We continue to share amazing routes created especially for you together with photographers Russian Explorers. Igor Tsibulsky (@igorcibulsky) has prepared a guide to the suburbs of St. Petersburg! And so that you can use it as soon as possible, in our telegram channel we are giving away a discount on tickets to St. Petersburg, as well as accommodation there.
Friends, hello. I live in St. Petersburg and often relax from the hustle and bustle of city everyday life in nature, namely in the suburbs of our cultural capital. The outskirts of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region are rich in attractions, so today I want to share with you one of my favorite routes – along the Gulf of Finland.
How to prepare for a trip
I usually take this route by car and take only the essentials. Additional things and amenities are available in the hotels where I stay overnight. The only thing I would like to warn you about is that in the summer there are a lot of mosquitoes in these places – stock up on repellent. And, of course, the weather in St. Petersburg and its surroundings can be unpredictable, so even if it’s sunny outside, don’t be lazy to take warm clothes with you.
How to get to St. Petersburg
A plane ticket from Moscow to St. Petersburg will cost 3,400 rubles* per person round trip. A trip on the Sapsan will cost 2,300 rubles* one way per person.
Where to go and what to visit
First of all, we go towards Sestroretsk, located in the south of the Karelian Isthmus, in the Kurortny district of St. Petersburg. This city on the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland is considered a resort; on its territory there are wells with mineral water and mud baths. There are also historical districts here: Tarkhovka, Gorskaya, Razliv, Aleksandrovskaya, Duny, Kurort.
In close proximity to Sestroretsk there is the state nature reserve “Sestroretsk Swamp”. The largest specially protected natural area of St. Petersburg. A closed ecological trail runs through the territory of the reserve, ideal for pleasant and leisurely walks.
Next we move along the lower Primorskoye Highway, running along the shore of the Gulf of Finland towards Ilya Efimovich Repin’s estate-museum “Penates”. Being here, you get the impression that Ilya Efimovich still lives here, but now he just went for a walk – the interior is so accurately and realistically recreated and the atmosphere is conveyed. Then you can take a walk through the picturesque surroundings of the manor house – in the forest area and along the coast of the Gulf of Finland.
After your walk, go have a snack. The restaurant “Russian Fishing” is located nearby – a great place to take a breather.
Nearby is a unique natural reservoir, Lake Shchuchye. The landscape of this area is unique because it was formed by a glacier. The territory is a specially protected zone with an area of 1157 hectares and includes a spruce-pine taiga massif with valuable areas of old spruce forests, the age of which reaches more than 150 years.
We return to the car and go to Lindulovskaya Grove. It is a natural reserve protected by UNESCO. This place was created for lovers of a quiet and secluded holiday – there are no entertainment facilities in the grove, here you can walk, enjoying nature and clean air, or have a small picnic. The route is circular, so you can cover everything at once during a walk.
Stay overnight at “Greenvald Park Scandinavia”, here you can relax after a busy day surrounded by beautiful nature. The houses are equipped with everything you need: toilet, shower, kitchenette with dishes for four, refrigerator, microwave, kettle. By the way, breakfast is included in the price. At the end of the day, you can stroll around the area and enjoy the sunset on Lake Ilyichevskoye, located just 300 meters away.
Get a good night’s sleep, have lunch and go to the next picturesque place – Cape Flotsky. Long sandy beaches, scatterings of boulders, pine forest – this is how you can describe it. It’s nice to walk here, dissolving in the surrounding nature.
Then we go to Ecohotel Les, located on the southern shore of Lake Mirror. There is no electricity or running water here. Candles, torches, wood-burning stoves, a forest spring, a bathhouse on the shore of a lake and a clean untouched forest – everything that awaits you in this authentic place.
We start the third day from the city Primorsk. Its main attraction is The Church of St. Mary Magdalene, located right on the shore of the Gulf of Finland.
I definitely recommend taking a walk around the church, enjoying the architectural beauty of the building and the views of the bay.
In the afternoon we leave towards forest houses The Lagom, where we spend the rest of the weekend, enjoying complete silence and solitude. The complex also has everything you need for comfortable accommodation: two bathrooms, a kitchen-living room with a fireplace and a well-equipped cooking area.
The next day we return home. On the way you can stop by family recreation and ecotourism park “Zubrovnik”. The nursery, home to bison, ponies, horses, sheep, goats, rabbits and various birds, is located in a forested area in the village of Toksovo. The place is very nice. From the parking lot to the bison itself, the road goes through a beautiful coniferous forest, past Baba Yaga’s small house and a suspension bridge. Here you can have a snack and return home with peace of mind.
You may think that I have collected too many places to visit in one weekend. However, they are all located close to each other, so overall the route is not difficult. I think you’ll like it. Thank you for your attention!
*Prices valid at time of publication
