Do you want to go to St. Petersburg in winter? We share ideas on what to see, how cool it is to relax and have fun. What is the weather in St. Petersburg in winter and is it worth going on vacation? Reviews and advice of tourists.
Is it worth going to St. Petersburg in winter
Most tourists come to the city in the summer. In winter, there is little sun in St. Petersburg, fountains do not work and bridges are not raised. Also, you cannot take a river tram along the Neva and you will not be able to admire the park sculptures.
So is it worth going to St. Petersburg in winter? Yes. You can almost all alone wander through the museum halls and art galleries. Lodging during the low season is cheaper than in summer, and there are no queues at the ticket offices of attractions.
What to see on your own in St. Petersburg in winter and where to go? Below we will tell you about popular entertainment in St. Petersburg and the surrounding area.
The best hotels, hostels and apartments in the center of St. Petersburg
Our author's guide to St. Petersburg
Free museums
The weather in St. Petersburg is inhospitable in winter. What to do? Of course, visit museums and exhibitions. Many museums accept guests for free. See where you can go in St. Petersburg in winter without paying.
On the third Thursday of every month you can admire the treasures of the Hermitage. Council - go to the General Headquarters, it is completely deserted and there are no queues.
Free admission days at the Porcelain Museum are the first Thursday of the month, the Zoological Museum is the third Thursday of the month, and the Museum of the History of Religions is every Tuesday from 19:00 to 21:00 and on the first Monday of the month. On February 10, you can see rare exhibits in the A.S. Pushkin Museum-Apartment
Visit the Mokhovaya-18 Gallery of Contemporary Art. They are admitted free of charge from Tuesday to Saturday from 11:00 to 19:30. There is no need to pay for admission to the Kronstadt Maritime Museum, the Artmuza Museum of Contemporary Art, the Sampsonievsky Cathedral Museum-Monument, the museums of the St. Petersburg Metro and the history of photography.
Out-of-town walks
Have already gone around all museums and temples and do not know where else to go in St. Petersburg in winter? Go to suburban homesteads. Outside the city, fresh air and more snow. In Peterhof, the paths are thoroughly cleaned, so a walk through the parks will be pleasant.
For those who have already been to Pavlovsk, Oranienbaum and Tsarskoe Selo, we advise you to discover little-known estates. Come to the Nevsky Forest Park and take a walk around Bogoslovka. Get to know the palace and park complex "Leuchtenberg Manor" in Sergievka and the museum-estate of Ilya Efimovich Repin "Penates" in the village of Repino. Go to the Suida Museum-Estate of the Hannibals and the House-Museum of the composer Rimsky-Korsakov in Tikhvin. Read our guide to the outskirts of St. Petersburg.
Snowkiting
Fans of extreme entertainment choose winter sports. Winter kitesurfing lessons are very popular with tourists. Riding a parachute-like kite takes courage and dexterity. While gliding downwind, skiing or snowboarding, you will pick up decent speed and get a hefty dose of adrenaline.
Snowkiting is taught near the mouth of the Smolenka River - near the Primorskaya metro station, in the Park of the 300th anniversary, Sestroretsk and Zelenogorsk. A trial lesson costs 2,000 rubles on weekdays, and 2,500 rubles on weekends.
Ski slopes
What to do in St. Petersburg in winter for fans of alpine skiing and snowboarding? Do not deny yourself the pleasure and ride on the equipped snow slopes! There are many winter resorts in the vicinity of St. Petersburg. The most popular are Okhta Park, Snezhny, Krasnoe Lake, Zolotaya Dolina, Lyubogorye, Puhtolova Gora, Kavgolovo, Tuutari-Park and Severny Slope. Everything you need can be taken at the rental offices.
Ski slopes in parks
If cross-country skiing is your thing, go for a walk in the park. Residents of St. Petersburg also love winter jogging, so there are plenty of places where ski tracks are laid. There are good tracks in the Park of the 300th Anniversary, Tavrichesky Garden, Sosnovka and Alexandria parks, Udelny Park, on Elagin Island, in Rzhevsky and Kavgolovsky forest parks. Renting a ski set costs 300 rubles per hour, and 600 rubles for the whole day.
Rainforests
According to tourists, in winter in St. Petersburg it is pleasant to be among green plants, exotic flowers and animals. Spend the day in the tropics! Endless summer reigns in the tropical complex "Mindo", the greenhouse of the Tauride Garden, in the Botanical Garden of Peter the Great, in the pavilion "Exotarium" of the Leningrad Zoo and in the "Exo", which is located in the shopping and entertainment center "Rio".
Deer farm
Families who come to St. Petersburg in winter with children leave good comments about Laplandia Park on Krestovsky Island. Visitors are greeted by a large ice skating rink, a fair with drinks and treats, an ice labyrinth and a slide. Most of the tourists are impressed by the farm where the reindeer live. Feed the animals with reindeer lichen and take a memorable photo!
Winter weather in St. Petersburg
In winter, the weather in St. Petersburg is cloudy and unstable. The thermometer column rarely drops below -10 ° С. Heavy snowfall can give way to cold rain, and fogs occur at night.
Daylight hours are short - around 15:00 it is already getting dark, so it is better to plan excursions in the morning. Winds constantly blow near the Gulf of Finland and the Neva.
Dress warmly! Fur outfits in St. Petersburg are not very practical. An elongated waterproof jacket with a hood, a warm sweater, a scarf, a hat, mittens, winter trousers and comfortable waterproof shoes are useful for walking.
Reviews of tourists about the rest in winter in St. Petersburg
Tourists who come to St. Petersburg in winter love everything except the chilly and cold weather. We advise you to take an umbrella with you.
Do not use public transport during peak hours. In the morning and in the evening, the St. Petersburg metro is always crowded.
SergL: "The frost was sensitive, and the cleaning of the sidewalks in many places left much to be desired. If you walk slowly, you start to freeze, if you increase your speed, you increase the risk of snagging on the ice crust."
Aleksey: "The climate is difficult, especially in late winter and early spring. Dark, damp, windy. Better in summer and autumn."
Natalia K: "For the completely uncomfortable December weather, a visit to museums is best."
