St. Petersburg Canals: Exploring the Venice of the North

Today, we get to experience St Petersburg from its beautiful canals. Founded by Peter the Great in 1703, the city was his ambitious attempt to create a new European-style capital. He wanted Russia to have a modern gateway to the West, with access to the Baltic Sea. Rivers, canals and waterways became central to his vision, both as practical transport routes and as defining features of the city. It wasn’t long before St Petersburg earned its nickname, the Venice of the North.

Setting Off for a Day on the Water

After last night’s walking tour gave us a first taste of St Petersburg, we’re up and ready for another full day of sightseeing. Today promises canals, museums and magnificent churches, with plenty more of the city’s imperial history along the way.

Everyone in our tour group seems particularly enthusiastic this morning. Somehow, all thirteen of us manage to assemble at the designated pick-up point before our tour guide and bus driver arrive. We’re clearly keen to get going!

Eventually, we’re on our way, with time for a little souvenir stop before our morning river and canal cruise. We watch an artisan painting traditional Russian nesting dolls, known as matryoshka or babushka dolls. I’m fascinated by the intricacy of the work. Each tiny detail is carefully painted by hand, which goes some way towards explaining the price of these little wooden families.

The Fabergé collection is equally intricate, although considerably more expensive! The exquisite craftsmanship is tempting, but I somehow manage to leave with just a souvenir magnet. A small victory for restraint, perhaps.

Exploring St Petersburg by River and Canal

From here, we continue through the city to board our boat. I’m looking forward to seeing the grand imperial architecture from the water. St Petersburg’s canals offer an entirely different perspective, and I’m keen to discover why this city is so often compared with Venice.

Our boat departs from a small mooring near the Artillery Museum, opposite the Peter and Paul Fortress on the Kronverksky Strait. We make our way out towards the mighty Neva River and pass beneath Troitsky Bridge. Across the water, we spot the Nakhimov Naval School and the historic cruiser Aurora, moored nearby.

The Neva is the city’s great waterway, flowing through the centre before reaching the Gulf of Finland. Its broad expanse provides a dramatic contrast to the narrow canals that thread between the palaces and historic streets.

Palaces, Bridges and Imperial Stories

We cross the river and enter the Fontanka, passing the Summer Palace of Peter the Great and the adjoining Summer Garden. The garden dates from 1704 and was one of Peter’s earliest projects in his new capital. Designed in the formal European style, it featured geometric avenues, fountains and sculptures. Peter even used it to host receptions and entertain foreign visitors. From the water, the garden’s mature trees and elegant boundaries provide a lovely contrast to the grand buildings beyond.

The city begins to reveal its real magic as we glide along the canals. Magnificent facades rise above the embankments, while ornate bridges pass surprisingly close overhead. We duck beneath Panteleymonovsky Bridge before taking a sharp turn onto the Moika River. Here, we pass Mikhailovsky Castle and the Mikhailovsky Garden, with the Russian Museum visible in the background.

Mikhailovsky Castle has a particularly intriguing history. Emperor Paul I commissioned it as his new residence, seeking greater security than the Winter Palace could offer. Ironically, he was assassinated there in 1801, just forty days after moving in. It’s a rather dark chapter in the history of a building that looks so elegant from the water.

I find myself imagining imperial society strolling along these embankments in another era. Ladies in elaborate gowns and gentlemen in their finest coats, perhaps heading between palaces and grand receptions. The golden details of the buildings catch the northern light, and the whole scene feels wonderfully theatrical.

The Winter Canal and the Neva Panorama

The architecture becomes even more impressive as we turn into the narrow Winter Canal. On one side stands the Hermitage Theatre, while the Winter Palace rises on the other. This tiny waterway was constructed in 1718–1719, during Peter the Great’s reign. It originally allowed the imperial family to travel by boat between the palace and the Moika River. Today, its setting is one of the most picturesque corners of the city.

The canal is barely long enough for us to appreciate the view before we duck beneath the tiny Hermitage Bridge. This elegant stone arch connects the Hermitage Theatre and the Old Hermitage buildings above the water. Then, suddenly, we’re back on the expansive Neva, with the long facade of the Winter Palace and the Hermitage stretching behind us.

We can see across to the Spit of Vasilievsky Island, where we stood last night. The Peter and Paul Fortress sits opposite, briefly darkened by a passing cloud. I huddle further into my coat, taking in the magnificent panorama as our boat circles back towards the mooring.

Reflecting on the journey, I wonder what life must have been like when these waterways were the city’s everyday transport network. Peter the Great had deliberately modelled aspects of his new capital on European cities such as Amsterdam and Venice. Boats once carried people and goods through the heart of St Petersburg. Over time, however, the city developed a more extensive road network, and some waterways were altered or filled in. The canals remain beautiful, but I can appreciate that they weren’t always the most practical way to get around.

Our cruise comes to an end, but there’s little time to linger. We climb back onto the bus with plenty more to discover. St Isaac’s Cathedral and the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood are still ahead of us, not to mention the Hermitage, one of the world’s great art museums. It’s going to be another very full day!

Would I Return?

Yes. St Petersburg’s canals are every bit as beautiful as I’d imagined. The city is a remarkable blend of waterways, grand palaces and imperial history. I’d happily return to explore more of its canals, bridges and magnificent architecture. It truly deserves its title as the Venice of the North.