St Petersburg
Tucked down a narrow lane off busy Zagarodny pr, the Taiga is a friendly, welcoming spot with white plank floors, exposed brick walls, a small chillout lounge and touches of artwork strewn about. The rooms are cosy and some are rather small (one room also lacks windows), but guests rate Taiga highly for its helpful, English-speaking staff.
The shower with piped-in birdsong is a nice touch.
1.38 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…
15.2 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…
1.16 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…
15.41 MILES
One of the greatest attractions outside of St Petersburg is the jaw-dropping collection of gilded fountains, statue-lined lanes and picturesque canals…
1.42 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…
14.59 MILES
The centrepiece of Tsarskoe Selo, created under Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine the Great between 1744 and 1796, is the vast baroque Catherine Palace,…
1.45 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…
14.7 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…
1. Rimsky-Korsakov Flat-Museum
0.14 MILES
Home of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for the last 15 years of his life (1893–1908), this is where he composed 11 of his 15 operas, including the Fairy Tale of…
0.24 MILES
Marked by four domed, stone pavilions at each of its corners, this attractive draw bridge is one of the last examples in the city of what used to be a far…
0.28 MILES
Named after the great scientist Mikhail Lomonosov, this small square forms the southwestern end of the Carlo Rossi–designed ensemble and is the best spot…
4. Vaganova School of Choreography
0.38 MILES
The Mariinsky Ballet’s training school, where Pavlova, Nijinsky, Nureyev and others learned their art. It's not open to the public.
5. St Petersburg State Museum of Theatre & Music
0.41 MILES
This museum is a treasure-trove of items relating to the Russian theatre including model sets, posters and costumes. You'll have to buy separate tickets…
0.43 MILES
This fantastic, five-domed cathedral, ascribed to Domenico Trezzini, is the namesake of this neighbourhood. Incorporating both baroque and neoclassical…
0.48 MILES
Fyodor Dostoevsky lived in flats all over the city (mostly in Sennaya), but his final residence is this ‘memorial flat’ where he lived from 1878 until he…
0.48 MILES
Opposite Gostiny Dvor, this palace (1749–57) is another noble town house by Rastrelli. From 1810 it was the most elite military school in the empire and…