Page 661 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

SIDE TRIP T O ST . PE TERSBURG  659

VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Practical Information
St. Petersburg, Russia.
* 5,191,000. n Hotels are the
main source of tourist information
and booking services. Language:
Russian. Currency: roubles.
Visas: all visitors (except Israeli
citizens) require a visa.
Transport
k from Helsinki by Finnair
(676 9898); from Moscow by
Aeroflot (337 3444). @ 055.
4 Maritime Passenger
The Mariinskiy Theater, one of Russia’s most important cultural institutions Terminal (322 6052).
6 Mariinskiy Environs
Theater Just a 45-minute trip by hydrofoil gold, and white facade is a
from the Hermitage, Peter the glitteringly striking sight.
Teatralnaya ploshchad. Tel 346 4141. Great’s sprawling Baroque
@ 2, 3, 6, 22, 27, 71, K-1, K-2, K-62, + Peterhof
K-124, K-154, K-169, K-186, K-350. residence, Peterhof, is a must-see Petrodvorets, 30 km (19 miles) W of
when staying in the city for a few
Open daily; shows at 7pm. & ^ St. Petersburg. Tel 450 5287. £ from
∑ mariinsky.ru/en days. Designed by Jean Baptiste
Le Blond, and built 1714–23, the Baltic Station to Novy Petergof then bus
This theater has been home to palace lies at the center of a 348, 350, and others. 4 board outside
the world-famous Mariinskiy magnificent landscaped park the Hermitage (May–Oct). Open Tue–
(Kirov) Opera and Ballet complete with ornamental Sun. Closed last Tue of month. & +
8 ∑ peterhofmuseum.ru
Company since 1860. Hidden ponds and spurting fountains.
behind its imposing facade is Altogether, a perfect expression + Tsarskoe Selo
the sumptuous auditorium of imperial triumphalism. 25 km (16 miles) S of St. Petersburg.
where many of Russia’s greatest Tsarskoe Selo, the lavish Tel 465 2024 (Russian only). £ from
dancers have performed. palace built for Czarina Elizabeth Vitebskiy Station to Detskoe Selo, then
Named in honor of Czarina also lies within easy reach. bus 371 or 382. Open hours vary;
Maria Alexandrovna, the Designed by Rasterelli in 1752, check website. Closed last Mon of
building was erected in 1860 by the 300 m (980 ft) long blue, month. & 8 ∑ eng.tzar.ru
the architect Albert Kavo.
7 SS Peter and Central St Petersburg
Paul Fortress 1 Nevskiy Prospekt
2 Russian Museum K R O N V E R K S K A Y A N A B
Petropavlovskaya krepost. 3 Church on Spilled Blood
q Gorkovskaya. Cathedral: Tel 230 Troitskiy
Most
6431. Open daily. & 8 English. 4 The Hermitage
∑ spbmuseum.ru 5 St. Isaac’s Cathedral
6 Mariinskiy Theater Birzhevoy N e v a SUVOROVSKAYA
Most
The founding of the Peter and 7 SS Peter and DVORTSOVAYA NAB Field of
Paul Fortress on May 27, 1703, Paul Fortress PLOSHCHAD NAB LEBYAZHEVO KANALA
Mars
on the orders of Peter the MILLIONNAYA UL
KONYUSHENNAYA
Great, is considered to mark Dvortsovyy PLOSHCHAD
the founding of the city. Its Most DVORTSOVAYA
B o l N e v a
history is a gruesome one, UNIVERSITETSKAYA NAB PLOSHCHAD
BOLSHAYA MORS KAY A UL
since hundreds of forced NEVSKIY PROSPEKT PLOSHCHAD
ISKUSSTV
laborers died while building Most ADMIRALTEYSKAYA NAB ADMIRALTEYSKIY PR NAB KANALA GRIBOEDOVA Nevskiy
Leytenanta
Prospekt
the fortress, and its bastions Shmidta MOYKI
were later used to guard KONNOGVARDEYSKIY BUL Gostinyy
and torture many political POCHTAMTSKAYA UL ISAAKIEV- Dvor
SKAYA PL
KAZANSKAYA UL
prisoners, including Peter’s N A B E R E Z H
own son Aleksey. The cells VOZNESENSKIY PR NAYA R E K I SAD O VAYA U L
where prisoners were kept are UL DEKABRISTOV Sadovaya Sennaya
open to the public, alongside a TEATRALNAYA SENNAYA Ploshchad
couple of museums and the 0 meters 500 PLOSHCHAD PLOSHCHAD
magnificent cathedral housing 0 yards 500
the tombs of the Romanovs.
Key to Symbols see back flap
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