Sculpted by islands and the sinuous Neva River, the city is a vista of geometric elegance
When To Go
St Petersburg is a year-round destination. The city’s northern latitude means long days in summer and long nights in winter - but in winter, hotels and tourist attractions are less crowded and there’s a twinkling magic to the night sky. While the White Nights in mid-summer are undeniably beautiful, some people find them disconcerting.
Climate-wise, St Petersburg is much milder in January Temp( Avg -8°C (17°F); a really cold day will get down to -15°C (5°F). It’s a windy city though and in some areas the wind chill is quite fierce, so bring a good warm hat and scarf. Summer is cool and takes a while to get going: snow in late April is not uncommon and the warm weather doesn’t really start until the period between June and August, Temp reach 20°C (68°F). During these months the city is packed with foreign and Russian tourists.
Languages : Russian (official), Russian is the fourth most widely spoken language in the world. Russian uses the Cyrillic alphabet, which is based on Greek.
Currency : Rouble (R)
Places to Sleep
choice was between prohibitive five-star hotels and Soviet flea-pits.
Where & what to eat
(Molokhovets’ Dream). Whether it’s a bliny on the go, Indonesian with style, takeaway pizza or a five-course haute cuisine candlelit dinner you seek, you’ll find it here.
Places to Shop
While Moscow has become a shopping destination attracting the cream of world fashion labels, St Petersburg is still rather lagging behind the capital in this sense. The the city does excel is in its books and (incredibly cheap) music.
Events Overview During the last 10 days of June - the White Nights, when darkness never falls - many St Petersburgers stay out celebrating until dawn, particularly at weekends. There’s a White Nights Dance Festival with events ranging from folk to ballet.
Anglia - A veritable oasis of Western books, Apteka Petrofarm – Its is an excellent, all-night pharmacy. Astoria Service - Renting a car here is now a pretty simple thing, Café Max: Russia has a surprisingly high level of Internet access - offers Internet access.
Other must see places to see are : Kazan Cathdral, Museum of Decorative & Applied Arts, Peter & Paul Fortress , Petrodvorets , Russian Museum, St Isaac’s Cathedral, Summer Garden , .
Things To Do : Relaxation – like Russians de-stress in a banya: a furnace-hot steam room in which they beat themselves and their friends with bundles of birch branches, Swimming - You can also try ice swimming - yes that’s swimming (in icy water, the Neva when it’s frozen), if Skiing – like Russinas, enjoy cross country skiing - Toksovo is a popular resort in north Boating – paddling thru he canals & lakes of Yelagin Island,