Introduction

Whether you’re heading to St. Petersburg for the high culture of its world-famous museums and theatres, the great literary heritage, the romance of the White Nights or in search of the Soviet past, be sure to regret you haven’t planned to stay another couple of days longer – an exploration of the city’s treasures may take weeks and still leave you with a feeling of just merely scratching the surface.
It is for three centuries now that St. Petersburg delights visitors to the northern capital of Russia
with its majestic appearance. Founded by Peter the Great on May, 1703 in the mouth of the Neva, on the day of the Holy Trinity, St. Petersburg turned within two decades into a remarkable European city that attracted attention of the entire civilized world.  It was from this place that threads linking the cultures of Asiatic and European countries stretched to the West and East. The city founded by Peter the Great became a new focal point at the crossroads where civilizations met.

Orientation

St. Petersburg is located at the mouth of the Neva River which flows east from Lake Ladoga into Gulf of Finland. Home to almost six million people, Petersburg lies across more than forty islands created by the Neva delta. The city is on Moscow time.
Almost all of the sights in St. Petersburg are located in the historic city centre.  Nevsky Prospect (4.5 kilometers) is the main drag with many of the sights, shops, bars, restaurants and fancy hotels. The city comprises three main areas. Visilevsky Island with the Strelka, one of the city’s
well-known landmarks, Petrograd Side, marked by the tall gold spire of the Peter and Paul Fortress and the third area is Viborg Side, stretching  along the north bank of the Neva.

Weather

St. Petersburg weather is variable. The average daytime temperatures of -5 to -10 Celsius (14 to 23 Fahrenheit) and the sun spends a few hours above the horizon. From late May to early July the nights are bright in St Petersburg, but the real White Nights normally lasting from May 25-26 to July 16-17, when there is a brief spate of dusk at around three in the morning and light for the rest of the day. The nature of the White Nights can be explained by the geographical location of St. Petersburg. It is not all that far from the Arctic Circle. Spring comes late to St. Petersburg with snowfall common through April, and only in May do trees (and people) start coming to life again. Autumn is absolutely beautiful, with deciduous trees shedding their colors at the beginning of October.

General facts

Total area : 600 sq.km. or  1,439 sq.km.  including suburbs.
Population : 4,700,000.
White night season : May 25-26 to July 16-17
Climate : Humid, semi-maritime, air temperature averaging – 10 C in winter and + 17,8 C in summer.
Annual precipitation average :550 – 600 mm.
Main waterway :Neva River.
                       Length : 74 km (32 km within city  boundaries).                    
                       Width : 600 meters on average.   
                        Depth : 24 meters on average.  
Smaller waterways :Around 100 rivers and canals.
Bridges :308 bridges totaling 16 km. in length (including 22 draw bridges)  and 226 bridges in suburbs.
International area code :+7(812)