While not a hotspot for tourists and often doesn’t make ones list of countries to visit in Europe, Russia is rife with architecture so beautiful and intimidating that it needs to be seen to be believed. Having spent time in Europe I could compare Russia to other European countries and boy how they differ… I spent one week in Russia visiting both St Petersburg and Moscow, which despite both being the capital of Russia at some point, and Moscow still is, are quite different.
St Petersburg in one word: grand. This is the kind of city if you look down for one second you miss incredibly beautiful architecture, ornate designs, impending overhead arches and expansive open courtyards. Just walking down the street is an experience in itself and the main street Nevsky prospekt is an eclectic mix of these dominating buildings, restaurants, shops, churches and little gardens. Perhaps one of St Petersburg’s most well known piece of work is the church of the savior on blood. Located just off Nevsky Prospekt this towering and bright church has a number of turrets all off different design and colour. Vibrant yellow domes perch at the top of two turrets made of a red brick, alongside turrets with swirls of blue and green. Visually the outside of the church is majestic, so bright and so very impressive it’s hard to imagine anything more incredible but wait till you go inside and you’re in for another surprise. It costs around 150Rubles for a student to go, 300 for a nonstudent but its well worth the price. I walked in and after 30 seconds had to pick my jaw up off the floor. Every wall from top to bottom and also the ceiling are covered in what looks like paintings but once I got closer I realised it was little mosaic tiles. The effect is magnetizing and I found myself feeling like a bobble-head, looking from left to right, up and down trying to see everything. If there is one thing to do in St Petersburg it should be to see this church. It’s hard to imagine the effort and input required to make something so beautiful.
Another must-see is the Hermitage Museum. Located in the winter palace it is a collection of some of the worlds most valued pieces of art and is so big that only 10% of the collection is on display at one time. For art-lovers this is a real treat and pieces range from paintings, sculptures, vases, ornaments and so on. While I am not a self-proclaimed lover of the arts, this was still something I could appreciate as the work on display is diverse and its captivating to see works that are held so high in regard, not to mention the building itself. The Hermitage is worth visiting just to get a glimpse of the inside of the palace. Walking in I was blown away by the exquisite staircase, white marble floor covered in red velvet carpet leading to a white statue surrounded by more statues decorated in gold. The main staircase parts off into two and the walls are covered with an ornate gold design among more statues, even the roof is beautiful to look at! To say a staircase is beautiful gives a very clear idea on what the rest of the palace looks like. Each room is more incredible than the last. I would visit again just to see the palace.
There are a number of other churches which are well worth a visit and can be found along Nevsky Prospekt such as St Isaac Cathedral which gives a great view of the whole city. There is also a fortress which can be visited but I ran out of time on this trip and opted not to as it’s a 40 minute walk from the water.
St Petersburg is also quite cheap compared to Australian prices and a filling dinner with beer could be had for under $10 AUS. Tepemok, a Russian fast food place, serves blini’s which are traditional Russian pancakes and are filled with anything from nutella, to cheese to pork. They are super delicious and very filling. There are also plenty of restaurants or cafes to eat from that serve Russian food or more Western food. I tried Perogi’s and Borscht and have to admit I love Borscht. It’s like a beetroot based soup with meat and tastes fantastic, especially when it’s a miserable 4 degrees outside.
St Petersburg is a scenic and beautifully-created city. It is a unique and, special and should be added to anyone’s European list.
madeleinecurby 
Russia is absolutely beautiful. Your photo justify that once again. It’s sad that visiting the country got a little tougher due to the situation in Ukraine. In terms of tourism, Russia would deserve much more attention. Sankt Petersburg and Moscow are amazing!