What to see near Smolny: a guest's guide

Voskresenskaya Embankment is the «other side» of the Neva — closer to the Smolny Cathedral than to the Hermitage. There are fewer tourists here than on the Palace Embankment, but within a 10–15-minute walk are several places worth coming to St Petersburg for.

Smolny Cathedral and convent

5–7 minutes on foot. Rastrelli's sky-blue baroque ensemble looks almost unreal against the northern sky. Inside is a working church with a light, white interior; you can climb the belfry for a view over the bend of the Neva. Especially beautiful in the white nights and under winter snow.

Tauride Garden

15 minutes on foot. One of the oldest parks in the city, laid out under Catherine the Great. Ponds, little bridges, quiet alleys; an ice rink on the main pond in winter. A perfect morning stroll before breakfast.

Liteyny Prospekt

10 minutes on foot. The district's busy retail axis: bookshops, coffee houses, cafés. From here it's a short walk to the Anna Akhmatova Museum in the Fountain House — one of the most atmospheric literary apartment-museums in the city.

The embankment and the views

From the entrance of number 30 you step straight onto the parapet. Walk five minutes to the Liteyny Bridge to watch it open at night. Across the water: the Admiralty and the Winter Palace, and on a clear day the spire of the Peter and Paul Fortress.

Getting to the main sights

• Hermitage: Chernyshevskaya metro (10 min walk) + 5 min — ~20 minutes.
• Nevsky Prospekt: 10–15 minutes on foot.
• Peter and Paul Fortress: 25 minutes on foot or 20 by taxi.
• Pulkovo airport: 35–45 minutes by taxi.

Where to eat nearby

The embankment itself is quiet, but within 700 metres there are a dozen reliable places — from street coffee to Mediterranean and northern Russian restaurants. The manager gives a fresh shortlist on arrival, matched to your budget and occasion.

Planning a trip? See our apartments and message the manager — we'll help with the route, a restaurant and a transfer.