Page 71 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - St. Petersburg

Gostinyy Dvor ❮❮ 69

Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan A DAY AROUND NEVSKIY
PROSPEKT
Church on
Spilled Blood
nab. Kanala Russian
Griboedova Museum
Arts Square
Church of
Nevskiy St Catherine
prospekt L’Europe
Armenian Church
Brynza
Cathedral of Our
Lady of Kazan
MORNING
Starting around 11am to avoid the
Church of St Catherine
9 morning rush-hour crowds, turn
right from the even-numbered
MAP N3 • Nevskiy prospekt 30
• Open 9am–9pm side of Nevskiy prospekt into
Built in 1782, the Church of the atmospheric nab. Kanala
Griboedova. From here, walk
St Catherine is the oldest Roman down to the Church on Spilled
Catholic church in Russia. It Blood (see p66) at the end of the
saw many state funerals in pre- canal and then walk back up to
revolutionary Russia, including that the exhibition halls of the Russian
of the last king of Poland, who was Museum (see p67), where you can
one of Catherine the Great’s many feast your eyes upon one of the
lovers, and those of the heroes of world’s best collections of
Russian art. Afterwards, weather
the 1812 war against Napoleon. per mitting, picnic at the near by
Arts Square, an oasis of calm in
Mikhaylovskiy Castle
0 this bustling area. If the wea ther
is bad, then savour some
MAP P2 • Inzhenernaya ulitsa 4
• 595 4248 • Open 10am–6pm Mon, delicious pancakes in the Russian
Wed & Fri–Sun, 1–9pm Thu Museum café on the ground floor.
• Adm
This castle was constructed for Paul I AFTERNOON
in 1797–1801. The tsar’s fear of being Walk back up nab. Kanala
assa ss inated led him to surround the Griboedova and cross Nevskiy
castle with moats and draw bridges, prospekt at the traffic lights
as well as build a secret escape opposite the metro station.
tunnel. Despite all this, the tsar was To your right is the Cathedral of
murdered after just 40 days in his Our Lady of Kazan, inspired by
St Peter’s in Rome. Heading away
new residence. Today it is a branch from the cathedral, take a stroll
of the nearby Russian Museum. along Nevskiy prospekt, visiting a
few souvenir shops. Be sure to
stop by at the brooding Church
of St Catherine and the “Blue
Pearl of Nevskiy Prospekt” –
the Armenian Church (see p67).
Then head to the Grand Hotel
Europe, and splash out on a
meal at the stunning L’Europe
restaurant (see p70). If your
wallet won’t quite stretch to this,
make your way to the nearby
Brynza (see p70) for tasty
traditional Russian food.
Entrance to Mikhaylovskiy Castle
See map on pp66–7
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