Our tour on foot will begin on Nevsky Prospect, the main thoroughfare of St. Petersburg and the city’s most beautiful and important avenue. It is the commercial and social heart of the city; an animated place full of shops and cafes where the inhabitants of the city love to walk and have fun.
We will admire some of its most important buildings, such as the Anitchkov, Stroganov and Beloselsky-Belozersky palaces; the Gostiny Dvor Department Store, the Eliseev, Mertens, and Singer houses; and the Anichkov Bridge. Nevsky Prospect is also home to some of the most important churches in St. Petersburg: the Lutheran Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, the Catholic Church of St. Catherine, the Armenian Church of St. Catherine, and the imposing neoclassical colonnade of Our Lady of Kazan Cathedral. We will walk in front of the sumptuous Grand Hotel Europe on our way to discovering the Arts Quartier, and around the majestic Mikhailovsky Palace.
Visit to the Russian Museum, with the biggest collection of Russian art in the city: 320,000 items conveying an excellent narrative of the evolution of Russian art since the 11th century. We will be able to admire the best of Russian paintings and one of the best collections of sculpture, applied arts, decorative art and traditional crafts, not to mention the splendid icons of Andrey Rublev. Located in the same square are Mikhailovsky Theatre, the Theatre of Musical Comedy, the Philharmonic, and the imposing façade of the Ethnographic Museum.
A short distance from Nevsky Prospect we will visit the Church of the Saviour on Blood with its multi-coloured onion domes soaring above Griboyedov canal. The experience, however, will not be complete until we venture inside the magnificent interior where the splendour of the decoration will take our breath away: more than 7500 square metres of mosaic, unlike any other church in the world. It was built in 1882 by order of Alexander III in memory of his father, assassinated in a terrorist attack at the same place. Inside we will see the fragment of pavement on which the tsar fell, fatally wounded.
Located on a small island opposite the winter palace and dominating three branches of the Neva River, the Fortress was intended to protect the city from a naval assault. It was the city’s first building and is considered the foundation of St. Petersburg, while the tsars also used it as a political prison for their main opponents.
Now it is a museum and one of the best spots in the city to enjoy magnificent panoramic views of the Neva’s southern bank. One of the guns on the top of its bulwarks is even fired every day at noon, and what was initially a small wooden church built inside the big fortress was eventually expanded and improved on, becoming the current cathedral, both hits with visiting tourists.
There we will take in the graves of all the tsars of the Romanov dynasty and their families, including the grave of Peter the Great, founder of the city, and those of Nicholas II and his family, killed during the Bolshevik revolution of 1918. Their remains were buried in the cathedral in 1998.
The palace at Pavlovsk was a present made by Catherine the Great to her son Pavel, future Tsar Paul I, in 1777. The place soon took the name of Pavlovsk and quickly acquired numerous masterpieces thanks to the tsar’s spouse, Maria Fedorovna, who was fond of art and a sponsor of many artists.
We will appreciate the refinement of its salons, the harmony of its colors, the elegance of fireplaces made from Carrara marble, and an extensive collection of porcelain, paintings, and ivory articles. Its park, covering 600 hectares, was initially a game reserve for the tsar, and is considered a masterpiece of European landscape architecture.
Discover the most prominent sights of the city: laid out across the banks of the Volkhov River lies the Museum of Wooden Architecture, featuring twenty civil and religious buildings brought here from different parts of the region, all excellent examples of typical Northen Russia architecture.
Nearby the beautiful golden domes of St. Georges Monastery, also known as Yuriev Monastery, tower above the scenary. Inside the city, its former medieval centre is the Yaroslavl Court where we will admire the churches dedicated to the saint patrons of different professional guilds, such as St. Nicholas Cathedral.
On the opposite bank of the Volkhov River seats the city heart: the magnificent Kremlin.
The biggest collection of Russian art in the city is located in this majestic palace built by the Grand Duke Michael, son of Tsar Paul I, and designed by Carlo Rossi. Inaugurated by Nicholas II in 1895, its 320,000 exhibits beautifully demonstrate the evolution of Russian art from the 11th century onward.
We will admire excellent examples of Russian pictorial art, including Soviet Realism, subjects of decorative art, and traditional crafts, as well as one of the world’s best collections of applied arts and sculptures. However, the most famous treasures of the museum are undoubtedly the splendid icons of Andrei Rublev.
The small city of Pushkin, located 30 kilometers to the south of St. Petersburg, was named after the great Russian poet. In the past it was also called Tsarskoe Selo, meaning “Village of the Tsars”. Catherine Palace, named after Peter the Great’s wife, Catherine I, is one of the most beautiful residences of the Russian tsars.
It was designed by the famous Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli, the designer of the most important monuments and palaces of the city, and was constructed in the 17th century, spanning the reigns of five tsars. Each of them altered the palace according to their own personal tastes and what was in vogue at the time, from the initial Rococo through to the later Neoclassic. It was a favourite of Catherine II, her incomparable heritage crowned by the Amber Room, covered from floor to ceiling with Baltic amber.
The Amber Room was kept from the public for almost 100 years and opened only after a full renovation in 2003, on the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg. We will also admire the beauty of the large ballroom known as the Grand Hall or the Hall of Paintings. T
he beautiful architecture of the palace is surrounded by the neighbouring park, where you can walk among the birches, firs, lakes, ponds, streams, bridges, sculptures, and pavilions - unforgettable beauty that has been the subject of many poets and artists. The palace at Pavlovsk was a present made by Catherine the Great to her son Pavel, future Tsar Paul I, in 1777. The place soon took the name of Pavlovsk and quickly acquired numerous masterpieces thanks to the tsar’s spouse, Maria Fedorovna, who was fond of art and a sponsor of many artists.
We will appreciate the refinement of its salons, the harmony of its colors, the elegance of fireplaces made from Carrara marble, and an extensive collection of porcelain, paintings, and ivory articles. Its park, covering 600 hectares, was initially a game reserve for the tsar, and is considered a masterpiece of European landscape architecture.
The small city of Pushkin, located 30 kilometers to the south of St. Petersburg, was named after the great Russian poet. In the past it was also called Tsarskoe Selo, meaning “Village of the Tsars”. Catherine Palace, named after Peter the Great’s wife, Catherine I, is one of the most beautiful residences of the Russian tsars.
It was designed by the famous Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli, the designer of the most important monuments and palaces of the city, and was constructed in the 17th century, spanning the reigns of five tsars. Each of them altered the palace according to their own personal tastes and what was in vogue at the time, from the initial Rococo through to the later Neoclassic. It was a favourite of Catherine II, her incomparable heritage crowned by the Amber Room, covered from floor to ceiling with Baltic amber.
The Amber Room was kept from the public for almost 100 years and opened only after a full renovation in 2003, on the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg. We will also admire the beauty of the large ballroom known as the Grand Hall or the Hall of Paintings. The beautiful architecture of the palace is surrounded by the neighboring park, where you can walk among the birches, firs, lakes, ponds, streams, bridges, sculptures, and pavilions - unforgettable beauty that has been the subject of many poets and artists.
This sumptuous palace on the bank of the Moika River belonged to the Yusupov princes, the richest and most aristocratic family in Russia.
You will be impressed with its decorations: frescoes, marble, stucco mouldings, reliefs, Venetian mirrors, gold chandeliers, sets, lovely furniture, soft silks, carpets, and much more. A visit to this palace will allow you a glimpse into the luxury and wealth of the noble families in pre-revolutionary times.
The palace even has its own theater with seating for 180 people where the most famous artists of the time gave private performances for the family and its guests. It was in this palace that Grigory Rasputin, favorite of Tsar Nicolas II and his wife, was killed in December 1916.
This sumptuous palace on the bank of the Moika River belonged to the Yusupov princes, the richest and most aristocratic family in Russia.
You will be impressed with its decorations: frescoes, marble, stucco mouldings, reliefs, Venetian mirrors, gold chandeliers, sets, lovely furniture, soft silks, carpets, and much more. A visit to this palace will allow you a glimpse into the luxury and wealth of the noble families in pre-revolutionary times.
The palace even has its own theater with seating for 180 people where the most famous artists of the time gave private performances for the family and its guests. It was in this palace that Grigory Rasputin, favorite of Tsar Nicolas II and his wife, was killed in December 1916.
A guided tour completely in English, this tour is ideal for getting the feel of the city, and in particular its historical center and major monuments. Participants will enjoy Nevsky Prospect along with its most prestigious buildings: the Anichkov, Stroganov, and Belozersky Palaces; Lutheran, Catholic, and Armenian churches; the orthodox Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan, the Eliseev, Singer, and Mertens buildings, and many others. We will cross the Fontanka, the river that, along with the Moika River and Griboedov Canal, formed the border of the city center. The banks of Griboedov Canal are home to the well-known Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, built in the so typically Russian style with its multicolored cupolas and gold onion domes.
The former Winter Palace, once a residence of the tsars and now the Hermitage Museum, dominates the northern bank of the Neva River, while on the opposite bank the silhouette of the Peter and Paul Fortress and its high spire command the skyline. We will stop by the House of Peter the Great - it was from this modest residence that the Tsar personally kept an eye on the construction of "his" city between 1703 and 1708. On Vasilievsky Island we will see the Strelka, the Menchikov palace and a historical building which is part of the State University. We will pass by the Admiralty with its imposing gold broach, a symbol of the Russian navy on which Peter the Great wanted to base his empire. His equestrian statue is erected in front of the Senate building and St. Isaac’s Cathedral with its impressive columns made from Finnish red granite. Then there are the buildings of the Conservatory and Mariinsky Theatre on Theater Square, after which the tour will conclude with a visit to the St. Nicolas Naval Cathedral, surrounded by canals. . This St. Petersburg landmark was designed and constructed by two main architects: the Spanish Agustin de Betancourt and French Auguste de Montferrand. St. Isaac’s Cathedral is one of the largest cathedrals in Europe, while also one of the richest by the luxury of its materials: gold, malachite, lazuli, 14 varieties of marble, more than 40 minerals and semiprecious stones, granite from Finland, and 600 square meters of mosaics, along with numerous paintings and sculptures. The dome is covered with 100 kilograms of gold.
Our tour will begin on Nevsky Prospect, the main thoroughfare of St. Petersburg and the city’s most beautiful and important avenue. It is the commercial and social heart of the city; an animated place full of shops and cafes where the inhabitants of the city love to walk and have fun. We will admire some of its most important buildings, such as the Anichkov, Stroganov and Beloselsky-Belozersky palaces; the Gostiny Dvor Department Store; the Eliseev, Mertens, and Singer houses; and the Anichkov Bridge. Nevsky Prospect is also home to some of the most important churches in St. Petersburg: the Lutheran Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, the Catholic Church of St. Catherine, the Armenian Church of St. Catherine, and the imposing neoclassical colonnade of Our Lady of Kazan Cathedral.
We will walk in front of the sumptuous Grand Hotel Europe on our way to discovering the Arts Quartier, and around the majestic Mikhailovsky Palace, which hosts the Russian Museum. Located in the same square are Mikhailovsky Theatre, the Theatre of Musical Comedy, the Philharmonic, and the imposing façade of the Ethnographic Museum. A short distance from Nevsky Prospect the multi-coloured onion domes of the Church of the Saviour on Blood soar above Griboyedov canal. As we follow the Moika River, surrounded by delightful painted facades, we will arrive at the former Winter Palace, today the Hermitage Museum.
Crossing the Neva by the Palace Bridge will offer a splendid view of the Hermitage, the Strelka with its Rostral Columns, and the Peter and Paul Fortress. We will pass along the majestic Neva next to the Admiralty and its famous spire - one of the symbols of the city - in front of the historical buildings of the University, the Menchikov palace, Kunstkamera, and the Academy of Sciences and Fine Arts. We will then arrive at Senate Square, where the famous mounted statue of Peter the Great, named the "Bronze Horseman", is situated. After that we will go around the imposing St. Isaac’s Cathedral with its majestic granite columns and gilded dome, ending our promenade on the elegant street Bolshaya Morskaya, near Nevsky Prospect.
Erected in 1882 by order of Alexander III, it was designed and named to memorialize his father Alexander II, killed in a terrorist attack on pavement preserved inside. It was built in the traditional Russian style and influenced by churches from the Yaroslavl region and Saint Basil’s cathedral in Moscow, and is therefore very different from the rest of the churches in St. Petersburg. Its facade is made from red bricks decorated with mosaics, and its onion domes are covered with brightly-colored ceramics and gilded painting.
However, it is the magnificent interior where the décor achieves its greatest splendour: more than 7500 square meters of mosaics, unlike any other church in the world. Its silhouette rising from the waters of Griboedov canal is undoubtedly one of the symbols of the city.
Erected in 1882 by order of Alexander III, it was designed and named to memorialize his father Alexander II, killed in a terrorist attack on pavement preserved inside. It was built in the traditional Russian style and influenced by churches from the Yaroslavl region and Saint Basil’s cathedral in Moscow, and is therefore very different from the rest of the churches in St. Petersburg. Its facade is made from red bricks decorated with mosaics, and its onion domes are covered with brightly-colored ceramics and gilded painting. However, it is the magnificent interior where the décor achieves its greatest splendour: more than 7500 square meters of mosaics, unlike any other church in the world. Its silhouette rising from the waters of Griboedov canal is undoubtedly one of the symbols of the city.
Our foot tour will begin on Nevsky Prospect, the main thoroughfare of St. Petersburg and the city’s most beautiful and important avenue. It is the commercial and social heart of the city, an animated place full of shops and cafes where the inhabitants of the city love to walk and have fun. We will admire some of its most important buildings, such as the Anitchkov, Stroganov and Beloselsky-Belozersky palaces, the Gostiny Dvor Department Store, the Eliseev, Mertens and Singer houses and the Anichkov Bridge. Nevsky Prospect is also home to some of the most important churches in St. Petersburg: the Lutheran Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, the Catholic Church of St. Catherine, the Armenian Church of St. Catherine, and the imposing neoclassical colonnade of Our Lady of Kazan Cathedral.
We will walk in front of the sumptuous Grand Hotel Europe on our way to discovering the Arts Quartier, and around the majestic Mikhailovsky Palace. Visit to the Russian Museum, with the biggest collection of Russian art in the city: 320,000 items conveying an excellent narrative of the evolution of Russian art since the 11th century. We will be able to admire the best of Russian paintings and one of the best collections of sculpture, applied arts, decorative art and traditional crafts, not to mention the splendid icons of Andrey Rublev. Located in the same square are Mikhailovsky Theatre, the Theatre of Musical Comedy, the Philharmonic, and the imposing façade of the Ethnographic Museum.
A short distance from Nevsky Prospect we will visit the Church of the Saviour on Blood with its multi-coloured onion domes soaring above Griboyedov canal. The experience, however, will not be complete until we venture inside the magnificent interior where the splendour of the decoration will take our breath away: more than 7500 square metres of mosaic, unlike any other church in the world. It was built in 1882 by order of Alexander III in memory of his father, assassinated in a terrorist attack at the same place. Inside we will see the fragment of pavement on which the tsar fell, fatally wounded.
The biggest collection of Russian art in the city is located in this majestic palace built by the Grand Duke Michael, son of Tsar Paul I, and designed by Carlo Rossi. Inaugurated by Nicholas II in 1895, its 320,000 exhibits beautifully demonstrate the evolution of Russian art from the 11th century onward.
We will admire excellent examples of Russian pictorial art, including Soviet Realism, subjects of decorative art, and traditional crafts, as well as one of the world’s best collections of applied arts and sculptures. However, the most famous treasures of the museum are undoubtedly the splendid icons of Andrei Rublev.