A Glance At St Petersburg Russia Travel
March 2nd, 2010 by Mariah Scott, under Vacations. No Comments
Travel guide books are not complete without a section on St Petersburg Russia travel. Tourists looking to visit this city on the River Neva can find numerous such books to gather information for their trip. Breakdowns of St Petersburg hotel and restaurants, shopping and entertainment will fill the pages of any good guide book. They will also offer a comprehensive list of spectacular sightseeing locations. Let’s first take a look at some of the city’s background and then explore some of its top attractions.
Peter the Great founded the city as the capital of the Russian empire in 1704. It stayed the capital until after the Russian Revolution, when in 1917, Moscow was chosen by the communists as the country’s capital. In 1918 the name was changed to Leningrad, after the person responsible for the revolution, Vladimir Lenin. In 1991, the name St. Petersburg was returned to the city.
One of the first things you will want to see is the Hermitage, at the Winter Palace. Its official name is the State Hermitage Museum and is home to some of the finest pieces of art in the world. The gallery was originally completed in 1770. Today, people can spend an entire day looking at three floors of works from artists like Rembrandt, Matisse and Leonardo.
The Winter Palace (home of the Hermitage) has more than 1000 rooms and was once the home of tsars like Catherine the Great and the final tsar, Nicolas the Second. The public does not have access to the whole palace. But the Hermitage and those rooms that are free to enter are stunning in their magnificence and will give guests a sense of all the grandeur of the time.
One of only four monasteries in all of Russia is the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Those looking to uncover sites deeply steeped in Russian religious tradition will not be disappointed. It is named after the Grand Prince, Alexander Nevsky who defeated Swedish invaders during the Thirteenth century. It was commissioned by the Tsar Peter the Great in 1710.
The city also offers lots to see for free. Strolls throughout the city provide spectacular views, numerous statues and plenty of opportunities to “people watch.” A couple of spots to check out are the Admiralteyskaya Nab along the River Neva to the west and Summer Gardens to the east.
St. Petersburg, Russia is one of the most beautiful crowns found in Russia. It offers something of compelling interest to almost every visitor who opens her doors.
Looking to find the single source of helpful information on St Petersburg hotel?
