Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
215
4
THE BEST OF ST. PETERSBURG IN 3 DAYS
Although St. Petersburg itself has plenty more to explore, a third day offers an ideal
opportunity to whiz up the Baltic Coast to Peterhof, the palace Peter modeled partly on
Versailles. The ride itself—on hydrofoil, ferry, or the private boats roaming the shore—is
part of the adventure, offering a seafarers' view of the city and surrounding forest. In the
winter, you can take a bus or commuter train and enjoy the countryside that way. You
can easily return in time for a dinnertime cruise through the city's canals in the months
when they're not frozen over (May-Oct).
Start:
The piers on Dvortsovaya Naberezhnaya
in front of the Winter Palace, or the bus stop outside Nevsky Prospekt metro station. Nearest
metro: Nevsky Prospekt.
1
Peterhof (Petrodvorets)
Gliding up to the pier of this opulent
“country house” is the most impressive
way to greet it. The dense forest is sud-
denly cleaved by a hill of fountains cascad-
ing from the palace toward the sea. The
palace holds so much gold it's almost
headache-inducing. The long and rather
narrow structure gives every room a view
of the sea, but this means that visitors are
herded in one direction with little room to
maneuver. Explore the caves beneath the
fountains for an inside view of this 18th-
century engineering feat. See chapter 17
for more on visiting Peterhof.
3
Evening Canal Cruise
Once you're back in town, continue the
waterway theme with a canal tour. Boats
holding up to 15 people start from Gri-
boyedov Canal just north of Nevsky Pros-
pekt. They offer English-speaking tours or
tour guides. Private boats also roam the
area offering rides for up to five people for
an always-negotiable price, which is often
less than the group-tour price. During the
White Nights of summer, the private boats
run much of the night. However, they
often lack security features, so they're not
a good option if you're traveling with kids.
11
2
IMPERATORSKY STOL
Dining options on the palace grounds are
mediocre, but Imperatorsky Stol (
&
812/
427-9106
) is the most pleasant. Housed
in the orangerie close to the river, it's a
good spot for a hot drink or a full, Russo-
European meal. See “Peterhof” in chapter
17 for more information.
