St. Petersburg at the beginning of the 21st century resembles a sportsman who has just started a marathon race - the city celebrated its 300 than universary in 2003 and is now preparing for its fourth century of existence. Admittedly a few centuries is not a great age for a city, but during its three hundred years of rapid growth and development, St. Petersburg has become the "eternal city", whose beauty and internal harmony have no equal.
Although constructed according to the latest European architectural art standards, the city on the Neva is surprisingly unified and original. The symphony in stone of St. Petersburg's palaces, squares, avenues and quays, the Neva, canals, its unreal Northern sky, sometimes dim and, at other times, with eye-blinding sunlight create an inspiring atmosphere.
Main points of interest
World-known Palaces-museums
Palaces-museums near St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg Churches & Cathedrals
- St. Isaac's Cathedral
- Church of Our Saviour on the Spilled Blood
- Kazan Cathedral
- Nikolsky (Nicholas) Navy Cathedral
- Alexander Nevsky Laura
Unusual museums
Official web-site of Saint-Petersburg
http://www.spb.ru
Useful information
Phone calls
There are telephone boxes in the city, using both coins and telephone cards. The easiest is to find a card phones at the metro station. You can buy phone cards at any metro ticket office as well as monthly tickets and tokens. It is cheaper to use a trunk-call office for trunk calls; it is most expensive to phone abroad from the hotel. You can also use an IP telephone card which you can buy at any post-office, computer shop and bank.
City transport
Taxi
Taxis working at the airports, railway stations, hotels, some restaurants and clubs have almost a monopoly for transportation, so the rates offered by them are much higher than the normal ones. Though many cars are equipped with taximeters, it is essential to agree the cost of transportation before the trip, because drivers prefer to establish their own rates, very different from the amount shown by the taximeter. Peterburg taxi - 068, phone 068, Taxi - phone 089, Eurotaxi - phone 380-13-13, or Route taxis ("marshrutka" is Russian) to Moskovskya metro station.
Private cars
When taking a taxi on the street, private cars may stop, too - determine the cost of the trip also before you pull off! For safety reasons, never get into the car if there are other passengers already in.
Metro
This is the fastest mean of transportation in the city - though it is rather crowded, it is worth seeing the "underground palaces" of the 50 stations of the St.Petersburg metro, known as one of the world's most beautiful. Trains run at 3-minute intervals and cost of a metro token is 10 rubles (approx. 37 cent)
Buses, trolley buses and trams
Municipal transport is generally full to capacityduring the whole day, so it is advisable to use "route taxis". Cost of a journey by municipal transport is 10 rubles (apprx. 37 cent).
Route taxis
Route taxis ("marshrutka" is Russian) are minivans with capacity from 12 to 20 people, perfectly suiting short trips in the city centre. Cost of such a trip is 15-20 rubles (apprx. 74 cent).
Money in Russia
As a rule, all prices are given in rubles. You can change foreign currency into rubles in banks or at special exchange offices.Rubles
Ruble is the monetary unit of Russia. There are notes of 10, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 rubles. There are coins of 1,2, 5 rubles and 1,5,10 and 50 kopecks.
Money exchange
Money can be easily changed at exchange offices located everywhere in the city, many of them are open 24 hours a day.
Never change money on the street to avoid being victimized by swindlers.
Credit cards
The most widespread are VISA and MasterCard payment systems. Diners' Club and American Express cards are rarely accepted. You can withdraw cash by card either at big banks or at ATM machines; commission is lower when taking out money in rubles.
Department Stores
Bol'shoy Gostiny Dvor, Department store, 35 Nevsky pr.Passage, Department store, 48 Nevsky pr.
DLT, Department store, 21/23 Bol'shaya Konushennaya str.
Moskovsky Department store, 205 Moskovsky pr., tel.293-44-55
Domestic craft shops, Souvenirs and Presents
Art crafts, 51 Nevsky pr.Art-shop,1 Pobedy sq., Pulkovskaya hotel
Gzhel, saloon-shop, 4/2 Nekrasova st.
World of stone, saloon-shop, 18 Tipanova str.
Restaurants
Austeria, Peter and Paul Fortress, Ioann's ravelin, tel. 238-4262Graf Suvorov-Lieutenant Rzhevsky, 6 Lomonosova str., tel.315-4328
Dezhavu, cafeshantan, 30 Fontanka emb.,tel.273-4304
Kamelot, 22 Nevsky pr.,(enter from 14 Bolshaya Konushennaya str. ) tel.325-9906
Literaturnoye cafe, 18 Nevsky pr., tel. 312-6057
Onegin, club-restaurant 11 Sadovaya str.,tel. 117-8384
Sea Foods, bar-restaurant, 1 Pobedy sq., 6th floor, Pulkovskaya hotel
Steak-house, bar-restaurant, 1 Pobedy sq., 3rd floor, Pulkovskaya hotel
Bookshops
House of Books, 60 Nevsky pr.Books saloon, 20 Sadovaya str.
Box-offices
22/24 Nevsky prospect39 Nevsky prospect
42 Nevsky prospect
24/26 Sadovaya ul.
Metro station "Gostiny Dvor"
Metro station "Moskovskya"
Metro station "Mayakovskya"
Consulates of some european countries: telephone numbers and addresses:
British Consulate General St. Petersburg
Pl. Proletarskoy Diktatury 5
Metro station "Chernyshevskaja"
Phone: 320-32-00
Consular Section
Phone: 320-32-45/32-00
Danish Consulate General St. Peterburg
Bol'shaja Alleja 13 (Kamenny island)
Metro station "Petrogradskaja", "Gor'kovskaja"
Phone : 234-37-55
Consulate General of Estonia in St. Petersburg
Bol'shaja Monetnaja ul. 14
Metro station "Gor'kovskaja"
Phone: 233-55-48, 102-09-20, 102-09-24
Croatian General Embassy Moscow
Korobejnikov pereulok, 16/10
Phone: (095)201-32-22, 201-38-68, 201-39-77
German Consulate General St. Peterburg
Ul. Furshtatskaja 30
Metro station "Chernyshevskaja"
Phone: 320-24-00
Hungarian Consulate General St. Peterburg
Ul. Marata 15
Metro station "Majakovskaja"
Phone: 312-64-58, 312-67-53
Italian Consulate General St. Peterburg
Teatral'naja ploschad' 10
Metro station "Sadovaja", "Sennaja ploschad'"
Тел: 312-31-06 / 312-32-17
Consulate General of the Kingdom of The Netherlands in St. Petersburg
Moika Embankment 11
Metro station "Nevskij prospekt"
Phone: 315-01-97, 315-79-69
Polish Consulate General St. Peterburg
Ul. 5th Sovetskaja 12/14,
Metro station "Ploschad' wosstanja"
Phone: 274-41-70
Consulate General of Sweden in St. Petersburg
Ul. Malaya Konyushennaya 1/3
Phone: 329-14-30, 329-14-40
Consulate General of Finland in St. Petersburg
Pr. Chernyshevskogo 17
Metro station "Chernyshevskaja"
Phone: 272-87-47
Consulate General of France in St. Peterburg
Moika Embankment 15
Metro station "Nevskij prospekt"
Phone: 311-85-11
If you have any problems or further questions, please don't hesitate and phone Ms. Natalia Verbina
Office phone: 310-70-77
Contact: 992-01-49