Travel bucket list idea:
St. Petersburg , Northwestern Region, Russia
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Credit Shutterstock.com/OlegDoroshin
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.
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.
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.
Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Northwestern Region, Russia
On the shores of the Baltic, Russia’s dazzling cultural capital – and former home of its lavish Tsars – is a treasure trove of art, music, literature, and history. Home to one of the world’s greatest museums, the State Hermitage.
