Saint Petersburg
Location and history
Saint Petersburg (Russian: Sankt-Peterburg) is the largest and most important city on the Baltic Sea, with a population of five million. It is the fourth-largest city in Europe and the world’s northernmost city with over one million inhabitants. It was founded only in 1703 by Tsar Peter I (Peter the Great), with the aim of securing Russia a permanent outlet to the Baltic Sea in its struggle with Sweden for control of the region. Saint Petersburg lies at the eastern end of the Baltic Sea, where the Neva River flows into the Gulf of Finland, and was built on marshland. In the years that followed, various suburbs and summer residences were established at the initiative of the tsars; these are now also of independent interest and are presented on a separate page. Because of its location at the head of the Gulf of Finland, Saint Petersburg is extremely vulnerable to flooding. To address this danger and solve a traffic problem at the same time, the easternmost part of the Gulf of Finland was enclosed in 2009, after years of construction, by a dam that also crosses Kotlin Island and connects to the city of Kronstadt.
Die Eremitage in St. Petersburg
Photo: © Helga Hauke / pixelio.de
Sights in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg’s city center, with 2,300 buildings and palaces, is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Several of its famous landmarks deserve special mention. These include the Hermitage, one of the world’s most famous art galleries; the Admiralty Palace; Catherine Palace; St. Isaac’s Cathedral; the Peter and Paul Fortress; the Russian Museum; and Nevsky Prospekt, the city’s main thoroughfare.
A holiday in Saint Petersburg
The Baltic Sea city is very easy to reach by all modes of transport. Its large port is a popular destination for Baltic Sea cruise ships. A visit to Saint Petersburg is on the itinerary of almost everyone visiting the Baltic Sea, especially travelers from overseas. The so-called “White Nights” are a particularly special experience: because of Saint Petersburg’s northerly location, the sun barely sets there around the summer solstice. Since the industrial ports have been moved out of the city, Saint Petersburg’s port can focus entirely on passenger shipping.
Saint Petersburg is a unique destination for a Baltic Sea holiday. With its many internationally renowned sights, it is one of the most important tourism centers throughout the entire Baltic Sea region.
