St Petersburg

I am in the process of laying out how we will plan our two days in St. Petersburg. We generally like architecture and seeing the major sites. I have put together some draft plans but would be interested in how others divided things up between the two days to make sure I am being efficient with our time.

I am in the process of laying out how we will plan our two days in St. Petersburg. We generally like architecture and seeing the major sites. I have put together some draft plans but would be interested in how others divided things up between the two days to make sure I am being efficient with our time.

Great that you are starting early to plan ahead on wonderful St. Petersburg. YES, great architecture, history, charm and culture there. BUT, I assume you are not trying to do a Russia Visa there that gets very costly and complicated. Right?

NOW, the real, key question . . . ship tours . . . versus . . . private group tour . . . versus . . . smaller, really private tour fitting just your priorities/needs/schedule. There's a big difference!! Not all private tours are the same. Many skip ship tours as over-priced and/or too large/slow.

Much depends on what type, size and style of "private tour" you want and/or have. Some of the companies in St. Petersburg put you in THEIR group of 10-25 people to follow THEIR schedule and plan. We had a group of just two couples, did an early admission to the Hermitage, did things at OUR pace and style, focused on OUR interests, etc.

Our guide was not shouting out a memorized script to us as we were force-marched through a large building. We had a "conversation" as we toured through, soaked up the beauty and history, got our questions answered, etc. It was super wonderful!!! Even for late July, things were not too crowded for us in the Hermitage as people spread out in such a large collection of buildings. Below are a few of my photo samples to give an idea on the variety and sights there.

This museum is really amazing even without the art item. It is so totally spectacular to see and explore. It is five different buildings. Don't miss the gift shop as you exit. You can find some decent quality items at fairly reasonable prices there.

KEY HERMITAGE BACKGROUND: YES, the Hermitage is enormous, like their vast empire. The Tzar ruled this space of 1057 rooms, 117 stairs and 1945 windows. The number of sculptures on the roof of the Winter Palace is 176, including its many vases. This main palace was built by more than 4000 builders, marble and sculpture specialists, parquet makers and artists. The palace was built in the period from 1754 to 1762. At that time it was the tallest dwelling house in St Petersburg. The Winter Palace was repainted several times in different colors. It was red, pink, and a few other colors. It acquired its green color in 1946. The Winter Palace was made to represent the power and glory of the Russian Empire, especially to impress those in western Europe. *The length of the main facade is 492 feet, the height is 98 feet.

We could have done more there at the Hermitage, but our timing and sampling was wonderful. Lots of great options in St. Petersburg, also.

Added questions, interests? Happy to share more!

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 167,458 views. Appreciate the interest and follow-up questions/comments!!

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Here is the Grand Staircase at St. Petersburg’s Hermitage. It was restored after the fire of 1837. This white marble staircase is divided into two flights with ten solid columns of granite supporting the vaults of the staircase. Full of light and gleaming with gilding and mirrors, the staircase extends for the whole height of the Winter Palace. The painted ceiling is by 18th-century artist Diziano Gasparo representing the gods of Olympus Olympus. This gives an impression of an additional height to the staircase. The décor of the staircase includes monumental sculptures brought by Peter the Great from Italy. In the 18th century the staircase was known as the Ambassadorial Staircase because the envoys of foreign countries ascended it when going to the palace for official receptions.:

Private, personal tours can be worth it, especially in St. Petersburg. Here our group of four, with our guide, Jane or Zhenya from Anastasia, we are viewing and learning more about one of the two da Vinci masterpieces (Madonna Litta or Madonna and Child) at the Hermitage after an early admission. There are only 14 such paintings by this artist existing in the whole world. We did an early admission at the Hermitage, lessening the crowd battles and adding to the enjoyment in this spectacular place/set of five palaces AND museum. It is both! This Madonna and Child was probably painted in Milan, where the artist moved in 1482. The Madonna's tender gaze as she looks at her son, and the tranquillity of the distant mountainous landscape, reflect humanist dreams of Ideal Man and a Harmonious Life. Experts says the painting reveals great beauty in its coloring and composition. The painting came to the Czar's collection and museum in 1865 from the collection of Count Antonio Litta in Milan.:

As we entered Catherine's Palace in St. Petersburg, here was the welcoming band. This Rococo summer residence of the Russian Czars is located in the town of Pushkin, 15 miles SE of St. Petersburg. The residence originated in 1717, when Catherine I engaged a German architect to construct a summer palace for her pleasure. In 1752, Empress Anna found her mother's residence outdated and had her court architect demolish the old structure and replace it with a much grander edifice in a flamboyant Rococo style. Construction lasted for four years and in 1756 the new 325-meter-long palace amazed courtiers, foreign ambassadors and other visitors. During Elizabeth's lifetime, the palace was famed for its lavish exterior, including more than 100 kilograms of gold used to gild the sophisticated stucco façade and numerous statues erected on the roof.:

Inside Catherine's Palace in St. Petersburg with our personal guide from Anastasia, we view this spectacular reception “ballroom”, painted ceiling, gold, etc., at our pace and timing schedule, getting our personal questions answered, etc. This majestic setting requires a little time to “soak it up”.:

Here is a unique angle for the spectacular fountains and water from the spectacular Peterhof outside of St. Petersburg. The greatest technological achievement of Peterhof is that all of the fountains operate without the use of pumps. Water is supplied from natural springs and collects in reservoirs in the Upper Gardens. This elevation difference creates the pressure driving most of the fountains for the Lower Gardens, including the Grand Cascade.:

Here is an overall view of the size and scale of St. Isaac's interior in St. Petersburg. It is the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral in this historic city and was dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, a patron saint of Peter the Great. The cathedral took 40 years to construct, 1818 to 1858, under direction of a French architect. During Soviet rule, it was nearly destroyed and was made into a Museum of Scientific Atheism. It has been restored to its religious beauty/role. The cathedral's main dome tops out at 333 feet and is plated with pure gold.:

Hi Terry, You assume correctly in that we are not going to do the Russian visa thing. We are also not against taking a ship tour if it makes sense. Not yet sure about St Petersburg. We were thinking of the Hermitage and churches on Day 1 and Peterhof and Pushkin on Day 2.

Hi Terry, You assume correctly in that we are not going to do the Russian visa thing. We are also not against taking a ship tour if it makes sense. Not yet sure about St Petersburg. We were thinking of the Hermitage and churches on Day 1 and Peterhof and Pushkin on Day 2.

Since you've decided against the Russian Visa approach (a wise choice for most, in my opinion), that leaves you with two options. You can take a ship tour or you can hire a 3rd party tour (private or as part of a group). Most on CC seem to use one of the 3rd party approaches. There are several reputable 3rd party companies that offer the tours and you can read this forum for various experiences with each. Look for Alla, Denrus, Red October, and a few others. Most reports are that these are all quality operations, with minor variances for some people's preferences.

I would look at the ship excursions and list out what they actually stop to see (and charge). Then I would look at several of the 3rd party companies and list out what they see (and charge). Then you can decide if you prefer to book a pre-package tour (ship or 3rd party) where the itinerary is relatively fixed and decided by the tour group. Or you may decide you prefer to arrange a more private tour which combines different things or spends more time at certain locations. It really all comes down to how much you want to spend and what you want to see.

But in general, most of the major tour companies all will take you to major places most people want to see.

In my case, i was traveling solo. So I arranged to join Denrus on a mid-size pre-packaged tour. There were about 25 of us on a bus for 2 days. We saw all the sites that were advertised as part of the package, but not necessarily in the same order as they were written. In fact our guide/drive had to change sequencing on the spur of the moment when they encountered a running race that had streets closed down for a few hours. But their "Plan B" was well executed with little impact to us on board.