St. Petersburg ranks among the top tourist destinations in Europe with 318 calls and 394,644 passengers in 2008. The cruise terminal for large vessels is located within 20 minutes drive from the city centre; smaller ships dock only 10 minutes walk from the city centre.

The city is young, but its history is overwhelming. The land it occupied once belonged to the Slavs and it was the starting point of the Great Varangian-Greek Trade Way which linked the Baltic to the Black Sea via the territories of the old Russian state. However, this land was seized by Sweden in the 17th century. On 27 May 1703, Peter the Great, after the recovery of lands along the Neva in the course of the Northern War, founded the city St. Petersburg. He had conceived the city as a gate to Europe, connecting Russia to the European world.

Avid Cruiser Audio Snapshots With Andrey Berezkin, port of St. Petersburg

How to spend a perfect day in St. Petersburg.

How to enjoy Soviet ‘champagne’.

Strolling Nevsky Propsekt

How to make the most of The Hermitage.

Must-Try Soviet Foods

How to property consume Vodka.

In the 20th century the city saw much tragedy and bloodshed. The revolution of 1917 resulted in the establishment of the Soviets. In the Second World War, Nazi troops besieged the city. The 900-day siege of Leningrad was finally raised in January 1944.

In 1991 the city took on its original name St. Petersburg. Today, St. Petersburg is a large cultural, scientific and transport centre of Russia, with a population of five million people, covering 620sq km on the 42 islands formed by the Neva and its arms. There is much to see, including the State Hermitage Museum with one of the richest collections of world art; Peter and Paul Fortress – the burial place of the Romanov dynasty; St. Isaac’s Cathedral – a Russian Orthodox church, the fourth largest cathedral of the world; Peterhof – a magnificent royal summer residence, located on the shore of the gulf of Finland, famous park and palace ensemble of the 18th century; the town of Pushkin – the former Tsar’s village, residence of Catherine the Great; Pavlovsk – the former summer residence of Paul I.

St. Petersburg is often referred to as the Venice of the North, and it is a big attraction as a port of call for many cruise ships.

Avid Cruiser Posts, Photographs and Videos Featuring St. Petersburg.

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