St Petersburg: Canals, Czars and the White Nights
I arrived in St Petersburg by overnight train from Moscow, bleary-eyed and coffee-deprived. The Nevsky Prospekt at 7 AM in mid-June was already bathed in a strange, milky light — the famous White Nights that never quite let the city fall dark. St Petersburg is Russia’s elegant European alter ego, a grid of canals and pastel palaces built on marshland by Peter the Great’s sheer force of will. It’s everything Moscow isn’t — quieter, grander in a crumbling aristocratic way, and impossibly romantic. And yes, you can explore it beautifully on a budget.
A Brief History of St Petersburg
St Petersburg was born from a dream — or perhaps an obsession. In 1703, Peter the Great decided Russia needed a ‘window to the West’ and began building a capital on the swamps of the Neva River delta. Thousands of serfs died in the construction, but within a decade St Petersburg had become one of Europe’s most magnificent cities.
It served as the Russian imperial capital from 1712 to 1918, a glittering stage for the Romanov dynasty’s most lavish excesses. The 1917 Revolution began here, and the city was renamed Petrograd (then Leningrad in 1924). The 872-day Siege of Leningrad during WWII remains one of history’s most tragic sieges, claiming over a million lives. When the Soviet Union fell, the city reclaimed its original name. Today it’s a vibrant cultural capital — gilded, melancholic and utterly unforgettable.
Cost Breakdown: Visiting St Petersburg
Budget per person per day (excluding flights):
- Budget: $28–45
- Mid-Range: $45–80
- Comfort: $80–130
Sample Costs:
- Dorm bed in central hostel: $10–15/night
- Metro single ride: $0.55
- Bliny (pancakes) street stall: $2–4
- Hermitage Museum entry (students): $7
Top Attractions in St Petersburg
1. The State Hermitage Museum
One of the world’s greatest museums, housed in the Winter Palace complex — a turquoise-and-white Baroque masterpiece that stretches along the Neva River. If you spent one minute looking at every exhibit, you’d need eleven years. It’s overwhelming in the best possible way.
Location: Palace Embankment, 32–34, Dvortsovaya Square
History/Details: Founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great as her private art collection, the Hermitage now holds over three million items. The Winter Palace was the main residence of the Russian tsars from 1732 to 1917. The museum complex includes the General Staff Building, the Menshikov Palace and the Staraya Derevnya restoration centre. Highlights include the Jordan Staircase, the Pavilion Hall with the Peacock Clock, and the vast collection of Rembrandts and Da Vincis.
Highlights:
- The Jordan Staircase — the most magnificent entrance in Russia
- Da Vinci’s Madonna Litta and Benois Madonna
- The Gold Rooms featuring Scythian treasure
- The Peacock Clock in the Pavilion Hall
- Free entry for students and under-18s (bring ID)
2. Peterhof Palace & Gardens
Often called the ‘Russian Versailles’, Peterhof is a spectacular waterfront estate with the most dazzling fountain complex I’ve ever seen. The Grand Cascade alone features 64 fountains, 255 bronze sculptures and a channel that runs straight to the Gulf of Finland.
Location: Peterhof, 29 km west of St Petersburg — 40 minutes by hydrofoil from the city centre
History/Details: Peter the Great personally selected the site in 1705 and designed much of the water system himself. The fountains are entirely gravity-fed — no pumps required — drawing water from natural springs 22 km away. The Grand Palace was rebuilt after WWII, as Nazi forces destroyed much of it during the siege. The Lower Park (where the fountains are) is a formal French garden with impeccable symmetry.
Highlights:
- The Samson Fountain — the central cascading masterpiece
- The trick fountains in Monplaisir’s gardens (you will get wet!)
- The hydrofoil ride from St Petersburg ($12–15 each way)
- The Lower Park — $10 entry, fountains run 11 AM–5 PM
- The Grand Palace’s ornate Chinese Cabinets
3. Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood
If St Basil’s in Moscow had a younger, more romantic sibling, this would be it. A fairy-tale church built on the exact spot where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated in 1881. Its five onion domes are covered in enamel, ceramic tiles and gold, and the interior is a jaw-dropping mosaic masterpiece.
Location: Griboyedov Canal Embankment, 2B, Nevsky Prospekt
History/Details: Construction began in 1883 as a memorial to Alexander II, the ‘Tsar Liberator’ who freed the serfs. The church is unique for its 7,500 square metres of interior mosaics — every surface is covered in biblical scenes, making it one of the largest mosaic collections in Europe. It was closed and used as a vegetable storage warehouse during Soviet times, then painstakingly restored over 27 years.
Highlights:
- The 7,500 sqm interior mosaic cycle — all original and unrestored since 1907
- The preserved cobblestones where Alexander II was fatally wounded
- The five colourful onion domes reflected in the canal at sunset
- Entry fee: $6–8
- The nearby Mikhailovsky Garden for free walks
4. Canal Cruise & Vasilyevsky Island
St Petersburg is often called the ‘Venice of the North’, and a canal cruise is the best way to absorb the city’s beauty without your feet giving out. Gliding past 18th-century palaces, arched bridges and hidden courtyards is a completely different experience from walking.
Location: Multiple departure points — Moyka River or Griboyedov Canal nearest Nevsky
History/Details: St Petersburg was built on 101 islands connected by over 300 bridges. The canal network was dug during the city’s construction to drain the marshland. Vasilyevsky Island was intended to become the city centre, with its grid of streets named ‘Lines’. The iconic Rostral Columns on the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island served as lighthouses marking the entrance to the Neva.
Highlights:
- One-hour canal cruise — $8–12
- The Spit of Vasilyevsky Island with the Rostral Columns at sunset
- The Kunstkamera — Peter the Great’s Cabinet of Curiosities
- Palace Bridge opening at night during White Nights season
- The Sphinxes on Universitetskaya Embankment (3000-year-old originals)
5. Nevsky Prospekt & Hidden Courtyards
The city’s main artery is a 4.5-kilometre parade of 18th-century architecture, department stores, cafes and street musicians. But the real magic lies in the courtyards — the ‘dvory’ — that hide behind Nevsky’s grand facades: abandoned staircases, Soviet-era murals and unexpected gardens.
Location: Nevsky Prospekt runs from the Admiralty to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra
History/Details: Nevsky Prospekt is one of Europe’s most famous avenues, lined with palaces and churches since the 18th century. The Singer House (Dom Knigi) bookshop with its Art Nouveau glass dome is a landmark. The hidden courtyard system evolved because aristocrats built outward-facing palaces while their servants lived in inner courtyards connected by archways — many now contain Soviet mosaics, abandoned fountains and street art.
Highlights:
- Dom Knigi (Singer House) bookshop with its glass dome and reading room
- Gostiny Dvor — the 18th-century shopping arcade
- The courtyard at 11 Bolshaya Konyushennaya with its Soviet mosaic wall
- Free walking through archways off Nevsky — enter any open gate
- The Kazan Cathedral’s colonnade on Nevsky — free entry
Disclaimer: Prices and information are estimates. Always check current visa requirements, exchange rates, and local conditions before travelling. Russia’s visa situation changes frequently — confirm requirements with your local Russian embassy before booking.