Be an unconventional tourist in St. Petersburg
When we think about Saint Petersburg’s most interesting attractions, immediately Cathedrals, Hermitage, Russian Museum and Palaces come to our mind. Of course, if you’re coming to Saint Petersburg for the first time you HAVE to visit them. But if you are familiar with Питер (for friends only!) and have already visited the most famous places, then Saint Petersburg can be full of surprises: there are more than 300 museums in this amazing city. Here is a list of 5 museums you can’t miss if you are un unconventional tourist!
1) Grand Maket Russia (Гранд Макет Россия)
Grand Market Russia is the largest model layout in Russia and the second largest in the world after Hamburg’s Miniatur Wunderland. This miniature exposition covers an area of 800 m2 and it’s designed on a scale of 1:87. The model and its minute details represent everyday life in Russia: the sun rises and sets (every 13 minutes day turns gradually into night), cars and buses stop at traffic lights, there are a lot of famous Russian attractions and places such as Moscow Kremlin, St. Petersburg Admiralty, Karelia Kizhi Island and many more. You can find the museum in Tsvetochnaya ul., 16; it’s open daily from 10 a.m. till 8 p.m. and the ticket costs 480 rubles.
2) Petrovskaya Aqvatoria (Петровская акватория)
Petrovskaya Aqvatoria is an historical theatrical scale model which represents the founding of Saint Petersburg and Russian navy. You will have the chance to see how Nevsky prospekt looked like in the 18th century or dream about aristocratic balls at Peterhof, the Russian “Versailles”. The main peculiarity of the model is that Neva river and the Gulf of Finland are made of real water in which moving ships remind Peter the Great’s fleet. The museum is open every day from 10 a.m. to 22 p.m. and it is situated in Malaya Morskaya ul., 4/1. The ticket costs 400 rubles.
3) The Museum of Illusions (Музей иллюзий)
The Museum of Illusions actually consists of several sections (such as the Giant’s house, the Glass Labyrinth and the Butterflies’ garden…). If you like to take strange pictures, this is the right place for you! You can walk around a house with giant furniture, disappear into a mirror, try the antigravity room and much more. You can find the Museum of illusions in Bolshaya Morskaya ul., 5. The tickets cost 300/350 rubles per section. But be careful…it’s easy to get lost in the glass labyrinth!
4) The Perfume museum (Музей парфюмерии)
The Perfume Museum shows the history of perfume manufacturing in Russia. You will have the chance to live history through fragrances (the oldest perfume in the museum dates back to 1848!). It is the only museum in Russia where you can not only see the bottles but also smell the fragrances: it will certainly be interesting to know which perfumes were used by women in 19th and 20th centuries. The museum is private, so be sure to book your visit in advance. You can find the museum at 1-ya lin., 48, Vasilievskiy Ostrov.
5) The Coffee Museum (Музей кофе)
In St. Petersburg coffee is the most popular drink, so it’s not surprising that St. Petersburg Coffee Museum is the only coffee museum in Russia. During the excursion you will learn about the history and the origins of Russian coffee and taste unusual varieties of coffee. The Museum is situated in Voskresenskaya nab. 14, and it is open daily from 11.00 a.m. to 20.00 p.m (if you are not familiar with Russian it is possible to book a guided tour in English).
So, here you have 5 attractions for unconventional tourists. Which one are you going to visit?!
