Rick Steves Snapshot St. Petersburg, Helsinki & Tallinn

INTRODUCTION

This Snapshot guide, excerpted from my guidebooks Rick Steves Scandinavia and Rick Steves Scandinavian & Northern European Cruise Ports, introduces you to the three great cities of the eastern Baltic Sea: St. Petersburg, Russia’s showpiece “window on the West,” which was custom-built by the czars to impress the world; the slick Finnish capital of Helsinki, with a livable urban core, world-famous architectural gems, inviting harborfront market, and a knack for design; and the charming Estonian capital of Tallinn, with fine viewpoints, oodles of cobbles, and an irrepressible Estonian spirit. At these chilly northern latitudes, the summer travel season is short, but the charms are ample. Ogle St. Petersburg’s opulent palaces, boulevards, and onion domes. Squeeze between Finns and squat on a wooden bench to sweat in a sauna. And browse the charms of Tallinn, one of Northern Europe’s most atmospheric old towns. With its ties both to Scandinavian kings and to Russian czars of yore, you’ll see how East meets West here in Europe’s north. All three of these cities are well-connected by short and scenic boat trips.

To help you have the best trip possible, I’ve included the following topics in this book:

• Planning Your Time, with advice on how to make the most of your limited time

• Orientation, including tourist information (abbreviated as TI), tips on public transportation, local tour options, and helpful hints

• Sights with ratings:

▲▲▲—Don’t miss

▲▲—Try hard to see

▲—Worthwhile if you can make it

No rating—Worth knowing about

• Sleeping and Eating, with good-value recommendations in every price range

• Connections, with tips on trains, buses, and boats

Practicalities, near the end of this book, has information on money, staying connected, accommodations, transportation, and more.

To travel smartly, read this little book in its entirety before you go. It’s my hope that this guide will make your trip more meaningful and rewarding. Traveling like a temporary local, you’ll get the absolute most out of every mile, minute, and dollar.

Счастливого пути..Hyvä matkaa... Head reisi...Happy travels!

RUSSIA

RUSSIA

Россия

Enigmatic. Intimidating. Fascinating. Boasting some of the most spectacular cities, churches, and fortresses on earth, wrapped in a culture that’s as monolithic and xenophobic as its onetime rival (read: us), Russia is an exciting frontier for adventurous Western travelers. Though no longer the great military and political power that it was during the Cold War, Russia remains a country of huge natural resources—energy, minerals, forests, rivers, and arable land.

Russia was poor and remote for centuries, with a good part of the population bound in serfdom until the 1860s. In the late 19th century, Russia began to industrialize, built closer ties to Europe, and fostered writers such as Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, and Chekhov.

One of the new ideas that came to Russia from the West was communism. Led by Lenin and Stalin, the communist experiment lasted almost 75 years before it collapsed in 1991. Since then, despite widespread corruption, Russia has managed to build up something akin to a free-market economy. In urban shopping districts, you’ll watch Russians perusing at least as many choices as American shoppers have.

Recently, Russia has taken baby steps toward making it easier for tourists to come on short visits to St. Petersburg, especially by ship. But a wildly fluctuating currency, still-improving service standards, limited knowledge of English, and a general lack of user-friendliness continue to challenge. And complicated, expensive visa requirements make Russia an uninviting destination for independent American travelers. However, the travel experience in Russia is slowly improving, year by year—particularly as the country geared up for the world spotlight as the host country of the 2018 World Cup.

Traveling in Russia—or even just tuning into the news from there—leaves a strong impression of a place that, while massive and powerful, is still trying to assert itself in the post-communist world. Yeltsin-era reforms and optimism have faded. Recent changes in the law have alarmed lovers of free speech, gay-rights advocates, and anyone who supports democratic ideals. Russia’s annexation of Crimea and meddling in Western elections have increased tensions. And, more than two decades into his quasi-authoritarian rule, Vladimir Putin casts a long shadow over the world’s largest country.

Today’s Russia is wrestling with an ostensibly free-market economy that’s dominated by the monopolistic instincts of the communist past, troubling concerns about ethnic diversity, and an increasingly stratified society (with a tiny and extremely wealthy upper class, a huge and desperate lower class, and little room in the middle). Bribery is an integral part of the economy—estimated at 20 percent of GDP. A corporate survey found it’s harder to do business in Russia than in Bangladesh, Yemen, or Pakistan.

You’ll see many “Asian” (most are actually Siberian) Russians, a reminder that this vast nation stretches from Norway to China. The friction between ethnic Russians and their eastern countrymen—which erupts violently in the form of periodic hate crimes—demonstrates that that gap between rich and poor has left a growing number of Russians desperate for scapegoats.

Yes, Russia is challenging, both for Russians and for tourists. But it’s also a richly rewarding destination for those willing to grapple with it. The following chapter focuses on St. Petersburg—Russia’s “window on the West”—the country’s northwestern outpost, peering across the Baltic Sea to Europe. In addition to advice on sightseeing, hotels, and restaurants, you’ll also find tips on the Russian language (see here) and cuisine (here).

Russian Survival Phrases

Russia comes with a more substantial language barrier than most of Europe. In general, young Russians know at least a little halting schoolroom English; hoteliers and museum clerks may speak only a few words; and older people speak none at all.

For help with decoding the Cyrillic alphabet, see the sidebar on here.

ST. PETERSBURG

Санкт-Петербург

Once a swamp, then an imperial capital, and now a showpiece of vanished aristocratic opulence resurrected from the dingy ruins of communism, St. Petersburg is Russia’s most accessible and most tourist-worthy city. During the Soviet era, it was called Leningrad, but in 1991 St. Petersburg reverted to its more fitting historic name, honoring the Romanov czar who willed the city into being. Designed by imported French, Dutch, and Italian architects, this is, arguably, European Russia’s least “Russian” city.

Palaces, gardens, statues, and arched bridges over graceful waterways bring back the time of the czars. Neighborhood markets brim with exotic fishes, meats, and produce, and bustle with gregarious vendors offering samples of honey and pickled goodies. Stirring monuments—still adorned with hammers, sickles, and red stars—tower over the masses, evoking Soviet times. Jammed with reverent worshippers, glorious Orthodox churches are heavy with incense, shimmer with icons, and filled with hauntingly beautiful music. Topping things off are two of the world’s premier art museums—the Hermitage and the Russian Museum—and one of its most opulent royal houses, the Catherine Palace.

St. Petersburg can challenge its visitors, most of whom have to jump through hoops to get a visa—and then struggle with not enough time, limited English, and an idiosyncratic (and not quite Western) approach to “service” and predictability. But most visitors leave St. Petersburg with vivid memories of a magnificent city, one that lives according to its own rules. While this place can be exasperating, it is worth grappling with. Beyond its brick-and-mortar sights, St. Petersburg gives first-timers a perfect peek into the enigmatic Russian culture.

Save time on a sunny day just to walk. Keep your head up: The upper facades are sun-warmed and untouched by street grime. While Nevsky Prospekt—the city’s famous main boulevard—encapsulates all that’s wonderful and discouraging about this quixotic burg, get beyond that axis. Explore the back streets along the canals. Stroll through the Summer Garden. Shop for a picnic at a local market hall. Go for a canal boat cruise. Step into a neighborhood church to watch people get intimate with an icon. Take a Metro ride anywhere, just for the experience. Climb St. Isaac’s Cathedral for the view. When the Baltic Sea brings clouds and drizzle, plunge into the Hermitage or the Russian Museum.

PLANNING YOUR TIME

St. Petersburg is fantastic and gigantic. Two full days is a great start; with more time, you can squeeze in some of the out-of-town sights. A longer stay makes the visa hassle and expense more worthwhile.

St. Petersburg’s much-bandied “White Nights,” the 80-some summer days of nearly round-the-clock daylight, are a boon to travelers, stretching available sightseeing hours into the bright night.

If you’re arriving by cruise, you’ll most likely have two days here. To make the most of your daytime sightseeing, find out whether your cruise line offers an evening visit to the Hermitage (and keep in mind that the museum stays open until 21:00 on Wed and Fri).

ST. PETERSBURG IN ONE DAY

With just one day, you’ll have to make some tough decisions. Devout art lovers should tour the Hermitage, then follow my self-guided Nevsky Prospekt walk. For a wider-ranging experience, skip the Hermitage and follow this ambitious plan (if you’re not up for it all, omit the Russian Museum):

Evening Attend the ballet (seasonal), a concert, or the circus; explore some of the city’s hipster dining and nightlife neighborhoods; or simply enjoy the city’s famous “White Nights.”

St. Petersburg in Two, Three, or More Days

Day 1

Day 2

Days 3, 4, and 5

With more time, do days 1 and 2 at a more relaxed tempo, and consider splitting your Hermitage visit over two days (one for the main exhibits, the other for the Impressionist galleries). Let what you don’t get to spill over to days 3, 4, and 5. Other choices are to visit other museums that interest you; ride the Metro to less-touristed parts of the city (such as the back streets of Vasilyevsky Island; see here); or go to Peterhof or Tsarskoye Selo for the day. WWII history buffs should consider a visit to Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery.

Orientation to St. Petersburg