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St Petersburg > St Petersburg Tours > Tour of the Peter & Paul Fortress in St Petersburg
Tour of the Peter & Paul Fortress in St Petersburg
See the ornate baroque cathedral, the burial place of Russian Emperors, a grim, former high-security prison for political prisoners (including Dostoyevsky and Tito), and the mighty star fortress – all in one place!
Duration 2 hours
Private tour available in English, Russian
Group tour pricing from 65 EUR per person
Highlights
Admire the exquisite Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral
Visit the former high-security Trubetskoy Bastion Prison
See the Grand Ducal Burial Vault
Visit the interactive State Museum of the History of St Petersburg (optional)
Hear the traditional midday artillery shot
Explore the early modern-era fortifications
Description
Don’t be misled by the word ‘fortress’. This military complex, while indeed having defence as its main purpose, served as a seat of government, mint, commercial hub, burial place of imperial dynasty members, political prison, arsenal, and even a rocket lab at different periods of its history.
When the city was just a small border town (but one with great ambition!), it was literally inside the fortress. Peter I, Russian Tsar at that time, boldly moved the state capital there, on the newly reclaimed, sparsely populated, and dangerous Neva Delta, surrounded by endless mire.
The situation was unique – an outpost in the middle of nowhere, encircled by earthen ramparts, and with a whole set of features appropriate for a capital city: Senate, Academy of Science, Imperial guard, mint, and state prison.
The reason for the move was simple – to solve the problem at hand, which was the modernisation of the country. It was easier to build anew than to renovate the old institutions.
And so, St Petersburg became the heart of a new European Empire and the main centre of Europeanisation in Russia through which the rest of the country gradually developed.
This place is full of history – let me tell you all of it!
When the city was just a small border town (but one with great ambition!), it was literally inside the fortress. Peter I, Russian Tsar at that time, boldly moved the state capital there, on the newly reclaimed, sparsely populated, and dangerous Neva Delta, surrounded by endless mire.
The situation was unique – an outpost in the middle of nowhere, encircled by earthen ramparts, and with a whole set of features appropriate for a capital city: Senate, Academy of Science, Imperial guard, mint, and state prison.
The reason for the move was simple – to solve the problem at hand, which was the modernisation of the country. It was easier to build anew than to renovate the old institutions.
And so, St Petersburg became the heart of a new European Empire and the main centre of Europeanisation in Russia through which the rest of the country gradually developed.
This place is full of history – let me tell you all of it!
What’s included & not included
Knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide
Tour of the Peter and Paul Fortress
Tickets
Meeting point
‘Gorkovskaya’ metro station
St Petersburg
‘Gorkovskaya’ metro stationNikolai Pavlov