St. Petersburg, Russia (Winter)

With only a few hours of daylight and freezing temperatures, St. Petersburg in winter will not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the season does have its advantages, not least of which are fewer visitors and cheaper accommodation rates. The already beautiful facades of 18th and 19th century palaces and buildings are enhanced by the blanket of snow and ice that covers the city. Ice skating on the frozen canals and rivers is possible, although the safer option is to use rinks such as the Ice Palace; in recent years an outdoor rink has also been set up in Dvortsovaya Ploshchad (Palace Square) outside the Winter Palace. Head inside the palace to ...

With only a few hours of daylight and freezing temperatures, St. Petersburg in winter will not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the season does have its advantages, not least of which are fewer visitors and cheaper accommodation rates. The already beautiful facades of 18th and 19th century palaces and buildings are enhanced by the blanket of snow and ice that covers the city. Ice skating on the frozen canals and rivers is possible, although the safer option is to use rinks such as the Ice Palace; in recent years an outdoor rink has also been set up in Dvortsovaya Ploshchad (Palace Square) outside the Winter Palace. Head inside the palace to spend a leisurely day exploring the incomparable Hermitage. Winter is the ideal season in which to while away hours in the city’s many other museums, cultural institutions and great restaurants, enjoying art exhibitions, musical recitals and hearty meals. The great outdoors can be enjoyed at venues such as Krasnoe Ozero and Kurort Snezhny, both an hour’s drive north of the city where you can ski, snowboard, ice-skate and go sledging. Tuutari Park, south of the city, has hosted the snowboarding world cup. Last, but not least, warm up in a banya – the city has several traditional ones, such as the Coachman’s Banya.

About the Expert

Simon Richmond has written Rough Guides to Malaysia and Japan; Lonely Planet guides to India and Russia; and adventure travel guides for Frommer's on Australia, India, South America, and Southeast Asia.