The pretty cast-iron 'First Engineer Bridge' crosses the Moika RIver. Built in 1829, its named after the nearby Engineers' Castle, also known as the Mikhailovsky Castle. Look down to a ledge beneath the bridge to see Chizkik-Pyzhik, a tiny bronze statue of a siskin (a breed of finch). Passersby like to toss coins towards the ledge hoping for good luck if they hit it.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.78 MILES
The Hermitage fully lives up to its sterling reputation. You can be absorbed by its treasures for days and still come out wanting more. The enormous…
15.46 MILES
The Grand Palace is an imposing building, although with just 30-something rooms, it is not nearly as large as your typical tsarist palace. From the start…
0.71 MILES
The east wing of this magnificent building, wrapping around the south of Dvortsovaya pl and designed by Carlo Rossi in the 1820s, marries restored…
15.65 MILES
One of the greatest attractions outside of St Petersburg is the jaw-dropping collection of gilded fountains, statue-lined lanes and picturesque canals…
1.66 MILES
This spectacular palace on the Moyka River has some of the best 19th-century interiors in the city, in addition to a fascinating and gruesome history. The…
15.74 MILES
The centrepiece of Tsarskoe Selo, created under Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine the Great between 1744 and 1796, is the vast baroque Catherine Palace,…
1.84 MILES
The Mariinsky Theatre has played a pivotal role in Russian ballet ever since it was built in 1859 and remains one of Russia's most loved and respected…
15.84 MILES
Around the Catherine Palace extends the lovely Catherine Park. The main entrance is on Sadovaya ul, next to the Palace Chapel. The park extends around the…
Nearby St Petersburg attractions
0.03 MILES
At the confluence of the Moyka and the Fontanka, this beauty features lamp posts bedecked with the double-headed eagle.
0.07 MILES
A branch of the Russian Museum, the castle is worth visiting for its temporary exhibits as well as a few finely restored state rooms, including the lavish…
0.12 MILES
The new epicentre of creativity on the Fontanka River is this mazelike complex of shops, bars, cafes, beauty salons, tattoo parlours, galleries and even a…
4. Museum of Decorative & Applied Arts
0.14 MILES
Also known as the Stieglitz Museum, this fascinating establishment is as beautiful as you would expect a decorative arts museum to be. An array of…
0.16 MILES
Opened in 2005, K-Gallery houses one of the largest private collections of Russian artwork in the city. The two-floor space features a changing array of…
6. Museum of the Defence & Blockade of Leningrad
0.18 MILES
The grim but engrossing displays here contain donations from survivors, propaganda posters from the blockade period and many photos depicting life and…
0.21 MILES
Named after the Roman god of war and once the scene of 19th-century military parades, the grassy Mars Field is a popular spot for strollers, even though…
0.24 MILES
A gas-fuelled flame has burned in the centre of Mars Field since 1957 in honour of all the city's citizens who have died in wars and revolution.