Page 660 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

658  SC ANDINA VIA

4 Side Trip to St. Petersburg 4 The Hermitage

Russia’s second city, St. Petersburg is situated at the meeting of Dvortsovaya ploshchad 2. Tel 710 9079.
@ 7, 10, K-141, K-187, K-209, K-228.
the Neva river and the Gulf of Finland, and is easily accessible v 1, 7, 10, 11. Open Tue–Sun. & 7
from Helsinki by air, train, and boat. Founded in 1703 by Peter 8 English (571 8446 to book).
the Great and dubbed the “Venice of the North”, the city ∑ hermitagemuseum.org
comprises a bewitching mix of grand Neoclassical and Baroque Occupying a grand ensemble
architecture, sparkling waterways, and majestic bridges. of imperial buildings including
Nearby, the extravagant imperial palaces of Peterhof and the impressive Winter Palace,
Czarskoe Selo offer an insight into the excesses of Czarist days. the Hermitage houses one of
the world’s greatest collections
of art and artifacts. Ranging
Exploring St. Petersburg 2 Russian Museum from Egyptian mummies to a
The southern bank of the Neva Inzhenernaya ulitsa 4. Tel 595 4248. dazzling array of paintings,
is lined with stately palaces, q Nevskiy Prospekt, Gostinyy Dvor. it is essential to be selective.
and opposite, over the Troitskiy @ 3, 7, 22, 24, 27, 191, K-212, K-289.
Most, sits the Peter and Paul v 1, 5, 7, 10, 11, 22. Open Wed–Mon.
Fortress. To the west lies & 7 phone for details. 8 English
Sennaya Ploschad, an area of (314 3448 to book). ∑ rusmuseum.ru
pretty tree-lined canals and to
the east is the Gostinyy Dvor, One of Carlo Rossi’s finest
where shops, bars, and cafés Neoclassical creations, the
line Nevskiy prospekt. The Mikhaylovskiy Palace is the
center is easily explored by splendid setting for a truly
foot but a boat trip is one outstanding collection of
of the highlights of a visit. Russian art, ranging from
medieval icons to the latest
1 Nevskiy Prospekt painting, sculpture, and applied
art. The palace was built in
q Nevskiy Prospekt, Gostinyy Dvor. 1819–25 for Grand Duke Mikhail
Pavlovich. Alexander III’s plans
Russia’s most famous street, to create a public museum
Nevskiy prospekt, is also were realized by his son
St. Petersburg’s commercial hub. Nicholas II when the Russian
Laid out in the early days of the Museum opened here in 1898.
city, today the street teems with The grand staircase and White
people late into the night. Hall are original features. The golden dome of St Isaac’s Cathedral,
The western stretch contains visible across the city
a wealth of fine buildings 3 Church on
including the Baroque 5 St. Isaac’s
Stroganov Palace. Farther east, Spilled Blood Cathedral
there are growing numbers of Naberezhnaya Griboyedova Kanala 26.
cafés and bars as well as three Tel 315 1636. q Nevskiy Prospekt, Isaakievskaya ploshchad. Tel 315 9732.
historic shopping arcades. Gostinyy Dvor. Open Thu–Tue. q Admiralteyskaya, Sadovaya. @ 3,
& ^ 8 10, 22, 27, 71, 100, K-169, K190, K-289.
Open Thu–Tue. & 8
Also known as the Resurrection
Church of Our Savior, this St. Isaac’s, one of the world’s
church was built on the spot largest cathedrals, was designed
where on March 1, 1881 Czar in 1818 by the architect Auguste
Alexander II was assassinated. de Montferrand. The construc-
His successor, Alexander III, tion of the colossal building was
launched a competition for a major feat of engineering.
a permanent memorial. The Thousands of wooden piles
winning design, in the Russian were sunk into the marshy
Revival style, was by Alfred ground to support its 300,000
Parland and Ignatiy Malyshev. tonnes. The cathedral opened
A riot of color, the overall in 1858 but was designated a
effect of the church is created museum of atheism during the
by the imaginative juxtaposition Soviet era. Officially still a
of materials that are lavished on museum today, the church is
The Church on Spilled Blood, covered in the building, including 7,000 sq filled with myriad impressive
colorful mosaics m (75,300 sq ft) of mosaics. 19th-century works of art.
For hotels and restaurants see p662 and p663

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