This flamboyant buzzing city, nicknamed the Venice of the North, has many lavish palaces, churches and theatres that line the numerous canals. Stories of betrayals and murders bring the city to life. At least we found it so thanks to a talented tour guide.
For many visitors, visas are required to disembark unless you’re on an organized excursion with the ship. We choose this latter option as it was simpler but it also had its negatives. Being in port overnight, we pre-booked three shore excursions and it was impossible to find the right combo to visit all the landmarks we were hoping to see. Wandering on our own wasn’t permitted, even for a few minutes; we had to stay with the group. We lost precious sightseeing time waiting around for people to finish their lunch and our guide was the worst, she extended her lunchtime to 2 hours! It was frustrating not to be allowed to leave and go visit the Church on Spilled Blood that was located only one block away! We had to wait…
Tip: Visas are required for Canadians, Americans and many others nationals and they must be obtained prior to departure.
Our first full day excursion started with a boat tour though the canals of St Petersburg. This outing turned out to be a fun way to experience and see the Venice of the North. After that we were off to the Yusupof Palace, on the Moika River, where Rasputin was poisoned, shot, clubbed and then thrown in the frigid river to eventually die of hypothermia. The tale was interesting and again told by our guide like a suspense novel. We then had a much to brief visit to the stunning Church of our Savior on Spilled Blood. The church was erected, as a memorial, on the spot where Tsar Alexander II was murdered. The ornate exterior is unmistakable with its golden and enamel multicolored domes. The interior is a juxtaposition of mosaics, marble and various minerals for a luminous effect in the glow of the sunlight. Absolutely stunning!
Before returning to the ship, a shopping stop was included in the tour (of course). We would have preferred to spend more time to admire the church, but a shopping stop is a good thing for those who want to buy some souvenirs as not all shops accept foreign credit cards or currency.
Our next excursion was an evening outing to the ballet. Going to see “Swan Lake” seemed like the perfect way to see one of St Petersburg’s beautiful theatres, unfortunately this wasn’t the case. We were taken to a school auditorium with no air conditioning and saw students perform. This wasn’t what we expected from the description of our shore excursion with the ship and a far cry from a ballet at the Mariinskiy Theatre!
The next morning we headed off to Pushkin to visit Catherine’s Palace, the summer residence of the royal family. During WW2, the palace was badly damaged but everything has been restored. The exterior is decorated with 100 Kg of gold and the interior’s highlights include: the Picture Gallery, the great hall and the world-famous Amber Room. Amber covers all the surfaces and overlays mirrors or gold leaf for one of the most sumptuous décor we had ever seen. No pictures were permitted so we had to settle on the souvenir book. No pictures can give it any justice, as it simply has to be seen!
Our final stop was to the Hermitage, a world-renowned museum, with an extensive art collection. Highlights include the Winter Palace States Apartments, the Pavilion Hall and Raphael’s Loggias. More than 3 millions pieces of artwork are housed in the museum with many more in storage in the basement where the true custodians reside, the Hermitage’s cats. For almost 300 years, the rat-catching cats have been on duty in exchange for food, shelter, care and love.
Our time in port didn’t allow time for visiting the Peterhof Palace and its magnificent cascading fountain. Perhaps one day we will have the chance to return to St Petersburg, Russia and visit Moscow as well via a river cruise on waterways of the Tsars.
European Ports of Call – Baltic Cruise