📍 St. Petersburg is …
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… lavishly gilded 👑
Seriously: I’ve never seen so many golden onion domes, shimmering church roofs and
opulent palace embellishments – and I probably never will again! ✨
If you browse the photo gallery with a gold filter, you’ll likely see nothing but blinding light …
(Thankfully the writer isn’t prone to exaggeration! 😉)
… impressive
Just the three highlights of our trip – the Hermitage, Peterhof and Catherine Palace – leave you open-mouthed and teary-eyed in awe, not to mention all the other sights. 🤯
… bright 🌗
That’s what happens when you visit St. Petersburg during the White Nights. 🌆
… statistically 📊
… the second-largest city in Russia with 5 million residents (plus approx. 1.5 million in the suburbs)
… historically known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and Leningrad (1924–1991)
… the capital of the Russian Empire from the 18th to the 20th century
… just 2 hours 20 minutes by plane from Hamburg ✈️
By the way: Contrary to popular belief, Peter the Great did not name the city after himself, but after his patron saint, the Apostle Simon Peter.
We booked St. Petersburg – just like Egypt – as a privately guided tour, and it truly paid off this time … more on that later.
🌙 White Nights are…
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🌌 White Nights – a magical spectacle in St. Petersburg (W:ww)
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Shame on us! We failed to experience the nights. 😅
The daily schedule was so packed and exhausting that by evening we were completely wiped out - and after our good-night vodka under the blazing sun we fell straight into bed.
Next time there will be no cultural program, just a clear mission:
Turn night into day! 🕺💃
🔤 Russian (Cyrillic) Alphabet
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After …
So Cyrillic was the fourth (or rather three-and-a-half) “other” alphabet of the trip - and I really had a hard time! 🧠
Thus the Cyrillic H is an N, the P a R, the X an H - to name just a few; plus there are characters that exist only in Cyrillic. 🔎
It wasn't until the last day that I could decipher signs somewhat - a small personal victory! In the evenings we communicated in a Georgian restaurant using hand gestures and sounds - luckily everyone had a blast: the staff as much as we did! 🥟😊
🛬 Arrival
Visa, transfer and a dinner of the highest class (Reading time approx. 2 min)
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Important to know: to enter you need a (tourist) visa, which must be applied for well in advance. 🪪
Anyone willing to trek out to the embassy - with its unfriendly staff and endless waiting times - pays €65 per person (plus €16 for the “invitation letter”).
We opted instead for the Visa Service in Bonn: €102, completely stress-free - they handled everything. ✅
Another key point:
Cruise-ship visitors only get a restricted visa and must stick with their tour guide.
We had a full visa and could roam freely!
Everything went smoothly, with just one hiccup: passport control in our line took at least twice as long as in other lanes. 🕐
What kept that officer so busy? No idea. 🤷♂️
When it was finally our turn, it was all over in a flash - a charming smile works wonders… 😉
Our hotel transfer arrived as a stylish Mercedes limousine. The sun was still high… 🌞
Well, it was only just after 10 PM.
(The running gag about the “high sun” got old fast - deleted!)
After a balanced dinner of beer, vodka, and potato chips, we fell into bed just before midnight -
after all, the sun had only just set…
(Okay, ok - I really will drop the gag now.) 😅
🗺️ First Full Day – City Tour Highlights
Gold, Glitz, Glory! (Reading time approx. 2 min – plus pictures)
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On the program was a large city tour featuring the highlights St. Isaac’s Cathedral and Peter and Paul Fortress.
We had wondered beforehand whether to choose a male guide or a… what do you call a female tour guide? 🤔 A quick internal debate - we settled on Guidine.
And indeed it was a young woman 🙂 who led us through the city and its suburbs for two days.
Hearing the name Natalia Romanova brings different thoughts depending on your background:
All answers are correct, of course 😉
During the ride we enjoyed the freedom of a private guiding: At each sight our Guidine asked:
No hours of waiting for other participants – pure flexibility! ✅
Anything spectacular to report? 👀
Not really – but everything was exceedingly pretty 🌟:
Just go
📷 to image gallery
🚇 Public Transport – the Metro
Faster – Cheaper – More Beautiful! (Reading time approx. 1 min)
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An unexpected highlight was the public transport ✨!
The city has only five metro lines, but the intervals are impressive:
We were told that trains during rush hour run “quite irregularly.”
But what does irregular mean when the next train arrives in 1.5 to at most 2.5 minutes?
Waiting? Hardly! ⏱️
This works so well because there are no switches on any line, so “delays due to a switch malfunction” simply can’t happen here!
And then the price! A ride costs about €0.90. You can travel as far and as long as you like. Only when you exit a station do you need to pay again.
Unbelievable! 🙌
Especially worth seeing are the stations Awtowo and Pushkinskaya, built in the 1950s.
They rank among the most opulent metro stations in the world – a mix of marble, gigantic columns, and striking architecture.
Who would have thought a metro ride could be so stylish? 🕯️
👑 Day 2: What Awaits Us Today?
Peterhof and Catherine Palace (Reading time approx. 1 min)
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Actually, the two sites shouldn’t even be listed under “St. Petersburg” – they’re each about an hour’s drive away 🛣️: the Peterhof in the eponymous suburb and the Catherine Palace in Pushkin (formerly Tsarskoye Selo).
It’s like an airline selling Lübeck as “Hamburg” or Hahn as “Frankfurt” 😅.
We were supposed to be picked up at 9:00 AM – so another early start… ⏰
The subjunctive gives it away: at 9:20 AM no guide in sight 👀.
After a call, we learned the excursion runs from 11:00 AM–8:00 PM instead of 9:00 AM–6:00 PM 🕘➡️🕙. Great… we could’ve slept in!
We’d been spoiled by our Egypt tour and didn’t expect any hiccups when no time confirmation arrived the day before.
But what awaited us quickly made up for it 🙂. The agency even added a boat ride on the Neva and its canals for the forgotten info.
🌊 Peterhof
Palace Visit – Spectacle of the Grounds (Reading time approx. 4 min – plus pictures)
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🏰 Peterhof (W:ww)
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We didn’t go inside the palace, but the grounds were so spectacular that words barely suffice. ✨
Behind the palace stretches a massive water cascade: over 130 jets spray water in a stately composition of gold and marble – a feast for the eyes! 💦
A simple description does it no justice – hence I deliberately chose the word “stately”. 😉
Just go 📷 to image gallery and you’ll see why I found it truly breathtaking. 📷
Down below, a canal leads straight to the Baltic Sea (Gulf of Finland). Peter the Great had himself transported by sea to the palace in fitting style.
The area between the palace and the sea is split into two symmetric sections covering 120 hectares! 📐
To put it in perspective: that’s nearly 200 football fields!
Yes, we walked the entire grounds and racked up plenty of miles! (Unfortunately it doesn’t count toward my Miles & More program…) 🥾📈
In addition to the main cascade, there are three others – far less spectacular: 📜
– Lion Cascade
– Chessboard Cascade (or Dragon Cascade)
– Golden Cascade
The park is also famous for its playful fountains that enchant children of all ages.
We were told the old Peter was quite the prankster: he’d lead court ladies through the park without warning them about the many (hidden) fountains triggered by stepping on floor plates. He'd laugh childishly as they screamed and dashed away from the water. 💦😄
🏛️ The Catherine Palace
A Dream in Light Blue! (Reading time approx. 3 min – plus pictures)
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Without an advance booking, waiting times in high season can reach up to 7 (!!) hours. ⏳
And then? You still might not get in - because here, too, they close right on time. 🚫
With a travel agency, you get a fixed time slot - one you definitely shouldn’t miss. ✅
Still, everything runs in groups: visitors are shuttled through the rooms, sometimes with long waits here, too.
The people in the photo on the right? They’re waiting to finally be let out again! 😅
As a privately guided group, we had the privilege of strolling past the big groups with a relaxed smile and heading straight into the next room. ✨
Travel agencies are more than annoyed: the big three (Peterhof, Catherine Palace, Hermitage) among tour operators wield their market power and keep changing already confirmed time slots at the last minute. ⚠️
Even though I’m listing this under “Catherine Palace,” these extreme waits affect all the major sights.
It seems worst here: there are even signs displaying the hours of waiting!
Since we were a bit early, we could stroll through the grounds. 🚶
We discovered the former main entrance - once reserved for the tsars … and now also for Voigts! 😉
Here I managed to take some beautiful panoramic shots. 📸
Spectacular interior and exterior shots?
As always, you’ll find them in the
photo gallery! 🖼️
🧡 The Amber Room
An authentic reconstruction (Reading time approx. 1 min)
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The Amber Room (W:ww)
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Since 2003, the Catherine Palace has housed an authentic reconstruction of the famous Amber Room. 🏛️🧡
Personally, I didn’t find it spectacular - basically just walls covered in that yellowish shimmering material. 🤷♂️
Sure, there are a few pretty details, but it didn’t really blow me away.
For the Chinese, amber is a remedy for many ailments. That’s why more Chinese pilgrims come here than to Lourdes.
Photography inside the room is prohibited - so here’s only a shot from the doorway… 🚫📷
🖼️ The third day of our visit was all about the Hermitage
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Hermitage (W:ww)
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For almost six hours we wandered through the Hermitage’s rooms, having the artworks explained to us. ⏱️
Here again our private tour paid off:
While others waited in the sun on the entire forecourt and in the
Winter Palace courtyard, an Hermitage staff member personally brought our guide the tickets.
She also made sure we could bypass the VIP line and go straight to the barrier.
They moved it aside for us – no waiting, right inside! ✅
Have I mentioned yet how great a private trip is? 😉
After six hours we were completely dehydrated. 🚱
Why?
On June 15, 1985, Rembrandt’s “Danaë”
was attacked with sulfuric acid and slashed with a knife. ⚠️
The museum handled the restoration; since 1997 the work has been back on display – under stricter security rules.
One rule: no water bottles in the museum. The result: a feeling of “piercing thirst” at the end of the tour. 😅
Beyond the art feast, the Winter Palace is a historic showpiece (see photos). 📷
After six hours it was clear: even on the fourth night, the White Night was no highlight – our legs were simply too heavy. 🛌
And since our return was scheduled for around noon the next day, it’s time for a… 🧳Conclusion
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We’d already watched documentaries on Saint Petersburg; Peterhof, Catherine Palace, and Hermitage held no surprises. 📺
Unlike some places where unmet expectations lead to mild disappointment, the real impressions here were far more overwhelming than on screen. 🌟
Our “anti-Stonehenge syndrome”: while Stonehenge (see Egypt report) disappointed us in size, everything here felt larger, richer, more intense. ✨
No disappointments here - only excitement! 🙌
Clear recommendation:
As soon as a stable, peaceful way to travel returns: Set out yourself and experience what we’ve described. It’s worth it! 🧳🌍
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