5 days in Saint Petersburg in May 2019

Hello there!



Here’s the recap of a little week we spent as a couple in Saint Petersburg in early May 2019, just before the *annus horribilis* of Covid. Since then, there’s also been the war in Ukraine, which has made things quite complicated, but tourist stays in Russia are still possible (see the discussion thread for the post-2022 situation). Looking back, early May was a bit too soon in the season—the trees were just starting to bud, and the wind was pretty chilly. It’s better to go at the end of May to enjoy the gardens.

Below is our 5-day itinerary. I’d brought along the inevitable Lonely Planet and the Blue Guide to Saint Petersburg, just to get a basic understanding of the architecture of the buildings I’d be admiring. I’d prepared two complementary routes on G**gle Maps in advance to cover the essentials of the city center in two days. That left the other days completely free for the big highlights: the Hermitage Museum and Peterhof Palace. We tried to adapt based on the weather, visiting Peterhof and its gardens on what was *supposed* to be the nicest day. We’d saved the Hermitage for a day when the weather was really bad, but in the end, we had more or less the same weather every day (sunny but windy and chilly).

Itinerary:

Day 1: City center north of Nevsky Prospect, up to the fortress (Route 1 on the map) Day 2: Peterhof Day 3: City center south of Nevsky Prospect up to Mariinsky (Route 2) Day 4: Canal boat tour during the day + nighttime boat ride on the Neva Day 5: Hermitage

Evening activities:

On the 3rd day, we saw an opera at the Mariinsky I, On the 4th day, we saw a ballet at the Mariinsky II, then headed back to the embankments at half past midnight for a nighttime cruise on the Neva—magical!

Accommodation and meals We found a large one-bedroom apartment on Air**B about 2 months before (yes, it’s a bit late but it worked out), near the city center, between Dostoyevskaya metro station and the Fontanka Canal. Great location—we could do almost everything on foot. The Hermitage, at the other end of Nevsky Prospect, is 2.5 km away. Having an apartment allowed us to cook most of our meals. We didn’t eat out in the evening; at lunchtime, we alternated between picnics and takeout. The apartment cost us 31,000 rubles for 6 nights.

Transportation Flights We arrived at Moscow Domodedovo from Toulouse with Lufthansa. Since we were staying with friends of my wife’s family in Moscow, our trip to Saint Petersburg was organized from there. We took the high-speed train between Moscow and Saint Petersburg (3h30).

Metro The historic center is poorly covered by the metro—there are only 2 stations along Nevsky Prospect (green line). The Mariinsky district is a 10-minute walk from the third central station: Spasskaya (orange and purple lines).

Mariinsky Theatres We bought tickets for the opera on the day at the box office for 1,500 rubles each (about 18 €). A price like that for such a legendary venue? It’s a steal. We saw Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth, and I loved it. Especially in the grand, magical setting of the historic Mariinsky Theatre, all woodwork and gilding. Powerful voices, a top-notch orchestra, and stunning staging and sets. (The singing is subtitled in English on a giant screen—helpful for following the story.)

Ballet (1,200 rub, ~16 €) at Mariinsky II We saw nothing less than Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, world-famous, but I didn’t connect with it... Honestly, I couldn’t tell if it was the original or an adaptation. I think we got both because a woman explained that the first part was very modern while the second was a classical ballet. The Mariinsky II auditorium is bland—it doesn’t evoke any emotion. The exterior architecture is unremarkable. Only the main hall is worth seeing, with its translucent yellow onyx walls backlit and ceiling light fixtures. Best appreciated during intermission.

Wrap-up No regrets about these 5 days—Saint Petersburg is a city of incredible cultural richness. We balanced walks around the city, on foot or by boat, with sightseeing. I’d just recommend going a little later in the season to see the gardens in full greenery and the fountains running. While museum prices are a bit high for foreign visitors, the cost of shows (opera, theatre) is really affordable. Don’t hesitate to catch a night at the “old” Mariinsky—the price is a bargain compared to what you’d pay in France for something of this quality. Don’t hesitate to ask people on the street for directions, even if you don’t speak Russian. People loved the French (well, at the time, before the war in Ukraine—things may have changed since then).

Day 1: Downtown north of Nevsky Prospekt up to the fortress Here’s the route for the first day plotted on G**gle Maps with the main points of interest:



Highlights of this itinerary:

The lively Nevsky Prospekt, the main thoroughfare of downtown The façade of the Alexandrinsky Theatre, which looks a lot like the Bolshoi in Moscow The stunning Kazan Cathedral and its colonnade

Our Lady of Kazan





Russian Museum

Saint Sauveur Cathedral





Fontanka Canal



Chizhik-Pyzhik



The Summer Gardens

Across the Neva stands the fortress and the spire of Peter and Paul Cathedral.



Inside the cathedral:

Day 2: Peterhof A full day dedicated to strolling through the stunning gardens and fountains of this magnificent estate. There’s more than enough to keep you busy all day, wandering through the gardens, around the basins, and exploring the various palaces. Early May is a bit too soon—the vegetation was still dead. Fortunately, the fountains were up and running.

Watch out for scams! First off, everything costs money. You pay to enter the garden (750 rub), and then you have to pay again to enter each building. Be careful when arriving or leaving by boat (dock in the palace gardens)—it’s impossible to visit the upper gardens without paying (even though they’re free if you access them from the main road!). Otherwise, you’ll have to pay a second time to re-enter the lower gardens just to get back to the boat. The best option is to go by bus instead of boat, or take the bus one way and the boat back if you really want to experience the water.

The fountains in action!

Day 3: Downtown south of Nevsky Prospekt to Mariinsky Our itinerary for the day starts on Vasilyevsky Island, where the Neva splits into two branches.



Today’s walking tour includes:

The Rostral Columns and the view of the embankments Crossing the wide Neva. We take the opportunity to admire the facades lining the embankments Hermitage Square

Bronze Horseman statue.

One of the rostral columns:

The Hermitage façade that we’ll revisit two days later:





The Admiralty:







The Bronze Horseman. Suddenly the sun hides behind a cloud and the wind picks up. Pushkin’s verses echo in my head.

Saint Isaac's Cathedral

Griboedov Canal





St. Nicholas Maritime Cathedral



Mariinsky Theatre

Day 4: Canal cruise on a "bateau-mouche" in the city center Booked in advance, a lovely cruise with commentary in English and Russian from the guide. It lasts about 2 hours on the historic center’s canals: Fontanka, Moika, Griboyedov—you see the main landmarks, palace facades, and churches. The guide also explains the city’s founding and part of its history. Really interesting. In the late afternoon, we attend a ballet at the Mariinsky II. Back to the apartment for a bit of rest, then meet up on Petrovskaya Embankment at 12:30 AM for a nighttime cruise on the Neva: the illuminated facades and bridge lights create a magical atmosphere! Day 5: The Hermitage Museum A full day dedicated to this stunning museum, one of the largest in the world alongside the Louvre. Beyond its incredibly rich art collections, the museum also houses lavishly furnished rooms from the tsarist era, as well as reception and state halls with marble, gilding, and ceiling paintings. Absolutely magnificent and a must-see.

To wrap up, here are a few photos of Saint Petersburg at night.

Along Nevsky Prospect:









Allegory: Russia tangled in the threads of its History...

Nighttime cruise on the Neva