Two ancient cities of the Leningrad region, which remember great rulers and preserve the royal atmosphere, can be visited over the weekend. You will have time to see how the emperors lived, walk through parks with centuries-old trees, and learn about important milestones in the history of our country. We offer a short but interesting route.
How to get there
If you rent a car in St. Petersburg, you will get to Gatchina in about 40 minutes. From Gatchina to Lomonosov the road will take 50 minutes.
Where to stay
There are few hotels in Gatchina, but almost all of them are inexpensive options, which is beneficial for the budget of a short trip:
Mini-hotel “Alexandria” – from 2000 rubles per night for two*
Mini-hotel “Gatchina” – from 2240 rubles per night for two*
Boutique hotel “Capital” – from 1700 rubles per night for two*
You can devote the last day of your trip to Lomonosov and not stay there overnight. But if you plan your trip in such a way that it will be necessary, we suggest a small hotel right on the embankment:
Hotel “House at the Pier” – from 4000 rubles per night for two*
What to see in Gatchina?
Grand Imperial Palace
This is the number one attraction in royal residences. The building itself is huge and majestic. And inside you will be impressed by the Marble Dining Room, the luxurious bedroom, richly decorated corridors and throne rooms, underground passages in which the echo repeats up to 4 syllables, and the weapons gallery.
Palace Park and Sylvia Park
They are close to each other. There are many islands in the Palace Park, gorgeous views of the main building, a waterfall under the bridge and many ancient buildings. For example, the Venus Pavilion and the Birch House. Park “Sylvia” is translated as “forest” and really looks like it. It was built by analogy with a Parisian park of the 18th century.
City streets
Gatchina is not only a palace city. We recommend checking out residential areas as well. 25 October Avenue is the main thoroughfare. Here you will see the Constable Obelisk, the Admiralty Gate, mileposts, and the church. And then go to Sobornaya Street. It’s pedestrian. In addition to ancient buildings, there are numerous cafes where you can take a break and have a snack.
What to see in Lomonosov?
Oranienbaum Museum-Reserve
Most likely, you will spend most of the day here. On the vast land of “Oranienbaum” there are architectural monuments, statues, a magnificent garden, a huge park and, of course, palaces with luxurious external decor and rich interiors. You can walk here for a long time.
Maksimova’s Dacha
This is an example of northern wooden architecture, built more than a century ago. Researchers are still at a loss as to who owned the dacha. Now it is empty, but is protected as an architectural monument. A park and a greenhouse have been preserved around. On the territory there are abandoned sculptures and mysterious houses in the depths of the park.
Mordvinov Estate
Almost nothing remains of the building, but the local park is quite interesting for a walk. There is a stone greenhouse, an ancient water tower, ponds, and centuries-old oaks can be found among the pines. They were planted during the reign of Peter the Great. And Ivan Shishkin captured mighty trees on his canvases.
To make your weekend trips even more profitable, pay for your orders on OneTwoTrip “Big cashback card.”
A non-personalized virtual Visa bank card of “Basic” status can be issued by just a few clicks in the OneTwoTrip application or website. Once you receive a full-fledged card, you will be able to top up your account and make purchases both online and offline. Changing your status to “Advanced”, increasing the limit on transactions and having the opportunity to pay with a card abroad and in foreign online stores is also very simple – to do this, you just need to go through online identification using your passport data. Card maintenance is free.
By placing orders in the app you can get the maximum cashback:
11% of the order amount in the form of tripcoins (OneTwoTrip loyalty program points, 1 tripcoin is equal to 1 ruble) for paying for a hotel room or renting a car;
9% – when buying a train ticket;
8% – for a plane or bus;
6% for paying for an excursion.
For all other card transactions made outside the OneTwoTrip service, 1% cashback is awarded.
* Price valid at time of publication
