{"id":4207,"date":"2016-03-07T17:42:45","date_gmt":"2016-03-08T01:42:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/?p=4207"},"modified":"2019-08-27T02:30:22","modified_gmt":"2019-08-27T09:30:22","slug":"st-petersburg-travel-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/st-petersburg-travel-tips","title":{"rendered":"St Petersburg Travel Tips and Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

To glimpse a bit of St Petersburg’s local life we asked a local journalist Tanya Barashkova<\/a> to talk to us about St Petersburg. We talked about things to do in St Petersburg, non-touristy St Petersburg Travel Tips and how Saint Petersburg is different from Moscow<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You’ll be surprised you know nothing about the city and its life after reading your 270-page Lonely Planet book. Our 1400-word article will help you getting to know the cultural capital of Russia.<\/p>\n

\"Tanya<\/p>\n

Tanya, do you like your city?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was born and raised in St. Petersburg, and when all this beauty is around you 365 days a year, you just stop noticing it. Before moving to Moscow I thought the difference between the two cities is a stupid stereotype. I was mistaken. Me and Moscow, we just didn\u2019t understand each other. At all. This is how I turned into an enthusiastic tourist and lover of St Petersburg, walking aimlessly through the streets and photographing everything on my way.<\/p>\n

\"St

Winter Fairy Tale in St. Petersburg. January, 2016<\/p><\/div>\n

Photo shooting in St Petersburg<\/h2>\n

Good shot, in my opinion, is the one that tells a story, which captures a moment of life, which will make you imagine what was before, what will happen after. But it has little relevance to Instagram. Instagram is just about pretty pictures, sunsets, sunrises. The brighter, the better. Little story, more glitz.<\/p>\n

There is a very interesting church near the metro station Chernyshevskaya – St. Ann’s Church<\/em>. Once there was a fire, now the interior is gradually renovated by voluntary donations. Very atmospheric place. Now it\u2019s a popular venue for art exhibits, concerts and even fashion shows.<\/p>\n

For summer sunrises, sunsets head to the Park of the 300th Anniversary of St Petersburg<\/em>. There’s great-a great beach and fantastic views of the Gulf of Finland. The other shore is not visible. Sometimes it seems that you are on the southern seas here. Ideal place for meditating, summer festivals and yoga classes.<\/p>\n

\"St

One of the last summer sunsets on the Gulf of Finland<\/p><\/div>\n

There is one more monument to the good angel straight on a bench in the Izmaylovo garden<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In summer, the Botanical Garden<\/em> is your place for photo shoots, a very picturesque area, there are many unusual and rare flowers are planted.<\/p>\n

And in winter, beautiful Central Park<\/em> is like a winter castle with real reindeer, living here.<\/p>\n

There are amazing buildings on Kolokolnaya Street<\/em>, designed in the Russian style, decorated with mosaics.<\/p>\n

\"St

The Church in a residential area on the outskirts of St Petersburg<\/p><\/div>\n

Make sure you take a sneak peak into a coutryard at Zhukovsky, 6. Artists painted graffiti devoted to fairy tales of a great Russian poet Pushkin, a painted cat- scientist apparently has good karma and attracts all the cats of the district.<\/p>\n

If you want cool architecture, check a wonderful Lion Bridge, a small, narrow, wooden, and, of course, with the lions. Take a stroll down pedestrian streets like Malaya Sadovaya and Malaya Konuschennaya. Don\u2019t skip the streets with a small boulevard in the middle (Bolshaya Konuschennaya, Furshtatskaya and Prospect Chernyshevskogo, which, by the way, leads to the waterfront with a monument to Russian ship Poltava.<\/p>\n

\"Russia

The White Nights in St. Petersburg<\/p><\/div>\n

Local vibe in St Petersburg<\/h2>\n

Petersburg is a city of creative, friendly and open people. We have cozier bars, less cars, less fuss. More small cafes and bars where the owners themselves are working behind the counter. We are more Europeans, perhaps, than the Muscovites. We don\u2019t leave tourists in trouble. We have a different music. And we have more rock and jazz. We are bar capital. Well, in addition to cultural and North.<\/p>\n

Yes, St. Petersburg is a creative zone for creative people. Well, I guess, it is true. Musicians, street artists, street actors\u2026 Creativity is an intimate process, based on human relationship, and St Petersburg has this sincerity, this bond between people, this warmness.<\/p>\n

\"St

Spring sunset in St Petersburg<\/p><\/div>\n

New way to travel<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t like professional guides. I hate tourist groups. If I had friends in every town, wherever I swerved, this would be a perfect way of traveling for me \u2013 with local friends, exploring off the beaten path.<\/p>\n

This winter I went to Nizhny Novgorod to hike through huge snowdrifts. St. Petersburg hasn\u2019t had such winter for several years, by the way.<\/p>\n

I think that\u2019s the best way to discover a new place \u2013 by staying away from tourist clusters.<\/p>\n

\"Moscow

St Petersburg is a reading city. You can see someone with a book everywhere<\/p><\/div>\n

Insider’s tips to tourists in St Petersburg<\/h2>\n

Tourists generally are only aware of the main attractions. And this is nothing.<\/p>\n

I strongly advise tourists to jump off the main tourist routes, and turn away from Nevsky for a bit more improvisation. Off the beaten track in St Petersburg hides a lot of interesting and lively places.<\/p>\n

\"Leningrad

The yards in residential areas of St Petersburg<\/p><\/div>\n

Well, if improvisation scares you, you can always find some non-trivial tours to the roofs, jazz bars rock places, abandoned mansions, ancient palaces. Private tours in St Petersburg<\/a> is the guaranteed way to get\u00a0the insider’s perspective of the city.<\/p>\n

The main museum of modern art \u2013 Erarta<\/em> \u2013 features U-space where you can see space installations. The installations come to life. One, for example makes you feel like a midget from a fairy tale about Masha and the Three Bears. Everything is huge. Chairs, tables, crockery. So much fun!<\/p>\n

\"St

The buildings of old factories are now exhibition and art space<\/p><\/div>\n

People in St Petersburg<\/h2>\n

For me the city is not just the beautiful buildings and streets, it goes together with the people. It is the people, the locals who create the atmosphere. In Moscow, people are angry. If you remove these angry people from there, you can find nice places, you can even walk. But, unfortunately, there are too many angry people out there to remove. I can not understand the old female employees at the Tretyakov Gallery<\/em>, they look at you with contempt and hate you, you can feel it.<\/p>\n

Here in St Petersburg the staff in the Hermitage<\/em> are all angels. You walk around, take pictures, and they come to you and secretly whisper to your ear which paintings are best for your photoshoots.<\/p>\n

\"Visit

Little locals grow among the postcard attractions. Here The Admiralty and St. Isaac’s have become members of the family<\/p><\/div>\n

Coffee shops\u00a0in St Petersburg<\/h2>\n

More Coffee!<\/em> and Coffee in the Kitchen<\/em> are very laid-back places with artsy interior. Coffee 3<\/em> is good place, too. View of the Botanical Garden, full-length windows and a barista, who ready to tell you everything about drinks make this coffee shop very special to me.<\/p>\n

The most comfortable anti-caf\u00e9 where you pay for time and get free coffee and cookies is Tsiferburg<\/em>\u00a0on Bolshaya Konuschennaya, 9. You can meet a lot of interesting people here, listen to live music and socialize.<\/p>\n

\"St

Home-made pastry, so popular in Saint Petersburg now<\/p><\/div>\n

St Petersburg Cafes<\/h2>\n

I advise you The Dreamers<\/em>\u00a0on the Fontanka. It\u2019s kind of a coffee shop, but with the full menu with unusual combinations. My friend had pasta with seafood and black currant sauce here. And they treat you as an old friend.<\/p>\n

Another original caf\u00e9 is Bureau of Sweet Architecture Roobiescookies<\/em>. Sweet Lollipop-portraits of famous people, writers, and cartoon characters. Chocolate busts of Lenin and many other interesting sweet personalities.<\/p>\n

\"St

Being smart is in fashion again, just like in 19th century. And as for coffee, it’s a cult in SPb<\/p><\/div>\n

St Petersburg Bars<\/h2>\n

We have bars at every corner in Saint Petersburg. Apotheke ba<\/em>r at Lomonosov 1 can boast real professionals with extensive experience. All cocktails there are pure magic. You don\u2019t come here to get drunk, you come to this place to talk to alco-connoisseurs and get enlightened about the alco-art.<\/p>\n

The largest collection of gin in the city is in Gin Tonic<\/em>, somewhat hidden place in the courtyard on Ligovsky.<\/p>\n

Tipplers<\/em> at Zhukovsky, 17 is very good for cocktail classics. The staff looks like American prisoners and the interior of the bar looks like an American prison. Surprisingly, it\u2019s always very cozy here.<\/p>\n

By the way, at Zhukovsky, 6 there is a wonderful artsy patio. Graffiti based on Pushkin’s fairy tales. An underground artist known Valerius took part in the creation of this art. His paintings are exhibited in galleries in Russian and Europe.<\/p>\n

\"St

Classic cocktail in St Petersburg bar<\/p><\/div>\n

Best city views<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s worth to climb up the St. Isaac’s Cathedral colonnad<\/em>e. It’s really very beautiful. Especially on summer evenings. In the summer season colonnade is open almost around the clock. Of course, it\u2019s more expensive, but you don\u2019t do it every day, right?<\/p>\n

Take a walk along Petrogradka<\/em>. Nothing special here, but the architecture is very different from that on the Nevsky, with a lot of Gothic elements.<\/p>\n

If you’re taking St Petersburg shore tours<\/a> you’re already in a great position to get the scenic views of the city, with all the bridges, embankments, and iconic vistas.<\/p>\n

\"City

Gingerbread -looking Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood is one of the most Russian architecture in the city.<\/p><\/div>\n

St Petersburg vs Moscow<\/h2>\n

Petersburg is somewhat heartier. The City for Dreamers, I\u2019d call it.<\/p>\n

Here the bustle is an exception rather than the rule, and in Moscow it\u2019s the opposite. You can\u2019t find a peaceful street in Moscow. Everybody constantly rushes somewhere.<\/p>\n

In St Petersburg if you regularly come to a coffee shop or bar, especially with owners at the counter, they\u2019ll remember you, smile at you and treat you in a special way. I love it. In Moscow everything is for the show. It feels flashy, fake, artificial.<\/p>\n

Different rhythms of cities, different music, different atmosphere and people. Moscow is the story about the night clubs. In St. Petersburg there few clubs. We love to relax in bars where you can hear jazz, or vinyl set in a modern electronic processing.<\/p>\n

\"Tour

Hermitage, the number one attraction in St Petersburg. You must come here at least for interiors<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To glimpse a bit of St Petersburg’s local life we asked a local journalist Tanya Barashkova to talk to us about St Petersburg. We talked about things to do in \u2026<\/p>\n

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