Must Dos in Saint Petersburg

1. Enjoy the White Nights: The sun never fully sets in Saint Petersburg between late May and early July – so perfectly aligned with UEFA EURO 2020 that it would be a shame not to make the most of it with either a walk or an extended night out “after dark”.

2. Shop till you drop on Nevsky Prospekt: Rest assured that you will end up visiting the city’s most popular shopping street at some point. This bustling myriad of shops, eateries, bars and buskers is THE place to burn your roubles the fun way.

3. Embrace Russian cuisine: Hearty borscht, buttery pelmeni or a classic beef stroganoff, anyone? Pirozshki are small crispy buns filled with either savoury ingredients such as cabbage and meat, or sweet cottage cheese, apples or cherries.

4. See the Hermitage Museum: If you can only visit one museum while in Saint Petersburg, opt for this one. It’s not only one of the oldest, but quite frankly one of the most glorious museums in the world.

5. Speed to Peterhof Palace by boat: You can visit the majestic palaces and gardens by train or bus, but the hydrofoil is definitely the most entertaining way to get there.

6. Admire the underground palaces: Aka metro stations with their beautiful marble columns, sculptures and paintings. Highlights include Avtovo, Narvskaya, Ploshchad Vosstaniya and Kirovsky Zavod.

7. Discover the city by foot: All the main attractions such as Palace Square, Kazansky cathedral, and the Peter and Paul fortress are easily walkable on a 3–4 hour loop.

8. Most #Instagrammable place: If your friends and family aren’t envious enough of your UEFA EURO 2020 trip yet, snap a selfie in front of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. Needless to say that a great name like that deserves a location tag.

9. Best place for scenic views: Conquer the 300 steps of St. Isaac’s Cathedral tower and you’ll be rewarded with magnificent views of the city.

Off the beaten path

⚽ For football fans

Saint Petersburg is the birthplace of football in Russia. The first ever match of the country was held on the grounds of the Cadet Corps on Vasilievsky Island on 24 October 1897. Stroll along the port and Blagoveshensky Bridge, where the residents of Saint Petersburg would have kickabouts with English workers between cargo boxes.

🍃 Day trip

If you have an extra day to spare, make your way to Kronstadt, a small seaport town and historic naval base located in the Gulf of Finland. Its Naval Cathedral is stunning and Kronstadt’s numerous forts and canals are best explored by taking a boat tour around the bay. It’s only 30km from Saint Petersburg and easy to get to by bus or marshrutka (taxi cab).

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