St. Petersburg ranked 21st in the Top 35 Best European Destinations of 2020. And for good reason! New locations and parks are gradually opening in the city, leisure activities are resuming, the weather is pleasant – an excellent time for a vacation in the cultural capital! Our subscriber Maria shared a route for family walks.

Why St. Petersburg?

I've flown to St. Petersburg many times, both in transit and for meetings with friends, and concerts. But it was always either with friends or I flew alone.

Of course, I always wanted to show this city to my loved ones, and then the moment came: COVID-19 arrived, borders closed along with the prospect of swimming in foreign seas, my daughter was upset that we didn't take her on all trips, so I booked three tickets to beloved St. Petersburg.

And right away I was puzzled: what to do with my husband and teenage child in the northern capital? I recalled my youth and went through my mind: Kunstkamera, Pyshechnaya No. 1, Kazan Cathedral, Hermitage… But everything turned out differently.

The plane lands, and the pilot conveys standard thanks from the airline and announces the weather forecast: “In St. Petersburg, rain, +15”, I open the weather forecast, and it's not comforting. I sigh and try not to show that inside – there's panic.

Rain, Rain, and More Rain

Any weather in this city makes me happy, rain doesn't bother me. But! If you're with family – my advice to you – take more warm clothes and shoes. And more umbrellas. At the same time, light clothing will also come in handy, because the weather in St. Petersburg is unpredictable. We were promised rain every day, and it did rain, but in bursts and it didn't interfere with our rest at all. So the first rule of St. Petersburg is – don't trust forecasts, take clothes and shoes for all occasions, because you'll be walking a lot.

On the first day, it was pouring rain, we stocked up on raincoats – they are sold as essential goods almost everywhere. But the downpour was so intense that we went to the hotel by taxi to rest and plan our next steps.

Canals

We went with the classic option and booked three boat tickets online. It's cheaper to do this online; you can choose the optimal route and duration, a convenient time, and approach the boat just 15 minutes before departure, instead of standing in line at the ticket office, fearing you'll miss the departure. On the boat, a recording about the history of this glorious city was broadcast in the background through the speakers, of course, about Peter and the peculiarities of life for St. Petersburg residents, of which there are plenty.

In total, we rode for about an hour; this tour is not bad, it introduces you to the general architecture of the city, and in one hour you can see iconic places: the Field of Mars, the Hermitage, and exit through the canals to the Neva. However, these boats have an alternative – fast speedboats. They are more comfortable, faster, private, but – they are also more expensive, and they will ride not for an hour, but only for 20 minutes, and without a tour. I have tried both options, I vote for the speedboats, but it's all a matter of taste.

Cost of a boat tour per person, 1 hour duration: from 500 rub.

Cost of renting a speedboat with a captain for 20 min: from 6,000 rub.

City Sightseeing Walk

You can go on a sightseeing bus tour, but the historical center is not actually that large, so we went for a walk around the city on foot.

We saw the Kazan Cathedral, the historic House of Books opposite – Singer, which you absolutely must visit, because it is huge, with a large number of books on history, art history, architecture, fiction, and books dedicated to architecture. Also, you can choose memorable souvenirs for yourself and friends there.

You absolutely must take a photo with the lions on the Griboyedov Canal, which we did! True, rumors say that these are fake lions, and the real ones were taken for restoration and never returned. Right nearby is the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, and we highly recommend climbing the colonnade of St. Isaac's Cathedral at sunset – it's an incredible experience! The entire city is at your fingertips, in the rays of the setting sun.

Cost of excursion to St. Isaac's Cathedral: 350 rub. per person

Ascent to the colonnade: 200 rub.

New Creative Spaces

I love modern art venues, the weather was excellent, so from early morning we went to see one of them – Sevkabel Port. This is the territory of the former factory of the same name, which has been transformed into a space with shops, cafes, restaurants, graffiti, and installations.

I strongly advise going there in the morning. This place will give you incredible sensations! Long benches overlooking the bay and the long bridge of the Western High-Speed Diameter, yoga classes are held in the distance, cafes are just starting to open, everywhere there is peace and tranquility. And in winter, there was a huge open-air ice rink with a view of the bay!

Sit for an hour or an hour and a half, have a heart-to-heart conversation – this is the best time and place for it, and then boldly go for a glass of sparkling wine and fast food at a cafe of your choice.

And we went further, to an even more popular place – New Holland, which was rebuilt from the building and courtyard of a former prison. This is a closed park with beautiful alleys, picnic areas, a large playground, exhibitions, and, of course, shops with interesting items and cafes featuring the most popular St. Petersburg chains: Cococo-bistro by Matilda Shnurova, Serf coffee, Bekitzer and others. Admission is free.

Peterhof

This is a famous huge park with fountains on the shore of the Gulf of Finland. You can get to Peterhof in three ways:

• minibus or bus (see options on the website)
• taxi or carsharing
• train (from Baltiysky railway station, about half an hour travel time)
• speedboat (special Meteors run from Palace Square, price from 500 rub. per person, 45 minutes travel time)

Online, the train is recommended as the fastest, but we chose a minibus. The train departs every hour to hour and a half, while minibuses run every 3 minutes, with a ticket cost around 50 rubles.

If you go to Peterhof – be sure to take passports and children's birth certificates, for residents of the country the ticket price is twice cheaper.

I won't talk about comfortable shoes, it's so obvious, my sneakers had already rubbed significantly by this time, and I only got 30% enjoyment because I couldn't distract myself from the annoying pain in my feet.

But even with unpleasant sensations, Peterhof is beautiful! Fountains, access to the bay with ducks and seagulls by the shore, long alleys with neatly planted trees, rainbows playing in the water – all this is so calming that you want to stay longer, sit and enjoy every moment. Bring a snack with you, because there are very few local shops, the assortment is poor, and there are queues everywhere.

On the way back, we took a car from a carsharing service and didn't regret it – the road from Peterhof to the city is simply gorgeous – smooth, wide, with excellent views.

Entrance ticket: 450 rub. per person

Under 16 years old – free admission

Peter and Paul Fortress

This excursion won't take much of your time or effort, but it's pleasant, will emotionally charge you, and will definitely be memorable. You can go to the church where the relics of Peter I are kept, and nearby there's an observation deck with a stunning view of the city! It's about 500 meters long, running along the entire fortress, boats dart back and forth, a little rain is falling, and below is a huge wall. Bring coffee or hot tea with you; you can drink it in the fortress courtyard or up on the observation deck.

Free admission

Entrance to the observation deck: 350 rub.

And these are far from all the places in St. Petersburg that are worth attention – new spaces, cafes with unusual interiors, and contemporary art museums are constantly opening here. You should arrange a trip to St. Petersburg at least once a season to experience the city in all seasons.