All about St. Petersburg

Exploring Russia? Your trip is pointless if you miss the most stunning city of St. Petersburg. This majestic city is situated in the banks of Neva River. It is the Second largest city and an important Russian seaport on the Baltic Sea. Well, ‘what do we have here to see?’ is your question the answer would go for several pages. The city’s architectural legacy, fusing Baroque, Neoclassical as well as time-honored Russian-Byzantine architectures adds beauty to the place. St.Petersburg is one of the important cultural centers in European region and is even called as “Window to Europe”. Let’s start with The Hermitage museum. It is a destination for art-lovers and the largest art museum in the world. The has more than two hundred museums of which the ‘Museum of Water’, ‘the Russian Museum’ and ‘the Central Naval Museum’ are more familiar.

St. Petersburg

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St. Petersburg has a number of gardens and parks, monuments and decorative sculptures on every nook and corner of it. The Bronze Horseman monument of Peter the Great stands on the ‘Senatskaia Ploschad’ in front of the Neva River. The city was originally built over 100 islands formed by a network of rivers, creeks, lakes and canals that pour into the Baltic Sea at the mouth of Neva River. St. Petersburg has two more great things to be explored; world’s biggest tram system and the world’s deepest subway are situated here. Winter Palace and the Summer Garden are exquisitely known for its architecture. The Imperial palace and park ensemble are also a major attraction of this city. Isaac’s Cathedral is believed to have the biggest gold-plated dome in the world. St. Petersburg is poetically called as the “Venice of the North”.

The Russian Museum

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The White Nights Festival is celebrated once in a year during the period of the midnight sun. This festival alone attracts thousands of tourists to the country. A number of traditional ballet, opera and music events are conducted during this season. As many as 50 theatres are present in the city among which The Mariinsky Opera and Ballet Theater are most famous. The Scarlet Sails carnival known as “Alye Parusa” festivity is celebrated at the end of the White Nights season. Nearly an average of one million people witnesses this celebration. This carnival is known for its fabulous fireworks and a massive show party at the end of the school year. Aurora, the historical ship which is docked near the Cabin of Peter the Great is modified as a museum. Visiting Russia in festive times would make the trip more enjoyable.