Attractions of St. Petersburg

During the era of Peter the Great and his successors, the Admiralty was the St. Petersburg's primary shipbuilding wharf area. Most of the buildings on the site at that time were used for building ships, or manufacturing the parts and equipment needed for shipbuilding.

St. Petersburg's culture astounds us – so it's hardly surprising that we find Arts Square at the centre of the city. The works on display in its museums leave us in awe, while the performances in the opera and ballet theatre inspire us – and all the while, we hear the sounds of music soaring from the windows of the Philharmonia.

The Spit of St Basil's Island is often called one of the most inspiring and readily recognisable locations in St. Petersburg. It's the eastern promontory of St Basil's Island, and divides the River Neva into two – the Great and Lesser Neva Rivers.

In the vicinity of St. Petersburg at the Neva Dendrology Park, there is today a full-scale process for setting up an ethnographic complex called 'the Bogoslovka Mansion'. The idea is to replicate the wooden architecture of Peter the Great's time. The highlight of the project will be the Pokrovskaya Church.

The Bronze Horseman is an iconic landmark of St. Petersburg – depicting the city's founder, Tsar Peter the Great, in a horseback pose inspired by the verse of Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, as he proudly looks out to thousands of St. Petersburg's citizens and visitors.

The Catherine Park is one of the finest monuments to the art of landscape gardening. Its grounds are richly populated with different kinds of palace buildings, pavilions and bridges make it the pearl of Tsarskoye Selo.

The Fontanka is a small river of the Neva Delta in St. Petersburg. At one time, the Fontanka marked the southern city limits of St. Petersburg, where its banks became lined with the costly mansions of the city's well-to-do. The article will give you more detailed factual information about the Fontanka's place in the city history of St, Petersburg, and the buildings to be seen along it.

St Isaac's Square is St. Petersburg's main administrative square. On its south side we find the Mariinsky Palace, which today houses the city's legislature – while on the northern side of the Square we find Admitalty Prospekt.

The style of most Russian churches inspires us with their grandeur and their striking colours. Yet Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg astounds us instead with its magnificence. It has a huge semicircular colonnade, consisting of 56 columns with capitals, with just one dome jutting skywards.

Kronstadt is an island city that holds its own special place in Russian history. It's not only a border point with western nations, but also naval base surrounding in maritime glory. Every street, building and lane in Kronstadt has its own story – and while many of these stories are inspiring or astounding, some others are also tragic.

Ladoga is Europe's largest freshwater lake, measuring 18 square kilometres. It's an astonishing location – not only due to its amazing surroundings, but also because of its connections to the roots of Russian nationality. The River Neva flows out of Lake Ladoga – the river on which St. Petersburg stands.

Three centuries ago there was a small rivulet called the Muya in the local dialect – which was transformed into a charming waterfare. This little river welcomed swanky new palaces to its banks – as well as museums, banks, and government ministries.

Probably any Russian schoolkid could tell you which river St. Petersburg stands on. It's the River Neva – not only a sightseeing attraction, of Russia's northern capital, but one of its main city components. Thousands of tourists arrive in St. Petersburg every month, just to see the Neva – and perhaps take a trip on it.

The famous Russian author Gogol wrote that 'to step onto Nevsky Prospect is to step into the atmosphere of a fairground'. He was not wrong – with its inviting shop windows, evening illuminations and the elegant facades of its historic buildings, there is something cheerfully engrossing about Nevsky Prospect that makes us want to forget our daily problems.

St Nicholas's is the largest and last of Russia's naval cathedrals. During the construction of this great monument to those who have perished at sea, St Ioann of Kronstadt played a personal role. Today, this church is more than just a cathedral.

The great majesty of the Nikolo-Bogoyavlensky cathedral makes it one of the most important sights of the city, as well as a memorial to the victories of the Russian fleet. The naval theme is highlighted by the blue-coloured walls, which combine harmoniously with its white columns and golden domes.

Palace Square is not only St. Petersburg’s main square – it's also one of the most breathtaking ensembles of architecture anywhere in the world. It is a location which has born witness to formative and shattering events of world history, seeing the rise and fall of empires and epochs.

The Peter & Paul Fortress was the first building to be constructed in St. Petersburg, and is located on Hare Island. The date of its founding - 27th May, 1703 – is considered to be the birth date of the city itself. Today, the grounds of the fortress are huge museum complex and one of the city's most attractive features.

Facing the legendary Egyptian sphinxes on the embankment of St Basil's Island we see a three-storey building. This is the Academy of Arts, whose founding dates back to the reign of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. It's an institution which has acted as the patron of many of St. Petersburg's creative figures.

The St. Petersburg Metro system is one of the most beautiful in the world. It is also interesting as a transport network too, as well as being one of St. Petersburg's major tourist attractions.

The building today known as 'House of Books' in St. Petersburg – Dom Knigi - is a deserved city sightseeing attraction – but it wasn't originally built as a bookstore. The building's astonishing architecture draws the tourists in – but there's more to see than just the books.

This museum complex is located on the banks of Lake Ladoga. This was the location during the Second World War where an ice-track was laid across the lake, the only route into or out of the city which was besieged by troops of the Third Reich, and along with food supplies could reach the city.

St Isaac's Cathedral is the largest Russian-Orthodox place of worship in St. Petersburg, along with being one of the tallest domed structures anywhere on earth. The sheer scale of this 19th-century project astounds us, impressing us, and captivating our view.

The centrepiece and main building on the grounds of the Peter & Paul Fortress – one of a small number of major architectural monuments to have survived from the early 18th century in St. Petersburg. Its bell-tower and spire – capped with a weathervane in the shape of an angel – are symbols of the city.

The Smolny Cathedral is often called one of St. Petersburg's most beautiful churches. It was built at the behest of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, one of Peter the Great's daughters and successors. The joyous and festive spirit behind the building is clear to see.

Tsarskoye Selo – or 'The Royal Village' – means not only the former Imperial country residence, but also a substantial literary enclave of Russia. It is a major tourism destination, to which hundreds of thousands of visitors come each year. The reasons they come will be described in this article.

The Winter Canal joins two rivers, and was put through over 1718-1719. The idea behind the canal was so that Tsar Peter the Great could sit in a canal boat directly from the river portal of his own house. The length of this small canal is just 228 metres.