Stop 1: Copenhagen
Stop 2: Stockholm
Stop 3: Helsinki

By FAR my favorite stop on our Baltic cruise was St Petersburg, Russia.  We had two days to spend there, and due to the language barriers and the short time to visit so many sights, the four of us hired a private tour guide.  SO worth it!  Instead of traipsing around with 50 of our closest friends on a cruise tour, the four of us had a car and driver to ourselves and were able to learn so much from our guide, Anna.

St Petersburg is FULL of palaces.  Literally at every turn, “and this palace was…” or “and that palace was…” or “and this used to be this palace…”.  It was completely nuts.  In a city so packed with cultural elements, it was crucial that we move and move fast to be able to see the highlights in our two days there.  And move and move fast we did!

First stops were the Spit of Vasilievsky Island, where we had a fabulous view of the Hermitage, and the Field of Mars, where we had our first glimpse of the Church of our Savior on Spilled Blood.  We spent just a few minutes riding along the Neva River and had a wonderful overview of the city.

We spent a few minutes riding along the Neva River and had a wonderful overview of the city before heading out to the spectacular Catherine’s Palace.

Each and every detail of Catherine’s Palace is jaw-dropping – from the elaborate stucco exterior to the incredible lavish details of the staircases and ballrooms. 

Photos are not allowed inside the famed Amber Room, but let me assure you it’s fantastic.  The reconstructed Amber Room (the original was destroyed during WWII) is decorated completely with amber panels, mirrors, and gold leaf.  Here is a photo from Wikipedia to give you an idea!

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After Catherine’s Palace, we drove to another one of St Petersburg’s landmarks, Peterhof.  It’s easy to see why Peterhof is called “The Versailles of the North”, although in my opinion it far exceeds Versailles in its magnificence. 

When you enter the gardens you are greeted by the majestic Grand Cascade of fountains, all completely operated by water pressure – no pumps.  It’s absolutely incredible.

We spent a few hours roaming the gardens, got poured on (St Petersburg is famous for its rain!), but thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of the beautifully manicured open spaces.  We also had an incredibly tasty lunch at one of Peterhof’s cafes, where I had my first taste of Solyanka, a spicy and salty beef soup. YUM.

Incredibly, after the rain the sky became the most beautiful blue just in time for our visit to the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood.  Named for Czar Alexander II, who was assassinated at the site, this is undeniably the most beautiful church I have ever seen, and probably will ever see.  I agree with the Feisty Tourist - we have seen St Mark’s in Venice, Westminster Abbey, Notre Dame, St Paul’s in London, St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Sainte Chapelle… none of them can hold a candle to this.

Intricate mosaics cover literally the ENTIRE interior. It is, quite simply, breathtaking. 

It’s easy to see why St Petersburg is called “Venice of the North”.

Our first day in St Petersburg concluded with a little visit to the Nevsky Prospekt and Sever Bakery, and then dinner at Sadko, a restaurant recommended by our guide, Anna. 

Can we just stop for a second and talk about how much I lurve Russian food?  Mad, passionate love.  And there is absolutely not a replacement for Russian food in Russia.  I can safely say this was the best meal of my life.  Borscht, pelmeni, and beef stroganoff?  Yum yum YUM.

They even brought our check in a nesting doll!

Next up, St Petersburg, Day 2. To read another perspective on our trip, visit the Feisty Tourist – but don’t read yet if you don’t want to see a sneak peek of Day 2! :)