Sightseeing

St. Petersburg is crowded with splendid palaces, impressive historical monuments, tree-lined avenues and beautiful bridges. Of course Anastasia web tour program includes excursions but it is impossible to cover everything. 300 years old, St. Petersburg is a city crammed with historical and cultural associations. Whether you are walking along one of the Venice of the North's many picturesque canals or the wide Neva River during a dreamy white night, taking in the world-renowned ballet at the Mariinsky Theater, enjoying an early autumn afternoon in one the city's outstanding suburban parks, or delighting in the world-class art collection at the Hermitage Museum, you are sure to appreciate the unique beauty and rich culture of the city on the Neva. Being Anastasia web romance tour client do not miss the opportunity to have a look at St. Pete sights.

The Yusupov Palace - A marvel of 18th and 19th century architecture and home to one of the wealthiest and powerful pre-Revolutionary Russian families, the palace is also famous as the site where Gregory Rasputin was murdered in 1916. The palace offers guided tours and is a venue for regular concerts and other cultural programs.

Address: 190000, Naberezhnaya Reki Moyki 94

Telephone +7 (812) 314-9883

Open: By special arrangement (Call in advance)

Peter and Paul Fortress - This is the oldest building in St. Petersburg . Be sure to visit the baroque interior of the SS Peter & Paul cathedral with its landmark golden needle spire. This is also the resting site for many Russian Tsars including Peter the Great. The grounds outside the fortress are a major venue for several city festivals held through out the year.
Today the fortress is one of St. Petersburg 's major tourist attractions and has become the emblem of the city. It is also home to the headquarters of the St. Petersburg City History Museum , which displays collections throughout the fortress complex. Anastasia web guide will answer all your questions during the tour to the fortress.

Cruiser Aurora - Famous for firing the first shot in the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, the cruiser has been turned into a floating museum containing documents and photographs related to the Revolution.

Location: Off Petrovskaya Naberezhnaya, opposite the Nakhimov Navy School .

Metro: Gorkovskaya

Open: 10:30am to 4pm

Closed: Monday and Friday

During Anastasia web Romance tour in St. Pete make sure to visit a Russian church. To feel more comfortable take a Russian women with you.

The Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood - It's unique decorations include icons and panels made from majolica and mosaic, which were made from drawings by the leading Russian artists of last century. Restorers say the church contains more mosaics than any other cathedral in the world. The church also houses a permanent exhibition "Tsar Alexander II".

Address: Naberezhnaya Kanala Griboyedova 2

Telephone +7 (812) 314-40-53

Metro: Nevsky Prospekt/Gostiny Dvor

The former center of a vast and diverse empire, St Petersburg is home to hundreds of different churches representing many denominations and faiths, though Anastasia web shares the opinion that it is probably most famous for its collection of Russian Orthodox cathedrals.

St. Nicholas' Naval Cathedral

The golden Baroque spires and domes of St. Nicholas' Naval Cathedral of the Theophany (1753-62), rises among the trees at the bottom of ulitsa Glinki and shines above the bland residential and commercial buildings in the area, and shelters many revered 18th century icons and a fine carved wooden iconostasis. Its beautiful bell tower overlooks the Kryukov Canal .

Trinity Cathedral

In the historic center of the Venice of the North, south along the Kryukov Canal from the gleaming golden domes of St. Nicholas Cathedral across a footbridge over the Fontanka River is the large blue-domed Trinity Cathedral (1828-35) located at 7 Izmailovsky Prospect (tel. 251-8765). It is a fine example of classical edifice built by the renowned Russian architect Vasily Stasov. The impressive five-domed cathedral can house up to 3 thousand visitors, but sadly after decades of abuse it has only begun to be restored to its pre-Revolutionary splendor.

Bridges

St. Petersburg should be seen from water - it's difficult to find something more beautiful somewhere. Anastasia web has a boat trip along the canals. Having a beautiful Russian woman beside you makes the trip very romantic.

There are over 500 bridges in St. Petersburg ranging from the very narrow pedestrian Lions and Bank chain bridges to the unique Medieval and Modern styled bridges, which span the wide Neva River . During the summer months the bridges across the Neva open at night to allow ships to pass up and down the river. Bridges open from May to late October according to a special schedule. Anastasia web advises to check the schedules otherwise you will get caught on the wrong side of the river after 2 a.m.

Lions Bridge - Historic Lions Bridge (1826) gets its name from the four majestic cast-iron lions that appear to ingeniously and mysteriously guard the passageway onto the charming chain footbridge. The bridge spans picturesque Griboyedov Canal in one of the most beautiful and historic quarters of St. Petersburg .

The Palace Bridge - Renowned for the view of the Peter and Paul Fortress through its raised spans, the Palace Bridge also offers some of the best views of the Vasilevsky Island Spit. Of the seven drawbridges crossing the wide Neva River , the Palace Bridge was perhaps the most challenging to build.

Italian Bridge - Spanning the historic Canal Griboyedova in the heart of the historic city center between Nevsky Prospect and the Church on the Spilled Blood, 19th century classical-styled Italian Bridge adorns the canal with its wonderful ornately decorated lampposts, lamps, railings and girders.

Anastasia web thinks that it is really worth it to go and see the bridges open. You will have fun!

Monuments

The cultural capital of Russia is adorned with scores of historic and impressive monuments ranging from "three horsemen" monuments, which are said to guard the city to the triumphal arches, which act as a gateway into the city.

The Bronze Horseman - This inspirational equestrian monument to Peter the Great, founder of St. Petersburg , is among the major landmarks of the city and is a definite must-see.

Location: Ploschad Dekabristov

Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad - At the point where our grandfathers halted the WWII Nazi advance on the city, there now stands an impressive memorial to the bravery of the citizens of Leningrad , combining an eternal flame, an obelisk, numerous heroic Soviet sculptures and an underground museum. This powerful and impressive monument was built as the focal point of Ploshchad Pobedy (Victory Square) in the early 1970s to commemorate the heroic efforts of the residents of Leningrad and the soldiers on the Leningrad Front to the repel the Nazis in the 900-day Siege of Leningrad during World War II.

The Alexander Column - Located in the middle of Palace Square , opposite the world-famous Hermitage Museum , this column is an impressive 47.5 meters (156 feet and 9 inches) tall and its body is made of a single piece of red granite. Named after Emperor Alexander I, who ruled Russia between 1801 and 1825 (during the Napoleonic Wars), the column is a terrific piece of architecture and engineering.