ST. PETERSBURG - St. Petersburg, Helsinki and Tallinn - page 14

spots—including the Peter and Paul Fortress, Kunstkamera, and Strelka viewpoint—are
just across the river.
Nevsky starts at the slender-spired Admiralty building, next to the river, Hermitage, and
Palace Square. Running outward from the center, it crosses three concentric waterways:
first the Moyka (Мойка) River, then the Griboyedova Canal (Канал Грибоедова), and
finally the Fontanka (Фонтанка) River. A little farther out, Uprising Square (Ploshchad
Vosstaniya, Площадь Восстания)—home to a tall obelisk and the Moskovsky train sta-
tion—marks the end of the zone of interest to most tourists.
Maps make St. Petersburg appear smaller than it is. What looks like just a few blocks
can easily translate into a half-hour walk. The two-mile walk along Nevsky from the Ad-
miralty to Uprising Square takes about 45 minutes at a brisk pace. To cross the river or go
to more distant sites, you'll need to use public transport. Getting between any two points in
different parts of the center, whether by foot or Metro, can easily eat up the better part of
an hour. Even crossing from one side of Nevsky Prospekt to the other is no small task (look
for sporadic underground walkways, like the one in front of the Gostiny Dvor shopping
mall). The bus system is quick and handy, but isn't user-friendly for non-Russian speakers.
A few terms you'll see on maps: ulitsa is “street,” ploshchad is “square,” prospekt is
“avenue,” and most is “bridge.” Many street signs are conveniently bilingual. They usually
list the house number of the building they're on, as well as of the buildings to either side
(this is convenient, as buildings can be very large).
You may see free maps around town, but if you'll be navigating on your own, buy a good
map at one of the bookstores listed later, under “Helpful Hints.” I like the Saint Petersburg
for Visitors map by Karta (about 120 R).
Tourist Information
Tourist information is hard to come by in St. Petersburg. The city does run an official TI
at Sadovaya Ulitsa 14, a few yards off Nevsky Prospekt, across from Gostiny Dvor (you'll
need to go up one flight of stairs). When I visited, the staff was friendly, but it's small and
they only have a few brochures—I wouldn't make a special trip (Mon-Fri 10:00-19:00,
Sat 12:00-18:00, closed Sun, www.visit-petersburg.ru or www.ispb.info ) . You may see TI
kiosks in high-tourist areas such as Palace Square and St. Isaac's Cathedral—but hours and
services are unpredictable. The city also runs a 24-hour “Tourist Help Line,” with English
operators, at tel. [phone] (or 0333 if your mobile phone is using the Megafon network).
The weekly, English-language St. Petersburg Times ( www.sptimes.ru ), which comes
out on Wednesdays, will keep you up-to-date on events in the city. The bimonthly St.
Petersburg In Your Pocket guidebook is good; you can browse it online at
www.inyourpocket.com .
Arrival in St. Petersburg
By Train: All train stations have Metro stops. But if you're arriving with large bags, for
convenience and peace of mind, pay the extra cost and arrange in advance with your hotel
to be picked up at the station by a driver: Although some newer Metro stations (such as
Admiralteyskaya) are friendly to wheeled luggage, others have unavoidable (though usu-
ally short) flights of stairs, as do some train stations themselves. Buses are a better option