Russia

Free 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