Travel Destination: St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, Russia, the second largest city of Russia is an incredible place to visit. Russian culture is very unique. This city has a lot to offer and it was a great experience for me as a lot of things to do were artistic. From the largest art museum of the world, to dance performances, and amazing architecture, St. Petersburg was a treat. There are other things to enjoy like the Leningrad Zoo and the Cosmonautics and Rocket Technology Museum. 

I don't know if language is a barrier now, but it was when I visited in 2008, which made it a more adventurous and interesting trip. I did not stay at fancy hotels nor at good locations where it is probably easier to communicate and get advice about the city, but after a 10 day stay in Russia, I had learned how to read the Russian alphabet from pure survival instinct. It probably helped that I knew the Latin alphabet, which has a few similar letters. By day 5, I was using the metro like a local. 

Below I will show you a few good places and things to do if you visit St. Petersburg, Россия (Russia).

Hermitage Museum

This museum is my favorite in the world. It was founded by Catherine the Great and it is one of the largest and oldest museums of the world. 

Inside the museum. 

The Winter Palace

This palace is one of the six buildings of the Hermitage Museum and it is where the Russian monarchs resided. 

Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood

Definitely go visit this church. The colors and detail of this architectural building are something to be seen in person.

Russian Folk Dance

Attend a Russian Folk Dance performance and have a drink of Russia's water, vodka.

Beer at the Park

 Have a Russian beer at the park. Nevskoe, on the right is the one I remember having. 

Souvenir Stand

There are tons of souvenir stands and markets to go to, I have always loved matryoshka dolls since I was a kid, so I was really excited to buy some authentic ones. I also got a few un-painted dolls so I could paint them at home, I call them matryoshka wooden canvases. 

Take The Train

Since you went all the way to Russia, why not take the train to Moscow, the largest city in Russia and visit the Red Square, among other places of course. 

St. Basil's Cathedral on the Red Square (Moscow)