Condé Nast Traveler’s Seabourn
INSIDERTIPS
ST. PETERSBURG,
RUSSIA
Despite wild contrasts between
rich and poor, between the
grandeur of the past and the
decidedly more pedestrian
present, beauty flourishes here.
Beneath vast, crystalline skies,
the palaces and cathedrals
retain their light-hearted
elegance, with façades in
confectionery pastel hues.
The great museums and
ballet companies of the city
continue to prevail over harsh
circumstances, and decades
of Soviet-era neglect haven’t
dimmed this city’s splendors.
Please note: Guests without an
individual visa can only go ashore
with an organized shore excursion,
whether a published tour or
privately arranged through your
Concierge Tour office.
Your Seabourn Tour Office
has many shore excursions
available that visit the better
known highlights. Should you
have visited those attractions
already, the staff will be pleased
to assist you with private
arrangements to visit a few of
the lesser known places we
recommend here.
Phone Codes
Country: 7
City: 812
When calling from outside the country,
use an international code (011 for US) +
country code + city code + number. When
calling inside the country, dial 8 + city
code + number
“To Eat” Expense Key
$ Inexpensive
$$ Moderate
$$$ Expensive
$$$$ Very Expensive
TO SEE & DO
Renowned for its museums and rich
cultural heritage, St. Petersburg offers
a host of delights for art lovers and
history buffs—some world-famous,
others familiar only to locals,
academics, curators, and historians.
Hermitage Museum
The former residence of Catherine the
Great, now the world’s largest museum
with three million works of art.
Dvortsovanya Naberezhnaya 34
Tues-Sat 10:30-6, Sun 10:30-5
710-90-79
St. Isaac’s Cathedral
Once the country’s largest cathedral
with room for 14,000 worshippers.
If it’s a clear day, climb the 300 steps
to the dome’s observation deck for
great city vistas.
1 Isaakievskaya Ploshchad
Thurs-Tues 11-6
315-9732
Church of Our Savior on Spilled
Blood
Built on the spot where Czar
Alexander II was assassinated, it is
covered inside and out with mosaics
of precious and semi-precious stones.
Neberezhnaya Kanala Griboyedova 2
314-4053
Yusupov Palace
Immerse yoursef in the ostentatious
and secretive world of the last czar,
Nicholas, and his wife Alexandra.
94 Moika Embankment
Daily tours 11-5
332-1991
Russian Museum
Devoted exclusively to Russian art,
from the primitive to the present.
Inzhenernaya Ul. 4
Wed-Sun 10-5; Mon 10-4
595-4248
Summer Garden
Stroll through the oldest and most
beautiful park in St. Petersburg, which
Peter the Great helped to lay out and
which was the location of his summer
palace.
3 Zvenigorodskaya str.
(3 Summer Garden)
Daily 10-9; Closed April
TO EAT
In recent years an array of fabulous
restaurants has opened in St. Petersburg.
Whether you’re in the mood for the
traditional staples of the Russian diet—
blini, potatoes, borscht, kebabs, and
especially caviar and vodka—or would
like to sample international fare, you
won’t be disappointed.
Bellevue Brasserie
Kempinski Hotel Moika 22
Continental cuisine in a modern
glass-walled bar and restaurant on the
roof.
22 Moika Embankment
$$$
Daily 12PM-1AM
335-9111
The Noble Nest
At once tiny and grand, chic and
elegant.
Ulitsa Dekabristov 21
$$$
Lunch daily
312-0911
Restoran
Reinvented modern Russian cuisine
accompanied by abundant vodka—order the pelmeni (dumplings).
Tamozhenny Pereulok 2
$$$$
Daily noon-mid
327-8979
Palkin
Elegant Russian and continental
cuisine with classical music.
47 Nevsky Prospekt.
$$$$
Daily 12PM-1AM
703-5371
1913 Restaurant
For a low-key Russian meal.
13/2 Voznesensky
$$
Daily 12PM-1AM
315-5148
Erivan
Armenian cuisine and superb cognac.
51 Fontanka Embankment
$$$
Daily noon-mid
703-3820
TO BUY
The city’s busiest shopping street is
Nevsky Prospekt; wander into its
many shops in search of the samovars,
vodka, caviar, woolen shawls,
lacquered artifacts, and Matroyoshka
dolls Russia is known for. Here are a
few highlights of the street, and a few
other suggestions, as well.
Babushka Art Store
Decorated in the style of a 17thcentury nobleman’s house, this shop
contains a complete collection of
Russian souvenirs for all tastes and
budgets.
33 Naberezhnaya Leitenanta Shmidta
Daily 8am-10pm
321-1477
Belage
Western European antiques —
including jewelry, glass, crystal,
bronze and paintings.
57 Nevsky Prospekt
Daily 11-8
310-6688
Imperial Porcelain Factory
Produced porcelain for the Romanovs
and Russian Imperial Court, including
signature cobalt blue net pattern.
151 Obukhovsky Oborony Prospekt
Daily 10-7
560-8544
Russian Handicrafts Boutique
Genuine handpainted tin soldiers,
hand-carved jasper and agate.
In the Grande Hotel Europe,
Mezzanine Cafe
Nevsky Prospekt
Daily 8am-10pm
812-329
Tatyana Parfionova
The best-known local fashion
designer.
51 Nevsky Prospekt
Daily 12-8
713-1415
Stroganov Palace Art Store
A souvenir shop with a bit of
everything.
17 Nevsky Prospekt
Wed-Mon 10-5
312-2195
Locations, numbers, hours, and prices listed are subject to change. Hours are for peak
season unless otherwise noted and may vary off-season, on holidays, and at the discretion
of individual attractions and establishments.
The information provided herein are recommendations and Seabourn Cruise Line cannot
guarantee purchases from the above establishments.