Shopping

St. Petersburg has a growing number of stores offering a variety of goods and services including hand-made arts, crafts, and souvenirs. Many stores accept credit cards, and all stores accept only rubles that you can buy at a number of conveniently located currency exchange points (obmennie punkti) throughout the city. You're likely to get the best exchange rates on Nevsky Prospect. Anastasia web advises you to bring along your passport. Without a passport you can not change money. Most exchange offices charge about 50 cents to change money.

Shopping along the city's festive main thoroughfare, Nevsky Prospect makes you feel more like a native Piterbyrzhets (Petersburger), and offers the best variety of stores in the city. Nevsky Prospect is St. Petersburg 's the main street, lined with many of the city's most famous attractions and the hub of its commercial and business activities. Nevsky runs right through the heart of the city from the austere Alexander Nevsky Monastery to the Baroque splendors of the Winter Palace and the Hermitage.

Gostiny Dvor - Constructed in the middle of the 18th century on Nevsky Prospect, Gostiny Dvor was one of the world's first shopping malls and is now the largest department store in the city. Gostiny Dvor is really a huge department store, which is being gradually turned into a shopping mall, since a significant part of its 164,690 sq. feet of trading space is rented out to smaller shops. Constructed between 1757 and 1785, Gostiny Dvor has a reputation for being one of the world's first shopping malls and occupies a whole city block on Nevsky Prospect.

Babushka Souvenir Boutique

Located on Lieutenant Shmidt Embankment with a view over the Neva , Babushka is a real find for anyone who wants to treasure their memories of a trip to Russia and St. Petersburg . Decorated in the style of a 17th-century nobleman's house, Babushka's rooms contain a complete collection of Russian souvenirs and presents to suit all tastes and budgets.

Address: 33 Naberezhnaya Leitenanta Shmidta

Telephone: +7 812 321-1477, +7 812 321-0711

Open: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Pryalka (Spinning Wheel) Salon

The Spinning Wheel salon boasts a unique and warm interior in the style of a Russian peasant hut. Here you can find down hosiery and knitwear both handmade and machine-made, stylish warm scarves, beautiful blouses and much more. And you'll also find great accessories here including purses, gloves, hats and stockings.

Address: 1 st Line, Vasilyevsky Island

Telephone: +7 812 323-1021

Open: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.