We would have two full days in the Russian city but the freedom to go and see what we wanted was somewhat restricted. You can do that, if you really want, but to do that you’re going to need to pay for your own tourist visa. Alternatively, if you’re arriving by cruise ship – and we were – and if you arrange official tours either through the cruise ship operator – which we did – or through local groups (which are generally cheaper) then you can spend a couple of days on a tourist visa without any hassle but you’ll be limited in the number of times you can disembark and you’re restriced to going where the tour goes. Not really a problem, though, as they hit some very interesting places and for a first visit to the fascinating city it’s clearly the best way to get a feel for the place and see whether a little more freedom might be an option at a later date (although that’s only really cost-effective if you’re staying longer than a few days).

Saint Petersburg Port

First views of Saint Petersburg from our aft cabin balcony were a touch disappointing. It was dark and very overcast, threatening to rain but never really managing much more than the odd spit. The port was pretty barren and a fair distance from the city. What buildings we could see were not quite the sort of archetypal Soviet-era brutalist buildings I was looking forward to (we did eventually see some from a coach window during an evening excursion but photographs would have been pointless, sadly) and my expectations of a modern city with skyscrapers turned out to be unfounded. We would learn that there were strict restrictions on the heights of buildings in Saint Petersburg although larger constructs could be found on its outskirts.

We had two excursions booked for the first day; one taking up the full day with another incorporating a visit to the ballet. First step was to get the passport stamped!

That done we boarded our coach nice and early and headed off.

Church Of The Saviour On Spilled Blood

The first stop of the day was a photo opportunity at the Church Of The Saviour On Spilled Blood (also known by many other names), a very typically Russian Orthodox-looking place of worship (although it has not been reconsecrated following its restoration post-Russian Revolution) with the stereotypical, colourful onion domes and wonderfully ornate façade. While it was built at the end of the 19th century its style was deliberately designed to mimic that of the far older St Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. The location was chosen as it was the site where Alexander II was assassinated in 1881.

The church is a museum these days and a popular attraction although there was no opportunity for us to go inside during our brief stop (I don’t actually recall it being open). We had just enough time to wander around its exterior for some photos against the grey sky but some other people on our tour headed straight for the few tourist stalls dotted around the building or took a look at the many pieces of art on display from local artists. We didn’t quite get a chance for that but I would add a tip here if you’re on a cruise and visiting Saint Petersburg and that’s to use the souvenir shop at the cruise port itself if you want to get the best prices; we found the prices at stalls two or three times what you could pay at the port shop and it had a far larger range of things to purchase too. That said, there were some unique items on some stalls so don’t ignore them (some Putin t-shirts we saw, for instance, which I really wanted but they didn’t have in my size) but for the typical Russian souvenirs such as matryoshka dolls or hats you’re better off in the port.

The area surrounding the Church Of The Saviour On Spilled Blood had some interesting designs as well and I grabbed a few photos of the tiles or decorative metalwork on the railings before we crossed over the road and hopped back onto our coach for the next stop.

It would turn out that we would get another photo stop at the church on our second day and the weather would be far nicer but we didn’t know either of those things at the time. Overall, the church made one of those very typical photos that visitors to Saint Petersburg take back from a trip to Russia and it was nice to see a church of its style while in the country. It would have been nicer to see inside but it’s always good to leave something to come back to one day.

As is fairly typical of any large city’s square, Saint Petersburg’s Palace Square has been the scene of its fair share of historical events, most notably the Bloody Sunday massacre of unarmed demonstrators in 1905 that was considered to be one of the key events that eventually triggered the Russian Revolution just over a decade later.

In the centre of the square stands the Alexander Column, raised to celebrate victory over Napoleon in the 1830s.

From the square a number of interesting, nearby landmarks can be seen, including that of the dome of Saint Isaac’s Cathedral which would be our next stop and the first Russian building in which we would enter during our weekend in Saint Petersburg.

There was a bit of scaffolding up in certain areas, not all of it for building work. As it turned out there was a large festival taking place on the weekend we were visiting with stages being set up for art and music performances throughout the city. We spotted a few people in fancy dress around the Palace Square area but couldn’t tell if this was connected to the festival or something for the tourists just in general.

We headed back to the coach in plenty of time to take a quick wander past some of the buildings adjacent to the square and took a short walk to a bridge overlooking the Moyka River where a number of boats were taking turns to head down one of the city’s canals out onto the Neva. This was of particular interest to us as we were booked on a river boat trip for the following day.

However, we would have a far closer look at that in due course. For me there were plenty of other pieces of architecture to catch attention, not least of which was the Mariinsky Palace, present home of the city’s legislative assembly.

A prominent structure in the centre of Saint Isaac’s Square was the Monument To Nicholas I, an equestrian statue standing six metres in height and the first equestrian statue with the horse supported only on its hind legs in Europe when it was completed in 1859.

We only had a short time in the square and our guide implored us not to wander far on account of the traffic passing by constantly (I imagine cruise ship passenger traffic accidents are a nightmare in paperwork) but there was enough of a gap for me to venture over to the Blue Bridge over the River Moyka for a quick couple of snaps before returning to our vehicle and the short drive to the cathedral.

We gathered on the steps of the cathedral for a few minutes while our tour guide sorted out the tickets. This gave us a chance to see the impressive bronze doors of Saint Isaac’s Gate up close.

One of the things we probably don’t do enough when we’re travelling is research of the places we’re visiting. It would be easy for me to say that we like to discover things with fresh eyes and ears when we’re there rather than approaching somewhere with preconceptions but that’s just a poor attempt at trying to justify ineptitude on our part. Take Saint Isaac’s Cathedral, for instance, which we knew we’d be seeing as part of our full-day tour but because it wasn’t the main draw for us (we were most interested in the Hermitage Museum coming up later) we hadn’t checked out any of the building’s history or even glanced online to see what the place looked like. A cathedral is a cathedral, right? Well, Saint Isaac’s was one hell of a shock inside. We’d never seen anything quite as over-the-top before.

We were very amused to discover that for a period after the Russian Revolution the building had been transformed into a museum dedicated to the history of atheism. These days, though, it has returned to use as a building of religious worship and, of course, tourism.

The cupola of Saint Isaac’s Cathedral is made of cast iron, plated with pure gold, and by volume underneath it helps to form the fourth largest cathedral in the world. It is actually possible to walk around the outside of the dome, something we didn’t get the opportunity to do at the time nor even know was possible but if you take a look at some of the exterior shots of the building at the top of this post you’ll be able to see tourists doing just that.

You can see from the pictures and the video below just how ornate the decorations were but a lot of the construction techniques were very detailed and innovative too, resulting in the construction taking forty years to finish with some of the interior decor never being completed.

It was busy when we visited Saint Isaac’s Cathedral but not rammed and there was a constant buzz of conversation and tour group explanations taking place but it never got noisy. For the beautiful artwork inside and the architectural work in general it’s definitely worth a visit and it would be lovely to get a ticket up onto the roof for the views over Saint Petersburg if we ever got to return.

The west of the island includes the cruise ship terminal where our vessel, the Crown Princess, was located and from where we’d left in the morning but our stops were both closer to the main tourist points of interest on the east of the island. First up was a photoshop near the Old Saint Petersburg Stock Exchange building and the Rostral Columns. From this position we had some nice views out over the Neva towards sights such as the Peter And Paul Fortress and the Hermitage Museum although the weather – as it had been all morning – was overcast and occasionally spitting with light rain so it didn’t make for the most appealing of photos (luckily, the weather would improve later during our trip to Saint Petersburg).

The Rostral Columns were built in 1811 in the Doric style and were originally built as beacons, though they are more typically only lit for ceremonial purposes these days. Together with the Stock Exchange building there is a very clear Greek revivalist influence in the architecture of the area of the island.

Around this part of Vasilyevsky Island, on account of its impressive views and obvious appeal to visitors, there were a number of stalls and salespeople wandering around trying to get tourists to part with their money. While many would take dollars (we were on an American cruise, after all) and roubles (grudgingly), their preferred currency was actually the Euro. A word of advice, that I’ve mentioned before, is that if you are coming to Saint Petersburg on a cruise ship it’s worth checking out the merchandise at the cruise terminal and making a note of prices there; the market was not good value for money for things such as the reproduction Ushanka hats (made in China, tags removed) or Matryoshka dolls but there were some things there that we didn’t see elsewhere. The “Putin riding a bear” t-shirt, for instance, would’ve been purchased if they’d had it in my size.

Back on the coach and another very short ride to the rear of the Stock Exchange building followed where we hopped off and entered Restaurant Academia for a meal. The service was good and food was very nice indeed, and it was good to have some red caviar in Russia because it feels like that’s the sort of thing you should do when you’re there. There was also a shot of vodka for everyone because, again, you’re in Russia so you should drink vodka if only to say you’ve done it. I quite like vodka but I drink it very, very chilled at home or with mixers; the room-temperature and neat approach to drinking that we experienced was one that saw a great many faces of torture around our dining table, some sips and discards, and some people not even risking it. My wife and I downed ours because to do otherwise felt like failure.

Following the meal there was folkloric entertainment from some musicians and singers, all very good and very entertaining and taking advantage of those feeling pleasantly merry from the vodka by getting people involved up front with them and by passing around some weird, wooden, clacking instruments (that you could buy, naturally).

As we left the restaurant it became suddenly evident that the weather had changed dramatically; the clouds and light drizzle of earlier had been replaced by clear blue skies. Indeed, we’d have good weather for the remainder of our time in Saint Petersburg.

Our next stop would involve a short drive back over the Neva to visit the Hermitage Museum.

The main entrance to the Hermitage was in the Winter Palace building, a sight we’d seen throughout our day in Saint Petersburg up to this point, whether from across the Neva or from behind it in the Palace Square. There was a fair queue of people waiting to enter and we had a few minutes gathered outside the building before our group was ushered in.

Inside the museum there was a general hum of conversations. Our group, like many others, was using in-ear audio systems so we could hear our guide; these had a limited range so as we tried to stick together and as I got distracted wandering off to take pictures the sound would often cut out and I’d have to walk around until the audio kicked back in so that I knew I was nearing the group once more.

The Hermitage Museum is the second largest art museum in the world but it’s not just its contents that attract the eye; the buildings that form the museum are as much part of the collection and their stunning ceiling decorations or room designs are often the first thing you notice as you move from room to room.

The Peacock Clock was a very popular attraction making it difficult to get close to and photograph. Quite why so many people were simply standing in front of it wasn’t clear as it obviously wasn’t in action at the time. A TV screen off to one side showed looping footage of the clock operating.

Thrones on display provided a source of entertainment for me as several tourists tried to get as close to the seats as possible for selfies or to pose for friends; a rather stern, local woman acting as guardian was kept busy shouting at anyone who so much as touched the rope barrier designed to ensure everyone kept their distance. I imagine that was a very tiring job for her.

The organisation of the paintings in the galleries was excellent with the artwork being arranged both by nationality and by time so you could hit, for example, the Dutch artists area and progress forward from 15th century to 16th century and so on.

While there were a lot of pieces by artists we’d never heard of there were others that were very well-known indeed. The Madonna And Child by Leonardo Da Vinci was particularly nice to see up close.

Also great to see, even if it was only roughly-finished, was a sculpture by Michelangelo called Crouching Boy.

A very attractive corridor in the Hermitage was called The Raphael Loggias, apparently a copy of a gallery in the Papal Palace in the Vatican commissioned by Empress Catherine II in the 1780s.

We had around two hours or so in total in the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg which of necessity really only touched the surface of what was there; the same could be said of any large museum or art gallery, of course. In truth, though, for a short visit to the city a couple of hours is about all I’d recommend in the museum in order to avoid art fatigue. Towards the end we could feel our attention wandering a little bit and were finding it harder to absorb what was being said to us by our guide.

We had about fifteen minutes of free time at the end of our tour to either go back and look at anything we’d whizzed past or to take a look at the shops; we elected to do the latter in order to find a suitable souvenir of our time there, this ending up being just a bookmark. After this we met the rest of our group at the predetermined gathering spot then headed outside to board our coach for the trip back to the ship and I snapped a few photos across the water.

This visit to the Hermitage Museum concluded the first excursion of the day in Saint Petersburg. We would still have an evening trip to the ballet to come and a half-day excursion planned for the day after that would see us take a wonderful river cruise around the city.

The cruise line (and independent tour organisers) offered several evening options for those who didn’t want to stay on board the ship (and why would you?) but the one we were most interested in doing was attending a Russian ballet performance. Princess offered two ballet excursions: a ballet performance and an upgraded ballet performance. Sadly, there was very little information other than the price difference to tell you what the upgrade was so I had to get in touch with their customer services prior to booking to find out. So, if you want to know the difference between the two ballet choices when visiting Saint Petersburg then it’s this: the cheaper one takes place in a modern hall; the more expensive one takes place in a traditional theatre; the former may have better facilities but the latter will have more history. There’s also likely to be a change in quality of ballet performer although, of course, you never can tell what will happen on the night.

We went for the more expensive option which meant we got to see Swan Lake performed at the Alexandrinsky Theatre.

It was warm in the theatre and the seating was very basic but the venue was absolutely gorgeous to be in and there was a great mix of not just tour groups like our own but also many locals. Wonderfully, we got to sit in the second row so had a stunning close-up view of the evening’s entertainment which took place through three acts.

I have no idea if the ballet was performed well because we had nothing to compare it to; all I can say is that we enjoyed every moment of it from the great music from the orchestra in the pit just in front of us to the dancers themselves and even the impressive set designs and way the lighting changed to produce some fabulous special effects. One thing that surprised us all was just how noisy and heavy ballet dancers sound as they run and leap across the stage.

During the first and largest intermission we were guided out to a room at the back with a lovely balcony and some attractive artwork on the ceiling where we were served a glass of champagne.

Photography was not permitted during the show, for obvious reasons, and when photography isn’t permitted then I don’t take photos. The group in front of me in the first row, however, were not so understanding and took some shots during the first act until I and another person in our group leaned forward and got them to stop. As the act came to a close a theatre usher also came up to them and gestured that they would be thrown out if they took photos again and after we’d got back from our champagne break our guide went and talked to their guide and that group and gave some universal sign language for “put your damn cameras away!” I think the message hit home.

I did take one quick photo at the curtain call. The lighting conditions and the fact that all I had on me was my phone didn’t make for the easiest of shots but you can see how lovely the scenery was.

It’s not easy to get a sense of scale in that photo.

Our coach then took us back to the ship where we grabbed a bit more food in the International Café to complement the small amount we’d been able to wolf down before our evening excursion in Saint Petersburg. We checked out Skywalkers briefly and to get a drink before retiring to our room after a long, full day and I shot a few final photos of the area around the port at night.

It should be noted at this point (and I’ll have mentioned this elsewhere as well) that Princess obviously weren’t the only options for excursions in this (or any other) port. Many other companies provide excursions that are very similar or even identical in some cases and you can probably get some unique options through these third parties or even get tailored experiences. In addition, it is possible to do your own thing in Russia but that does require arranging your own visa (not that cheap) and transport and entry fees, etc., not to mention be responsible for yourself getting back to the ship. Some people prefer to save money where they can but we’re more interested in seeing what we want to see and getting a feel for a place so we tend to use the ship’s excursions when we first visit a new place in order to not have any additional worries about being left behind or misunderstanding the local customs or public transport system.

Moyka River

After some much-needed sleep following the late return from the ballet we got up late, had a leisurely breakfast, then met our coach and group for the short drive to Nevsky Prospect. The coach parked as close as it could but it still left us a few minutes of walking up the famous Saint Petersburg thoroughfare to where we would board our boat on the Moyka River roughly opposite the Stroganov Palace.

If I can I always like to sit at the back whenever we do boat trips so that I can both not get in anyone’s way when I’m taking photographs and also make sure my fellow tourists are in some shots as it’s nice to lend a human element to a series of pictures of places. As luck would have it I got my preferred spot right at the back on the starboard side.

As we headed off up the river we almost immediately needed to pass under Nevksy Prospect but due to the number of boats there the engine was mostly idling and the boat started to drift to the right. The bridge had arched supports and that along with the height of the boat and my position on the outside meant I was suddenly having to lean into my wife to avoid hitting my head on the girders as the space above rapidly vanished; another tall passenger ahead of me was doing the same. There was some discussion in Russian between our guide and the boat operators after which she turned to us and said this was all part of the trip and there was nothing to worry about. Not entirely sure I believe that but no harm done, and a couple of minutes later we were clear and proceeding once again.

We turned left into the Winter Canal which passed by the Winter Palace of the Hermitage museum (that we’d visited the previous day) and under the Hermitage Bridge.

It was along here that we became aware that we were being followed. Not by another boat or anything on the water but rather by a young man on foot. We’d seen him wave to us from the first bridge we passed under and as we came to this next one he was there again returning any waves sent his way. It would turn out that he would run along and ahead of us for the entirety of the boat trip in Saint Petersburg mostly waving from bridges but occasionally performing acrobatics in front of us or along the embankments too.

Neva River

From the canal we emerged onto the Neva River. Our boat headed to the right allowing us to see views of Vasilyevsky Island in our wake and the State Hermitage on our starboard side, both of which we’d been to on the preceding day. To the port side could be seen the tall, gold tower of the Peter and Paul Fortress, one of the locations we decided to skip visiting on this trip to Russia.

We were treated to a glass of champagne as our boat made its way along the Neva, passing by the Marble Palace and under the Troitskiy Bridge.

Fontanka River

Not far beyond the bridge we turned right onto the Fontanka River. The buildings along this stretch of the riverboat excursion were mostly palaces or other large buildings formerly belonging to Russian nobility. Architecturally, there was a lot to admire along the banks of the river.

We continued down the Fontanka passing numerous museums until just past the Fabergé Museum at the Anichkov Bridge.

At this point our boat turned around and started making our way back up the stretch of the Fontanka we’d already done. The weather had been very pleasant but still mostly overcast until we’d moved off the Neva when the sun had started to make more of an appearance. As we had been heading southwards quite a few photo opportunities were missed because of glare but I had the chance to make amends now that we’d reversed course and I’ll never pass up a chance for a second (or third) photo of somewhere anyway.

I was quite happy to spot a woman posing for photos along the water’s edge for the other couple she was with as photographing photographers and people posing for them is something I often find myself doing whenever I’m travelling; it’s almost become a tradition now. It wasn’t until I saw the photos properly that I realised just how revealing her top had been. Honest.

It wasn’t just boats like those we were on that were travelling the waterways of Saint Petersburg. We saw quite a few speedboats too and at this point one came under a bridge at a fair rate of knots.

Back To The Moyka River

The Summer Palace marked the northernmost end of the Fontanka where it rejoined the Neva but just before that was what we thought was just another canal. This turned out to be where the Moyka River connected to the Fontanka. Had we not turned onto the Winter Canal at the start of our riverboat excursion this would be where we would have ended up and this was where we now turned into.

As we travelled westwards along the Moyka now we passed between the Field of Mars on one side and the Mikhailovksy Garden on the other. This green area of Saint Petersburg was very pleasing to drift gently through and there were plenty of people along both banks of the river enjoying the sun or art that was on show or even just staring at us on the river.

Passing the Higher School of Folk Arts we caught a glimpse of the Church Of The Saviour On Spilled Blood that we’d not only visited the day before but, it would turn out, would also visit again after the boat ride in order to take some more pictures. No complaints from me there, especially with the improvement in weather conditions.

The Imperial Stables were to have been the next point of interest but there were a load of boards covering most of the face of the building.

We continued around the Moyka, gradually curving to the south, passing the Winter Canal again and starting to retrace our initial portion of the excursion. I’d not taken a great many photos of the buildings along this stretch initially as it had been my intention to film large portions of the boat trip but my video camera had decided to play up and and I’d abandoned it in favour of just my camera; the lighting was better now anyway so I was more than content to snap away at any museums, shops, architecture in general, or people I saw.

One other nice thing was just how many people in addition to our running companion smiled or waved from the bridges; even those who it seemed must be locals based on their attire seemed to be occasionally captivated by the presence of a boat of people chugging along underneath. Maybe the people of Saint Petersburg are just really, really nice. I’ve certainly no evidence to the contrary.

Back under Nevsky Prospect we passed by where we’d initially embarked on our boat ride and turned around ready to get off. There was a short delay here as a queue of riverboats were either dropping people off or setting off on their own trips.

We ended up pulled alongside another boat so completing the excursion involved leaving our boat then walking through another one and onto dry land. At the top of the steps our young man who had entertained us (and probably many locals and other tourists too) was waiting for us and accepted any small change pressed into his hands. I think he did pretty well out of us. There seemed to be a group of boys who possibly took it in turns to earn a little bit of money and keep themselves really fit by tracking tour boats; completely unofficial but I can’t help but approve of it.

Is It Worth Doing?

The boat trip was one and a quarter hours long. We had absolutely lovely weather and good commentary from our guide, not to forget great local entertainment from our boy on the bridges. The excursion included a glass of fizz too which made it something after which we could say “Oh yes, I’ve sipped champagne while boating down the Neva in Saint Petersburg, don’t you know?” You never know when that might come in handy. My wife and I are always happy on boats (it’s one of the reasons we cruise, after all) so this particular excursion was just perfect for us and I’d very much recommend it if you’re visiting the city. There seemed to be quite a number of tour operators and types of boat operating on the rivers and doubtless there are other routes that could be taken but this one seemed to be just right.

I’ve mentioned before that I don’t particularly like posting photos taken through windows on trains or coaches; they’re often dirty, they throw up horrible reflections or distortions, and if they’re tinted then the colours are all off. However, I do tend to take pictures anyway and sometimes they’re good to show off something from a different angle or have a connection with something else I’ve posted as in this case.

We first drove past Palace Square. You can see more pictures from our visit there here: Palace Square.

Our coach then took us past the famous State Hermitage Museum where we were treated to an enormous queue of people waiting to get in. This is certainly something you need to be aware of if you’re ever planning to do your own thing in Saint Petersburg rather than use an organised tour operator who can ensure you get in early without much of a delay. You can see photos from our trip to the museum here: State Hermitage Museum.

The last photo of interest was us crossing over the Hermitage Bridge. This was where we’d noticed the local boy running ahead of and alongside us during our riverboat excursion earlier that day.

Our coach found a parking spot a short distance from the Griboyedov Canal in order to allow everyone ten minutes or so to take a look at the Church Of The Saviour On Spilled Blood. From the reactions of many people taking the excursion with us this was their first close-up visit to the impressive-looking building but we had seen it the day before. As a result I contented myself with some more distant shots of the church using the canal as an additional point of interest in the pictures.

It was quite nice to see other people taking photos of the area and the bridge over the Moyka was another way to look down on part of the route we’d taken on our riverboat.

Padlocks were present on the bridge railings; I’ve no idea when that custom first started but we’ve spotted them on several continents now when travelling.

It just then remained for us to make our way back to the coach with some final shots of the area.

We had one last stop – at a large shop selling typically tourist things (vodka, chocolates, caviar, glassware, dolls, hats, clothes, etc.) and handing our free drinks as we entered (lovely) – but we were quite pressed for time here and were almost late getting back to the coach as we were trying to spend the last of our roubles. Subsequently, no photos but some lovely memories of our last moments on Russian soil.

There was a near-constant stream of hydrofoils passing the port to the south. The duty free store shown in the pictures below wasn’t the one we used as we left the ship; ours seemed far larger and as I’ve mentioned in another post it was a very good place – and the cheapest – to pick up the typically tourist things like Russian hats or dolls. My recommendation if you’re taking a Baltic cruise into Saint Petersburg is to make a note of price of the things you’re after as souvenirs in the shop as you leave for a day trip in order that you don’t find yourself ripped off when in the city; we ended up paying over the top for a reproduction Russian hat because we didn’t figure this out until too late but we got a great price in the port shop for dolls that were a gift for my niece.

We weren’t the only cruise ship visiting Saint Petersburg on that day. Two vessels of the German AIDA cruiseline (the Diva and the Cara) were also docked at the port. The hull artwork on their ships always looks so interesting and there looked like an interesting slide and pool area on the aft of one of the vessels.

I even tried a nearly-successful panorama shot on my phone of the port with the two cruise ships pictured.

At the conclusion of our day’s organised trip there was more time as the light started to fade in the early evening to grab some more photos while our cruise ship left Russia.

On the starboard side of the ship as we departed there was a huge new building under construction. It was interesting to see something so tall after our weekend in Saint Petersburg where the heights of buildings were kept low.

Saint Petersburg was a fabulous place to visit and we’ll definitely have to return one day to see some of its many sights we never got a chance to experience on this trip.