St Petersburg-ideal Motorbike Touring Destination. A Bold statement for many reasons. So why not investigate the reasons further?

Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes How would you like to Adventure Motorcycle Tour in one of the most beautiful cities in Europe – St Petersburg? Does it appear on your Bucket List? Are you and your Adventure Touring Motorcycle prepared to tick this one as done? Did you say Yes to all three questions? Great news, MotoDreamer is proud to organize adventure motorcycle tours of the Russian city St Petersburg nicknamed – “Venice of the East.” What can you expect? Within the city: 18th and 19th Century Architecture. An abundance of underground stations, canals, waterways, rivers, bridges modern art galleries, theatres, and live music venues. In the surrounding areas: Picturesque villages, pristine roads, Palaces, and national parks. In summary, read what is fantastic about St Petersburg, its history, and its undeniable beauty. St Petersburg-ideal Motorbike Touring Destination. A Bold statement for all the right reasons.

Firstly, it is One of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

Now, do you know why millions of visitors each year say this? Here are the first three superb reasons why for you.

• The historical city center of Saint Petersburg and its related monuments are designated as World Heritage sites by UNESCO since 1991

• The city has one of the most profound metros systems in the world – on average, the stations are situated 60-70m underground. Proletarskaya metro station is 84m deep, and some escalators are more than 150m long.

• St Petersburg also has the nickname “Venice of the East.” There are 93 rivers and canals in St Petersburg, creating a network of approximately 300 km of waterways and some 800 bridges within the city limits.

Moscow may be Russia’s seat of political power, but St Petersburg proudly claims to be the country’s cultural capital. For tourists, the northernmost major city in the world (population 5 million), St Petersburg, is the most popular destination in Russia.

Motorcycle Riding from Moscow to St Petersburg

Not only do we include St Petersburg in our Russia itinerary as an unmissable cultural experience. But the scenic secondary roads between Tver (181km north of Moscow) and St Petersburg are a motorcycle rider’s treat.

The lightly trafficked and almost 100% sealed by roads that skirt past forested countryside, farms, and quaint villages, on the shores of Lake Seliger. You’ll also cross through the picturesque, gently hilly terrain of the Vladaysky National Park.

Here is your St Petersburg-ideal Motorbike Touring Destination Guide.

A popular myth is that St Petersburg was nothing but vacant swampland. When a particularly ambitious Tsar named Peter the Great decided to build the capital of his empire here. He is to have constructed supposedly it on top of a slowly sinking and frequently flooding bog.

While the terrain was less than ideal, the area did command a strategic location between the confluence of the Neva and Izhora rivers and the Baltic Sea. In fact, the Russians and the Swedes had been warring over the territory for hundreds of years. Long before Peter finally captured the Swedish fortress of Nyenschanz in 1703.

Constructing the city of Peter’s dreams atop the muddy Neva River delta did prove to be rather challenging. Costing tens, if not hundreds of thousands, of starving and freezing serfs their lives.

Peter, however, was not deterred. During his previous travels, he’d taken a particular liking to Versailles and other European palaces. Hence, many of St Petersburg’s most exemplary structures were inspired by his continental sojourns.

Peter brought in architects, engineers, artists, and artisans from all over Europe to achieve his grand vision of a royal city to rival London, Amsterdam, or Paris.

In 1713, Peter declared the city the nation’s capital, and it remained so until the Russian Revolution in 1918. St Petersburg quickly became a thriving, cosmopolitan city. It attracted scores of great artists, including painters, sculptors, composers, novelists, playwrights, and poets.

So apart from being an Adventure Motorcycle Touring Rider, if you love your art, you will find St Petersburg-ideal motorbike touring destination.

“Peter” (known to locals) boasts an artistic heritage whose legacy continues to this day. The city, known for its distinctly European vibe, boasts a vibrant contemporary art scene and is home to many of its best modern galleries, performance spaces, and live music venues.

Here’s how to explore St Petersburg for all the worldwide seasoned adventure motorcycle touring riders.

And of course, I do not forget the beginners to adventure motorcycle touring in Russia.

One of the great pleasures of St Petersburg is simply strolling down its splendid 18th and 19th-century and admiring the architecture that has contributed to its reputation as one of the world’s most beautiful cities.

Some of the most picturesque parts of St Petersburg can be explored on a leisurely cruise along the canals or on a romantic evening sail down the Neva River.

The Metro system is also reasonably easy to navigate. While its underground stations aren’t as famously extravagant as those in Moscow, many are still extremely beautiful.

The city of the Midnight Sun. Between the peak summer period of June and July (when our Russia tours generally visit St Petersburg.) The city, blessed with a phenomenon known as the midnight sun, receives almost 24 hours of sunlight a day. During this time, the streets and parks are alive with late-night strollers, vendors, and street performers.

A daily calendar of concerts and theatre events takes place during the famous White Nights festival period.

Many things to do and see in St Petersburg-ideal motorbike touring destination a must for all to visit in Russia.

St Petersburg is packed with must-see attractions year-round. A city sightseeing tour should include Nevsky Prospekt – the 4.5km thoroughfare that cuts across the historical center of St Petersburg. You will find The city’s high street lined with many of its most impressive buildings. Among them are the Kazan Cathedral, the Stroganoff Palace (now a fine arts museum,) and the ornate Anichkov Bridge.

The edge of the Griboedov Canal frames a fantastic view of the exuberantly decorated Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood.

State Hermitage Museum – the former imperial Winter Palace, the Hermitage, credited as the second largest museum globally (topped only by the Louvre.) Its cavernous halls and galleries house over three million priceless treasures. From artworks by the great masters, such as Rembrandt, Picasso, da Vinci, and Monet. Through to ancient artifacts from Egypt, Greece, Asia, and beyond.

Another famous attraction is the Peterhof Palace. It is located about 30 km southwest of the city on the Finnish Gulf. This open-air museum was once the opulent summer resort of the Romanovs.

The massive World Heritage-listed site is actually a series of palaces and parks. Essentially Peter the Great’s distinctly Russian version of Versailles.

Peter’s daughter Elizabeth significantly extended the gardens to include Peterhof’s elaborate network of fountains, including the majestic Grand Cascade shown in the image above.

Mariinsky and Mikhalovsky Theatres – These two atmospheric Russia19th-century theatres are St Petersburg’s most famous venues for Russian ballet, opera, and classical concerts.

 Please take note, that purchasing tickets in advance online is highly recommended in order to skip the queue.

St Petersburg-ideal Motorbike Touring Destination. A Bold statement for all the right reasons.

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Written by: Fiona Davies (extreme pillion rider and adventure travel writer)

Edited for SEO optimization by Mike Bowley at www.mikedbowley.com

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Join us in St Petersburg-ideal Motorbike Touring Destination in Russia.