What to see in St. Petersburg in the first place

St. Petersburg has always been one of the most attractive cities for tourists in Russia. This is not surprising, because the number of attractions in this city leads to the amazement of any of his guests. Therefore, travelers who intend to go to the northern capital, it is necessary to get acquainted with the list of what to see in St. Petersburg must first of all.

Mosque

Any tourist who is looking for something to see in St. Petersburg in winter, just need to visit the mosque, which is located in the historic center of the city. A huge turquoise dome and two minarets stand out in the general panorama of the city, and the interior of the cathedral is completely captivating with its luxury and elegance.

For many years, the Muslim community could not reach agreement on the construction of a church in the center of St. Petersburg, but in 1907 Nikolay II signed a permit, and in 1910 the church was already built. The architects were N.V. Vasilyev, S.S. Krichinsky and A.I. Gauguin. They wanted to create a structure that would be close to the Muslim culture, but it fit well in the panorama of the northern capital. A solution was found. Some elements of the building were borrowed from the Central Asian architecture, and the walls are faced with granite, which fits perfectly into the architecture of St. Petersburg.

In the interior of the cathedral were also observed all the canons of Muslim architecture. The columns that support the dome are lined with green marble, and in the prayer hall there is a magnificent chandelier on which the sayings from the Koran are written. If the guests of the city are wondering about what to see in St. Petersburg, then this attraction must necessarily please everyone, even if the trip was in the cold season. Therefore, the mosque can be attributed to what to see in St. Petersburg in the winter.

Hermitage

The palace is located on the territory The State Hermitage Museum. When you visit this museum complex you can see many masterpieces from different eras and masters, including Titian, da Vinci and Rubens. It is believed that even a cursory examination of the most famous exhibits will take a huge amount of time.

In addition, all those who are looking for something interesting to see in St. Petersburg, it is worth to visit and the area close to the museum, namely the Palace Square and the facade of the building.

Winter Palace

Many, having arrived, are wondering about what to see in St. Petersburg. Having visited this city, it is impossible not to visit the Winter Palace, which is the residence of Russian emperors.

The construction of the palace was completed under Catherine II, and the beauty of the building still fascinates all visitors. The Winter Palace complex is very extensive, therefore, to look at even the most noteworthy elements, it is recommended to resort to the services of a guide.

Peterhof

In addition to the Winter Palace, the Russian emperors owned another residence, which they visited mainly in the summer. The construction of Peterhof and St. Petersburg began about the same time by the decree of Peter I, who, incidentally, was the ideological inspirer of the magnificent Grand Palace.

Peterhof takes the first place in the list of what to see in St. Petersburg in the summer is simply necessary. Its fountain complex called the Great Cascade combines dozens of different fountains and statues covered with gilding. Elegant design and at the same time simplicity reached its climax in this architectural masterpiece.

Once in Peterhof, you should definitely get acquainted with the Gothic chapel and the Colonel Park. In the lower and upper parts of the park are various attractions and museums.

Vasilievsky Island

Located on the banks of the Neva, Vasilievsky Island is an excellent example of what to see in St. Petersburg. Earlier, the Arrow, which was on the island, was a commercial port, now it is one of the main attractions of the northern capital.

The architectural ensemble of the building is complemented by columns that were used as lighthouses in the 19th century. At the top of the building is a bowl, which is filled with fat, so that the sailors know that they are already close to land.

On Vasilievsky Island there is also the museum-palace of Menshikov and the oldest museum of St. Petersburg, founded in 1714 by the decree of Peter the Great. In the collection of this ethnographic museum you can find many different exhibits created by man or nature itself. In addition, on the Vasilievsky Island there are the Zoological and Naval Museums.

Tsarskoe Selo

Choosing that you should see in St. Petersburg, do not forget about Tsarskoe Selo, which is now renamed Pushkin. Several emperors took part in the creation of the architectural ensemble, among them Ekaterina I, Elizaveta Petrovna and Ekaterina II.

The well-known Catherine Palace was built at the insistence of Elizaveta Petrovna and has come down to our days without any changes. The interior and exterior decoration of the palace amaze with its luxury and elegance. The Chinese hall of the palace will impress any visitor with a huge amount of porcelain, and the Queen's Lady of the Clock will be remembered at all by her skillful decoration.

The cradle of revolutions, northern Venice and many other unofficial names, rightly given to St. Petersburg, only confirm how beautiful this city is. A lot of attractions, attracting annually an incredible number of travelers, will be enchanted with their beauty for many generations.