Imperial St Petersburg

St Petersburg was built as the empire’s shop window: designed in one go, with Europe in mind, by architects brought in from Italy, France and Germany. This walk follows that idea from the square where power showed itself to the world to the avenue where the capital shopped, banked and socialised, with detours into courtyards most visitors never find.

The route

Palace Square. You start at the Alexander Column, a granite monolith that has stood by its own weight since 1834. Around it are three eras in one ensemble: Rastrelli’s Winter Palace, Rossi’s curved General Staff building with its triumphal arch, and Montferrand’s column marking the victory over Napoleon.

Nevsky Prospect. The avenue runs 4.5 kilometres to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. It was cut from both ends at once, by monks from one side and soldiers from the other, and the two lines never quite met, which explains the bend at Vosstaniya Square.

Along the way. Kazan Cathedral with its ninety-six columns and Kutuzov’s tomb. The Singer Building, with its glass dome, built for the sewing-machine company and later the city’s main bookshop. Rastrelli’s Stroganov Palace, the last Elizabethan baroque palace on Nevsky. Gostiny Dvor, the great trading arcade, where eight gold ingots were found inside the walls during the 1967 restoration. The Anichkov Bridge with Klodt’s four bronze horse tamers.

Behind the facades. The well-yards and the Capella courtyards: narrow passages and sudden quiet two steps from the busiest street in the city. Many are closed to passers-by, so you need someone who knows the way.

Your guide also covers what happened on Palace Square in 1905 and 1917, why the avenue held so many banks and churches of different faiths, and where Russia’s first tram ran in 1907.

Good to know

• The walk lasts about 2 hours and starts at 11:00 at the Alexander Column.
• It is entirely on foot, at an unhurried pace, with no transport or queues.
• The route includes a stop for doughnuts at a cafe trading since Soviet times; meals are not included.
• The tour can be booked privately or as part of a group.

Who it suits

First-time visitors who want to understand the centre on foot, travellers staying near Nevsky, and anyone who likes to see what lies behind the postcard views.