsky II. While most visitors will want to enjoy the rich atmosphere and ornate interiors of the main theatre, both new venues are beautifully designed inside, with state-of-the-art acoustics and stage technology, making them well worth exploring for music enthusiasts.

Optimal: As many performances as time and your budget will allow.

Minimum: At least one evening performance at the Mariinsky should be an essential component of any Petersburg itinerary.

Rivers and canals of St. Petersburg by boat

If you're visiting St. Petersburg from May to October, there are a number of ways to explore the city by boat, from taking the hydrofoil to the suburban palace and park at Peterhof to enjoying dinner and live jazz on an evening cruise along the Neva. When the weather's good, visitors should really take any opportunity to get out on the water, but even the shortest visit to St. Petersburg in summer should include one boat trip along the city's central rivers and canals.

There is a wide range of different offers available at the various quays on or near Nevsky Prospekt, with larger boats offering guided tours (some in English) and on-board refreshments, and smaller boats that you can rent by the hour, choose your own route, and bring your own food and drink. All routes through the centre take in some portion of the Fontanka and Moyka Rivers and the Griboedov and Kryukov Canals. Some also head out onto the River Neva, while around midnight most of the boats in the city offer the chance to watch the opening of the Neva's bascule bridges from the water. Whatever route you end up taking, a boat trip is a fantastic way to see St. Petersburg from a different angle, and perhaps the best possible means of getting an impression of the sheer scope of the city's architectural beauty and romance.

Optimal: If you're in the city for more than a few days, it's definitely worth taking two trips - one sightseeing tour through the centre and one to watch the bridges opening .

Minimum: A basic sightseeing tour along the rivers and canals of the centre will take just over an hour.

When it comes to visitor attractions, St. Petersburg is as famous for the Imperial palaces and parks in the suburbs as for the museums and palaces in the city centre. Among the former, Peterhof is the one we would class as absolutely unmissbale, especially in summer when the park's incredible collection of fountains is in operation.

It took Peter the Great over a decade and a few false starts before he found the right site for his summer residence. Modelled partly on Versailles, but with many features that reflected Peter's specific tastes and interests, the park was expanded under Peter's daughter, Empress Elizabeth, to greatly surpass its French antecedent in scope and grandeur. While the Grand Palace at Peterhof is less spectacular than the Catherine Palace at Tsarskoye Selo, Peterhof excels in the diversity and range of its attractions, from the charming baroque buildings of the Petrine era to the extraordinary gilded extravagance of the Grand Cascade to the catalog of gardening styles encompassed in the Upper and Lower Parks to the ever-growing number of museums housed in the various buildings on the estate.

Optimal: There is plenty at Peterhof to keep you occupied for a whole day, and the Lower Park is a great place to picnic in the summer.

Minimum: As the journey from the city centre takes at least 45 minutes, half a day is the minimum time necessary to visit Peterhof even for the briefest overview.

St. Isaac's Cathedral & Colonnade

The low-rise skyline of St. Petersburg's historic centre is dominated by the grand gold dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral, the life's work of French architect Auguste de Montferrand and the city's largest and most spectacular religious building.

Completed in 1858, St. Isaac's took over forty years to build and decorate. Its strictly European Empire-style facades and colonnades are made unique by the employment of red Karelian granite, while the interiors also meld Orthodox tradition with Catholic influence and extraordinary extravagance in the choice of materials. Different types of semiprecious stone from all over Russia form the interior walls and columns, while an abundance of original art and sculpture goes only a little way to filling the vast hall of the cathedral, designed to accommodate 14 000 standing worshipers. As well as visiting the Cathedral interiors, travelers can buy an extra ticket to climb the 300 steps up to the colonnade. From here, you can enjoy some of the best views of St. Petersburg available.

Optimal: A tour of the cathedral and colonnade should take around two hours. It's certainly worth getting an audio guide for the cathedral, and possibly for the colonnade if you are entirely unfamiliar with the lay-out of the city.

Minimum: While visiting the cathedral interiors is hardly essential if you have limited time to explore the city, the colonnade is just about the only accessible place in St. Petersburg where you can enjoy something like aerial views of the downtown, so it's well worth taking half an hour to visit.

The Peter & Paul Fortress

The place where the city of St. Petersburg began, the Peter and Paul Fortress never actually saw military action, but has fulfilled a variety of functions over its three-century history, from burial place for nearly all of the Romanov Emperors and Empresses to notorious political prison to the site of key experiments in the development of Soviet rocket technology. All of these aspects of the fortresses history are celebrated in diverse exhibitions across various buildings, and it is the ramshackle charms of these various museums and collections as much as the grandeur of the spectacular Ss. Petersburg and Paul Cathedral that make the fortress an essential visitor attraction.

Optimal: It's possible to spend the best part of a full day at the Peter and Paul Fortress, and if possible you should definitely take the time (around five hours) to visit the Peter and Paul Cathedral, explore the displays on the History of St. Petersburg in the Commandant's House and at the Museum of Cosmonautics and Rocket Techonolgy, and walk along the top of the curtain wall.

Minimum: If you're short of time, it's probably enough to pop inside the Cathedral and walk the ramparts (just over an hour).

Church of Our Saviour on Spilled Blood

While it lacks the authentic medieval charm of St. Basil's in Moscow, the Church on Spilled Blood is nonetheless one of St. Petersburg's most instantly recognizable landmarks, its riotously colorful Russian Revival architecture making a stark contrast to the elegant neoclassicism of the State Russian Museum next door. This is part of the church's charm, in that it serves to constantly remind the visitor to St. Petersburg that, despite the Italianate elegance of most of the "Golden Triangle", you are still definitely in Russia. It's extraordinary also that a monument to mark such a tragic event (the assassination of Alexander II) should be so exuberantly colorful.

Optimal: As gaudy and colorful on the inside as on the outside, the Church on Spilled Blood is worth going inside if you have time to listen through an audio guide with the story of the church's construction (just over an hour in total).

Minimum: If you're on a whistlestop tour, there's no need to set aside time for the Church on Spilled Blood, as you're bound to pass it more than once in even the shortest exploration of St. Petersburg.

Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin)

Home to not one but two vast 18th century palaces, surrounded by beautifully landscaped parkland with a rich variety of follies and monuments, Tsarskoye Selo is a testament to the immense wealth and lavishness of the Romanov Imperial family. The rococo Catherine Palace by Bartolomeo Rastrelli, a sister building to his Winter Palace in the city centre, is the most famous attraction, particularly thanks to the extraordinary Amber Room, but there are many other highlights to see, with almost every great St. Petersburg architect of the 18th and early-19th centuries contributing something to the ensemble.

Optimal: Like Peterhof, Tsarskoye Selo is best enjoyed at a leisurely pace over a full day, with a break for a picnic in the park or lunch at one of Pushkin's restaurants.

Minimum: There's no point in visiting Tsarskoye Selo unless have a full morning or afternoon free. It's all worth considering combining Tsarskoye Selo with the palace and park at Pavlovsk a few kilometers east. This also gives you the opportunity to dine at the excellent Podvorye restaurant.

Opening bridges

The Neva River connects Lake Ladoga to the Baltic Sea, and during the summer navigation season tens of cargo ships per day follow this important route, making it necessary to open the bascule bridges across the Neva in central St. Petersburg. This is done after midnight, and during the White Nights especially it has long been a tradition for crowds to gather along the embankments to watch the raising of the bridges. The raised arches of Palace Bridge make for one of St. Petersburg's most famous views, but its as much the atmosphere of lazy revelry and contentment inspired by the eternal twilight that makes this such an unmissable St. Petersburg experience.

Optimal: If you have the opportunity, then it's worth taking a midnight boat trip out to watch each bridge rise from the water.

Minimum: It is only really Palace Bridge and Trinity Bridge that gather big crowds, and they are undoubtedly the most beautiful. To watch the two adjacent bridges rising and walk the kilometer along the river between the two is a pleasant way to spend an hour before bed.

Nevsky Prospekt

"There's nothing finer than Nevsky Prospekt, at least not in St. Petersburg." So begins Nikolay Gogol's famous tale of St. Petersburg's central avenue. While that story may end in disillusion and despair, there's little doubt that Nevsky is one of the world's greatest streets. Running 4.5 kilometers from the Admiralty in the west to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in the east, Nevsky Prospekt has a hardly single building dating from after 1917. Highlights include the magnificent Art Nouveau Singer Building , the baroque Stroganov Palace , Kazan Cathedral with its curved neoclassical colonnade, the Horse Tamers statues on Anichkov Bridge , and the 18th century shopping arcade Gostiny Dvor .

Nowadays, St. Petersburg's most exclusive shopping area is actually the eastern end of Nevsky, beyond Ploshchad Vosstaniya. As well as landmark buildings and up-market boutiques, however, Nevsky Prospekt also offers an electric atmosphere and energy. Especially in summer, Nevsky is bustling no what the hour, and an increasing number of bars and cafes without outdoor seating give you a better opportunity to enjoy the avenue's living theatre.

Optimal: It will take at least two hours to walk the full length of Nevsky Prospekt, allowing for brief contemplation of the major sights and attractions.

Minimum: The most famous landmarks on Nevsky are nearly all in the stretch that runs through St. Petersburg's "Golden Triangle" from the Fontanka River to the Admiralty. This section of the avenue can be explored in around 30 minutes.

Bronze Horseman

St. Petersburg's most famous public monument, this equestrian statue to Peter the Great is not only one of the most instantly recognizable symbols of St. Petersburg - like the Statue of Liberty for New York or the Eiffel Tower for Paris - it is also the subject of one of the greatest poems in the Russian language, Alexander Pushkin's The Bronze Horseman: A Petersburg Tale . Completed in 1782, the statue took 12 years of work by the French sculptor Étienne Maurice Falconet, recommended to Catherine the Great by Denis Diderot himself. The pedestal of the monument, the "Thunder Stone", is purportedly the largest ever moved by man.

The Bronze Horseman is easily combined with a visit to St. Isaac's Cathedral, so does not require a specific time on your itinerary.

State Russian Museum

While the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow is undoubtedly the finest collection of Russian art in the world thanks to its beautiful premises and rich collection of 20th century work, it is matched up to the October Revolution almost painting for painting by the State Russian Museum. Occupying the magnificent Mikhailovsky Palace, the Russian Museum's main collection is a treasury of Russian visual from throughout the ages, with highlights including medieval icons, atmospheric late-19th century genre paintings, and several modernist masterpieces.

Optimal: The main collection in the Mikhailovsky Palace will take 2-3 hours to do justice to, and it's also worth visiting the collections in the Marble Palace both to see this beautiful building and for the Peter Ludwig collection of international Pop Art.

Minimum: While the Russian Museum is definitely one of St. Petersburg's top visitor attractions, if you are on a first-time trip to Russia and visiting Moscow as well, it makes sense to choose either the Russian Museum or the Tretyakov Gallery, as the two have very similar content right down to different variations of the same work in some cases.

Dostoevsky's St. Petersburg

While nearly every great figure of Russian literature spent some time in St. Petersburg, and many wrote works with St. Petersburg as their setting, none is so inextricably linked with the geography and atmosphere of the city as Fyodor Dostoevsky. For many travelers, it is reading his works that sparks an initial desire to visit St. Petersburg, even though his descriptions often make the city monstrous and forbidding. As St. Petersburg's historic centre has been comparatively untouched by change in the 20th century, much of Dostoevsky's Petersburg is still there to explore, and the areas around Sennaya Ploshchad and Vladimirskaya Ploshchad are rich in sights connected to his life and works.

Optimal: Our Dostoevsky walking tour takes 3.5 hours, including a visit to the Dostoevsky Memorial Museum .

Minimum: To get an idea of where Dostoevsky lived, you can just visit the museum and the adjacent Church of the Vladimir Icon , as well as the Monument to Fyodor Dostoevsky , in about an hour.

A small promontory of land at the eastern end of Vasilevskiy Island , the Strelka ("Spit") is right in the middle of the Neva River Delta, with magnificent views on all sides, including the Winter Palace , Palace and Trinity Bridges , the Peter and Paul Fortress and St. Isaac's Cathedral . A perennially popular site for wedding parties and bus tours to stop and take photos, the Strelka also has landmarks of its own, specifically the magnificent Rostral Columns , with their gas beacons lit for public holidays and maritime anniversaries, and the elegant classical temple of the St. Petersburg Stock Exchange , all works of the French-born architect Thomas de Thomon.

The Strelka is an integral part of any exploration of Vasilevskiy Island, and does not require separate time on your itinerary.

Pushkinskaya 10

Established in 1989 as a squat for independent artists, alternative musicians, and other "underground" types, Pushkinskaya 10 is an arts and performance centre in an old apartment building a short walk from Nevsky Prospekt. A warren of studios and exhibition space haphazardly linked together as the Museum of Non-Comformist Art , Pushkinskaya 10 can be somewhat bewildering for visitors, and much of the space is often inexplicably closed (the two bars, both of which are also concert venues, are by far the most accessible parts of the complex), but it's well worth visiting for the increasingly rare chance to get a glimpse of the old Leningrad bohemia and its once revered dissident art scene.

Optimal: The best way to visit Pushkinskaya 10 is to come in the early evening and hope that the galleries are open, before heading to one of the two music venues for a concert.

Minimum: A 15-minute visit should suffice to get an overall impression of the center's atmosphere.

Carlo Rossi's Petersburg

Practically unknown outside Russia, this Italian-born architect was the major creative force behind great swathes of central St. Petersburg, particularly the city's grand formal squares, with their Empire-style columned facades and trademark yellow-and-white plasterwork. His most famous buildings include the General Staff Building on Palace Square, the Alexandrinsky Theatre , the Senate and Synod Building , and the Mikhailovsky Palace (the State Russian Museum ). In the "Golden Triangle" of St. Petersburg's historic centre, moreover, it's hard to take more than a few steps without finding more of Rossi's work.

Optimal: Our walking tour of Rossi's most famous buildings takes around 2.5 hours.

Minimum: You'll see Rossi's work when you visit the Hermitage, the State Russian Museum, the Bronze Horseman, and just about anywhere you walk in central St. Petersburg.

Kunstkammer (Museum of Anthropology and Ethnology)

The city's oldest museum, the Kunstkammer was founded in 1718 by Peter the Great himself, and is primarily of interest as a monument to the remarkable endeavours and enthusiasms of St. Petersburg's extraordinary founder. Housed in an elegant baroque building on Vasilevskiy Island, the museum has a rather pedestrian collection of ethnographic exhibits, and most visitors are drawn rather to Peter's own fascination, the huge number of deformed fetuses preserved in jars and other freaks of nature. Slightly less sensational but also of interest are the displays devoted to the great Russian polymath Mikhail Lomonosov.

A visit to the Kunstkammer will take around 1.5 hours.

Ploshchad Pobedy and Moskovsky Prospekt

St. Petersburg's historic centre is renowned for having undergone little architectural change during the 20th century. In fact, the Soviet authorities were inclined to abandon the centre, redolent of the imperial past, and develop a new city to the south, along Moskovsky Prospekt . Most visitors only see this part of town on their way to and from Pulkovo Airport, but its worth exploring for several fantastic examples of Stalin-era architecture, including the monumental House of Soviets , as well as the memorials to the Great Patriotic War in Park Pobedy ("Victory Park") and on Ploshchad Pobedy ("Victory Square"). The latter is home to a magnificent panoramic monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad , which has a museum detailing the defense of the city beneath it.

Optimal: It is worth spending a couple of hours exploring Moskovsky Prospekt southwards from Park Pobedy Metro Station, as well as taking a tour of the museum beneath the Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad.

Minimum: If you're short of time, there's not reason to make an extra trip out to Moskovsky Prospekt as you'll be able to see the highlights on the way to/from the airport.

Mikhailovsky Theatre

While there's no questioning the Mariinsky Theatre's position as St. Petersburg's leading venue for opera and ballet performances, it is worth paying attention to this second historic theatre on Ploshchad Iskusstv, not only because of the last decade's largely successful financial and artistic renaissance, which has seen the Mikhailovsky engage top foreign talent and gain an international reputation, but also because it can often be a more affordable and accessible way to see ballet in St. Petersburg. This is especially true when tickets at the Mariinsky are scarce during the White Nights Festival.

Ballet enthusiasts should definitely consider taking in a show at the Mikhailovsky as an addition to, rather than a replacement for, performances at the Mariinsky.

Yelagin Island

Accessible from the city centre in around 20 minutes by metro, Yelagin Island (also known by its Soviet-era name as the "Kirov Central Park of Culture and Leisure") rarely finds a place on tourist itineraries. It really should be more popular, however, offering not only a (comparatively) small but very elegant Imperial palace by Carlo Rossi, but also attractive parkland, a boating lake in summer and outdoor skating in winter, and the surprisingly avant-garde wonders of the Museum of Glass Art . The lack of cars on the island and the small entrance fee make it a secluded a tranquil spot, and its probably the best of the green spaces within the city if you're looking for somewhere to enjoy a relaxing walk.

Yelagin is a great place to while away a summer afternoon, and also has a fairly active calendar of cultural events in the warmer months, including a couple of music festivals.

We can help you make the right choice from hundreds of St. Petersburg hotels and hostels.

Live like a local in self-catering apartments at convenient locations in St. Petersburg.

Comprehensive solutions for those who relocate to St. Petersburg to live, work or study.

Maximize your time in St. Petersburg with tours expertly tailored to your interests.

Get around in comfort with a chauffeured car or van to suit your budget and requirements.

Book a comfortable, well-maintained bus or a van with professional driver for your group.

Navigate St. Petersburg’s dining scene and find restaurants to remember.

Need tickets for the Mariinsky, the Hermitage, a football game or any event? We can help.

Get our help and advice choosing services and options to plan a prefect train journey.

Let our meeting and events experts help you organize a superb event in St. Petersburg.

We can find you a suitable interpreter for your negotiations, research or other needs.

Get translations for all purposes from recommended professional translators.

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our pages. Find out more on how we use cookies in our privacy policy .

Extra Streetwise

Price of a cup of coffee

Ranging from € 1.50 to € 4

Not required. Still if you decide to tip, it is common to leave 10% of the bill.

Experiencing Saint Petersburg for free

Saint Petersburg offers great options for any kind of traveller. Many of the greatest places can be visited completely for free. Our guide how to see Saint Petersburg for free shares local tips on how to truly experience the city on the Neva without spending a single euro.

The tap water in Russia is not drinkable. Bottled water is cheap and widely available.

Alcohol in supermarkets

After 22h, it is not allowed to sell alcohol in supermarkets. Fortunately, there are many great cafés, often open till late.  

Public transport

You can find all means of transport in St Petersburg: buses, trolley buses, tramways and metro. All of them start at 5:30h and work until 00:00h. Find here the working schedule of the metro. It is also very useful to download the Yandex Metro app to get up-to-date information, all the metro lines, the arrival times, and your shortest route.

In buses you can simply enter and pay the conductor directly with cash, in the metro you can buy coins at one of the machines or at the ticket windows inside the stations.

Podorozhnik card

A better option could be to buy a special transport card called Podorozhnik at one of the ticket windows, the price of the card is around € 1. This card can be charged with money. When using the card, one metro ride costs around € 0.50.  

From Pulkovo Airport (LED) to Saint Petersburg

After you receive your baggage and leave the airport, you will find a bus stop of bus number 39, the only bus that goes to the airport. It will take you to the nearest metro station Moskovskaya. After you can use the metro to the station that is near your place of staying.

The best option is to use a taxi app, like Yandex or Gett. There is also an official taxi desk in the room where you receive your baggage. Don't pay attention to the drivers offering their service outside the gate: these taxis are not official and the price will be high.

Find more information about Pulkovo Airport on the official website .

From Saint Petersburg to Moscow

The most comfortable way to get to the capital of Russia is the Sapsan high-speed train, taking less than 4 hours to the centre of Moscow. Trains leave from Moskovskaya railway station. There are also overnight trains, which are slower but cheaper. For tickets, we recommend to use the official page of the Russian Railways .

Get a sneak preview of a ride on the Sapsan with our article High-speed from Moscow to Saint Petersburg with the Sapsan .  

Events in Saint Petersburg

Victory day.

Victory Day is celebrated in the entire country on 9 May, commemorating how the Red Army and the Soviet people defeated Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. The day starts with an impressive military parade over Nevsky Prospect , and is ended with a Salute near the walls of Peter and Paul Fortress .

The City Day

Peter the Great founded the city on 27 May 1703, and named it after the apostle Saint Peter . The date of birth of St Petersburg is connected with the establishment of Peter and Paul Fortress, as the first building of the city. Nowadays the day of 27 May is traditionally celebrated by a carnival parade on Nevsky Prospect (during this day free from traffic), a water show and fireworks.

Scarlet Sails festival

Scarlet Sails is the biggest festival for school graduates in the world, with concerts and marvelous fireworks all night long. The festival is held every year in the last week of June.

Why is this festival called 'Scarlet Sails'? On this day the boat with scarlet sails reaches the Winter Palace after navigating down the Neva river, representing the end of childhood and the beginning of maturity – just like in the 1922 book Scarlet Sails by Alexander Grin .

The Navy Day

The Navy Day is celebrated annually, on the last Sunday of July. During the day you can visit warships that are moored on the Neva River .

New Year and Christmas fairs

From the second half of December, St Petersburg gets ready to celebrate one of the most popular holidays of the country. Please note that Orthodox Christmas is celebrated much later, so the streets are usually not decorated before 20 December. On NYE, the beautiful Nevsky Prospect is reserved for pedestrians only, and Palace Square is the place to see the biggest and most popular concert and fireworks.  

Local pages

Russia without banya is hard to imagine. If you want to feel the real Russian spirit and relax, there are several good options.

Yamskie bathhouse is among Saint Petersburg’s most historic and popular places (find it at Ulitsa Dostoevskogo 9 – get directions ).

Mytninskie Bani (Ru) was among the first public bathhouses in St Petersburg (find it at Ulitsa Mytninskaya 17-19 – get directions ).

Degtyarnye bathhouse first opened half a century ago and since then has become one of the most prominent venues for weekend leisure (find it at Degtyarnaya Ulitsa 1 – get directions ).

We can suggest two bus tours which offer a good introduction to Saint Petersburg and its history: City Sightseeing and City Tour .

Canal cruise

As a historical city full of rivers, canals and islands, St Petersburg is also known as Venice of the North. Canal cruises offer a different and interesting way of seeing a city. Among the many tours that are being offered, we can recommend Astra Marine Company .

Drawbridges

If you've never heard about this attraction in St Petersburg: now is the time! The city is well known for being on a very interesting geographical position that allows people to admire the so-called ' white nights '. And white nights in St Petersburg isn't only about magical evenings full of light, but you will also see that all the drawbridges are being raised (which may complicate transport between the islands in the evening!). So imagine, white nights, raised drawbridges – true romance! Look here to see at what times the particular drawbridges are expected to be raised.

Loft project Etagi

Loft project Etagi (Ru) is a creative space on the territory of a former bakery. It is a place of exhibition halls and galleries, accompanied by a huge terrace, a retro-bar 'Sever', a café 'Green Room' and even a hostel. Get directions .

Taxi apps like Gett and Yandex.Taxi work very well in Saint Petersburg.

Tourist office

Tourist offices can be found across the city centre as well as at the airport and seaport. They are happy to provide you with lots of information in various languages. More information can be found on their official website .

For searching and booking train tickets in Russia, we recommend to use the official page of the Russian Railways .

Udelny flea market

The largest flea market of St Petersburg is located at the metro station Udelnaya and best known by local name 'Udelka'. It can offer you rare Soviet vintage items, vinyl, jewelry, and much more. Open in weekends from 9h till 19h. Get directions .

Vodka museum

When people hear 'Russia' they hear 'vodka'. But do you really know everything about it? Welcome to the first museum dedicated exclusively to the most famous liquor: Vodka! See their website for more info. Get directions .

Walking tour

If you have only short time to explore the wonderful Saint Petersburg, consider going for our free 3-hour walk , during which you will get acquainted with the most colorful, gorgeous and unforgettable places in the heart of the city.  

Getting to Catherine Palace

To get to this magnificent palace, you can use either the train or a commercial bus.

The train departs from Vitebsky railway station, near metro Pushkinskaya. You will need to take the train to Tsarskoe Selo (name of your stop), a ride which usually takes around 20 minutes.

Buses depart near metro Moskovskaya. Bus numbers 286, 287, 342, 347 and 545 take you to the palace in approximately 40 minutes, depending on the traffic.  

Getting to Kronstadt

To get to Kronstadt (on the island Kotlin) you can use either the bus or a hydrofoil boat.

Bus 101 leaves for Kronstadt from metro station Staraya Derevnya (the stop is in front of the entrance of the metro station). Alternatively, you can also use minibus 405 from metro station Chyornaya Rechka (the stop is located on Savushkina Street). The trip takes about 40 minutes, and with both means of transport you need to get off on the last stop.

To take the hydrofoil, you need to go to the 'Pier with Lions' on the Dvortsovaya embankment in front of the Admiralty building – get directions . There you will find a ticket office. Hydrofoils work from April till October. The travel time is about 30 minutes.

© 2016 - Streetwise World B.V. All rights reserved

Other destinations

Russia's second metropolis, the Saint Petersburg area is one of the world's richest in terms of sights for the visitor. Besides the city itself, the three suburbs, Pushkin , Pavlovsk , and Peterhof are home to three of the world's most spectacularly opulent palaces, former country residences of the Tsars ( Lomonosov is home to a less opulent, but also pleasantly less-touristed palace of its own). Pushkin is also rich in literary history, being the site of Pushkin's (the poet) schooling. The island city and naval base Kronstadt makes an interesting day trip from Saint Petersburg as it is home to an impressive and newly restored Naval Cathedral and was closed to all foreign travelers until the late 90's.

English is spoken by very few people in the city of Saint Petersburg, and just a limited number of people are able to understand English language although they say that they know it. For independent travel it will be necessary to have a basic knowledge of Cyrillic alphabet and a basic vocabulary from your language to Russian.

• Has custom banner
• Has mapframe
• Has map markers
• Outline regions
• Outline articles
• Region articles
• Leningrad Oblast
• All destination articles
• Has Geo parameter
• Articles Geo different to Wikidata
• Pages using the Kartographer extension

Navigation menu

Saint Petersburg tourist map

You may download, print or use the above map for educational, personal and non-commercial purposes. Attribution is required. For any website, blog, scientific research or e-book, you must place a hyperlink (to this page) with an attribution next to the image used.

Maps of Russia

• Russia Maps
• Map of Crimea

Cities of Russia

• Saint Petersburg
• North America Map
• South America Map
• Oceania Map

Popular Maps

• Australia Map
• Germany Map
• Singapore Map
• United Arab Emirates Map
• United Kingdom Map
• United States Map
• New York City Map
• Los Angeles Map

U.S. States

• California Map
• Colorado Map
• Florida Map
• Georgia Map
• Illinois Map
• New York Map
• North Carolina Map
• Virginia Map

• Restaurants
• Attractions
• Real Estate
• Neighborhoods

Visitor Information in St. Petersburg

For visitors from out of town, the city and its major attractions are all staffed with knowledgeable and helpful workers that can provide the latest and most curate information. St. Petersburg visitor information centers can be found at all major airports, metro stations, shopping malls, museums, and galleries, as well as at local community centers like libraries and schools. Many of these centers also sell tickets to major events being held in the area and can provide recommendations on where to go for sightseeing, dining, and entertainment.

• Spring is Coming! (Sponsored)
• Best Hotels for a Romantic Weekend in St. Petersburg
• Best Public Golf Courses in St. Petersburg
• St Petersburg Airport: Tips For A Faster Trip
• Destination Weddings in St. Petersburg, Florida

Restaurants / Nightlife / Events / Attractions / Hotels / Real Estate / Jobs / Directory / Neighborhoods / Other City Guides

Add Your Business

List Your Event

Places to Stay

© 2024 StPetersburg.com: A City Guide by Boulevards . All Rights Reserved. Advertise with us | Contact us | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Site Map

Europe Chevron

Russia Chevron

St. Petersburg Chevron

A Local’s Guide to St. Petersburg, Russia

Kristina Avdeeva is not just a great travel photographer. She is also a person who, along with her partner, Niko Tsarev, shares her love for the sea and sailing in a project called Sea Soul Diary . Together they travel the world in search of pristine waters and unique sailboats and, above all, dive into the local culture, making every journey a learning experience.

This interview is part of The World Made Local , a global collaboration between the seven international editions of Condé Nast Traveler in which 100 people in 100 countries tell us why their home turf should be your next destination.

Tell us about your connection to Russia.

Russia is a country with a harsh climate, but with a warm heart. My ancestors were born here; my relatives live here. St. Petersburg has become my second hometown after Moscow; here I found my love. Its proximity to the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga contributed to the formation of a huge number of rivers and canals. This is precisely why St. Petersburg was nicknamed “the Venice of the North.” For me, it is one of the most romantic cities on the planet.

If a friend was visiting for just 24 hours, what would you tell them to do?

Petersburg is beautiful from May to September. It is even better in June, when the nights are short and bright. During the day, you should definitely take a walk along the embankments along the canals toward the Neva, visit the Summer Garden, and in the evening you should jump into a boat, consolidate what you saw during the day now from the water, and see the main magic—the opening of bridges under the sunset sky.

Any hotels and restaurants you could recommend?

St. Petersburg is the gastronomic capital of Russia. Due to high competition, almost every restaurant is very sensitive to service and product quality. It is worth staying in the city center at the Wynwood Hotel . You can choose a room overlooking a quiet courtyard or the embankment of the Griboyedov Canal. From there, a panoramic view of the Kazan Cathedral of the Mother of God and the building of the Singer company opens. Delicious breakfasts are available for guests on the ground floor at Jungle Cafe . And, if after a long walk you do not want to go far, then the next door in the hotel building will lead you to the Greek-Georgian restaurant Nino Cuisine . The reception will help you book a table.

Kristina Avdeeva

What should this person see and visit?

To feel the whole atmosphere of the city, do not be lazy to walk. If you leave the Wynwood Hotel and walk along Nevsky Prospect, then turn onto the Moika embankment, you will find yourself on St. Isaac's Square, where you will be enchanted by the cathedral of the same name. Bypassing it, you will find yourself on the boulevard, which will lead to the island of New Holland—an oasis of local city life with good restaurants, music venues, an open-air cinema, an artificial beach, and shops. 

The key roles of the island's gastronomic life are two restaurants of Matilda Shnurova, who was included in the rating of the best restaurateurs in the world— Cococo Bistro and Cococouture St. Petersburg . Book a table in advance; it is tight here regardless of the season. By the way, Matilda has a third restaurant for healthy-food lovers, which serves sugar-, gluten-, and lactose-free dishes. Bio My Bio is located in the SO/ Saint Petersburg hotel, which is also suitable for city life. It offers views of the Almirantazgo de San Petersburgo and the city's rooftops.

Your favorite neighborhood?

The historic Kolomna District, where we live, is one of our favorite and quiet places. It has beautiful architecture of the 19th century, a lot of greenery, bridges, and is not the most popular place among tourists. The area is bordered by the Admiralty shipyards, which were founded by Peter the Great in 1709. Many seagulls live here, and the engine of shipbuilding machines can be heard. So the sea soul of St. Petersburg makes noise.

Best time to travel to St. Petersburg?

Do not be afraid of winter; come to Peter’s city at any time of the year. Even in winter! Seeing the snow-covered Hermitage and ice drifting in the spring against the backdrop of granite embankments is a little magic that will make you fall in love with this city forever.

Follow Kristina Avdeeva on Instagram @kris_the_captain

Recommended

Lotte Hotel St. Petersburg

Hotel Astoria, A Rocco Forte Hotel

Europe Travel Guide

By signing up you agree to our User Agreement (including the class action waiver and arbitration provisions ), our Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement and to receive marketing and account-related emails from Traveller. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

St. Petersburg   Travel Guide

Courtesy of Getty Images |

Why Go To St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg stands at the geographic and cultural borders of the west and east. While the city's appearance was influenced by the intricate and ordered architecture of Western Europe, it is still infused with a vibrant and persevering Russian spirit. St. Petersburg largely owes its dualistic nature to its founder, Peter the Great, an unabashed lover of all things European. In the early 1700s, Peter commissioned the city's streets and architecture to resemble his favorite western cities.

And the results of the czar's great experiment? A grand European-style city, replete with long boulevards, narrow canals and grand public squares. It's also an epicenter of distinctly Russian culture, as the place where literature and music greats like Dostoyevsky, Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev all found their voice. Moscow might be known for its luxury and decadence, but St. Petersburg offers compromise between the expensive tastes of Russia's capital and the often-overrated (and just plain crowded) cities of Western Europe.

Find Flight and Hotel Deals

Navigate forward to interact with the calendar and select a date. Press the question mark key to get the keyboard shortcuts for changing dates.

Navigate backward to interact with the calendar and select a date. Press the question mark key to get the keyboard shortcuts for changing dates.

Best of St. Petersburg

Best hotels in st. petersburg.

• # 1 in Grand Hotel Europe
• # 2 in Hotel Astoria, a Rocco Forte Hotel
• # 3 in SO/ Saint Petersburg

Best Things to Do in St. Petersburg

• # 1 in Hermitage Museum and the Winter Palace
• # 2 in Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
• # 3 in St. Isaac's Cathedral

St. Petersburg Travel Tips

Best months to visit.

The best time to visit St. Petersburg is from mid-June to September. Although it's expensive, St. Petersburg's near 24 hours of sunshine and White Nights celebrations during the summer months are not to be missed. Summers are generally cool but pleasant, with low temperatures dropping to the 50s and highs hovering around 70 degrees, so be sure to pack accordingly. Traveling to St. Petersburg in the winter is rare; days are short, and temperatures will dip well below freezing into the teens.

Weather in St. Petersburg

Data sourced from the National Climatic Data Center

What You Need to Know

• Bring your Russian dictionary English is widely spoken in major hotels and restaurants, but you'll find very few English speakers outside the tourist districts. You'll hear Russian and see Cyrillic almost exclusively, so it's best to be familiar with the alphabet before your trip.
• Carry change for restrooms While St. Petersburg once had reputation for inadequate, ill-equipped public restrooms, the city has improved its facilities. However, use of restrooms in some public spaces, such as parks and shopping malls, may require a small payment (around 30 rubles or 50 cents).
• Breathe easy Thanks to legislation passed in 2013, bars, restaurants and public transportation are now nonsmoking spaces, making secondhand smoke less of an issue for visitors. However, public sidewalks are another story.

How to Save Money in St. Petersburg

• Invest in a St. Petersburg Card With the St. Petersburg Card , you'll enjoy free admission to more than 80 museums and tours, including the Peter and Paul Fortress , Peterhof and the Russian Museum , among others. Plus, you can use the card to pay your fare on public transportation. St. Petersburg Cards can be purchased in two-, three-, five- or seven-day increments.
• Book early Making your hotel reservations up to a year in advance – especially if you intend to visit during June's White Nights celebration – can save your wallet some pain.
• Protect your pockets As in many large cities, pickpockets are prevalent in St. Petersburg. Keep a close eye on your belongings in crowded areas, such as Nevsky Prospekt and the metro.

Culture & Customs

English is spoken in major hotels and restaurants, but you'll find mostly Russian speakers in the more local areas like the market or small inns. Some helpful Russian greetings include the informal "hello" ( priv-EYET ), the formal "hello" ( ZDRA-stvooy-te ), the informal "goodbye" ( pah-KAH ), and the formal "goodbye" ( Dah svih-DA-nee-ye ). Saying "thank you" ( Spa-SEE-ba) is always nice as well.

The ruble is the official currency of Russia. One U.S. dollar is equivalent to about 64 rubles. Plan to check the current exchange rate before your trip. While you might want cash for some purposes (purchasing metro tokens, for instance), you'll find that most restaurants, stores and hotels accept credit cards. Currency exchanges in airports generally offer less favorable rates than banks. ATMs are common in Russian cities, so your debit card might work (though you should check with your bank before you go regarding fees and exchange rates).

Tipping for service is common practice in Russia, and tips of around 15% are typical.

What to Eat

While it's true that visitors can still find classic Russian culinary staples like borscht, stroganoff, cabbage stew and caviar on menus around the city, travelers will also enjoy more contemporary dishes as well. And fortunately for visitors, food prices are more reasonable in St. Petersburg compared to Moscow .

You'll find hundreds of culinary hot spots in St. Petersburg, especially along Nevsky Prospekt, ranging from luxurious eateries to sprawling, local markets. If you're looking for an affordable snack on the go, try a Russian crepe, or blini. This Russian pancake is usually stuffed with butter, caviar or other fillings and is a treat for the adventurous foodie. You'll find it at street vendors around the city. To acquaint yourself with local produce, meats and cheeses, pay a visit to the Kuznechnyy Rynok (Kuznechny Market) a favorite among tourists for its honey vendors and plentiful souvenirs.

If you're craving a classic Russian meal, consider Literary Café on Nevsky Prospekt, which once played host to the likes of Pushkin and Dostoyevsky. For a more modern take on Russian fare, head to Hamlet + Jacks for dishes like Baltic herring and Siberian venison. And for Georgian cuisine, Phali Hinkali is a top spot thanks to its hearty dishes. If you're celebrating a special occasion, or just want to treat yourself to a memorable meal, critics and travelers suggest making a reservation at Palkin , which is known for its elegant dining room and fusion of Russian and French cuisines. Other well-reviewed eateries include Probka (Italian), Bekitzer (Israeli) and Etnos Café (Georgian).

St. Petersburg has a mixed reputation when it comes to safety, but most agree that it has improved from the chaotic time immediately following the fall of the Soviet Union. Discrimination against ethnic groups, specifically individuals of Asian or African descent, is still reportedly an issue in Russia, as is discrimination against LGBTQ individuals. Government officials warn against traveling alone at night to avoid violent confrontations.

In October 2019, the U.S. State Department issued an advisory urging increased caution in Russia because of possible terrorism and arbitrary enforcement of laws. However, these mainly applied to specific areas (such as the North Caucasus for terrorism and occupied portion of Ukraine for abuses by authorities). With respect to St. Petersburg specifically, the State Department noted possible delays in services for U.S. citizens because of reductions in diplomatic personnel. According to the State Department, you can be detained by Russian police for not having your passport with you (police in Russia do not need to show probable cause to stop, question or detain you). Plan to carry your passport with you at all times. Visit the State Department's website for more information.

When walking around, you'll also want to be very careful when crossing roads, as drivers don't always yield to pedestrians here. Use crosswalks and only cross when vehicles have come to a complete stop. Several travel sources advise tourists not to drink the tap water in St. Petersburg due to the antiquated pipes and high metal levels in the tap water. To avoid illness, only drink filtered or bottled water.

Getting Around St. Petersburg

The best way to get around St. Petersburg is by public transportation; otherwise, you can walk around Nevsky Prospekt, the main thoroughfare. There's an extensive bus and metro system with lines that run throughout the center and into the city's outskirts. The tram or trolley is best for short journeys through downtown. For trips to the suburbs, try the metro system. Rental cars are available at the Pulkovo Airport (LED), but acquiring the proper driving documents can be a hassle. Taxis are also a prevalent (though, at times, unsafe) way to move around.

From the airport, a taxi can cost anywhere from 600 to 1500 rubles (or about $9.50 to $24), depending on your destination. Taxi Pulkovo is the preferred company; you'll see Taxi Pulkovo stands in the arrivals area of the airport. However, several recent travelers have been overcharged for taxi trips between the airport and the city. Many recommended relying on smartphone apps instead to ensure a fair price.

Entry & Exit Requirements

Acquiring a visa to travel in Russia is a bit more complicated and expensive than visiting other countries. Every foreign traveler entering Russia must have a Russian-based sponsor (like a hotel, tour company, university or relative). In addition to a valid U.S. passport, you must also obtain a travel visa from a Russian embassy or consulate prior to arriving in Russia. If you plan to stay in Russia for more than seven days, you have to register your visa and migration card (the white paper document given by the border police on first entry to Russia) with the Federal Migration Service. Tourists visas start at $160 per person. You can apply for a visa up to 90 days before your intended visa start date. For more information on entry and exit requirements, visit the U.S. State Department  website .

St. Petersburg is built around a network of rivers and canals, with many of the city's top attractions located on the banks of the water.

Explore More of St. Petersburg

Things To Do

Best hotels.

You might also like

# 1 in  Best Christmas Vacations

If you make a purchase from our site, we may earn a commission. This does not affect the quality or independence of our editorial content.

Recommended

The 26 Best Beach Resorts in the World

Marisa Méndez|Erin Vasta|Rachael Hood|Catriona Kendall September 5, 2024

30 Fun Fall Weekend Getaways for 2024

Holly Johnson August 29, 2024

The 19 Best Fall Family Vacations for 2024

Amanda Norcross August 27, 2024

The 28 Best Water Parks in the U.S. for 2024

Holly Johnson|Timothy J. Forster May 8, 2024

The 18 Best Napa Valley Wineries to Visit in 2024

Lyn Mettler|Sharael Kolberg April 23, 2024

The 25 Best Beaches on the East Coast for 2024

Timothy J. Forster|Sharael Kolberg April 19, 2024

The 50 Best Hotels in the USA 2024

Christina Maggitas February 6, 2024

The 32 Most Famous Landmarks in the World

Gwen Pratesi|Timothy J. Forster February 1, 2024

9 Top All-Inclusive Resorts in Florida for 2024

Gwen Pratesi|Amanda Norcross January 5, 2024

24 Top All-Inclusive Resorts in the U.S. for 2024

Erin Evans January 4, 2024

Art & Culture Travel Blog

Explore saint petersburg in the footsteps of fyodor dostoevsky.

• Tea Gudek Šnajdar

There is a saying in Russian which claims how there are three types of people – admirers of Tolstoy’s work, admirers of Dostoevsky’s work, and admirers of them both. In this article, we will continue exploring places related to some of those famous Russian writers. Now is the turn to explore Saint Petersburg in the footsteps of Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Saint Petersburg in the footsteps of Fyodor Dostoevsky

Back by the popular demand, lovely Alexandra and Karina from Carusel Tours wrote another article for the Culture Tourist. After the history of Fabergé Eggs and places linked to Leo Tolstoy in Moscow , they prepared an interesting post that will help you explore Saint Petersburg in the footsteps of Fyodor Dostoevsky.

We will leave old and charming Moscow of Tolstoy behind and stroll through the poor districts and tiny dark lanes of Saint Petersburg of Dostoevsky.

Fyodor Dostoevsky in Saint Petersburg

Fyodor Dostoevsky was born and bred in Moscow, but he spent most of his productive life in Saint Petersburg. Dostoevsky was never fond of it. But, the city became an inexhaustible source of stories and characters for his works.

If you read some of Dostoevsky’s novels, you already have the portrait of the city drawn by him in your imagination.

An incredible number of houses and squares in Saint Petersburg are linked to Dostoevsky. He moved from one shabby apartment to another almost thirty times during his life there. This is not to mention other important locations that could help you to explore Saint Petersburg in the footsteps of Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Most of them are corner apartments in ordinary residential houses of the city. Saint Petersburg of that time was very different from Moscow, where many people still lived in one or two–story mansions, and they could afford to rent out small buildings, as Leo Tolstoy did. In Saint Petersburg, only wealthy and noble families could live in a separate building.

⤷ Read more: Saint Petersburg Travel Guide

Places linked to Dostoevsky in Saint Petersburg

In this post, we will not be listing all the houses where Dostoevsky lived in Saint Petersburg. We will focus on the most important locations linked to Dostoevsky in Saint Petersburg instead. And give you some advice on how to explore Saint Petersburg in the footsteps of Fyodor Dostoevsky.

⤷ Click here to see the map with Dostoevsky locations in Saint Petersburg

Stop 1 – St. Michael’s Castle

* Address : 2 Sadovaya Street 

Fyodor Dostoevsky moved to Saint Petersburg from Moscow when he was sixteen. He came to study in the Engineering School that at that time was located in the beautiful St. Michael’s Castle. Therefore, the other name of this castle that you may often hear among locals is Engineering Castle.

Dostoevsky came together with his beloved brother Michael, who also studied in the Engineering School. Michael, just like Fyodor, devoted his life to literature and lived in Saint Petersburg the rest of his life.

Dostoevsky’s favourite place in the castle was the corner room by the window overlooking the Panteleimon Bridge. From that moment and until the end of his life, he preferred corner apartments.

Some people believe that Dostoevsky rented almost exclusively corner apartments because they were less expensive as they required more firewood to keep them warm in the cold season.

However, we disagree with that! We are sure that this was not the main reason.

From a window of a corner apartment, one has a wonderful view of what is happening on the nearby streets, and that is what, in our opinion, attracted Dostoevsky. He must have overseen many prototypes of his future characters through these windows.

After Dostoevsky graduated from St. Michael’s Castle, and before his exile to Siberia for political views, he changed several rooms and apartments in various parts of the city. The Haymarket area turned out to be the most inspiring for him – there he wrote White Nights , Netochka Nezvanova and A Christmas Tree and a Wedding .

And he became a well-known writer.

Stop 2 – Wolf & Beranget Patisserie

* Address : 18 Nevsky Avenue, on the corner with Moika River 

This was the best patisserie in the city at the time of Pushkin and Dostoevsky, frequented by many writers.

Here Fyodor Dostoevsky met Mikhail Petrashevsky, who was pioneering the ideas of utopian socialism. It was this acquaintance that nearly cost Dostoevsky his life.

Dostoevsky got carried away by the ideas promoted by Petrashevsky and his secret circle. When the emperor found out about this revolutionary movement, he ordered to imprison all the participants of the circle, and subsequently to execute their leaders.

This café still exists today. It is now known as the Literary Café, but it may as well be called the Evil Café.

It was the last place that Alexander Pushkin, the everything of Russian literature, visited on the morning before his fatal duel.

Nine years later, Fyodor Dostoevsky met here Petrashevsky. And in 1893, Pyotr Tchaikovsky got infected with cholera after he drank unboiled water at a dinner in this restaurant. He died of cholera a few days later. Do you still want to visit it?

Stop 3 – Peter and Paul Fortress

* Address : Peter and Paul Fortress

Dostoevsky and other members of Petrashevsky Circle were imprisoned into single cells of the prison at Peter and Paul Fortress. There he spent half a year and wrote the short story, Small Hero . By that time, he got deeply disappointed by his previous political views. Just before the Christmas of 1849, Dostoevsky and five other members of Petrashevsky Circle, including Petrashevsky himself, were sentenced to death by firing squad.

⤷ Read my guide about visiting Hermitage Museum at Saint Petersburg here

Stop 4 – Mock Execution at Semyonov Place

* Address : Nowadays Pionerskaya Square, at the intersection of Gorokhovaya Street and Zagorodny Avenue

Semyonov Place was a square for public executions at the imperial time. It was renamed into Pioneer Square by the Bolsheviks because, at the far end of it, the Theatre for Young Audience was inaugurated. And it’s still functioning today.

You will see a monument to A. Griboedov, another Russian writer, at the square. He was not sentenced to death by the Russian Imperial government. However, his fate is no less tragic than that of Dostoevsky. His monument was created in the Soviet time and put there just to fill in the space at the square.

Just a minute before the execution was about to happen, an urgent message from the emperor arrived. In it, Nicholas I granted mercy to all convicted and ordered to change the execution on katorga works in Siberia.

This pardon was actually agreed upon the day before, but on a condition that it should be announced in the last minute only.

During the Mock Execution, one of the convicted had lost his mind. And, of course, it left a huge impact on Dostoevsky. He later described the terrifying experience of expecting the execution in his famous novel Idiot .

Return from Siberia

In 1859, during the reign of liberal emperor Alexander II, Dostoevsky was permitted to return to Saint Petersburg. With the help of his brother Michael, who was a literary journal editor, some of Dostoevsky’s works were published. It included Memoirs from the House of the Dead , and he again became a famous writer.

At that time, Dostoevsky rented numerous inexpensive accommodation mostly in the Haymarket Area near Griboedov Canal, where he later placed all the characters of his Crime and Punishment .

TIP : If you’d like to see some of those places, take a look at a Dostoevsky in Saint Petersburg Tour  that Alexandra and Karina are organizing.

Stop 5 – Dostoevsky locations in Saint Petersburg from the Crime and Punishment

* Address : 1,7,9  Kaznacheyskaya Street

Kaznacheyskaya Street, where most of the plot from the Crime and Punishment is happening, is where Dostoevsky lived himself. He lived in houses on numbers 1, 7 and 9, always in corner apartments overlooking the crossroads of Kaznacheyskaya and other streets.

There is a memorial plaque on the house on no. 7, where he completed Crime and Punishment. It’s also where he met his second wife, Anna Grigorievna. She was a stenographer, who helped him finish Gambler in one month, and thus saved him from the debt prison.

⤷ Read more about visiting Peterhof Palace from Saint Petersburg here

Stop 6 – Dostoevsky statue & Raskolnikov House

* Address : 19 Grazhdanskaya Street

A one minute stroll away is the corner of Grazhdanskaya Street and Stolyarny Lane, where you can see the monument to Dostoevsky. It’s also where a plaque is located, saying that this is the House of Raskolnikov, the main character of Crime and Punishment.

Some avid fans of Dostoevsky write their messages to the writer and Raskolnikov on the inner walls of the house which drives the local residents mad.

One British admirer of Dostoevsky managed to occupy the garret under the roof of the Raskolnikov House, and he lived there during the summer, trying to get closer to the understanding of Raskolnikov’s soul.

Stop 7 – Guardhouse at Haymarket Square

* Address : 3 Sadovaya Street

At a time of Dostoevsky, Haymarket Square (or Sennaya Square) was the centre of the busiest neighbourhood and the main trade square of the city.

A lot of newcomers to the town rented apartments and rooms in this area. Many women were forced to serve in the nearby brothels as they could not find other ways to earn money.

Dostoevsky often visited the market and the church on the square, just like Raskolnikov from Crime and Punishment did. Only a few buildings on a square survived from the time of Dostoevsky. But it continued to serve as the market square up until the 2000s, and you can still feel its spirit today.

You can tell straight away that this is not the most accommodating part of the city, and it was much less attractive at the time of Dostoevsky.

The yellow guardhouse with columns is one of the rare buildings preserved from the time of Dostoevsky. A small prison was located there. Dostoevsky was imprisoned in it a couple of times, for his inaccurate statements about the royal family and because of his debts.

Dostoevsky spent those days re-reading his favourite Les Miserables by Victor Hugo and eating food cooked by his second wife. So, he quite enjoyed that time.

The second survivor from the time of Dostoevsky is the old water fountain, where cabmen could buy water for their horses.

Stop 8 – Trinity Cathedral

* Address : 7A Izmailovsky Avenue

In our humble opinion, this is one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the city. Its large cupolas painted as the blue sky with golden stars are seen from many parts of the city.

On 15 February 1867, Fyodor Dostoevsky got married to his second wife Anna there.

Cathedral was devoted to the Izmailovsky Regiment. They wore a blue uniform, therefore the primary colour of its cupolas is blue.

The central dome of the cathedral burnt down during the restoration works of 2006. It was tough to stop the fire, as it turned out that the dome was made of wood. Three smaller cupolas survived the fire, but the main one and the fourth small cupola were built new.

TIP : Trinity Cathedral, as all the functioning churches of the city, is free to enter. Women should cover their heads before getting in.

Stop 9 – Dostoevsky Museum

* Address : 6 Kuznechny Lane

In this building, Fyodor Dostoevsky spent the last years of his life. He moved there with his second wife and a growing family in 1873, when he already became a world-famous writer.

This might have been the happiest period of his life, and he could finally afford to rent a five-room corner apartment on a third floor, with enough space for the whole family.

Ironically, he already rented a tiny apartment in the same house in 1846, soon after the graduation from the Engineering School. Today this building houses the Dostoevsky Museum, one of the best museums in Saint Petersburg.

They have wonderful audio guides, and we definitely recommend you to visit it! Even 30 minutes would be enough to see the apartment where the famous writer lived.

Each year, on the first weekend of July, The Day of Dostoevsky in Saint Petersburg is celebrated. And the celebration always starts at this place.

Monument to Dostoevsky

* Address : 2 Bolshaya Moskovskaya Street, at the entrance to Vladimirskaya Metro Station

Before you enter the museum, have a look at the monument to Dostoevsky near-by. Inaugurated in 1997, on the corner of Kuznechny Lane and Bolshaya Moskovskaya Street.

Our Lady of Vladimir Church

* Address : 20 Vladimirsky Avenue

Just next to it is Our Lady of Vladimir Church. Recently restored, it’s one of the oldest functioning churches in the city. Luckily, it wasn’t destroyed by the Bolsheviks or Nazis.

It’s also one of the places to explore in Saint Petersburg in the footsteps of Fyodor Dostoevsky. It was often visited by Dostoevsky and his family, too. And it’s still one of the most popular churches among the locals, always full of people.

TIP : The entrance is free, but women will need to cover their heads before entering.

Stop 10 – Dostoevsky Grave in Alexander Nevsky Lavra

* Address : 1B Alexander Nevsky Square

Dostoevsky died at the height of his fame from pulmonary haemorrhage. Saint Petersburg climate and years in katorga in Siberia deteriorated his health.

His growing popularity did not help him to regain his health either, as he continued working hard to finish his final novel The Brothers Karamazov . He wrote at nights, starting at 11 pm and finishing at 5 am and slept from morning to midday.

Fyodor Dostoevsky was buried at the Tikhvin Cemetery of Alexander Nevsky Lavra, together with other great writers and artists of the past. The Lavra, founded by Peter the Great in 1710, is the oldest monastery of the city, located at the eastern end of a long Nevsky Avenue.

It’s so interesting to explore Saint Petersburg in the footsteps of Fyodor Dostoevsky and see the city through his eyes. Have you visited that beautiful Russian city? Let me know in the comments below.

Many thanks to Alexandra and Karina for this wonderful guest blog post about Dostoevsky in Saint Petersburg. If you’d like to learn more about his life and work, check out the Dostoevsky in Saint Petersburg tour Alexandra and Karina are organizing. It combines a city ride with a walking tour in the Haymarket neighbourhood.

Dostoevsky , Fyodor Dostoevsky , Russia , Russian art , Saint Petersburg

7 things to do in St. Petersburg for an Old Florida flavor

By: Author Bonnie Gross

Posted on Last updated: August 26, 2024

St. Petersburg has long shed its image as a boring place where retirees kill time gossiping on rows of green benches, but if you haven’t visited it lately, you might be surprised at what a young and lively place it has become.

Happily, one thing that makes St. Petersburg a delight is the lingering bits of Old Florida that have been preserved.

St. Petersburg is renowned for its bike paths, it has more than a dozen craft breweries, its streets are decorated with colorful murals and several large, impressive museums have opened in recent years.

Amid all the new, St. Petersburg has preserved many historic buildings and some of Florida’s most beautiful tree-lined historic neighborhoods. Somehow, it even retains miles of original brick roads.

My husband and I visited St. Petersburg in the steamy summer for two reasons: It’s a city where you can spend the hot afternoons in museums and the mornings and evenings at a gorgeous beach.

In the morning, we got up early and walked the beach at one of our favorite Old Florida beach towns, Pass-a-Grille. At night, we came back to Pass-a-Grille to enjoy a West Coast treat: the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico.

Along the way, we filled our four days with lots of activities —  and we didn’t even get to everything on our list.

7 things to do in St. Peterburg

See St. Petersburg’s waterfront by bike on the North Bay Trail

My favorite thing on this list of St. Pete things to do is to bicycle this very scenic bike trail along the expansive waterfront in downtown St. Petersburg and then into a gorgeous historic neighborhood.

The best part of the North Bay Trail is the three miles from near the Salvador Dali Museum downtown north along the shore of Tampa Bay to waterfront Coffee Pot Park. (The North Bay Trail continues three miles north of here for a 12-mile roundtrip, but is not as scenic and has frequent street crossings north of Coffee Pot Park.)

You can’t beat the scenery and all the parks you can access on the southern three miles along Tampa Bay. On a bike, you can easily ride through both peninsulas extending into the bay – Demens Landing Park and St. Pete’s Pier – as well as pause at the many parks along the way. One unusual stop is Gizella Kopsick Palm Arboretum , 605 11th Ave. Northeast, St. Petersburg, a small free arboretum filled with a vast variety of palms from around the world.

The mile of the North Bay Trail along Coffee Pot Boulevard has waterfront views on the east and the handsome homes of the tree-shaded Historic Old Northeast on the west. Rather than continue on the trail after Coffee Pot Park, I recommend riding through the residential streets and enjoying the beautiful homes.

Let me warn you: The North Bay Trail is just my speed — sort of slow. It’s a multi-use trail, with walkers, joggers, skateboarders, strollers and dog walkers all enjoying the route through downtown. Yes, you have to repeatedly go around slower-moving users with a constant refrain of “on your left,” but there are only two street crossings in this three-mile stretch. If you like long walks or if you jog, you might enjoy this trail on foot.

There are several “bike share” concessions downtown convenient to the path, including at the pier.

Bike riders should note that the most famous bike trail in St. Peterburg is the 50-mile long Pinellas Trail, described here in a Florida Rambler story . It is one of the state’s best bike trails. You can connect the two trails at First Avenue Southeast at Bayshore Drive, immediately across from Demens Landing, which is where the Pinellas Trail originates.

We started our bike ride on the North Bay Trail across from the Dali Museum, parking at Albert Whited Park, 480 Bayshore Dr. Southeast, St. Petersburg, wedged between the water and the small downtown airport. This park has restrooms, picnic tables, a fenced playground and a fabulous view of the bay and the St. Pete Pier.

Here’s a PDF of a St. Petersburg bike map.

Meander the historic St. Petersburg Sunken Gardens

When Americans started visiting Florida by car in the 1920s, they couldn’t get enough of Florida’s exotic plants, flowers and trees. Colorful gardens were popular roadside attractions for decades. Most are gone now, but St. Petersburg’s Sunken Gardens is better than ever after more than 100 years.

Starting in 1911, George Turner Sr., a plumber and avid gardener, drained a lake in a sinkhole and used the rich soil to plant fruit trees, flowering bushes and even Royal Palm trees. Visitors began paying him a nickel to see it.

Well, the ticket price has gone up, but many of the original plants and trees are still there. In 1999, the city saved the attraction, which is now open seven days a week right in downtown St. Petersburg.

Winding trails offer exquisite vistas past manmade waterfalls, over arched bridges with views of koi ponds and orchids. There is a flock of flamingoes and colorful parrots and macaws.

You can see it all at a leisurely pace in an hour. Many of the plants and trees are not uncommon; if you’re a Florida gardener, you’ll recognize many.

The admission ($15 adults; $12 seniors; $6 children) may seem steep for many visitors. But garden lovers will find it worth it. In addition, there’s a good chance of getting a discount ticket via Groupon , as we did: $18 for two.

Sunken Gardens 1825 Fourth St. North, St. Petersburg (727) 551-3102

Taste Old Florida at Ted Peters Smoked Fish

Located in St. Pete since 1951, Ted Peters Smoked Fish is run by the fifth generation of the founders, who keep the fish-smoking flame alive.

Ted Peters didn’t invent smoked fish dip; he made it famous. His innovation was putting the smoking operation right out front, where the smell would attract folks to stop on their way to and from the beach. The quality of his fish dip and his German potato side dish remain big draws over the decades. It’s also famous: It has been featured in media coverage from Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives to the New York Times.

You can get the fish dip take-out from the bar or buy pieces of smoked fish by the pound from the separate smoking house. In summer 2024, the price of to-go fish dip is a bargain at $5.99 for a half pint. (The equivalent container of smoked fish dip sold at my local Publix is at least $9.99.)

Outdoor seating for the restaurant operation is an inexpensive meal, starting with $7.59 hamburgers. But come prepared: Ted Peters is a cash-only business .

Ted Peters Smoked Fish 1350 Pasadena Ave. South, St. Petersburg (727) 381-7931

Take the African American Heritage Trail for history & good food

This historically black neighborhood, which dates to the dark days of segregation in St. Pete, was centered around “The Deuces,” the nickname for 22nd Street South.

Today, there is a walking trail with 19 markers telling the story of the neighborhood from its pioneers through the Civil Rights era of the 1960s.

The tour starts at the Carter Woodson African American Museum, a free museum currently offering an exhibit on “The Right To Swim.”

A popular restaurant that makes a good stop in the neighborhood: Lorene’s Fish and Crab House is known for its fried fish and sides like collard greens and mac-and-cheese.

Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum 2240 Ninth Ave. South, St. Petersburg (727) 323-1104

Lorene’s Fish and Crab House 927 22nd St. South, St. Petersburg (727) 321-7297

Visit the Vinoy, a grand hotel from the 1920s

The Vinoy is one of those big pink Mediterranean Revival hotels so popular in the early boom years of Florida development. It has a tower and the sort of architectural detail that suggests a European palace.

Built in 1925, it was popular with the rich and famous – from Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover back in the day, through Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio and on to George Clooney and Brad Pitt.

Inside the Vinoy you’ll find magnificent spaces and craftsmanship. A glass chandelier by artist Dale Chihuly hangs in the grand ballroom and everything from the floor tiles to the vintage appearance of the lobby elevators reminds you of its heritage.

You’re welcome to walk through the lobby and admire the place, and don’t miss the museum-like history display at the south end of the lobby. A timeline tells the story of the Vinoy, including how it closed as a hotel and housed troops during World War II. There are examples of its original china and many historic postcards from St. Pete’s glory days.

One story I found fascinating is how over the years, the Vinoy deteriorated and tastes changed, until, in 1974, its last season before an 18-year closure, room rates fell to $7 a night. The Vinoy sat vacant until it reopened in 1992 after a $93 million renovation. The rates are a bit higher now: A room for $320 is an off-season bargain.

The Vinoy was a major spur to downtown development in St. Petersburg, where once sleepy Beach Drive is now filled with restaurants and bars and people.

The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club 450 Seventh Ave Northeast, St. Petersburg  (727) 894-1000

Here’s another way to experience the glamour of the Vinoy: Tours and high tea are offered at 2 p.m. Thursday through Sunday by reservation ($140 per person for at least two people). Reserve at 727-404-5251. Tours are open to the public.

Stroll downtown to see historic buildings

Downtown St. Petersburg is a very walkable place full of vintage buildings, many repurposed for modern use. We enjoyed a private walking tour by Tour St. Pete , with an informative guide who is a long-time volunteer at the St. Petersburg Museum of History. (Price was $25 per person.)

You can easily do your own tour using the excellent free audio tours from the Florida Humanities Council, which you can download here .

We loved all the historic buildings, but my favorites are the 1916 Open Air Post Office and the 1928 Snell building and arcade , which are next door to each other on Fourth Street South between Central Avenue and First Avenue North.

Both are highly decorative Mediterranean Revival buildings. The 1916 Open Air Post Office is modeled after a 1419 children’s hospital designed by famous Italian artist Filippo Brunelleschi. (It’s remarkably similar; Brunelleschi is most famous for designing the dome of the cathedral in Florence.)

The post office was completely open air, right up to 1969, and the St. Pete tourism promotion machine made sure everyone in America knew that St. Pete was so warm and sunny that its post office could be open air.

Located across the alley, the Snell Building has a lovely arcade, once even grander. (Look for the tile mosaic of Venice on the western wall; it’s the last of many originally there.) Also notice the glass bricks in the sidewalk: They light the building’s rare basement.

1916 Open Air Post Office 3135 First Ave. North, St. Petersburg (800) 275-8777

Snell Building and Arcade 405 Central Avenue

Hang out on the St. Pete Pier

The first pier in St. Petersburg dated to 1889 and over the years, piers have served many purposes and had several iterations.

The newest pier design opened in 2020 and it has more shade, recreation, art, activities and transportation options than in the past, winning widespread accolades and recognition.

While the pier is all new, there are two things that Old Florida fans will want to see here.

First, the St. Petersburg Museum of History, founded in 1922 is located at the start of the half-mile-long pier.

Second, farther down the pier, there is a monument and extensive markers telling the story of the Benoist Airboat, considered the world’s first airliner. It began service here in 1914 with a 23-minute flight 21 miles across the bay to Tampa. Tickets were $5 each way. Much more about the airboat (we’d call it a seaplane) is found in the Museum of History.

In front of the history museum are two things I loved: A statue of a newsboy and a green bench. Both represent icons special to St. Petersburg. The newsboy references the famous offer by the Evening Independent that it would give away the newspaper free on any day the sun doesn’t shine – a promotion gimmick that worked beautifully to forever link the idea of St. Pete and sunshine.

The green bench, of course, references the famous benches that lined St. Petersburg streets by the thousands. Originally popular with tourists, after World War II the benches were more often filled with bored looking gray-haired retirees and came to epitomize the image of St. Pete as a geriatric destination.

Late-night comedian Johnny Carson made fun of St. Pete, where he said old-age tonic Geritol was on tap, and where the city catered not to the “newly-wed, but to the nearly dead.”

The benches were quietly “disappeared” by the 1970s, and the one in front at the base of St. Pete’s Pier is your rare opportunity to sit in one.

While you’re at the pier, here are a few tips:

• You’ll end up parking downtown (here’s parking information ), so when you get to the pier, which is a half-mile long, it’s good to know there is a free shuttle that goes up and down the pier every 10 minutes making four stops.
• The structure at the end has a restaurant, Teak , with absolutely dazzling views. We got drinks and fish tacos at the open-air bar at the top level. It’s pricey but you cannot beat the views of both the skyline and the bay. The Teak restaurant accepts reservations; the rooftop bar does not and there can be a wait during busy times. Going 5-ish on a summer weekday, we were able to get a good table in the shade immediately but a bit later others had to wait. Other waterfront alternatives on the pier are  Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and   Fresco’s Waterfront Bistro .
• Take your time exploring the pier; there’s a lot to see. For example, that big fish net overhead is an art installation composed of 180 miles of twine called “Bending Arc” by Janet Echelman. (Go under it and look at the sky through it.) There is also a beach here, a playground and a splash-pad water for kids.
• For another Old Florida experience, you can take a tour boat from the pier to historic Egmont Key in the mouth of Tampa Bay. We visited it (via Fort De Soto Park) and wrote about Egmont Key here for Florida Rambler . The Pelican’s boat ride is an hour long; it goes past the St. Petersburg skyline and under the Sunshine Skyway.  Here’s more about the Pelican tour to Egmont Key , which costs $59 for adults; $39 for kids.

St. Pete Pier 600 Second Ave Northeast, St. Petersburg (727) 822-7437

More things to do in St. Petersburg

Remember how I said I wanted to go to museums? Well, in St. Pete, you have a vast choice. Here’s a Florida Rambler story on the many excellent museums that have opened .  

We went to the newest addition: the Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement , which opened in fall 2021 in an eye-popping five-story building with a grand atrium full of natural light and a spiral staircase that is itself a work of art.

We’ve made more than one visit to the Dali Museum , which I love, even though I’m not even a fan of Salvador Dali’s works. Next time we visit, we’ll see the The James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art or perhaps the Imagine Museum or the Chihuly Collection or the Museum of Fine Art St Petersburg , all of which get excellent reviews. (This is one thing that makes St. Petersburg a good place to visit in the summer; there are so many excellent indoor activities.)

We enjoyed local craft beer everywhere we went; St. Pete is a great beer town. Here’s a Florida Rambler story on how to sample local beers and local art. Arts & Brew walk: Explore St. Petersburg brewpubs and galleries

More things to do in St. Petersburg area

Dunedin: Delightful biking, breweries, beaches & more

Safety Harbor Spa: Healing waters are star of charming town

Pass-A-Grille: Top beach; charming old town in St. Pete Beach

Fort De Soto Park is Tampa Bay treasure

Best camping near Tampa Bay: 9 choice campgrounds

Paddleboarding Tampa Bay area: 5 awesome destinations

Frog Creek: Little-known Tampa Bay kayak trail

Egmont Key: 5 things I love about this wild island

Emerson Point Preserve: Four reasons to discover this jewel in Palmetto

Hillsborough River State Park adds ‘glam’ to its camping options

The author, Bonnie Gross, travels with her husband David Blasco, discovering off-the-beaten path places to hike, kayak, bike, swim and explore. Florida Rambler was founded in 2010 by Bonnie and fellow journalist Bob Rountree, two long-time Florida residents who have spent decades exploring the Florida outdoors. Their articles have been published in the Sun Sentinel, the Miami Herald, the Orlando Sentinel, The Guardian and Visit Florida.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Janice Taylor

Tuesday 1st of August 2023

Chief's Creole Cafe closed in April, 2023.

Bonnie Gross

Thank you! We'll update.

Saturday 16th of July 2022

Bonnie, I always enjoy your informative and fun articles and pictures.

Friday 15th of July 2022

Bonnie, I have really enjoyed reading your articles, especially the one about Egmont Key. We live in Tampa but in August go to Pass-A-Grille to explore the other side of Tampa Bay. I have never been to Ft. De Soto, so this time will make sure we do it and visit the Egmont Island. Ted Peters Smoked Fish is also on my list. I am very happy I came across your site. This is fun.

Monday 4th of July 2022

As always, so informative and interesting! We've been to St Pete several times and have missed most of these places. The Dr. Carter Woodson museum is worth visiting and Chief's Creole Cafe was splendid.

alton l foreman

St. Pete and it's beaches are a hidden gem but now they have been discovered..

This post includes affiliate links from which Florida Rambler may earn a modest commission if a purchase is made. This revenue directly supports the creation of original content for your enjoyment.

19 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in St. Petersburg, FL

Written by Lura Seavey and Lana Law Updated Dec 24, 2023 We may earn a commission from affiliate links ( )

The city of St. Petersburg, known locally as St. Pete and famed for its perpetual sunshine, lies on the Pinellas Peninsula on the central Gulf Coast of Florida, between Tampa Bay and Boca Ciega Bay. Off the western side of the peninsula is a chain of long, narrow islands with some of Florida's best beaches.

The city is compact and easy to navigate. Many of the top attractions are near one another, making visiting more than one in an afternoon an easy task. St. Petersburg is one of Florida's cultural hot spots with a fine selection of world famous institutions, including the Dali, Imagine, and Fine Arts Museums along with the Morean Arts Center.

However, St. Pete's isn't all about culture. Mere minutes away is St. Pete's Beach and the gorgeous soft sands and warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Turning inland, the city of Tampa is another fun place to explore, with more things to do and great restaurants.

Explore the best places to visit in the city and surrounding areas with our list of the top attractions and things to do in St. Petersburg.

See also: Where to Stay in St. Petersburg

Soak Up the Sun at St. Pete Beach

The dali museum in st. petersburg, see nature come alive at the sunken gardens, head out to the new st. pete pier, explore beaches and history at fort de soto park, check out the colorful chihuly glass collection, st. petersburg saturday morning market, waterfront arts district, imagine museum, museum of fine arts, enjoy some nature at the boyd hill nature preserve, drive the sunshine skyway bridge, run, walk, or cycle the pinellas trail, weedon island preserve, great explorations children's museum, clearwater marine aquarium, visit john's pass village & boardwalk, take a drive to clearwater beach, sand key park, where to stay in st. petersburg for sightseeing, tips and tours: how to make the most of your visit to st. petersburg and clearwater, map of attractions & things to do in st. petersburg, fl, saint petersburg, fl - climate chart.

Just a 20-minute drive from downtown St. Petersburg is the fun beach town of St. Pete Beach. Home to a spectacular wide and long stretch of soft, golden sand lapped by warm, clear water, St. Pete Beach has been drawing legions of visitors for years. The list of things to do in St. Pete Beach is long, and includes lazing on the beach (of course!), parasailing, fishing, jet skiing, and frolicking in the ocean.

An assortment of accommodation is available, ranging from old-school Florida hotels to condos, right through to luxury resorts. Restaurants along the main street all have outdoor patios, perfect for grabbing a light lunch or a pleasant dinner once the heat of the day has passed. St. Pete Beach is just one of many fantastic beaches along this stretch of coastline; others include Treasure Island, Madeira, Redington Shores, and Indian Shores.

The Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg houses a comprehensive collection of paintings by this Surrealist master, with a total collection of more than 2,000 works of art. Dali's entire artistic career is represented, from his early work in Impressionism and Cubism to later experiments in more "Classical" styles.

Oil paintings, watercolors, original drawings, sculptures, graphics, photographs, and prints are among the exhibits. The Dali Museum Library and Center for the Avant-garde are also housed here, which preserve books, magazines, newspaper clippings, and other important documents related to Dali, Surrealism, and Avant-garde influences.

Address: One Dali Boulevard, St. Petersburg, Florida

Official site: http://thedali.org

The Sunken Gardens began as the hobby of a plumber named George Turner and have evolved into a St. Petersburg institution. First conceived of in 1903, Turner transformed a lakebed into a six-acre tropical garden, which eventually became so popular that he started to charge admission.

The Turner family continued to care for and improve upon the garden, and it was finally purchased by the city in 1999, becoming a community effort. Today, you can walk the paths and enjoy the rare plants, some of which are as old as the garden itself.

You'll have a chance to see tropical flora from all over the world, and enjoy the ambience of waterfalls, footbridges, and even resident flamingos. The gardens also conduct horticultural programs and garden tours, as well as host special events, including weddings.

Address: 1060 Gulf Boulevard, Clearwater, Florida

Address: 1825 4th St. N., St. Petersburg, Florida

Official site: https://www.stpete.org/visitors/sunken_gardens.php

The brand-new St. Pete Pier is a far cry from what used to exist in the same space only a few short years ago. Today the Pier is more than just an extension into the ocean; now it's 26 acres of fun, food, activities, and entertainment.

Blending seamlessly into the surroundings, the pier area is an ideal place to spend an afternoon with the family or an evening out with a group of friends. You'll find six different restaurants ranging from Teak, a fine-dining establishment with fantastic views, right through to the more casual Fresco's Waterfront Bistro offering vistas of the incredible array of pleasure craft moored nearby. For a snack by the beach, pop into the Spa Beach Bistro.

The St. Pete Pier is 3,000 feet long and can be a nice place to visit for a stroll, but it can also feel like a long walk in the hot Florida sun. Fortunately, a tram runs from end to end making a walk out and a tram ride back a popular combination.

Spread throughout the St. Pete Pier area are public works of art , one of the most spectacular being the work by Janet Echelman called Bending Arc . Near the end of the pier is the unique Olnetopia by Nick Ervinck. Also definitely worth checking out is the sculpture of the Benoist Airboat first flown by Tony Jannus in 1914.

Don't worry, you can still fish at the new St. Pete Pier – just walk all the way out to the end, where you'll find a platform. Bait and tackle are available nearby.

Address: 800 2nd Ave NE, St. Petersburg, Florida

Official site: https://stpetepier.org/

Five different keys make up the 1,136-acre Fort DeSoto Park, the largest park in Pinellas County. Most people come here to enjoy the beaches, but numerous nature and recreation trails offer great opportunities for hiking, birding, biking, and rollerblading, and there are also two fishing piers.

The park is named for the fort located on the southern end of Mullet Key , built in 1898 during the Spanish-American War. Remains of the fort can be visited on a self-guided tour, and a small museum with historical information is located in the former Quartermaster Storehouse. Other buildings on-site include civilian quarters, barracks, the bakery, and the former hospital, among others.

This is a particularly popular spot for bird-watchers , home to at least 328 species of birds.

Camping is also popular here. The park has 238 sites just a short stroll away from the beach. Sites have electricity and water; central washroom buildings have flush toilets and showers. The campground has special sites set aside for those traveling with pets. The county has recently upgraded the playground in Campground Area #2, with new features that children will be sure to love.

Camping reservations can be made six months in advance for non-residents, seven months in advance for residents.

Address: 3500 Pinellas Bayway S., Tierra Verde, Florida

Official site: www.pinellascounty.org/park/05_ft_desoto.htm

St. Petersburg is proud to be home to the Chihuly Collection. Found at the Morean Arts Center , the collection is spread out over 10,000 square feet and is housed in a specially designed building. To get the best experience and understanding of the items you are about to see, start your visit by watching the short video on Dale Chihuly's life and his creative methods.

The collection has some of the artist's finest pieces, including Ruby Red Icicle Chandelier, Macchia, Ikebana, Tumbleweeds, and many others. The colors are incredible and varied; the shapes formed are unlike anything you've ever seen.

For a peek into how these amazing pieces of art are formed, be sure to visit the Morean Arts Center Hot Shop (additional fee). Here, you'll see the artists hard at work blowing glass into fantastical shapes.

Official site: https://www.moreanartscenter.org/chihuly/

St. Petersburg is considered one of Florida's most livable cities for its mild climate, cultural institutions, and overall quality of life. Part of what makes it an attractive place to live are things like the St. Petersburg Saturday Market. Each Saturday, over 125 vendors set up and showcase their goods.

It's an ideal place to collect all the freshest ingredients such as meats, cheeses, vegetables, and sweets for your Saturday night get-together dinner. It's also a great spot to search out that eclectic or unique piece of artwork for that blank space on your wall. Feeling a bit of hunger coming on? You are in the right spot. Over 15 different cuisines are represented by vendors cooking up the tastiest dishes you can imagine.

In addition to all the great shopping, local musicians fill the air with the sounds of music. The market runs from 9am until 2pm. In the fall and winter (October 2nd to May 28th), the market is located at the waterfront at the address below. In the summer, it is located at Williams Park, 301 1st Ave N.

Location: 100 1st Street NE, St. Petersburg, Florida

Official site: https://saturdaymorningmarket.com/

Just back from St. Petersburg's waterfront area is a delightful area known at the Waterfront Arts District, one of five located throughout the city. Stately old trees line the streets, and several city parks provide public space to rest and relax. Park the car and just wander around; you'll be amazed at what you find.

The area is home to many of the city's most popular cultural institutions, including the Dali Museum, the St. Petersburg Museum of History, The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, along with many others. All are within walking distance of one another.

In addition to the museums, the area is full of shops and restaurants, many of which have lovely shady patios, ideal for lunch or dinner. Walk towards the water past South Straub Park, and you'll come across the St. Pete Pier to your left and Demens Landing Park to your right.

The area is roughly defined as a long rectangle running from Beach Street/1st Street South to 3rd Street and 7th Avenue North and 7th Avenue South.

The Imagine Museum is one of the top museums in the United States for art created out of glass. The museum is the proud home of the extensive Trish Joy Collection of over 1,500 pieces, 500 of which are on display at any point in time. In addition, you'll find other interesting collections, including the spectacular 1,000 Buddha installation.

One of the best ways to experience the museum is to take one of the three free tours included with your admission. The first of the three tours is titled Journey of the Imagination. It is a fascinating multimedia and augmented reality experience.

The second tour is the Introduction to Studio Glass, and details the development of this art form starting in the 1960s.

The third tour, Introduction to International Studio Glass, showcases the evolution of studio glass work in Europe. Tours are generally 30 minutes in length and take place on specific days.

Official site: https://www.imaginemuseum.com/

St. Petersburg's Museum of Fine Arts is considered the premiere art museum in the Tampa Bay area, home to over 20,000 works of art that span 5,000 years of human creativity.

The collection includes Greek, Roman, and Asian antiquities, African art, ancient art from the Americas, and European art. Among the better-known artists featured here are Monet, Rodin, and O'Keefe, and the museum hosts traveling exhibits and temporary galleries.

Collections also include a large photography collection, a gallery of glass art, and a sculpture garden. Docent-led tours are available for full museum tours, and visitors can request tours that focus on the areas that interest them most.

The museum is located in a lovely setting in St. Petersburg's waterfront downtown area.

Address: 255 Beach Drive NE, St. Petersburg, Florida

Official site: http://mfastpete.org

This lovely park is a beautiful retreat for those looking for a little nature. The park features six miles of walking trails and boardwalks that explore the area's varied ecosystems, including swamp woodlands and a willow marsh.

The park is also part of the Great Florida Birding Trail and home to the Birds of Prey Aviary, and rangers provide guided tours, which often spot turtles and other wildlife. The park also offers nature camps and picnic facilities and has a playground, picnic areas, and shelters.

A great way to explore the park is to take one of the tram tours. For a modest fee (in addition to your park admission) you'll cover far more of the park in a shorter period of time and learn about the flora and fauna from an expert.

Also on site is a gift shop, and the park hosts annual nature events like a butterfly count conducted by the North American Butterfly Association.

Located on I 275, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge crosses the water at the entrance to Tampa Bay. This spectacular bridge is impressive from a distance but driving across it offers a unique perspective. Stretching 12 miles in total, a little more than four miles of the bridge rises high above the ocean, allowing for large vessels to pass below.

Two main pillars tower above the road, and the high points add some eye-catching drama to the bridge. It took five years to build, and is now considered one of the world's most beautiful bridges. Views of the bridge are particularly beautiful at night when it is lit up.

If the wind is blowing, pull off at the northern Skyway Rest Exit and check out the kiteboarders racing across the water under their colorful kites.

The Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail, created along an abandoned railroad corridor, is a 37-mile-long park and recreation trail, running from the downtown waterfront of St. Petersburg to Tarpon Springs.

This multi-use trail is enjoyed by walkers, runners, cyclists, and skaters, and features a number of shops, restaurants, and cafes along the route. To help visitors navigate, nine sculptures mark the various communities through which the trail passes.

One of the lovely areas along the trail is Dunedin , a quaint town that has preserved its village-like atmosphere. It began as a seaport and trading center, and is best known today as the spring training camp for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Honeymoon Island State Recreation Area and Caladesi Island State Park are located just off the coast of Dunedin and offer opportunities for both nature and water sports enthusiasts.

The Weedon Island Preserve covers over 3,000 acres in north St. Petersburg on the shores of Tampa Bay and can be explored on foot via nearly five miles of paths and boardwalks, and by water on designated paddling trails along the waterways.

A great place to start is the Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center , which houses a variety of exhibits and resources. This is a free attraction, and visitors will learn about the area's ecosystems, habitats, plants, and animals, and how humans have interacted with nature here over thousands of years. From the center, you can walk out on scenic trails.

If you are interested in paddling or fishing, head to the boat launch area. You can set off from here, and the water is quite shallow in areas. People come here to kayak or stand up paddleboard; kayak rentals are available nearby. Next to the launch is a dock where people come to fish.

This is an excellent place for bird-watching, as well as spotting marine life in the water of this protected flood plain, including stingrays and oysters.

Address: 1800 Weedon Drive N.E., St. Petersburg, Florida

Official site: http://www.weedonislandpreserve.org/

The Great Explorations Children's Museum is an excellent place go on a rainy day, providing a variety of educational activities and fun things to do for younger kids. Children can explore and climb on an ocean-themed play structure, Longo's Cove, or dig in the sand in a beach-themed play area.

Young engineers can build using an assortment of materials provided at the "Build It" tables or stack giant soft blocks to create kid-size structures. Kids can try being a grown-up in the kid-size supermarket, help a sick puppy get better at the veterinarian's office, make "pizza" at the local shop, and learn about safety while exploring the firehouse.

Other interactive areas include an art studio, a theater, and a health and wellness exhibit sponsored by Johns Hopkins.

Address: 1925 4th Street North, St. Petersburg, Florida

Official site: https://greatex.org

Clearwater Marine Aquarium is best known as home to film dolphins Winter and Hope who inspired and starred in the Dolphin Tale movies. Among other residents are sea turtles, otters, pelicans, sharks, and stingrays, as well as an assortment of other fish.

The aquarium has regular shows, which are part of general admission, as well as special tours and activities you can choose as add-ons. One of the most popular is a behind-the-scenes tour, which allows you to see rescued and recovering animals awaiting return to their ocean homes and learn about what it takes to care for these beautiful creatures.

Other offerings include guided kayak and boat tours, which explore various topics, including the ecology of Clearwater Bay and a Dolphin Adventure Tour.

Address: 249 Windward Passage, Clearwater, Florida

Official site: https://www.cmaquarium.org/

Tourist trap or fun place to go shopping and hang out; the jury hasn't made a final determination on this popular attraction. If it's a so-so day or you've had enough culture or beach and are looking for something different, swing by John's Pass. You'll find a boardwalk lined by restaurants with good views over the water and constant boat traffic.

Back from the waterfront is an extensive retail area with over 100 retailers consisting of souvenir shops, ice-cream stands, and places selling things you never thought you needed. Many tour boats leave from here on excursions out into the Gulf of Mexico. Note that parking here is not free, and enforcement is stringent.

Address: 12901 Gulf Lane, Madeira Beach, Florida

Official site: https://johnspass.com/

Clearwater Beach is often rated as one of the top beaches in Florida , and even the United States. Miles of pristine white sand attracts tourists and local sun-seekers, and it's all just a 40-minute drive from St. Petersburg. A number of Clearwater's top resorts look over this beautiful beach.

The Beachwalk , Clearwater Beach's seaside promenade, stretches along the sand and is lined with souvenir shops, restaurants, and other attractions. Another popular spot is Pier 60 , a 1,080-foot fishing pier with numerous amenities, including a large bait and tackle shop, which provides rental equipment to tourists.

Family attractions include a huge beach playground and nightly sunset celebrations with entertainment and vendors

Sand Key Park is located on the barrier island of the same name, and is home to both a beautiful beach and a diverse nature area, if you are visiting Clearwater, it's worth a stop.

The park is part of an ongoing effort to create an artificial reef in the Gulf of Mexico, and also works closely with Clearwater Aquarium to ensure the safety of the sea turtles and their hatchlings.

In addition to its walking trails, Sand Key Park is ideal for bird-watching , where heron, roseate spoonbill, great horned owl, anhinga, and common moorhen nest and feed in the salt marsh.

The park's beach area offers a good range of amenities, including lifeguards during the summer months, concessions, and bath houses. Plenty of rentals are available, so you don't need to lug your own - you can get everything from umbrellas and cabanas to bicycles and kayaks. This beach is also one of the least expensive things to do around St. Petersburg, with only a minimal parking fee.

We recommend these highly rated hotels in St. Petersburg, near popular downtown attractions like the Dali Museum :

• The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club : A 4-star luxury resort, this 1925 landmark property features stylish décor, multiple restaurants, a deluxe spa, and heated outdoor pool.
• Avalon Hotel : This mid-range hotel is located in the historic district and has a funky retro feel. The rooms feature Art Deco décor. Guests have access to an adjacent pool and a free area shuttle.
• Hampton Inn & Suites St. Petersburg Downtown : With affordable rates, a lovely outdoor pool, modern room décor, and free hot breakfast, this hotel checks all the boxes.
• The Inn on Third : This budget-friendly hotel offers quaint décor and antique furnishings.
• Segway through St. Petersburg: Tourists can cover plenty of ground while exploring St. Petersburg by Segway on this guided historic tour . Limited to a maximum of seven people, this intimate tour provides an up-close look at some of the city's most historic spots while a knowledgeable guide provides commentary and answers questions. Safety equipment and Segway operation instruction is included.
• Speedboat Adventure: Tourists can take the wheel and feel the thrill of driving their own speedboat on this two-hour guided tour of Tampa Bay . Communicating with your guide via two-way headset, you will be led past some of the bay's top tourist attractions, including Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Fort de Soto, and Egmont Key, as well as several stops at scenic spots where you can spot marine wildlife like dolphins and manatees. Instruction on boat operation is included.
• Romance on the Gulf: Couples will particularly enjoy this 2.5-hour evening cruise by yacht on the Gulf of Mexico . The cruise features live music and dancing, and passengers can enjoy the views from both the outdoor observation deck and the indoor areas, which feature picture windows to ensure a great view. For those who would like to dine during the cruise, a full-service gourmet restaurant has a wide variety of options.
• Marine Wildlife on Shell Key: Tourists can get a great introduction to Shell Key Island on this two-hour small-group Dolphin Watch and Snorkeling Cruise. The cruise, which offers a variety of departure times to fit your family's vacation itinerary, stops on the shores of Shell Key Island where passengers can choose to swim, stroll on the beach, or snorkel using provided equipment. Guests will also get the chance to look out for sea life on the way to and from the island, including dolphins, rays, and even manatees.

More Related Articles on PlanetWare.com

Family Fun in Tampa: Tampa sits about 45 minutes from St. Petersburg and can be reached via either of two bridges, which span Tampa Bay from one city to the other. Tampa's most popular tourist attractions include Busch Gardens and several other wildlife-focused parks, as well as good museums for families, a historic district, and the Franklin Street pedestrian center. Like many other cities on Florida's Gulf Coast, Tampa is home to several excellent resorts.

Orlando Getaway: While Clearwater Beach is a great day trip from Orlando , tourists staying here can just as easily head inland for a day in the nation's theme park capital. The city of Orlando is home to top family amusement parks like Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, and also close to the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral.

More on Florida