A horse-drawn carriage ride through the charming historical center of St. Petersburg is an absolutely unique way to get to know the city. You will drive through the streets, squares and embankments. You will feel as if you are traveling through time. Especially such an excursion will be relevant for those who stayed at a hotel in the center of St. Petersburg.
The walk starts from the picturesque St. Isaac's Square. The rental area is located near the magnificent St. Isaac's Cathedral, one of the main attractions of the city.
The trip unites two different St. Petersburg:
— the one with luxurious palaces and noble mansions, like a city from a postcard;
— the other is places that are “slightly” touched by modernity. They are often called "Dostoevsky's Petersburg".
The "noble" part includes the English embankment with a magnificent view of the Neva River, the shores of which are decorated with classic buildings. Senate Square and the Bronze Horseman, a monument to Emperor Peter the Great, the founder of St. Petersburg; an architectural ensemble of buildings where such state bodies as the Constitutional Court of Russia and the Presidential Library are located.
Then the carriage enters the area, which is called "Dostoevsky's Petersburg", since many characters of his novels lived here. It is also a historical center with buildings of the XIX and early XX centuries. What makes this area special is that it has been slightly affected by time. It is also called "real Petersburg" or "honest Petersburg". This is an area with a very low percentage of buildings built after the Russian Revolution of 1917, maybe even the lowest in the city. Time seems to have stopped here.
In this area, you will be pleased that there are much fewer people here than in the tourist areas of the center, less traffic jams, less annoying advertising structures.
However, this does not mean that the area is somehow deserted or devoid of beauty and attractions. A leisurely trip will take you along the embankments of the picturesque Griboyedov and Kryukov canals, along the island of New Holland with its old industrial complexes, on which new urban facilities are being built. You will also see the Mariinsky Theater and St. Nicholas Cathedral.
You will stop at a unique site, at a point from which seven bridges can be seen. Ask your guide to help you find this point to see all these bridges.
After that, the carriage will take you back to the lights and crowds of tourists. You will pass by the Yusupov Palace, a place known worldwide as the site of one of the most notorious murders in history. At the end of 1916, Grigory Rasputin was killed here.
If you are looking for a cheap place to stay in the center of St. Petersburg, then our Express Sadovaya Hotel is happy to offer you comfortable equipped rooms in the St. Petersburg hotel.