City Overview

St Petersburg is a fascinating city full of history and architectural beauty. It has been said that St Petersburg has been an inspiration for revolution, art and architecture, and poetry. Russian Czar Peter the Great began work on his city in 1703. While some may assume that St Petersburg is named after Peter the Great, the reality is that the Czar named the city after his patron saint. Shortly after the outbreak of WWI the city officially changed its name to Petrograd. When Lenin died in 1924 the city once again changed its name to Leningrad. The change back to St Petersburg occurred in June 1991, just prior to the official dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Due to the northern geographical position of the city the phenomena of the white nights occurs. White nights refers to the fact that during the summer months there is light 24 hours a day. For a visitor it is a strange feeling to walk around the city at midnight and it is still light outside. From a climate standpoint the summers are warm and the winters are relatively mild. Located on the coast of the Gulf of Finland the city sits on 40 islands. Due to this you will find numerous canals and bridges throughout the city.

When Peter the Great built the city it was designed to be Russia's gateway to the West. It was a great choice. Today the city is the hub of important sea routes and land roads. Some nearby countries include Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden and Germany.

One downside to the location of the city relates to the frequency of flooding. There have been more than 320 documented times when the Neva River has risen higher than normal levels. When these floods do occur they tend to happen during the windy autumn months.

What will a visitor see in St Petersburg? Some of the more prominent sets include beautiful monuments, grand palaces, tranquil canals and stylish bridges, broad avenues, plus more. If there was one attraction that stood out over the rest it would have to be the Hermitage. This art museum is easily one of the best in the world. It ranks favorably with the Louvre, the Vatican Museums and the El Prado.

Strolling through the city you will discover beautiful parks and gardens. Stop by the Catherine Palace (outside the city) to experience the beautiful grounds and the ever famous pools and fountains. Within the city one of the best examples of Russian gardening can be found at Pushkin.

Further attractions in St Petersburg include: The Summer Palace, a planetarium, a nice zoo, the Sports Palace, and the Kirove Stadium.

All in all, St Petersburg offers the visitor a wealth of things to see and do. Your trip to this wonderful city will be unforgettable.

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