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| St. Petersburg | ||
| Country | Russia | |
|---|---|---|
| The search for a province ends with the state | ||
| Residents | 5.351.935 (2018) | |
| height | 3 m | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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St. Petersburg, the "Venice of the North", is the second largest city Of Russia. Between 1924 and 1991 it was called Leningrad.
Both the historical center and the ensembles in Gatchina, Kronstadt, Lomonossow, Pavlovsk, Peterhof and Pushkin are listed by UNESCO as World heritage accepted.
Districts
Saint Petersburg is divided into 18 Rajoni (city districts), which in turn are subdivided into a total of 111 sub-administrative units (81 municipal districts, 9 cities, 21 settlements).
The most important tourist districts are the inner-city districts:
- Admiralteisky - Admiralteysky
- Vasileostrovsky - Vasilyostrovsky
- Petrogradsky - Петроградский
- Zentralnyj - Центральный
As well as the peripheral districts
- Petrodworzowyj - Петродворцовый - here is the Peterhof Palace and the city of Lomonossow (both Unesco World Heritage)
- Pushkinsky - Пушкинский - historical cities of Pavlovsk and Pushkin
- Kronschtadtskij - Кронштадтский - city and Baltic island of Kronstadt ( w: Administrative division of the city of Saint Petersburg
background
getting there
By plane
St. Petersburg Airport Pulkovo (LED) is one of the largest in Russia with around 4 million passengers. Currently there is only Terminal 1 at Pulkovo Airport, which handles all international and domestic flights. The .flies several times a day from German-speaking countries German Lufthansa from Frankfurt am Main and Munich, Germanwings comes from Cologne / Bonn (other connections are offered). The Swiss controls St. Petersburg from Zurich and Austrian Airlines from Vienna. The largest Russian airline in the area is Rossiya, which also offers flights to many destinations in Europe. After arrival you can book a taxi to the city center or to the hotel at one of the taxi counters before leaving the security area. The flying taxi dealers, who offer their services after leaving the security area, are not recommended. There is also the option of booking a transfer from the airport using the Uber app. The cheapest way, however, is to leave the airport and take bus 39 to the Moskovskaya metro station (terminus) at the bus stop, which is located directly after the exit. Price: 40 rubles for 1 person plus another 40 rubles for each piece of luggage. From the Moskovskaya metro station you can easily take the metro to the city center. Price: 45 rubles plus 45 rubles for luggage.
Important: The visa must already be in place, otherwise you are not allowed to board the plane to St. Petersburg in Frankfurt. From October 2019, Saint Petersburg can be visited with an eVisa.
By train
(Entry to Russia with an e-Visa for the Leningrad District is not possible on these routes.)
Trains to St. Petersburg run daily from Berlin-Lichtenberg. Driving time about 36 hours. From Helsinki there are four connections a day to St. Petersburg and back (Timetable), Fare 39 € uro, 59 € uro round trip. Trains from Moscow are very cheap (the return ticket costs around € 35). Anyone with an international flight on the Finnair has come to Helsinki, can theirs Allegro- Book a train via Vyburg at a discount.
Route: St. Petersburg - Tallinn (Sankt-Peterburg Vitebskij - Tallinn Baltij)
Operator: GO Rail, Toompuiestee 37, Tallinn
Price, from 1.1.20: seat € 27, 4-bed couchette: € 58
Additional information: 1.5 hours at the border in Ivangorod and Narva.
There are 5 long-distance train stations in the Saint Petersburg metropolitan area:
- 1 Moscow train station (Московский вокзал).
The station was put into operation in 1847. In addition to long-distance trains to Moscow, there are also local trains Veliky Novgorod and Volkhov. - 2 Vitebsk train station (Витебский вокзал).The Art Nouveau station is on the route to Tsarskoye Selo (today: Pushkin) to the summer residence of the Tsars. There are long-distance connections to Vilnius, Kiev, Odessa and Smolensk as well as local trains to Veliky Novgorod,
- 3 Saint Petersburg Ladozhsky Railway Station (Ладожский вокзал).The Ladoga train station opened in 2003 for the city's 300th anniversary. It operates several long-distance routes to Moscow and Helsinki.
- 4 Finnish train station (Финляндский вокзал).Mainly suburban trains run from the Finnish train station. Long-distance trains to Helsinki run partly from here and partly from Ladoga station.
- 5 Saint-Petersburg-Baltiysky (Балтийский вокзал (Санкт-Петербург)).The station is mainly used by regional trains. Destinations are Peterhof, Ivangorod and other stations in the direction of the Estonian border.
- 1 Warsaw train station (Варшавский вокзал).The station was built in the Renaissance style and opened in 1860. After its closure in 2001, rail traffic was diverted to the Vitebsk train station, and the building has served as a shopping center since 2005.
By bus
Eurolines drives to St. Petersburg from many cities in Germany. Prices around 80 euros for one way. On the one hand, the official buses from Helsinki depart from Helsinki three times a day Matkahuolto and on the other hand numerous unofficial buses (among others from Wojasch), which are significantly cheaper (one way for 10 €) and not inferior in quality. In Helsinki, buses leave every morning between 11 a.m. and 12 a.m. (be there by 10 a.m.) from the Finnkinokomplex. Arrival and departure (between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., be there at 8 p.m.) in St. Petersburg is at Ploshchad Vosstaniya (corner of Ligovskij Prospekt).
In the street
It's over from Berlin Danzig, Riga and Pleskau / Pskow about 1600 km. From Vienna the 1800 km long journey goes over Brno, Warsaw and Kaunas to Daugavpils and St. Petersburg.
If your own German car insurance company issues a green card that is valid for Russia, you no longer have to take out insurance specifically for Russia at the border since 2009. The green insurance card is recognized if "RUS" is not crossed out on this card. Refueling is often only done in advance, with cash payments being common.
By boat
St. Petersburg is served by international ferry lines, including through the Finnlineswho have a regular ferry service from Scandinavienkai in Travemünde offers.
From the port approx. 100 km away Ust-Luga there is a weekly ferry connection from Kiel with DFDS Seaways. The ferry crossing takes 2.5 days in each direction and requires both a visa and, for individual travelers, a vehicle.
The city is a popular destination for cruise ships. They moor at the ferry and cruise port 6 Morskoy Fasad It has 4 terminals with 7 berths and is located on Vasilyevsky Island about 5 km from the city center.
mobility
St. Petersburg has a well-developed metro network, although the underground entrances are not always easy to find. Rides are paid for with tokens of 55 R, which are sold at the cash desks of the metro stations and which are thrown into the slots provided at the barriers before starting the journey. The multi-trip tickets are around 15% cheaper (Podorozhnik), so for 10 trips 355 R. Day tickets (1-7 days) cost 185-705 R. in 2020.
You can travel on the metro and change lines as long as you want, as the chips are valid until you leave the system. The signs for the individual metro stations are always written in the appropriate direction. The Russians are very careful about the seats reserved for pregnant women and disabled people. So always get up. In contrast to Moscow, the opens up St. Petersburg Metro not the whole city. The registration in the WiFi of the metro is done with an SMS confirmation code.
There is an extensive tram network - just a few years ago it was the largest in the world - but it has been heavily thinned out, especially in the center, the tram lines have been replaced by buses and trolleybuses, as these are not so much in the way of the cars. A single trip costs 50 R. Also shared taxis (Marshrutkas) are traveling in St. Petersburg. They travel on fixed lines, but have no fixed stops. Buses to the surrounding area cost 80-100 R (from 1.1.20).
After public transport has closed (around 0:30 a.m.) you can either take an official taxi or stop a private car. This is very common, and it usually doesn't take a minute for an old Lada (or similar make) to pull up next to you after you've made yourself noticed. As a precaution, you should not ride if there is already more than one person in the vehicle. From the city center to Park Pobedy you can get there for 100 R (the price is negotiated before you start your journey).
tram
A trip on the St. Petersburg tram, which has existed since 1907, costs 50 rubles; Payment is made to the conductor ("conductor").
Subway
Access to the platforms is possible with tokens that are thrown into the barriers in front of the escalators leading downwards; 4 tokens can be conveniently obtained at one time at many stations. In addition, there are also subscriptions of different validity periods or number of trips which, roughly speaking, start to pay off after 30 trips. You get a magnetic card. Once you get to the trains, you can in principle make as many journeys as you like within a day, as long as you don't leave the underground metro system.
By bus
Trips on the Petersburg buses or marshrutkas typically cost 40-50. Payment is made directly to the driver when boarding, almost always when boarding, then Оплата при входе is written. On about ten percent of the routes you pay when you get off: Оплата при выходе.
Train
S-Bahn, i.e. Electric suburban trains (so-called "Elektritschkas") drive to the suburbs of the city up to localities 150 kilometers away. The prices are cheap by Western European standards.
on foot
For a number of years the street signs have been labeled in Russian and English, so that tourists can also find their way around. However, the sights are spread out across the city in such a way that you have to be able to walk to see them. (See also: #Behaviour rules)
Tourist Attractions
- 1 Church of the Resurrection (Спас на Крови).The church is not only stunning from the outside, the many mosaics inside the church are also small masterpieces. Attention: admission price varies depending on the season. It is designed on the model of Moscow's St. Basil's Cathedral and is correspondingly conspicuous as the only large church building in downtown Petersburg that does not follow Italian and classical western architectural styles. The orientation towards the ornamental and colorful decoration of ancient Russian art from the era before Peter I, which had not yet opened up to Western culture, corresponded to the return to national traditions that was cultivated in the second half of the century at the court of the tsars and is thus the simultaneous Central European historicism comparable. It was built from 1883 to 1912 on the spot where Alexander II was assassinated. It was opened to mark the centenary of the victory over Napoleon Bonaparte in the "Patriotic War" and the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty.
- 2 Hermitage (Государственный Эрмитаж), Санкт-Петербург, Дворцовая набережная, 34.
The Hermitage in the former Winter Palace is not only worth seeing for art historians. Attention: Every 1st Thursday (as of 2006) admission is free. Students (including foreign students) always have free entry (but only with an international student ID). Admission for foreign adults R 700 and an additional R 500 for an audio guide (as of November 2017) In the high season, depending on the weather and the crowds, there can be very long waiting times (up to 2 hours). You can avoid the waiting time by joining a guided tour, buying the ticket from one of the machines in the courtyard or purchasing a ticket online from the Hermitage website before traveling. There is a separate entrance for such visitors. The Hermitage is one of the largest and most important art museums in the world. It is a central part of downtown Saint Petersburg, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The archive contains almost three million objects, including archaeological finds and the most important collection of classical European art alongside the Louvre and the Prado. Around 65,000 exhibits are on display in more than 350 halls. The paintings on display include works by Dutch and French masters such as Rembrandt, Rubens, Matisse and Paul Gauguin. There are also two paintings by the Italian universal genius Leonardo da Vinci and 31 paintings by the Spanish painter Pablo Picasso in the nearby General Staff Building.
- 3 Nevsky Prospect (Невский проспект).is a 4.5 kilometer long street in the historic center of Saint Petersburg and one of the most famous streets in Russia. The road was laid out between 1711 and 1721 as a link between the Admiralty in the west and the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in the east of the city. From the middle of the 18th century it developed into a boulevard, when the numerous resident aristocrats had their residences built here. Historic palaces, the large Lutheran St. Peter's Church, a Roman Catholic church, the Russian Orthodox Kazan Cathedral, numerous cafes, museums and cinemas, as well as the Gostiny department store building dating from 1785 can be found on Nevsky Prospect to this day Dwor and the Art Nouveau building of the Jelissejew delicatessen store. The luxurious Grand Hotel Europe is also located on Nevsky Prospect. There are many small shops and parks to the left and right of it.
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- 4 Isaac's Cathedral (Исаакиевский собор), 190000, г. Санкт-Петербург, Исаакиевская пл., Д. 4th. Tel.: 7 (0)812 314 40 96, Email: [email protected].The cathedral, which was completed in 1858 after 40 years of construction, cannot only be viewed from the inside. You can climb the dome and enjoy a great view of St. Petersburg from above. It is the largest church in Saint Petersburg and one of the largest sacred domed buildings in the world. The church is 111 meters long, 97 meters wide and 101.50 meters high. The diameter of the gilded main dome is 26 meters. The church can seat more than 10,000 people. It has been administered as a state museum since the 1930s.
- 5 Peter and Paul Fortress (Петропавловская крепость).
is a fortress from the early 18th century, which is the origin and historical center of the city of Saint Petersburg. The complex, located on Rabbit Island in the Neva, today mainly houses exhibitions and museums and is both a tourist magnet and a place to relax for St. Petersburg residents. The fortress is a central part of the St. Petersburg city center, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. - 6 Kazan Cathedral (Казанский собор).is a large, Russian Orthodox sacred building on Nevsky Prospect. It was built from 1801 to 1811 on the model of the Roman St. Peter's Basilica and is one of the most striking buildings in Saint Petersburg. Its name goes back to an icon of the type of Our Lady of Kazan, which is venerated here.
- 7 Summer Palace of Peter the Great (Летний дворец Петра I, in the summer garden).The palace was built in the Baroque style, completed in 1714 and then served as Peter the Great's residence. Before the palace was completed, the tsar lived in a hut on the other side of the Neva for 11 years.
- 8 The brazen rider (Медный всадник).Monument to Tsar Peter I on Senate Square, erected in 1782. The bronze statue is 13.6 m high. It stands on a monolith weighing approx. 1250 tons, which was transported from its place of discovery over a distance of 22 km.
- 9 Admiralty (Главное адмиралтейство в Санкт-Петербурге).Originally a shipyard, built between 1704 and 1706 according to plans by the Tsar. First renovation 1732 - 1738 with the 72 m high slender tower, on the top of which is a ship figure. 1806 - 1823 the old shipyard was redesigned in the classical style. Today the high command of the Russian Navy is housed in the Admiralty.
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activities
- The 1 Saint Petersburg Stadium, also as Gazprom Stadium known, holds 68,000 spectators.
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shop
- Gostini Dwor, on Nevsky Prospect. Here you can get everything what you want. However, it is not a shopping center as one is used to in Germany. You walk from one shop to the next, like on a tour. The building is two-story and not sorted by goods.
kitchen
- Аурма(Schawerma) In Russia, the doner kebab is called. Unreasonable hygiene conditions often prevail at street stalls and market stalls. Therefore, you should only eat the kebab in sparkling clean snack bars.
- Bliný (russ. Блины) is a sweet or savory coated dish similar to pancakes. You can get it in numerous kiosks and fast food restaurants.
- 1 Ket restaurant This Georgian restaurant comes highly recommended. It is near the Moscow train station (Stremjannaja ulitsa 22). In addition to local dishes such as lobio (bean puree) and khinkali (meat pockets), you can also get excellent Georgian wine and vodka (equivalent to Italian grappa). Main course prices range from 250 to 300 R.
nightlife
Especially in summer, especially during the "white nights", the whole city seems to be on the move until late at night. A highlight at 01:30 am is the pulling up of various new bridges. The first two, 10 Blagoveschensky Bridge
and 11 Litejnyj Bridge, are pulled up at 1:25 a.m., followed by the 12 Troitskiy bridge at 1:35 a.m. Make sure to watch the spectacle from the "right" side, as the bridges stay up for 2-3 hours and you may not be able to go back to your own accommodation ...
accommodation
- 1 swissSTAR, Fontanka 93-26. Tel.: 7 911 929 2793, Email: [email protected]. The pension is located in the historical center, not far from the metro station "Sennaya Ploschad". swissSTAR has 8 rooms, 5 of which have their own bathroom, some with a view of the Fontanka River. A fully equipped kitchen is available for guests. Internet access and local calls are free. Room prices: 40 - 100 euros per night including breakfast.Feature: pension.Price: from 40 euros per night.
- 2 Hostel All seasons (IYHF), 11, Yakovlevskiy lane, St. Petersburg. The hostel is very simple, but generally clean. It is located in the south of the city, near the metro stations Park Pobedy and Elektrosila. You can stay here for € 4.50 in winter and € 8.50 in summer.
- Friends Hostels with 12 (2018) locations, named after the famous TV show, the "Friends" hostel chain has been reviewed by Lonely Planet city guides and described as flawless. Here are just three examples, see website for more information.
- 3 Friends hostels, Griboedov channel, 19. Tel.: 7 812 331 7799 (daily 09: 00-21: 00), Email: [email protected], Skype: friends booking.
- 4 Friends Life, Nevsky Prospect, 47. Tel.: 7 812 331 7799 (daily 09: 00-21: 00), Email: [email protected], Skype: life.friends47.
- 5 Friends on Bankovsky, Bankovskiy Pereulok, 3. Tel.: 7 812 331 7799 (daily 09: 00-21: 00), Email: [email protected], Skype: friends_spb.
Learn
Work
security
St. Petersburg has a reputation for being a dangerous place. However, this is only partially justified.
The mafia is not interested in tourists (at least not directly). The biggest nuisance are pickpockets who, like in other large cities, strike especially on busy streets (Nevsky Prospect) and in the metro. You should therefore stow your valuables securely on your body as far as possible and be vigilant or not take them with you at all, but leave them in the hotel safe.
Caution is advised for travelers using the Tinder dating app. In St. Petersburg it seems to be very easy to make contacts through this app. You arrange to meet the new acquaintance in a cafe, understand each other and the acquaintance suggests going to a bar or pub. Once there, it can happen that after a few drinks you will face horrific costs, which are also collected with mafia-like methods.
St. Petersburg is badly affected by the racism in Russia. The number of xenophobically motivated attacks on foreigners is increasing.
People of color, Arabs or people of Caucasian origin in particular should avoid the metro at late hours and generally focus their stay on the city center.
health
Practical advice
- 1 Tourist information: Sadovaya ulitsa, 14, near Nevsky Prospect.
- 2 Main post office: Poschtamtskaja ulica, 9, in a beautiful building within walking distance of the Isaac's Cathedral. Postage stamp lovers can also buy special Russian postage stamps there. In other places in St. Petersburg, however, postage stamps are hard to come by.
- In Russia there are blue and yellow Mailboxes: Blue mailboxes are used for normal letters and postcards for national and international destinations. The yellow mailboxes are only intended for so-called "first class carriage" only within Russia.
behaviour rules
- Shake hands: Russians, especially women, find it uncomfortable to greet each other with a handshake. Even a handshake over a doorstep is considered a bad omen.
- "Loud noises made by the body" (sneezing, flatulence, belching, etc.) are considered impolite, vulgar and uncultivated. These sounds should be avoided or banished to the toilet.
- The clearly visible sweating is also considered gross.
- Russian women in particular value a well-groomed appearance. Tourists should adapt to this with appropriate clothing and not appear in the "rotten look" or with the trekking jacket that is obviously worn too often. Dressed like this, they are an easy-to-spot target even for less well-meaning Russians.
- If longer walks are planned in St. Petersburg, light footwear is very disadvantageous. The sidewalks often harbor stumbling blocks, the quality of the paths usually does not meet Central European standards. This is especially true in rainy weather: Since most rain pipes do not drain into the sewer system, but onto the sidewalk, large puddles that can be knee-deep often form.
trips
Surroundings of Saint Petersburg
- 13 Catherine Palace (Большой Екатерининский дворец).A visit to the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo (belongs to today's city of Pushkin), about 26 kilometers south of St. Petersburg. In addition to the Catherine Palace with the Amber room several other beautiful buildings that extend over a huge park with a small lake. You pay an entrance fee for the park and additional entrance fees for most of the other buildings. The excursion takes at least half a day. If you want to visit the Amber Room in good weather during the high season, you should expect a long waiting time (1-2 hours). In this case, it may be worth taking a guided tour, which is more expensive than the entrance fee. More information about admission prices and opening times can be found on the official website (Russian / English): [1] This website also describes how to get there by public transport.
- 14 Pavlovsk (Павловск).Only 6 kilometers further southeast is Pavlovsk with a former summer residence of the tsars from classicism, with a large park and palace complex.
- 1 Kronstadt (Кронштадт).
Kronstadt is on the island Kotlin in the Gulf of Finland, i.e. the Baltic Sea, about 30 kilometers from Saint Petersburg. This is connected to the mainland via the Petersburg dam and can also be reached by road. Kronstadt was an important base of the Imperial Russian Navy. The historic old town and the coastal forts are well worth seeing.
- 15 Peterhof (Петергоф) (Петергоф) (35 minutes ride with the Elektritschka from the Baltic train station).Peterhof is located about 30 kilometers west of the center of Saint Petersburg on the south coast of the Neva Bay. From 1723 there was a residence of the Russian tsars here, also known as the “Russian Versailles”. Next to the Great Castle is the famous one Peter and Paul Cathedral to be highlighted, at 70 meters high, one of the highest Orthodox churches in the world.
- 16 Lomonosov (Ораниенбаум).Another 13 kilometers west on the coast of the Gulf, south of the island of Kotlin, is Lomonossow, the former Oranienbaum. Here is another remarkable ensemble of castles, pavilions, a castle park and the historic old town. The ensemble of castles, pavilions, a castle park and the historic old town was added to the UNESCO list of world cultural and natural heritage in 1990.
climate
The city's position at 60 ° N results in large seasonal differences in the length of the day. Days are shorter than 6 hours in late December, but the White Nights season in June never gets darker than twilight. Not only are the days of late fall and early winter very short, but the weather can be cloudy for weeks without a hint of blue skies that can feel depressing. The driest season with the least amount of precipitation is early spring. July and August are usually the rainiest months, so it is a good idea to have an umbrella or raincoat on hand when visiting town.
- November to March: there are hardly any tourists, so you don't have to queue at the Hermitage. The neoclassical streets of Saint Petersburg are just beautiful even in the snow. Temperatures can range from relatively mild, slightly above freezing, to bitterly cold. From time to time it can be well below average, down to -25 ° C and below, often with high humidity and strong winds. Therefore, you should dress warmly. Most tourist attractions are still open and some hotels offer lower prices during this time.
- April: Hardly any rain, but still cool. The dust created by melting snow and drying out can be a nuisance.
- May: Hardly any rain and tolerable temperatures. Good travel time.
- June: is the high season for tourists during the famous White Nights (approx. June 11th to July 2nd), when the sun only sets for a short time at dusk and the streets stay alive around the clock. The last ten days of June, during the White Nights Festival, with all-day performances, concerts, festivals, and parties, are the busiest times of the season and it can be difficult to reserve accommodation and transportation. Book early.
- July and August are usually the warmest months, but it rarely gets really hot. It can be difficult to bear due to the high humidity. Rain showers usually come and go during this time, so it's always a good idea to carry an umbrella or rain jacket, even on sunny, clear days.
- Late September - early October: is a good time in the city. Temperatures drop to moderate temperatures, often with strong winds, and the tourists are all gone. Rain is still common.
language
English is usually taught in schools and universities so younger people should understand it to some extent, but the chance of finding someone on the street who is fluent in English is still not as great as elsewhere in Russia including Moscow. Average people will likely be able to point out a direction, but not expect much more. Most of the signs and lettering, especially off the tourist trail, are still in Russian, with the exception of the underground and street signs in the city center. It can be a good idea to familiarize yourself with the Russian Cyrillic alphabet before traveling as it is easy to do and you can recognize street names, etc.
literature
- Könnecke, Jochen; St. Petersburg on tour; Munich 2019: "Twelve individual tours through the city"
- Phillips, Catherine; St. Petersburg; Munich 2019 (DK), orig .: "Eyewitness travel guide St. Petersburg"
Web links
- https://russische-botschaft.ru/de/consulate/visafragen/ - Information about a Russia visa
