ST. PETERSBURG - TOURISM CHAMPION IN RUSSIA

ꙭ read in 2 min.            © Sergey Sahackiy                  January 2, 2026

 December 2, 2016 in the Maldives, St. Petersburg was recognized as the tourist and cultural capital of the world, awarded the prestigious prize in the category "World's Leading Cultural City Destination 2016". The city managed to overcome such metropolis as: Beijing, London, New York, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Sydney and Venice.

 Moreover, in 2015 the Northern Capital was chosen as the best tourist city in Europe. Taking into account the awards and world recognition, the city received the right to hold the World Travel Awards ceremony in October 2017. This was for the first time in Russia. And at the very beginning of the ceremony, St. Petersburg was declared the "Best European City Direction"!

Currently, the city on the Neva is experiencing its historic peak of popularity.  We can say that the dream of the founder came true - this city does not look like traditional Russian cities, it absorbed all the best that could be taken from the west and become one of the most beautiful cities in the world! This is the capital, which is usually spoken about with aspirations - the city is a monument, a city of stone, surrounded by colossal cathedrals, the world's greatest museums and hundreds of beautiful bridges and canals!

 Nowhere in the world there are so many ancient buildings - over 18,000 houses were built before the revolution. In addition, there are 70 theaters, 200 museums and 8 500 historical and cultural monuments, as well as the birthplace of Russian rock and the protest subculture. Fashionable hashtag "#drinkinpeter" - still does not quite fit this city, #surprisedinpeter- that's quite another thing!

Tip: if you came to St. Petersburg for the first time, then a sightseeing tour around the city center will suit you. You will get acquainted with the history of the construction of the northern capital, learn about the most famous St. Petersburg buildings, monuments, streets and squares, gardens and parks, about the main events in the life of St. Petersburg. During this tour you will get your first impression of the city and make up a further plan of getting to know it.

 The tour includes a trip along Nevsky Prospekt, you will see St. Isaac's Square with the majestic St. Isaac's Cathedral, the Bronze Horseman, the Admiralty, the residence of Russian emperors - the Winter Palace, as well as the Church of the Savior on Blood and the Field of Mars. Then the tour leads to the Peter and Paul Fortress. Visit the house of Peter the Great, Vasilievsky Island, Rostral columns, the Merchant's Exchange Building.

Near the delightful Nevsky Prospect is the main square of St. Petersburg - Dvortsovaya. The most beautiful cultural heritage of the city is concentrated there - the Hermitage, St. Isaac's Cathedral, the Alexander Column, The General Staff Building, the facade of which is the longest in the world.

The Hermitage is the main museum of the planet, where about 3 million art works are kept. Yes, it is the same Winter Palace, which has a huge historical value for Russia. Once its gates were taken by the Bolsheviks, and now they are stormed by tourists :) Do not be surprised by the big queues for tickets, believe it - it's worth visiting such a monumental place!

 This is a giant museum, even if run to and fro, it is impossible to visit all exhibition halls during the whole day. Everything around is simply stuffed with works of art - that's where you can really take pride in the Russian cultural heritage! But not only it…

Here the masterpieces of Rembrandt and Matisse, Michelangelo and Monet, Rubens and Van Gogh, and of course - Leonardo da Vinci are kept. In captivity, you begin to envy the citizens of St. Petersburg, as they have the opportunity to see all the exhibits in no hurry. Think: if give each subject even a minute, it will take 20 years (!) to examine them all.

Diners, offices, private rooms, chambers, ballrooms - the head goes around from what he see...

Note: tours to the Hermitage can be carried out only by the guides of this museum. In the St. Isaac's Cathedral, the cost of tickets includes tour services.

In order to fully see the architecture, you can go to the Peter and Paul Fortress and take a walking tour there. Do not want to go? Then take advantage of the rental of two-wheelers - so it will be more convenient to go around the place where St. Petersburg started. The structure has the form of a six-pointed star and was intended to protect against the Swedes.

The summer residence of Russian tsars deserves special attention - Peterhof is located just a few kilometers from the city. This was a response to the French. 300 years ago the most beautiful palace was Versailles. The cascade of fountains of the Peterhof Palace is one of the most beautiful in the world. The statues depict the ancient gods and they are all covered with real gold leaf.

 It is believed that it is better to see the northern capital in the autumn and summer with pleasure of boats tour, tickets for which are sold on the embankments. No wonder this cultural metropolis is compared to Venice – there are as much as 90 rivers, channels and canals. And for those who can afford it - there are helicopter tours. From above it is better to see what Peter the Great turned into an ordinary swamp :)

Don’t forget to visit the 117-year-old exhibit - the famous cruiser "Aurora", if you know the history, there is need to explain it.

For large groups of tourists, it is more profitable to rent a bus. 

Tourists have a wonderful time cruising the rivers and canals of the Northern Capital on boats and yachts! For this purpose, our portal offers a selection and booking service for boats of various sizes. 

If you want to not just watch, but learn something new from the professionals and connoisseurs of the cultural capital, you can choose organized tours around the city.

 What else to visit and see here? If you want more - go to the Mariinsky Theater for an opera or a ballet and culturally enrich your experience.

Summing up: St. Petersburg - is an excellent option for a weekend or vacation: nearby, beautiful and not very expensive!

Click on the corresponding icon at the bottom ↓ of this page and find the profitable offers with prices of tourist services in St. Petersburg.