«The Autumn Mosaics»
5 days/4 nights.
A well-balanced programme that includes 8 guided excursions and represents the architectural diversity of Saint-Petersburg. English-speaking guides for all visits.
AUTUMN is the most beautiful time of the year in Saint-Petersburg. If you are lucky enough to catch the Indian summer you will admire the City and its parks in full beauty under the warm gentle sun. The air becomes transparent and enhances the beauty of the architecture that had been discreetly hiding behind the summer haze. It is the autumn that allows you to appreciate fully this unexpected but harmonious marriage of all possible styles.
OUR ADVICE: end of August – end of October. The temperature varies between +20 in the beginning of September and +10 at the end of October. Don’t forget to bring the umbrella and waterproof shoes. A good warm jacket will come handy against the autumn winds; they can be quite penetrating. Note that the autumn is at the low tourist season, so the museums are much less crowded.
Day 1: Arrive to Saint-Petersburg, transfer to a hotel.
Day 2: Tour of the city. General overview of the history and architecture.
Visit to the Fortress of Peter and Paul, an amazing example of Peter’s baroque, which being more Nordic than Italianate reflects the taste of the Tsar. It was built in 1703 in order to protect three branches of the River Neva against the Swedish navy. It also served as a political prison where the Tsar incarcerated his opponents. Inside this giant fortress there used to be a small wooden church, later rebuilt as an imposing cathedral, where its founder Peter the Great is buried as well as all the Romanovs.
Visit the cathedral of Saint Nicolas the Mariner.
Afternoon:
Visit the cathedral of Saint Isaac with its gilded marble iconostas and enormous red granite columns. The cathedral is situated in the very centre of Saint-Petersburg. This technological miracle does not belong to any particular architectural style, but borrows from them all. It was built according to the plan of the classic Greek cross that supports five domes and has the third tallest dome in the world (after Saint Peter’s Cathedral in Rome and London’s Saint Paul’s). This unique architectural monument was designed by French architect August Montferrand.
Day 3: Visit the Hermitage, the most celebrated and the most important of Russian museums, one of the most beautiful in the world, not only because of its collections, but the buildings themselves. Five palaces of the Hermitage with their ceremonial suits also contain the collections of Italian, Flemish, Spanish, Dutch, German and French paintings, the works of French impressionists, the chefs d’oeuvre of Van Gogh, Gauguin, Matisse and Picasso.
Afternoon:
Church of the Saviour of the Spilt Blood. Here you can admire the richness of the neo-Russian style in the very heart of classical Saint-Petersburg. Resembling the Russian churches of the 16th Century from the outside, it is covered entirely in mosaics inside.
Continue the guided tour. Overview of the Hermitage surrounding area: Milionnaja street, Winter Canal, Mars’ Fields and Marble Palace. Walk along Nevsky Prospect to Cathedral of Kazan (visit).
Day 4: Tour of Tsarskoe selo (Pushkin) and visit to the famous imperial residence in the baroque palace that was contracted by Rasstrelli in 18th century and that contains the legendary “amber room”.
Visit Palace of Pavlovsk, residence of Paul the First, Catherine the Great’s son, built by the best classical architects of 18th century. Almost entirely destroyed during WWII, today it’s completely restored and makes a wonderful impression by its elegant and harmonious mood and collections of porcelain, tapestries and paintings.
Day 5: Free time. Transfer to the airport. Departure
We can offer you tickets for the regular flights to Saint-Petersburg with British Airways and Aeroflot.
If you want to find the cheapest tickets, you may want to try www.lastminute.com, www.ebookers.com or www.ba.com. You can also compare the flight prices at www.cheapflights.co.uk or www.travelsupermarket.com.
This is one of our most appreciated programmes. It is very suitable for your first visit to Saint-Petersburg, but this is only an example. You can always compose your own programme. Just consult us and we’ll be happy to help.