Grand Hotel Europe
St. Petersburg , Northwestern Region, Russia[1.7 miles]
St. Petersburg’s grand dame, a 5-star luxury hotel that harps back to more graceful, elegant age.
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Bucket list experience:
Walk Nevsky Prospekt
St. Petersburg , Northwestern Region, Russia
Credit Shutterstock.com/OlegDoroshin
Last updated: 09 November, 2022
Nevsky Prospect is St. Petersburg’s main artery – a grand boulevard stretching for 4.5kms from the vast Palace Square to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery. Walking along it provides an ideal introduction to the city; the city’s story is written in its elegant facades, imposing buildings, basilicas, monuments and theatres. Between the sights, you’ll stumble upon some of the city’s best coffee houses and cafes for pit stops.
Set aside three or four hours to allow time to stop in to visit major landamrks. Highlights include the city’s most important cathedral, Kazan, The House of Books (a six-storey Art Nouveau building that is the city’s most famous bookstore), Gostiny Dvor (one of the first shopping arcades in the world) and the Anichkov Bridge, famous for the four ‘horse tamer’ sculptures that crown its four corners.
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Destination Guide >Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 18+
When: All year around
Duration: 2
Getting there & doing it
Begin at the Admiralty (opposite the Hermitage Museum) and finish at Alexander Nevsky Monastery. Set aside half a day to complete the walk. If you’re short on time, walk from the Admiralty to the Anichkov Bridge. Bring a detailed map of the historical center to help you recognize major landmarks – most hotels will be able to provide you with one, or there are downloadable apps which guide you along the route.
When to do it
This legendary walk is best done in fine, warm weather; in the winter months, the wind barrels across the broad street and it can be impossible to walk far without diving inside.
The street is busy all day, every day – this is part of the attraction – alongside the sights, there is just the sense of local people going about their everyday lives. It’s equally pleasant in the evening, when the cafes and restaurants spill out onto the street.
Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
Hotel Indigo Tchaikovskogo
St. Petersburg, Northwestern Region, Russia[1.8 miles]
Hip decor and stunning rooftop views are the hallmarks of this Indigo hotel, located minutes from the Summer Gardens.
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Kempinski Hotel Moika
St. Petersburg, Northwestern Region, Russia[2.5 miles]
Enjoy 5-star luxury accommodation just steps from the Hermitage, with incomparable views of the city’s major landmarks.
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Pushka Inn
St. Petersburg, Northwestern Region, Russia[2.5 miles]
Cosy, classic but affordable accommodation in a historic hotel, located just moments from the Hermitage.
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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
St Petersburg
Northwestern Region, Russia
On the shores of the Baltic, Russia’s dazzling cultural capital is a treasure trove of art, music, literature, and history.
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Overview >Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Faberge Museum
St. Petersburg , Northwestern Region, Russia[1 miles]
Discover the art of Peter Carl Faberge, creator of the Imperial Easter Eggs, in the museum dedicated to his craft.
Best for ages: 8+ | £5
Russian Museum
St. Petersburg, Northwestern Region, Russia[1.8 miles]
Russia’s rich tradition of visual arts is celebrated in the network of buildings and gardens of the State Russian Museum, housing 400,000 exhibits dating back to the 10th century.
Best for ages: 18+ | £5
Cathedral of Christ the Saviour on the Spilled Blood
St. Petersburg, Northwestern Region, Russia[2 miles]
One of the city’s only traditional Russian churches, built on the spot of the assassination of Tsar Alexander II 1881, it is also the most beautiful, with jaw-dropping gold-leaf interiors.
Best for ages: 14+ | £5
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St Petersburg’s extraordinary cathedrals & churches
St Petersburg , Northwestern Region, Russia[2.5 miles]
Ornate onion-bulb domes, glittering mosaics and buildings on a vast scale make St Petersburg’s churches and cathedrals some of the most impressive in the world.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
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Overview >Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..
Experience
Dostoevsky Museum
St. Petersburg , Northwestern Region, Russia[0.7 miles]
Dostoyevsky’s apartment/house museum, located in the Haymarket, is where much of ‘Crime and Punishment’ is set and offers fascinating insights into the writer’s life and work.
Best for ages: 18+ | £3
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Experience
Kuznechny Food Market
St. Petersburg , Northwestern Region, Russia[0.8 miles]
Kuznechny Market offers a chance to step off the sightseeing trail and visit the city’s largest farmers’ market, with fresh produce, meat and fish. Open daily except Monday.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
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Experience
Philharmonic Hall
St. Petersburg, Northwestern Region, Russia[1.7 miles]
Enjoy a night of Russia’s outstanding classical music at the elegant Philharmonic Hall, right in the center of the city.
Best for ages: 18+ | £30 | 2+ hours
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Experience
Kazan Cathedral
St. Petersburg , Northwestern Region, Russia[2 miles]
Looming over Nevsky Prospekt, the scale of Kazan is breathtaking. Modelled on St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the church took ten years to build between 1801-11 and is famous for its impressive stone colonnade.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
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