Saint Petersburg
Photo: Florstein ( Telegram: WikiPhoto.Space ) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · licence

Russia

Things to do in Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg (Russian: Са́нкт-Петербу́рг Sankt-Peterburg), known as Petrograd (Петроград) in 1914-1924 and Leningrad (Ленинград) in 1924-1991, is the second largest city of Russia, with 5.6 million inhabitants (2021), the fourth most populous city in Europe, the world's northernmost city of at least a million residents, and the former capital of the Russian Empire. Founded in 1703, it is not ancient, but its historical cityscape is remarkably well-preserved. The center of Saint Petersburg occupies numerous islands of the Neva River delta, divided by waterways and connected by huge drawbridges. Since 1991, it and some historical suburbs, including Peterhof, have been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It is part of the Silver Ring of cultural and historical centers of the Northwest of Russia. It is home to one of the world's largest museums of art, the Hermitage. Many Russians know the city as Piter (Питер), a diminutive of Saint Petersburg.

149,700 people · Map · Wikivoyage · fetched Nov 12, 2026

Places worth going 60

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  1. State Hermitage Museum

    Photo: Florstein ( Telegram: WikiPhoto.Space ) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  2. Russian cruiser Aurora

    Photo: Leo Medvedev/Лев Леонидович Медведев · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  3. Saint Isaac's Cathedral

    Photo: Florstein ( Telegram: WikiPhoto.Space ) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  4. Mariinsky Theater

    Photo: Nikolai Bulykin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  5. Peter and Paul Fortress

    Photo: Godot13 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  6. Russian Museum

    Russian Museum

    attraction

    Photo: A.Savin · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

  7. Our-Lady-of-Kazan Cathedral

    Photo: A.Savin · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

  8. Saint Petersburg Mosque

    Photo: Florstein ( Telegram: WikiPhoto.Space ) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  9. The Bronze Horseman

    Photo: Godot13 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

  10. Nevsky Prospect

    Nevsky Prospect

    attraction

    Photo: Vasilii Martynov · CC0 · source

  11. The Admiralty

    The Admiralty

    attraction

    Photo: Alexei Troshin (Алексей Трошин) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

  12. Tauride Palace

    Tauride Palace

    attraction

    Photo: Godot13 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  13. Alexander Column

    Photo: W. Bulach · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  14. Mariinsky Palace

    Photo: Vyacheslav Bukharov · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  15. Chesme Church

    Chesme Church

    attraction

    Photo: A.Savin · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

  16. Field of Mars

    Field of Mars

    attraction

    Photo: Godot13 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  17. Marble Palace

    Marble Palace

    attraction

    Photo: A.Savin · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

  18. Pulkovo Observatory

    Photo: SadPetzl · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  19. Anichkov Palace

    Anichkov Palace

    attraction

    Photo: A.Savin · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

  20. Narva Triumphal Arch

    Photo: Florstein · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

  21. Catholic Church of St. Catherine

    Photo: Kora27 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  22. Stroganov Palace

    Photo: George Shuklin ( talk ) · CC BY-SA 1.0 · source

  23. Kunstkamera

    Kunstkamera

    attraction

    Photo: Florstein ( Telegram: WikiPhoto.Space ) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  24. Leningrad Zoo

    Leningrad Zoo

    attraction

    Photo: A.Savin · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

More places (36)
  1. Menshikov Palace

    Photo: Florstein ( Telegram: WikiPhoto.Space ) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  2. The General Staff building of the Hermitage

    Photo: Josep Renalias · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

  3. Trinity Cathedral

    Photo: Максим Хлопов · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  4. Tsarskoye Selo

    Tsarskoye Selo

    attraction

    Photo: Godot13 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  5. Moscow Triumphal Gate

    Photo: Florstein ( Telegram: WikiPhoto.Space ) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  6. Yelagin Palace

    Yelagin Palace

    attraction

    Photo: A.Savin · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

  7. Botanical Garden

    Photo: Afanasovich · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  8. Cathedral of St. Andrew the First-Called

    Photo: A.Savin · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

  9. Cathedral of the Lord's Transfiguration of all the Guards

    Photo: George Shuklin · CC BY-SA 1.0 · source

  10. Military-Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineer and Signal Corps

    Photo: George Shuklin · CC BY-SA 1.0 · source

  11. Smolny Historical and Memorial Museum

    Smolny Historical and Memorial Museum

    Историко-мемориальный музей «Смольный»

    Photo: George Shuklin · CC BY-SA 1.0 · source

  12. Belosselsky-Belozersky Palace

    Photo: George Shuklin · CC BY-SA 1.0 · source

  13. Lutheran Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul

    Photo: Foxy9760 · CC0 · source

  14. Museum of Zoology

    Photo: Natalia Semenova · CC BY 3.0 · source

  15. Datsan Gunzechoinei

    Photo: Gogy Jan™ · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

  16. House of Soviets

    Photo: Florstein ( Telegram: WikiPhoto.Space ) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  17. 'Hero-City of Leningrad obelisk @ Ploschad Vosstanya

    Photo: Ivan Smelov · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

  18. Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt

    Photo: Florstein ( Telegram: WikiPhoto.Space ) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  19. Avtovo

    Avtovo

    attraction

    Photo: Florstein ( Telegram: WikiPhoto.Space ) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  20. Manege, former riding academy

    Photo: Florstein ( Telegram: WikiPhoto.Space ) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  21. Church of the Mother of God the Merciful

    Photo: Bestalex · CC0 · source

  22. Ethnographic Museum

    Photo: Dezidor · CC BY 3.0 · source

  23. Tauride Garden

    Tauride Garden

    attraction

    Photo: George Shuklin · CC BY-SA 1.0 · source

  24. Yusupov Palace on Moika

    Photo: Ninaras · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  25. Юсуповский дворец

    Юсуповский дворец

    museum · 94 набережная реки Мойки, 190068

    Photo: Ninaras · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  26. Moskovsky railway station

    Photo: Florstein ( Telegram: WikiPhoto.Space ) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

  27. St. Michael's Lutheran Church

    Photo: Vitold Muratov · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

  28. Utkina Dacha estate

    Photo: Dinamik · Public domain · source

  29. Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art

    Photo: Erarta · CC BY 3.0 · source

  30. Former Senate and Synod Building

    Photo: Concierge.2C · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

  31. Serafimovskoe Memorial Cemetery

    Photo: Александров · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

  32. Summer Garden

    Summer Garden

    attraction

    Photo: Fisss at English Wikipedia · Public domain · source

  33. The Cabin of Peter the Great

    Photo: User:Yanachka · Public domain · source

  34. Summer Garden

    Summer Garden

    Летний сад · park

    Photo: Fisss at English Wikipedia · Public domain · source

  35. Narodovolets Submarine D-2

    Photo: DL24 · Public domain · source

  36. Russian Railway museum

    Photo: Harveyqs · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0

Self-guided routes

from Wikivoyage's See list
  1. Saint Petersburg: a self-guided walk7 stops · 1.5 km · 55 min
  2. Saint Petersburg: more of the See list7 stops · 1.3 km · 52 min

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