Mini guide: culture in Saint Petersburg

28 Mar 2024Updated: 4 hours ago | 52 people are reading

Mini guide: culture in Saint Petersburg

© Lonely Planet Mini guide: culture in St Petersburg

St Petersburg is an almost unsurpassed treasure trove of art and culture. The grandeur of the Russian imperial capital is extremely impressive, but the city also has a revolutionary spirit. Discover the best experiences that St. Petersburg has to offer.

Catherine Palace

tzar.ru

The enormous, Baroque Catherine Palace is the centerpiece of the Tsarskoye Selo estate (outside the city), built between 1744 and 1796. The interior is beautiful, with highlights such as the Great Hall, the Arabesque Hall and the world-famous Amber Room. Around the palace is the beautiful Catherine Park.

Grand Maket Rossiya

grandmaket.ru

All facets of Russia, from the industrial Magnitogorsk to the glittering domes of Moscow, can be seen in full glory in this miniature version of the motherland. There is a room with mountains, cities and rivers full of mechanized action.

Museum of political history

polithistory.ru

The elegant Ksjesinska Palace (1904) is a suitable accommodation for this outstanding museum of Russian politics to the present. Mathilde Ksjesinska used to live here, a ballet dancer and mistress of Nicholas II before he became a tsar; later it was the headquarters of the Bolsheviks. Lenin has often given speeches from the balcony.

Hermitage

hermitagemuseum.org

The Hermitage makes its reputation more then where. The collection (more than three million objects, of which only a fraction is exhibited in the 360 ??rooms) sketches an almost complete overview of Western European art, from Da Vinci to Matisse. Choose a few topics in advance to focus on. The museum consists of five connected buildings on the river, including the former residence of the tsars, the Winter Palace.

Street Art Museum

streetartmuseum.ru < / p>

It is worthwhile to travel to this impressive collection of street art in a former factory. You will find a wide range of artworks here, from huge murals to multimedia installations in a former boiler room.

Sleeping

Budget

Baby Lemonade Hostel

babylemonade.epoquehostels.com

The owner of Baby Lemonade is a huge fan of the 60s and that is reflected in the psychedelic pop art design of this fine hostel with two large, pleasant dorms and a great kitchen and living room. But the luxury private rooms in a separate flat with beautiful views from the roof are also worth the price.

Average

Alexander House

a-house.ru

This beautifully designed guest house is set in a building from 1826 opposite the Nikolski Cathedral. Each of the 20 rooms is named after a city (Kyoto, Marrakech, Venice) with art and objects from that place. There is a lovely lounge with log fire, a courtyard with ivy and a restaurant.

Luxury

Rossi Hotel

rossihotels.com

The 65 rooms of Rossi, in a beautifully restored building on one of the most beautiful squares in St. Petersburg, are all different, but all have light colors and stucco ceilings. Antique beds, super chic bathrooms, brick walls and all kinds of designer details form a great mix of old and new. The best rooms have a wonderful view over the Fontanka river. The final piece of all this splendor is a sauna with swimming pool.

You can find the full mini-guide in the March issue of Lonely Planet magazine, which you can order here.

Opening image: Rostislavv / iStock