St Petersburg: ‘The most abstract and artificial city in existence’ Dostoyevsky
Because so many of St Petersburg’s sumptuous palaces and mansions are on the water, begin your long weekend to St Petersburg by taking a river trip and see the wide, sweeping, classical grandeur of the city. The buildings are painted from a swatch of heritage colours, muted yellows, pinks, greens, blues, terracotta, with stucco and columns picked out in white. There’s just too much to see.
Alternatively start with a stroll down Nevsky Prospekt, a wide grand avenue, and have a bowl of borsch in the café where Pushkin met his second for his duel, and Tchaikovsky caught cholera. During the White Nights it’s crowded and full of activity so you can watch the city flow by. Explore the city’s canals, cross the Griffin Bridge and picture Dostoyevsky here, planning Crime and Punishment. Wander into one of the cathedrals in early evening to hear the choir sing the orthodox mass, and pop into every church you pass. Above all, go to the ballet or opera at the Mariinsky Theatre. The performance will be entrancing and the sense of theatre will intoxicate you. Make sure you have a smoked salmon and caviar open sandwich with a glass of Russian champagne.
Plan your trip to the Hermitage with precision. Expect to be overwhelmed by the quantity of outstanding paintings and the breathtaking ceilings. Take the metro – it’s like stepping into the foyer of a prestigious Art Deco hotel, all marble, brass and glass.
In summer take a trip to the imperial residences.Tsarskoye Selo is pretty, and the fountains at the palaces of Peterhof, ‘the Russian Versailles’ are amazing. Of course, you’ll want to start planning your second trip before you’ve finished your first.
To find out more about holidays to Russia and St Petersburg, email us or call 0207 359 3938
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