Abacus Guided Tours of St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region

To give you an idea of what a typical two and a half to three hour city tour would consist of; why not join us for a "guided" tour of this magnificent and historical city?

We will start by collecting you from your hotel or at a collection point of your choice at a time that suits you, and drive you comfortably around the city at an unrushed pace showing you some of the most fascinating architectural and historical parts of St Petersburg.

One of our professional drivers will accompany you and our informative tour guide along the bustling Nevsky Prospekt; the main high street of St Petersburg with its multitude of shops, pavement cafes and restaurants.

Here you will see one of the city’s most famous sights the Kazan Cathedral, built in 1801-1811 to house the miraculous Kazanskaya Sacred Mother icons. This cathedral is shaped like a cross, and the facade facing Nevsky Prospekt is linked with a 96-column colonnade.

Statues of Kutuzov and Barklay-de-Tolly, heroes of the Napoleonic war are next to the cathedral.

Almost opposite, on the Griboedova canal; is the Cathedral of the Saviour on the Blood, built by Alexander III on the spot where his father Tsar Alexander II was assassinated in 1881. This cathedral is modelled on St. Basils Church in Moscow, and houses mosaic icons by Nesterov, Vasnetsov and others in the style of both Byzantine and modern icon painting.

Moving east along the prospekt takes us into the magnificent Palace square where we will see the famous Winter Palace, the last and best achievement of the architect Rastrelli. It is the home of the celebrated Hermitage art museum.

Opposite you will see the General Staff Building with its famous archway and in the middle of the square the striking Alexander Column which is over 47 meters high and weighs over 600tonnes.

Moving south along Admiralty Embankment takes us past the Bronze Horseman; probably the most iconic and famous of all statues to Peter the Great.

Its then on to St. Issacs Cathedral built in 1818-1858. Named after St. Isaac of Dalmatia, whose burial service coincided with Peter the Great’s birth. The cathedral is adorned with monolithic columns of Karelian granite and walls of marble and statues of Evangelists and Apostles. The dome terrace (101.5 meters) has the best view of St.Petersburg.

Adjacent to the cathedral is the Mariinskiy Palace built by architect Stakensneider for Maria Nikolaevna, daughter of Nicholas I; who is represented by a bronze, equestrian statue in the middle of the square.

From here it is possible to take a very pleasant route following along the embankment of the river Moika, past the former Imperial stables and clockwise around the city where you will be able to see such sights as the Peter and Paul fortress, the river Neva, the battle cruiser Aurora, the Fontanka river and countless more palaces, museums and theatres than it would be possible to list here or indeed to see in a week!

This is where our custom tour packages can be useful in assisting you in seeing what interests you and making your stay here as pleasant and as informative as possible. We can assist you in finding the best photographic locations or the simply best places to eat!

Our city is our pride and our passion and we wish to share it with you; and above all, we offer the very best in personalised and friendly service.

We wish you an enjoyable stay in St. Petersburg, “Da Sveedanja!!” Mark Bradley, 2006.