Offbeat tours
If you have already seen all the main attractions of St. Petersburg and still got some time left or if you want to see something off-the-beaten-track of the popular excursions routes, here you might find some ideas. These tours are as good as the main ones but usually tourists who come to St. Petersburg for a couple of days just don't have enough time to do them, though they are definitely worth your attention:
A tour of the prison of Peter&Paul's Fortress. Although the fortress was built to protect the newly born city from Swedes, very soon it lost its military significance and was turned into a political prison. For almost 2 centuries it remained the most feared place in St. Petersburg. Among its prisoners were Russian writers, politicians and revolutionaries. Now it is a museum where you can see different types of solitary cells, find out how prisoners communicated with each other and learn some facts about Russian history.
A tour of the Colonnade of St. Isaac's Cathedral.Standing on the platform you will see the city spread out before you. The guide will comment on what you see. You will especially enjoy the tour if you are fond of taking pictures.The view is breathtaking, but the tour is quite challenging: there are no elevators in St. Isaac's, so you'll have to walk up the spiral stairs all the way. It's a long way up, but trust us, the result is worth the work.
A tour of the Road Palace of Peter I in the town of Strelnya. This small log palace was built for Peter I to rest on his way to Peterhof. The rooms are very small and modest but rather comfortable. Here you will learn about the personality of Peter I, his character and take a look on his private every-day life.
A tour of the Cottage Palace in Peterhof. The Cottage is located in the Alexandria Park, which was named so after its owner, the wife of Nicholas I, Empress Alexandra. This small palace was built in mock Gothic style, which was quite popular in the first half of the XIX century. The Cottage was the favorite summer residence of Nicholas I and his family. The Emperor wanted the Cottage to be calm and cozy, that’s why you won’t see anything pompous and solemn here. This is another example of the every-day private life of Russian monarchs.
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