Recommendations for second time to St Petersburg

[bennybear]

Hi, We are going on our second cruise to St. Petersburg, and are trying to decide what to see this time

 

Is the Gold room in the Hermitage worth seeing?

 

what about the subways and farmer's markets?

 

The canal cruise>

 

Inside which churches?

 

St Paul Fortress??

 

Many thanks for any recommendations.

[Moonglow]

You didn't mention what you had seen the first time which would be helpful. We saw the Gold Room which was well worth it for all the beautiful things inside. We took a canal boat ride which was nice and gave a different view of the city. We took a short ride on the subway and the stations are quite fancy and unexpected but, the cars themselves are old and well used. St. Peters and Pauls Fortress was also a different site, the church holds the graves of Peter The Great and others. Many of the churches are beautiful on the inside and well worth a visit. In my opinion the heavy hitters in St. Petersburg are Catherines Palace, Peterhoff Palace, and the Hermitage.

 

Carol

[bennybear]

Thanks Carol,

 

We did do a city tour, the Hermitage but not the Gold room, Peterhof and Catherine's Palace, The ships tours omitted the inside of the churches so I would like to see them, as well as do the subways and canal. Also we are looking at Yusopov Palace. B

[TLCOhio]

Thanks Carol, we did do a city tour, the Hermitage but not the Gold room, Peterhof and Catherine's Palace, The ships tours omitted the inside of the churches so I would like to see them, as well as do the subways and canal. Also we are looking at Yusopov Palace. B

 

The two Cathedrals are both wonderful and hopefully you will get to enjoy them fully. The craftsmanship is superb! Really awesome! The canal boat tour is both restful and enjoyable. You'll see St. Petersburg from a different angle and pace, away from the traffic of the main city. There are more options to see in the Hermitage, including the Gold Room. It is a huge museum in those five buildings. There are other museums in town that have nice collections, depending on your interests. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[kruzseeka]

I would certainly recommend doing the Gold Room - we've done it twice as there is so much to take in (as indeed, with the Hermitage as a whole).

 

As for the churches, the Church of the Spilled Blood is quite amazing and is amongst my top highlights in St P. It's staggeringly ornate, jaw-dropping interior is just as impressive as the exterior and it's a photographer's dream! (As is common in other locations around St P you do pay a small charge to be allowed to take photographs here.) Perhaps the heavy ornamentation isn't everyone's taste - I adore the Rock Church in Helsinki which couldn't be more different - but it's most definitely a 'must-see' in my book just for the craftsmanship and intricate decor - there's hardly a square inch not covered in brightly coloured glass mosaic, semi-precious stone or marble (floors, walls and domed ceiling included!)

 

The Yusopov Palace is quite different from Catherine Palace/Peterhof, in particular the theatre there and the cellars with the reconstruction of Rasputin's final hours are very memeorable. It's very interesting and would provide a contrast to the other attractions you've mentioned.

 

We've done the canal trip both in the daytime and in the evening and enjoyed both very much - it helps with the orientation of the landmarks (most of the important city sites are seen on the tour) and is a welcome change of pace. We especially liked the evening trip when half-way through the illumination of the buildings came on giving yet another perspective of this glorious city.

 

We also enjoyed St Isaacs (especially with a good guide) and perhaps to a lesser extent, St Peter & St Paul's partly because it seemed to take some time to get across there and walk to the Church which, when we did enter, seemed rather less impressive than some of the others. Perhaps if I was prioritising and time was at a premium, this would tail my list - for me the Fortress looks more impressive from across the river than close-up.

 

Enjoy your trip - St Petersburg is a joy to visit! :)

[TLCOhio]

We also enjoyed St Isaacs (especially with a good guide) and perhaps to a lesser extent, St Peter & St Paul's partly because it seemed to take some time to get across there and walk to the Church which, when we did enter, seemed rather less impressive than some of the others. Perhaps if I was prioritising and time was at a premium, this would tail my list - for me the Fortress looks more impressive from across the river than close-up.

 

Excellent summary and key points, especially the view and how it is expressed on the P&P Church. It does look very, very impressive as you enter the main water area on the hydrofoil from the Peterhof. It looks great from the windows at the Hermitage. There are lots of nice churches in Russia and Europe. BUT, St. Issacs and Spilted Blood are really special and highly unique. We've seen the best of the best in Italy, France, Spain, Austria, Turkey, etc. Those two Cathedrals in St. Petersburg are both in the "world-class" category.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[bennybear]

Wow thanks for all the great tips, I think we will do the Gold Room, the two cathedrals mentioned, Yusopov palace and Canal tour. If there is time we would also like to do the Subways and Farmer's market. This has been helpful re the Peter and Paul Fortress. I was so disappointed last time to not see inside the cathedrals so I am determined to do so this time. I am just waiting to see when the ship's excursions are set for as the two Cathedrals are closed on Wednesdays and we will have to see them the second day before we leave, so may combine with a ship canal or subway tour.

 

Any lunch tips??

 

Again huge thanks to everyone... b

[justfoxie]

Just to add in another .02, the views from the top of the dome of St. Isaac's are definitely worth it. If you didn't before, I would really reccomend the Peter & Paul Fortress - loads of history and an attraction that you would particularly benefit from having a good guide. It's more than just a church!

 

Kazanksy cathedral is one of the less ornate, but one of my favourites. Incredible atmosphere.

[abouna]

You can also consider St. Alexander Nevsky Monastery at the end of Nevsky Prospect. Beautiful church and actual monastery grounds. There is also the Tikhvin Cemetery there where the likes of Tchaikovsky, Dostoyevsky and other famous Russians are buried.

[cadreamer]

At first I thought you were planning to do a private tour for your second visit. Then you mentioned the ship's excursions and I am wondering if you are planning to do ship's excursions. I would strongly recommend you do a private tour to see the most in the most efficient manner. We have been in St. Petersburg several times and except on our first visit (ship tours) we made our plans every time with Alla Tours and have been so happy. She has been very flexible and helpful in designing an itinerary for us. To us it seems even more important to do a private tour if you have already been there and done the Hermitage, Catherine's and Peterhof. By the way, we also really liked the Gold Room and Yusopov's, the canal ride, and the inside of the churches. We were interested in seeing the graves, so Peter and Paul Fortress was a good visit for us. Also, if you have an interest in WWII history there are several sites that would interest you related to the Siege.

There are so many impressive things to see. I know you will have a great return visit!

[mimisandy]

We were there several years ago on the Jewel of the Seas. We did a private tour with Red October. There were 8 of us (6 Americans and 2 Australians). We had two loaded days, but my favorite had to be Peterhof and the foundtains. Our group did the Gold Room, but we all decided that we wouldn't pay extra and do it again. Catherine's Palace, the Hermitage and the canal cruise were all wonderful as well.

I loved all the churches. My favorite was the Church of Spilled Blood.

[bennybear]

Again thanks for the tips. The problem I am having is trying to decide between one in depth day to cover what I have missed or doing two days with many things over again to appeal to more people and get a larger group together to keep the costs down.

 

I was considering one private day and combining with a ships tour of the canals if it worked and was offered on the first day as the churches are closed on our first day a Wednesday.

 

I am getting there, and the research has helped.

[TLCOhio]

Again thanks for the tips. The problem I am having is trying to decide between one in depth day to cover what I have missed or doing two days with many things over again to appeal to more people and get a larger group together to keep the costs down. I was considering one private day and combining with a ships tour of the canals if it worked and was offered on the first day as the churches are closed on our first day a Wednesday. I am getting there, and the research has helped.

 

YES, you have a challenging and interesting choice on which direction to go and what to do. It's only money, right? If it were that simple it would be easier! It will work through and it is nice that you have the options and knowledge from being there in St. Petersburg from your prior visit. Good luck!!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio