Jump to content

Which St Petersburg attractions to de-prioritize?


 Share

Recommended Posts

We have a 3-day stop in St Petersburg next August and I'm in the process of arranging a private tour. I would like to determine which attractions to de-prioritize so that we can spend a more comfortable amount of time at each. I've looked at the group tours offered by about 10 different companies so I could get a good idea of what sights are typically included, and I've done some research on each. My problem is that they all completely run together in my mind: "___ Palace/Cathedral was the site of _____ historical event and is known for its grandeur."

 

There are just two of us and we're in our late 30's. We like art museums, nature and landscapes, offbeat attractions, and I'm a big fan of Dostoevsky. He likes history but I have a pretty short attention span with actual history museums--probably why all the palaces and cathedrals are blurring together for me! I'd also prefer areas where crowds have room to spread instead of being cramped into a smaller space. We are definitely keeping the Hermitage Museum, at least one of the Summer palaces, Faberge museum, and the Church on the Spilled Blood. I was interested in St Isaac's Cathedral too because of the views over the city after climbing the stairs, and we want to visit the Russian Vodka Museum just as a fun break.

 

My questions are: given our interests, does it make sense to eliminate the Peter & Paul Fortress/Cathedral from our list? What about the Yusupov Palace? I understand that Catherine Palace and Grand Peterhof Palace have similar architecture; should we drop Catherine Palace so that we only have one trip into the suburbs and can save a few hours? Given that it's a little further away, should we visit the Alexander Nevsky Monastery/Cemetary for Dostoevsky's grave? I've read some tripadvisor reviews but I haven't really seen it mentioned here much. Maybe the apartment museum is a better choice? I like that the graveyard has more to see since my husband isn't into Russian literature. And finally, am I missing any obvious gems given that there's more to do than can really fit into 3 days comfortably?

 

Thanks for your help! I know similar questions are posted frequently but I did some homework, am still a little stumped, and would love advice from others who have been there and done that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agree Yusupov Palace is missable. Same for the fortress and it does take a bit of time to get to the fortress. I would also skip St. Issaacs though I didn't do the climb to me it is more of a typical European church. Spilled blood is worth going inside but is very quick. I like the Russian museum to see the icons and Russian art. I like the fountain palace (forget which one that is) The amber room is also impressive but very crowded. Don't know anything about the Vodka museum but suspect it is kitsch. I don't know anything about Dostoevsky's grave but cemeteries in Russia are interesting and very different than elsewhere in Europe or North America so could be an interesting visit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agree with Yusupov comments. Between Catherine's and Peterhof I'd do Peterhof.

Other things you might want to research: piskaryovskoe memorial cemetery, museum of the siege, navy museum and artillery museum (makes sense if you decide to do the Fortress, it's right across).

Also, Russian museum is one of the least crowded; you might also check out Erarta for modern art.

Dostoevsky's apartment is neat and should not take longer than 40 minutes, while your SO can enjoy a Georgian meal right across the street.

The Lavra cemetery is interesting, but kinda out of the way - but there is a street art museum right next to it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am also a Dostoevsky fan - loved visiting his apartment/museum (2x). Tikhvin cemetery is very interesting as it also contains the tombs of other Russian luminaries whose contributions I greatly admire (Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky, Stravinsky, et al). I wouldn't miss either if I could possible squeeze both in.

Another very interesting Dostoevsky themed tour in which I participated was a Crime and Punishment walking tour. We walked in the footsteps of Raskolnikov visiting Haymarket Square, 5 Stolyarny Pereulok (where Alyona Ivanova lived) and other sites in what was, during Dostoevsky's time, the very seedy section of the city where the poor & downtrodden lived. Since you will be booking a customized, private tour, perhaps you could squeeze in a quick "look see" at these two historic locations that figure so prominently in the novel.

I loved Yusupov Palace but I have visited St. Pete numerous times for extended periods. So, I would agree with others - on a short port visit, I would be inclined to cut Yusupov, Peter and Paul Fortress/cathedral & St. Isaac's to allow myself the time to visit the Dostoevsky sites.

And, do remember, most private tour operators offer free time in the evenings with just a driver (you could visit Haymarket then if you are so inclined). The shops on Nevsky are open till 10pm & you could visit St. Isaac's in the evening (open 6 to 10:30pm) & climb to the top of the colonade for gorgeous evening views overlooking the city. :cool:

Lots of options - enjoy!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Look at the pictures of the Church of Spilled Blood. For me personally, the exterior was far better then the interior (I'm personally not a huge fan of mosaics). You can very quickly do an exterior stop there if you personally decide the interior isn't your favorite (and I'm sure there are plenty of people who would disagree with me, which is why you should look at the pictures and decide what you'd like to see).

 

Normally, if you do both Catherine's Palace and Peterhof are both visited on the same day. They appear to be about 45 minutes apart from my google directions, although I don't know if that is always the case. Our tour did the interior of Catherine's Palace and exterior of Peterhof. I quite liked the interior of Catherine's Palace (and of course the fountains are amazing), but SPB has sent emails pulling their tours out of Catherine's Palace because of the crowds so you might want to check with your tour operator to see if it would be too crowded for you.

 

Peter and Paul Fortress was also not a highlight for me personally.

 

Would it be possible to do a midnight canal boat tour where the bridges are raised? We weren't able to do this, but I've read that people quite like it.

 

Have a great trip!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have a 3-day stop in St Petersburg next August and I'm in the process of arranging a private tour. I would like to determine which attractions to de-prioritize so that we can spend a more comfortable amount of time at each. I've looked at the group tours offered by about 10 different companies so I could get a good idea of what sights are typically included, and I've done some research on each. My problem is that they all completely run together in my mind: "___ Palace/Cathedral was the site of _____ historical event and is known for its grandeur."

 

There are just two of us and we're in our late 30's. We like art museums, nature and landscapes, offbeat attractions, and I'm a big fan of Dostoevsky. He likes history but I have a pretty short attention span with actual history museums--probably why all the palaces and cathedrals are blurring together for me! I'd also prefer areas where crowds have room to spread instead of being cramped into a smaller space. We are definitely keeping the Hermitage Museum, at least one of the Summer palaces, Faberge museum, and the Church on the Spilled Blood. I was interested in St Isaac's Cathedral too because of the views over the city after climbing the stairs, and we want to visit the Russian Vodka Museum just as a fun break.

 

My questions are: given our interests, does it make sense to eliminate the Peter & Paul Fortress/Cathedral from our list? What about the Yusupov Palace? I understand that Catherine Palace and Grand Peterhof Palace have similar architecture; should we drop Catherine Palace so that we only have one trip into the suburbs and can save a few hours? Given that it's a little further away, should we visit the Alexander Nevsky Monastery/Cemetary for Dostoevsky's grave? I've read some tripadvisor reviews but I haven't really seen it mentioned here much. Maybe the apartment museum is a better choice? I like that the graveyard has more to see since my husband isn't into Russian literature. And finally, am I missing any obvious gems given that there's more to do than can really fit into 3 days comfortably?

 

Thanks for your help! I know similar questions are posted frequently but I did some homework, am still a little stumped, and would love advice from others who have been there and done that.

 

I feel like you could do so much in 3 days....that would be amazing. We had 2 days which was great, but with 3 you could fit in some of the lesser known attractions. I feel like if you wanted to you could do without Catherine’s. It is a beautiful palace, but so is hermitage. After awhile ones eyes do glaze over a bit and you can’t keep all the different tsars straight. For hermitage definitely get early entry.

 

Church on spilled blood is beautiful but minor and can be done in a short visit.

 

If you are going to do a private tour (highly recommended!! And I can recommend TJ) let them know some of your interests, that you’d like off the beaten bath a bit etc, let them design a unique itinerary and then you ha e some time to tweak it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Look at the pictures of the Church of Spilled Blood. For me personally, the exterior was far better then the interior (I'm personally not a huge fan of mosaics). You can very quickly do an exterior stop there if you personally decide the interior isn't your favorite (and I'm sure there are plenty of people who would disagree with me, which is why you should look at the pictures and decide what you'd like to see).

 

Personally I loved the inside and it was interesting to learn about the mosaic techniques and the outsid3 was heavily scaffolded this summer, so a quick drive by would

be sufficient

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree that there is little point in going to Catherines palace as well as Peterhof. We much preferred Peterhof (inside as well as the gardens) with lunch on site and a hydrofoil ride back to the city.

They will both be busy. The only interesting aspect of Catherine’s palace for me was the history during and after WW11.

I would also skip the fortress/church. We were there in ‘73 and saw the dungeons. Last year we only saw the church.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Peterhof is my favourite of the Russian palaces, but it is true that if you visit both it and the Catherine Palace in a day, then they will blur into one. (Basically, if it has an Amber Room, it isn't on the Gulf of Finland!)

 

I visited the Yusupov Palace the last time I was in St Petersburg. The Church on Spilled Blood was ok, but not worth more than a few minutes, and the Peter and Paul Fortress seems to take longer to get to than you will spend inside the church.

 

During my very first visit to St Petersburg I stayed in a hotel near the Alexander Nevsky monastery. The cemeteries (there is one on each side of the entrance road) are full of famous Russians, so it is like Highgate or Pere Lachaise, and the grave monuments are very grand.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
does it make sense to eliminate the Peter & Paul Fortress/Cathedral from our list? .

 

I would keep it. It is very different from the other palaces and you might meet more Russians instead of just tourists. (For example visting the graves of the Imperial family.)

 

... Yusupov Palace ..[/Quote]

 

Does your cruise line and/or tour guide offer an evening visit to the Yusupov Palace? This way you could include it and spend the day time diffferently, Iwas a nice evening when I was there with music, ballet, champagne etc (albeit very Russian in terms of the quite rigid and harsh staff.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would put Peterhof and Catherine's Palace at the top of the list - do not miss these.

 

I liked Peter and Paul Fortress, I prefer the exterior of the Church on Spilled Blood but I have seen a ton of interior Russian churches. I do like St. Isaac's Cathedral. I also like the canal boat ride. Plus - you must do the Hermitage to at least see part of it.

 

I would skip Yusupov Palace.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks again! Right now we've planned to see both Peterhof and Catherine's Palace, Church on the Spilled Blood, St Isaac's Cathedral, canal tour, walk on Nevsky Prospekt, the monastery's cemetary, Dostoevsky's apartment museum, an evening tour at Faberge Museum (19:30-20:30), and because we are there on a Wednesday when it's open late, we have a nice long time at the Hermitage Museum including the Impressionists! Hopefully we can catch the winding of the peacock clock too. Our tour operator mentioned that crowds tend to be lower in those evening hours, so I'm crossing my fingers.

 

I think I'll keep debating with myself for a few more months about both of the summer palaces or just one and add some of the great suggestions upthread. I'd love to do the midnight canal tour but my husband has already vetoed that and he's been a good sport about the idea of getting up and being off the ship early at each stop so I don't want to push my luck! An evening tour through the ship is a good idea for some of the exclusive access they're able to wrangle but we're already not planned to get back until 9pm each night so I think that's out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I loved the interior of Church of the Spilled Blood. It was beautiful.

 

As you're on a private tour, don't forget food. You'll be able to have a say in what/where you eat. If you're adventurous, you can stop for blinis. We also had a small coffee/ice cream break, which was nice just due to the different way you order - a little flag at the table calls the waitress over. We ate dinner at Teplo, which was mom and pop type food. Our agency gave us choices of restaurants ahead of time and made the reservations for us.

 

With that much time, I'd try to spend time just enjoying bits of day to day life there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...