5 Top One-Day Getaways from St. Petersburg

Sometimes all it takes is a quick recharge to get back to your perfect form after a busy week in the city.

There are a few surrounding areas of Saint Petersburg which are perfect for a day trip when you want to escape the chaos of the city, on your own or — even better — with your friends, having a picnic or visiting something new and unusual. You might have already heard about some of these destinations, as they’re famous worldwide for their points of interest, and clearly we can’t help but include them in the list. And even if you’d rather not brave the crowds to see them…they are still well worth a visit!

1. Peterhof

This is a municipal town within Petrodvortsovy District, so it is still part of St. Petersburg. Its main attraction is the Peterhof Palace, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Palace is easily reachable from the city centre either by public transport or by hydrofoil.

The magnificent garden, known as Lower Park, and its collection of gilded fountains and statue-lined lanes are breathtaking. The fountain opening ceremony, known as “The Festival of Fountains” is loved by both children and grown-ups who visit the park each year to see this magnificent holiday with a spectacular view and splendid fireworks. As it happens only once a year — in the springtime — the event is a unique opportunity to see the park from a different perspective, surrounded by fireworks and music.

How to get there: The quickest way to get to the Palace is by hydrofoil from the Hermitage embankment; it will take about 30-40 minutes. You can also reach Peterhof by public transport: take the metro to Avtovo, one of the southern stops on the red line, and then continue on marshrutka number K-424. From the city centre, it will take between 1 and 1,5 hours.

2. Pushkin

The original name of this municipal town was Tsarskoe Selo, but it was renamed to Pushkin in 1937 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin.

The centrepiece of Tsarskoe Selo, created under Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine the Great between 1744 and 1796, is the vast baroque Catherine Palace. This is also the location of the 1997 American animation movie “Anastasia”, produced by 20th Century Fox. Its superb interiors — with highlights including the famous Amber Room — will blow your mind.

Around the Palace extends the stunning Catherine park: it contains an array of interesting buildings and pavilions, and is perfect for a stroll in nature.

How to get there: You can take the metro to Kupchino, the last southern stop on the blue line, and then bus number 186, or marshrutka K-286, K-342 or K-545 to the Catherine Palace and Park.

3. Kronstadt

This municipal town is located about 30 km away from the city centre at the head of the Gulf of Finland. Kronstadt’s Naval Cathedral, the main attraction, is one of the largest Orthodox churches in Russia, and its rich, gold interiors are mesmerising. The square where the cathedral is located is imprinted with the image of an anchor, visible from above, and also houses a memorial for those citizens who died in the Russian Civil War. As Kronstadt is the birthplace of Russia’s navy, it is still home to many war ships and submarines. At the end of the town’s main park there are a few docks that people can walk on. During winter you can also see people walking on the frozen sea of the Gulf of Finland.

How to get there: You can take the metro to Staraya Derevnya, on the purple line, and then take bus number 101 to the Grazhdanskaya station in Kronstadt. From the city center it takes less than two hours to get there.

4. Vyborg

Vyborg is located 130 km away from St. Petersburg, not far from the Finnish border. The city centre is easy reachable by train and can be visited in one day. Its main attraction is Vyborg Castle: rising stoutly from an islet in Vyborg Bay, this castle was built by the Swedes in 1293. The castle contains several exhibition halls, including a small museum on local history and a tower from which you can enjoy a beautiful view over the bay.

Mon Repos, one of the largest English landscape gardens in Eastern Europe, is a lovely place in Vyborg to escape the world for a few hours. It hosts various pavilions, curved bridges, arbours and sculptures.

Another interesting sight is the Viipuri Library by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, a true authority in the history of modern architecture.

How to get there: You can take the Elektrichka (suburban train) from St Petersburg’s Finlyandsky Railway. From Saint Petersburg, it will take about 2 hours to get to Vyborg.

5. Lake Ladoga

This is the largest lake in Europe, a vast body of fresh water close to the Baltic Sea and on the doorstep of the great forests of Russian Karelia. There are a few nice spots by Lake Ladoga, and one of them is definitely Shlisselburg.

As the Oreshek Fortress, the city’s main attraction and one of the most famous sights in the whole Leningrad Region, is located on an island in Lake Ladoga, you should divide your visit to Shlisselburg  into two parts: the island and the city. What is most picturesque in Shlisselburg is its nature. Lake Ladoga washes the sandy and rocky shores of the Island, and when walking along the paths of the city you see fields sparkling with flowers, as well as forests and inner lakes and canals. It is definitely the perfect place to relax and escape a hot day in the city centre.

How to get there: Bus number 575 to Shlisselburg leaves from Ulitsa Dybenko metro station (yellow line) every 15 minutes; it takes around 40 minutes to reach the destination.

Here they are: 5 top day trips from St. Petersburg. Don’t wait any longer to start planning your getaway, and if you have any other one-day trip suggestion…don’t hesitate to let us know on Liden & Denz Facebook page!