Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
265
10
OUTDOOR PURSUITS
See the “Parks & Gardens” section earlier in this chapter for more suggestions.
BIKING
Biking is a daring undertaking anywhere in Russia, where drivers are unaccustomed to
sharing the road with nonmotorized vehicles and bike paths are nonexistent. Half the
year the roads are too slushy or icy for pleasant biking, but in summer, a cruise along any
one of the city's embankments is delightful for experienced bikers. Try
Rent-a Bike
(7 Goncharnaya Ulitsa, inside the Kitsport store;
&
812/717-6838;
www.rentabike.ru).
Bikes are available from 500 rubles per day; bike tours are also available.
BOATING
This is a city of canals and rivers, and in the months when they're not iced over they offer
a variety of boating options. See “Organized Tours,” above. Numerous private boats also
ply the canals, offering rides for groups from 2 to 10 people. Rates are negotiable and vary
widely, from about $20 to $100 an hour, usually set in dollars or euros, so it's worth your
while to bargain or find a Russian speaker to help out. Safety features are generally good in
the big tourist ferries and hydrofoils, but they can be negligible in the smaller boats.
FISHING
Ice fishing is the sport of choice for Russian men of a certain age and temperament in
the winter. You can catch a glimpse of them sitting motionless on the Gulf of Finland.
Unless you have lots of ice fishing experience, this is a better spectator sport than par-
ticipatory one.
GYMS
St. Petersburg is just catching on to the gym concept, and only the biggest hotels have a
Western-style health club. If your hotel doesn't,
Planeta Fitness
is a Russian chain with
branches around town offering daily passes (
&
812/777-2555;
www.fitness.ru); before
5pm passes are about 500 rubles, after 5pm they're 900 rubles.
ICE
SKATING
Russian children often skate before they can read. Watching a determined grandfather
guide his grandkids along an icy pond in the winter can be just as fun as watching a big
tournament. Any pond turns into an informal rink during the freezing season. Victory
Park and Taurida Gardens (both covered earlier in this chapter) have real rinks as well,
and rent basic skates.
14
JOGGING
A White Nights jog along the Neva River is an unforgettable experience—but your feet
may never forgive you. St. Petersburg's stone streets, treacherously crooked and cracked
sidewalks, and drivers unused to dodging speedy pedestrians make jogging a challenge.
Your best bet is to hit the larger parks, such as Victory Park; even the smaller parks closer
to the center of town such as Taurida Gardens or Summer Gardens can make for pleasant
runs. Running during daylight hours is recommended, which is not a problem during
the long days of spring and summer. Russians are not big on casual jogging, viewing it
as the domain of athletes and not amateurs, so be prepared for perplexed looks.
