St. Petersburg is the most photogenic city I've been to. Better than Havana. Better than Buenos Aires. Better than Paris.
I knew there were some palaces. I knew there were some canals. I just never expected the beauty to be on the scale it is. The city is building after building, block after block, neighborhood after neighborhood of gorgeous buildings. By European standards, St. Petersburg is a young city having been founded in 1703 by Peter the Great to serve as the Russian Empire's capital and the Empire's gateway to Europe. The concentration of power and wealth in the city pulled resources from the rest of the Empire and created a cityscape that dwarfs other Russian and European cities.
As a gateway to Russia, St. Petersburg doesn't feel very "Russian". It's worldly. It's cosmopolitan. It's hip. It's cool. Not that those aren't Russian qualities but rather the approach to attaining those qualities does seem to have a Russian twist.
I knew there were some palaces. I knew there were some canals. I just never expected the beauty to be on the scale it is. The city is building after building, block after block, neighborhood after neighborhood of gorgeous buildings. By European standards, St. Petersburg is a young city having been founded in 1703 by Peter the Great to serve as the Russian Empire's capital and the Empire's gateway to Europe. The concentration of power and wealth in the city pulled resources from the rest of the Empire and created a cityscape that dwarfs other Russian and European cities.
As a gateway to Russia, St. Petersburg doesn't feel very "Russian". It's worldly. It's cosmopolitan. It's hip. It's cool. Not that those aren't Russian qualities but rather the approach to attaining those qualities does seem to have a Russian twist.
I caught a break with where I was staying. I picked a hostel way from the city center, near a metro station but without much other insight into the neighborhood. After booking I learned I was a block away from Rubenstein Street - St. Petersburg nightlife street of the moment. After the check-in formalities it was a five-minute walk to Bekitzer, a restaurant specializing in Israeli street food. The place was buzzing. I sat at a community table, ordered a beer and a tuna sandwiched, then sat back and relaxed. The scene was an immediate cure from spending the previous sixteen hours in transit. I was instantly hooked on St. Petersburg.
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My first full day in Saint Petersburg was a road trip that combined the suburban palaces of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great. Normally these two must see attractions are split across two days - this wasn't a normal trip. I hired a driver, The Dancing Bears, to drive me to Peterhof in the morning, then head across the suburbs to Catherine Palace in the afternoon. It was a lot for one day. Hiring a driver to see the two palaces in a single trip was worth the $150.
Julia, my driver and owner of The Dancing Bears, took me to a couple of metro stops on the way out of St. Petersburg. We stopped for a photo at Konstantin Palace. The palace was the site of a G8 conference. Unfortunately visitors aren't allowed past gate.
Julia, my driver and owner of The Dancing Bears, took me to a couple of metro stops on the way out of St. Petersburg. We stopped for a photo at Konstantin Palace. The palace was the site of a G8 conference. Unfortunately visitors aren't allowed past gate.
If there weren't Chinese tourists in St. Petersburg, there wouldn't be any tourists. So when I say that Peterhof, Peter the Great's response to Versailles, was packed with tourists, I mean there were thousands of Chinese everywhere. I arrived around nine and after a couple of photos in the upper park made my way to the more impressive lower park. The highlight of the lower park are the fountains and the grandest of them all is the appropriately named Grand Fountain. The fountain cascades down a hill at the base of Peterhof before entering the Gulf of Finland. I walked along the waterway to the Gulf, took a few photos, then turned around and headed back to the palace. The fountains don't start running until eleven so I used the down time for a tour through Peterhof. If you are a foreigner visiting Peterhof solo , not as part of a tour, the opening times of Peterhof are difficult to determine. I saw a sign stating I wouldn't be able to enter the palace until noon. I played dumb. Walked in. Despite there being thousands of people outside only one person was in line at the ticket window. I waited. Asked for a ticket. And I was on my way touring Peterhof.
The first two rooms of Peterhof were the best - two grand halls. During WWII German forces reached St. Petersburg and destroyed Peterhof. Photos in Peterhof showed German soldiers standing in fountains with the wrecked Peterhof in the background. It took a while but Russia eventually restored Peterhof, with the assistance from German financial assistance. The restoration may not have returned Peterhof to it's former greatness but I still was able to get a grasp of the grandor.
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When you are hungry and you at in St. Petersburg and you are thinking "I wonder where Putin eats" the search begins and ends with Podvor'ye. Putin eats here when he's in town so at a minimum you know the food isn't poisoned. At a maximum it's one of the best restaurants serving traditional food in Russia. I was a bit skeptical because the place screams "the Chinese are coming" (and they did by the seven bus load) but Julia said this was the place she goes for her birthday dinner - Chinese tourists and kitsch aside the place is amazing in its own right. Great jams. Great borsch. Great bear. Oh yes, bear. Great bear. Podvor'ye minces the meat turning an otherwise tough game meat into a succulent cutlet. Jam dipping sauces be damned. I ate the bear meat without any flavor kick.
After dining like a king it was time to visit Catherine's Palace, which sadly for Peter, is much more impressive than Peterhof. Like Peterhof, Catherine Palace has set times for solo foreigners to visit. I purchased a ticket in advance. A week before there were only a few tickets left so I was surprised when I showed up and there were no lines to enter and no crowds inside.
The palace stretches as far as far as the eye can see. The only way to visually understand the size of the palace is via a video panoramic shot. The interior is just as impressive and thanks to a split setup there's not as many tour groups. Like Peterhof, Catherine Palace has undergone some major renovations. It's most notable in the ceilings which now have stylized wallpaper where molding previously existed. The outside grounds aren't as impressive but I'm sure Catherine survived just fine.
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On the way back into town we made a quick photo stop at Chesme Church. Don't let the unusual exterior fool you, this is a quick stop.
From here it was back to the hostel for some rest, planning, and cell phone charging. Speaking of cell phones now is a good time to segue to some practical information. Russia is a big country. It's complicated getting around the cities let alone the more remote areas and small towns. Tele 2 covers the entire country. 5GB of 4G data cost 250RUB or less than five bucks. It's a can't beat purchase.
I stopped at a Tele 2 store, showed the clerk my passport, and was on my way five minutes later. Five minutes later. It took me an hour to get a SIM card in the US. I was no longer tethered to coffee shop WiFi (which in most cases requires, frustratingly, a local telephone number to access). In another five minutes I was on Nevsky Prospekt, St. Petersburg's major commercial thoroughfare. One of the street's highlights is Kazan Cathedral. Across the street from the cathedral is House of Books (shows up as Dom Knigi in Google Maps), a wonderful bookstore with a coffeshop, Cafe Singer, on the second floor with views of Kazan Cathedral and Nevsky Prospekt.
From here it was back to the hostel for some rest, planning, and cell phone charging. Speaking of cell phones now is a good time to segue to some practical information. Russia is a big country. It's complicated getting around the cities let alone the more remote areas and small towns. Tele 2 covers the entire country. 5GB of 4G data cost 250RUB or less than five bucks. It's a can't beat purchase.
I stopped at a Tele 2 store, showed the clerk my passport, and was on my way five minutes later. Five minutes later. It took me an hour to get a SIM card in the US. I was no longer tethered to coffee shop WiFi (which in most cases requires, frustratingly, a local telephone number to access). In another five minutes I was on Nevsky Prospekt, St. Petersburg's major commercial thoroughfare. One of the street's highlights is Kazan Cathedral. Across the street from the cathedral is House of Books (shows up as Dom Knigi in Google Maps), a wonderful bookstore with a coffeshop, Cafe Singer, on the second floor with views of Kazan Cathedral and Nevsky Prospekt.
A walk north, along the Fontana Canal brought me to another of Saint Petersburg's famous sites, The Church of Spilt Blood. A church, similar to Moscow's Saint Basil, was built on the site where Tsar Nicholas I was assassinated. After a quick perusal of the curio shops (a stall had a Trump family nesting doll) I walked through a park on my way to dinner at Birch, one of Saint Petersburg up and coming restaurants.
The walk to Birch solidified my initial impressions - St. Petersburg is one of the great photogenic cities of the world. Block after block of beautiful four story buildings. A grand palace there. A stately government complex over there. Gorgeous waterways. The beauty didn't stop. It reached a point where I no longer stopped to pull out my camera and just used my cell phone to capture the instant inspirations.
I arrived at Birch where both the host and waiter were surprised by my presence and questioned how I found the restaurant. I looked at the hostess's reservation sheet and saw most of the dining blocks were filled. Fortunately Russians are late diners, particularly when the sun doesn't set until nine. I could grab a seat at a table as long as I was done eating by ten, an hour-and-a-half later. I smiled and said I was a fast water. I ordered corn bread, salmon ceviche, and veal. All the dishes were great but the corn bread was the revelation. Instead of a muffin-consistency corn bread from the U.S., the chef's at Birch emphasized the bread component.
From Birch it was a ten minute walk to Redrum. The Russian drinking culture has always been associated with vodka. But like all hipsters around the world, Russians seem to have embraced the art of microbrewing. One of the country's top microbreweries is called AF Brew. Their brewery is located on the west side of town with the nearest metro station nearly two miles away. Rather than trek there I went to Redrum, AF Brew's more conveniently located taproom. A Red Lager and a German wheat beer later I can say that Russia is well on its way to being more than just a vodka-based drinking culture.
One final stop on the way back to the hostel - Tesla, a funky bar on Rubenstein Street. They were out of beer (the conversion from a vodka culture may be in hold) so I ordered a fruity cocktail and sat outside to people watch. A fantastic first day in Saint Petersburg.
One final stop on the way back to the hostel - Tesla, a funky bar on Rubenstein Street. They were out of beer (the conversion from a vodka culture may be in hold) so I ordered a fruity cocktail and sat outside to people watch. A fantastic first day in Saint Petersburg.
An eye mask only works so well to prevent the sun waking you up at three am. I managed to make it to seven before starting the day. The first stop was Mechtateli, a cafe on the banks of the Fontanka Canal. The best seats were all reserved...starting at ten. It was eight thirty so as long as I was done by then I was free to enjoy the view. My breakfast consisted of a fried egg atop a hash brown patty with smoked venison on the side. Hash brown patties around the world are awesome.
After the meal I meandered my way down Nesky Prospekt, through a park to the Bronze Horseman monument and the waterfront. The walk lead me back to The Hermitage where I entered via the E-Voucher gate just as the museum was opening at ten thirty.
The Hermitage is a series of palaces that post the 1917 Revolution were converted into mansions. Given the size and scope of The Hermitage it must have left the suburban palaces of Peterhof and Catherine's Palace in its dust. I found the aspect that The Hermitage was a former palace to be the museum's best "exhibit". The guidebooks all say to arrive early to beat the crowds...and so naturally...everyone arrives early. After there being few crowds in the afternoon at Catherine's Palace I was starting to wonder if the "arrive early" mantra should be flipped on its head. If everyone knows to arrive early, it may be better to arrive late. At any rate, I left the crowds for the far reaches of The Hermitage and was pleasantly rewarded. Since the museum was previously a palace, several rooms are "exhibits" of what the rooms appeared as when Tsar Nicholas II last lived here. The Bolsheviks did a good job of torching most of the palace but they left Nicholas's library intact. I thought this was one of the best rooms of the museum.
Russians have established themselves in the art world in literature, opera, and ballet. I'm not aware of many famous Russian painters at The Hermitage did not being any to my attention. One of the first rooms I went through was dedicated to the work of Russian artists. Very dark colors. Grumpy people sitting around tables, sometimes in a bar. So it's no surprise then that the museum's art collection features more European artwork than a Russian focus. There's a Dutch section. An English and an Italian section.
Russians have established themselves in the art world in literature, opera, and ballet. I'm not aware of many famous Russian painters at The Hermitage did not being any to my attention. One of the first rooms I went through was dedicated to the work of Russian artists. Very dark colors. Grumpy people sitting around tables, sometimes in a bar. So it's no surprise then that the museum's art collection features more European artwork than a Russian focus. There's a Dutch section. An English and an Italian section.
There's also a lot, lot more palace rooms with various themes and purposes. There's an Egyptian room. There's also a chapel, a throne room, and other remnants of palace life. Room after room it was the palace life "exhibits" that were the highlights. Even in the rooms with the artwork, it was the room itself with the high ceilings and fancy windows that was the attraction.
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The Hermitage exits onto Palace Square which unfortunately had a stage setup for the upcoming World Cup matches.
I ate lunch at Jerome, an Italian / Russian fussion restaurant. After lunch I walked past Saint Isaac's Cathedral to Yusupov Palace. The Yusupov's were Russian nobility that high-tailed it out of St. Petersburg following the revolution. The palace provides a glimpse of what life looks like behind the stunning exteriors of St. Petersburg's street fronts. The palace was also the site of Rasputin's murder. Believing that Rasputin was contributing to the masses discrediting Tsar Nicholas II, a Yusupov Prince killed him in the palace basement one night.
The Yusupov Palace was a stop on the way to my most anticipated attraction of the day: New Holland. St. Petersburg lacks a public space where the locals can relax and enjoy a sunny afternoon. New Holland fills that void. The recreational site is on a former shipbuilding complex dating back to when Peter the Great established the first Russian Navy. He brought in several Dutch engineers to provide technical expertise and the small island soon became known as New Holland. After three hundred years of government use and neglect the island fell into a state of disrepair. Nothing a Russian billionaire can't fix. Opened in 2016, there may be no better place to spend a weekend afternoon than New Holland. The day I visited the restaurant tenants were having a backyard BBQ. A cider and a pork sandwich was all I needed to feel content. The complex continues to undergo rehabilitation, however, if the remaining work matches what's been completed to date then St. Petersburg will have a modern site to rival The Hermitage, Peterhof, and Catherine's Palace.
Kolomna is an island south of New Holland. It's off the tourist path and after walking through I know why: few sites although the stunning buildings seem elsewhere continue along Kolomna's major promenades. I made a photo stop at St. Nicholas Cathedral and rested my legs in Yusupov Gardens, which was a nice park, but nothing compared to New Holland.
The taxi route from the airport to the city center passes along Moscow Prospekt. During the ride I made a mental note to revisit the impressive buildings and monuments lining the avenue. There's a huge Lenin statue in front of a Soviet Building that also features a square for locals to gather. I kind of doubt people were skate boarding and performing bike tricks here during the days of the Soviet Union.
A mile closer to the city center is a gorgeous branch of the National Library. Unfortunately you need to be a student to enter. The walk between the Lenin statue and the library passed more magnificent buildings.
A mile closer to the city center is a gorgeous branch of the National Library. Unfortunately you need to be a student to enter. The walk between the Lenin statue and the library passed more magnificent buildings.
For dinner I decided to checkout the rooftop of Makoronniki. St.t Petersburg does not have many buildings over ten stories so the view from Makoronniki's deck provide panoramic shots of the city. The meal was decent, so were the views as the building is a bit too far from the waterfront for a close-up of The Hermitage. There was also some major construction project between the restaurant and the waterfront and I'm sure whatever is going in there will transform the area and provide stunning views.
After dinner I walked over to Vasilevsky Island to see if the beautiful architecture continued (it did) and check out two bars - Wild Duck and Bar Boutique 1516. Wild Duck is an Irish Pub that received its name from the wild duck that patrols the barroom. I'm guessing the duck can't fly and even when it walked, it did so with a bit of a limp. I had a beer from Wolf Brewing. Bar Boutique is a nothing special bar except for its impressive list of local beers. It can be difficult to find Russian beers on restaurant and bar menus, however, Bar Boutique had over thirty. Typically Russian restaurants offer German, English, and American beers so it's a bit of a hunt to find the Russian beers. After trying an Astro Lager I headed back to the hostel for the end of day two.
On day three I wanted to head out of St. Petersburg proper to see another side of Russia. I considered heading to Shlisselburg, a small town east of St. Petersburg with Oreshek Fortress as the main attraction. I thought about picking a few random small towns. I ultimately settled on Vyborg, a town north of St. Petersburg reachable in an hour and fifteen meetings on an express train. Vyborg is a former Finnish city, invaded by the Russians in WWII because...well, just because Finland didn't really exist thirty years earlier. After the Revolution it became a country, rather than a Duchy of the Russian Empire. Stalin wanted it back. Vyborg has a castle dating back to the 1200s and a few other historical landmarks. I was curious if the city retained any of its Finnish Duchy identity...it didn't.
The train ride was uneventful. I had someone at the hostel write the Cyrillic instructions and presented that to the ticket office. On the flight from Moscow to St. Petersburg I saw nothing but trees below. The train ride had nothing but trees. There's a lot of trees in Russia. I saw an image of a forest with really cool looking Siberian Birch trees and hoped I get to see some - I saw more than some.
Vyborg's old town area is a fifteen minute walk from the train station. The castle is another five minutes across a bridge. As luck would not have it, the castle was under rehabilitation and judging by the work involved the complete date was a ways off. On the plus side there was no charge for admission. It was a nice little castle. Another attraction, an old clock tower was also wrapped up for repairs. That left an old town square, a market, and a moose sculpture to view. I drank a cappuccino at a cafe in the town square and wondered what Russia's plan was for Vyborg. Since "acquisition" it doesn't seem like they did much with the city. It has a solid base with the castle and old town area to be a charming city for a mid-day excursion from St. Petersburg, the only thing missing was the charm. There were cobblestone streets and parks, all that is missing is for a Russian billionaire to come in, clean up the storefronts, then rent it out to antique dealers, coffee shops, and microbrewery tap rooms. Paging a Russian billionaire.
The train ride was uneventful. I had someone at the hostel write the Cyrillic instructions and presented that to the ticket office. On the flight from Moscow to St. Petersburg I saw nothing but trees below. The train ride had nothing but trees. There's a lot of trees in Russia. I saw an image of a forest with really cool looking Siberian Birch trees and hoped I get to see some - I saw more than some.
Vyborg's old town area is a fifteen minute walk from the train station. The castle is another five minutes across a bridge. As luck would not have it, the castle was under rehabilitation and judging by the work involved the complete date was a ways off. On the plus side there was no charge for admission. It was a nice little castle. Another attraction, an old clock tower was also wrapped up for repairs. That left an old town square, a market, and a moose sculpture to view. I drank a cappuccino at a cafe in the town square and wondered what Russia's plan was for Vyborg. Since "acquisition" it doesn't seem like they did much with the city. It has a solid base with the castle and old town area to be a charming city for a mid-day excursion from St. Petersburg, the only thing missing was the charm. There were cobblestone streets and parks, all that is missing is for a Russian billionaire to come in, clean up the storefronts, then rent it out to antique dealers, coffee shops, and microbrewery tap rooms. Paging a Russian billionaire.
Back in St. Petersburg, I took a tram from the Finland Train Station to the Peter and Paul fortress, which despite being built to protect the city, never saw any combat. Over the years it functioned more as a jail than a fort. Today it's a park-like attraction (free) with smaller attractions ($$$) inside and a place for locals to gather and sunbath. You can work on your tan in the same spot that Trotsky and Tito were once imprisoned. I passed on the smaller attractions but not on fried smelt at Kartosha on the southwest side of the island.
From the Peter and Paul island complex I walked north to FRANK, a Netflix House of Cards inspired BBQ joint. I channeled my inner Frank Underwood and ordered pork ribs. Not bad. The part of Russia that I was not able to reconcile was how the country could have a restaurant so nuanced as to be inspired by House of Cards. There's not a single Russian television show I was aware of pre-trip and yet in Russia they are naming restaurants after very specific components of ours. FRANK is located on Bolshoy Prospekt, a residential area. The architecture continued to impress.
One of the advantages of having a local data plan is that Google Maps shows how to use public transportation to reach your next destination. The humidity of St. Petersburg made it brutal to walk anywhere for a sustained period of time. I pictured Russia cold and dark. Not sunny and humid. With Google Maps I gave up on walking and caught a bus to the Spit of Vasilevsky Island which provides unparalleled views of Catherine Palace across the Neva River. Evening is the ideal time to visit as the evening sun naturally lights The Hermitage's western side. I took a cruise along the river for up close views of the riverside palaces.
I ate dinner at Hamlet and Jack which specializes in modernizing Russian cuisine. This means getting Russian ingredients in various forms. The best example of their cuisine would be my desert, beetroot cheesecake with potato ice cream. The cake was phenomenal. The ice cream, which tasted just like a potato, was the opposite of phenomenal. To wash it all down I had an American Pale Ale, made in Russia. I've noticed a lot of Russian breweries offering American Pale Ale. They really have a thing for America.
On the final day in St. Petersburg I walked around the canals another time before eating an omelet for breakfast at Bonch. I took a few more photos, some at Vitaly Train Station, then grabbed a coffee at Double B, a Russian Starbucks equivalent.
In Russia it can be very difficult to find Russian food. One of the best options for traditional cuisine is Teremok, a fast food chain with hundreds of locations around the country. It may be the equivalent of a TGIFriday's or Chile's but you are guaranteed to find Russian food. The borsch was decent.
One of my favorite bars was also the last, Cafe Bakunin, which is a tap room for Bakunin Brewery. The bar is in another fabulous residential neighborhood with beautiful, over-the-top architecture. I had two American Pale Ales and headed to the Moscow train station.
While researching what to see and do in St. Petersburg and Russia I came across a local media site called The Village. Below are some of the better blog entries that helped me figure out St. Petersburg.
The Village
A Complete Listing (155 Restaurants, Bars, and Cafes) of Nevsky Prospekt
Karta Konyushennaya Bars and Restaurants
Gorokhovaya Street Bars and Restaurants
Rubenstein Street Bars and Restaurants
Vasilievsky Island Bars and Restaurants
Petrograd Bars and Restaurants
Best Rooftop Bars
Culture Trip
Best Breakfast Cafes
The Village
A Complete Listing (155 Restaurants, Bars, and Cafes) of Nevsky Prospekt
Karta Konyushennaya Bars and Restaurants
Gorokhovaya Street Bars and Restaurants
Rubenstein Street Bars and Restaurants
Vasilievsky Island Bars and Restaurants
Petrograd Bars and Restaurants
Best Rooftop Bars
Culture Trip
Best Breakfast Cafes