New Year is the main winter holiday of the country. Every resident in any corner of the greater Russia dreams of meeting him at the highest level. Regardless of whether you live in St. Petersburg or come to stay, the New Year's Eve here is a truly unforgettable event.
St. Petersburg in winter
The city on the Neva is famous not only for its chic views and historical monuments, but also for weather conditions. If you are seriously considering the idea of celebrating the New Year in St. Petersburg, stock up on warm clothes. Mandatory attributes - a warm scarf, gloves or mittens, as well as a hat. December and January in St. Petersburg are often snowy and frosty, although fogs and even freezing temperatures occur. The most difficult thing is to get used to the frequent and quite strong winds, but how can this prevent you from enjoying the festive mood of the Northern capital?
Despite the cold, Petersburgers celebrate the winter holidays with great scope and festivities. The city is already transforming in mid-December: Christmas trees, lights and other decorations light up, New Year's fairs appear.
What to see on the eve of the holiday
Celebrating the New Year in St. Petersburg is a wonderful idea. Arriving on the eve of the holiday in a city on the Neva, you can get into the holiday atmosphere and go to fairs. It offers residents and visitors of the city Christmas markets with beautiful Christmas trees and decorations for them. On Pionerskaya Square , the Christmas Market opens annually, which lasts until January 11th. Here, by tradition, houses of various states open, where you can not only plunge into the tradition of celebration, but also try dishes from different countries.
Another magical fair opens in the "Passage" on Nevsky Prospekt. What is there only! From holiday decorations to unique gifts that you can bring as a gift to loved ones. Traditional New Year's markets open in shopping centers, in the courtyard of Mikhailovsky Castle, in the Tsyurupa Palace of Culture.
The eve of the holiday in St. Petersburg also gives residents and guests of the city various concerts and theatrical performances. Residents of the Northern capital are advised to pay attention to the repertoire of the Mariinsky Theater, Bolshoi Theater named after Tovstonogov, the Academic Theater named after Lensovet.
Where to stay
New Year's Eve in St. Petersburg will cost a little more than if the trip was made on weekdays. This applies to housing rental: in St. Petersburg you can rent a hotel, hostel or apartment.
Depending on the capabilities of the guest in the city on the Neva, there is any accommodation. There are a lot of inexpensive small cozy hotels in the center and large hotels. When choosing housing, you need to pay attention to the location and distance from the metro.
If a traveler does not like to choose hotels on his own and trusts this choice with travel agencies, then buying a New Year tour in St. Petersburg is an excellent alternative. Such a travel package usually includes hotel accommodation and round-trip tickets for the required dates.
New Year's Eve at the restaurant
New Year's Eve in St. Petersburg in a restaurant is a great idea. Each visitor on the night of December 31 to January 1 will wait from the restaurant for some unusual show. It is on this night that preference is given more to iconic places that offer unusual events on a gala night. A wide selection of restaurants in the Northern capital will allow you to make a choice in favor of the one that will suit both a strict connoisseur of cuisine and those who prefer an average restaurant bill.
Residents of the city advise guests of the following famous places where you can have fun and get an unforgettable experience:
- Restaurant "Flying Dutchman" at the Exchange bridge on Mytninskaya embankment. Here New Year's Eve will cost from 15,000 rubles and above.
- An unusual place for the New Year in St. Petersburg to be remembered for a lifetime is the Purga club. It is located on the embankment of the Fontanka River, house 11, and here every day unusual performances take place. On New Year's Eve, Purga will become a very funny and unusual place.
- On Liteiny Prospekt there is the Ugly Coyote bar, which is also famous for affordable prices and great shows.
New Year's Eve on the streets
Most tourists come to the city on the Neva to celebrate the holiday right on the street, get a boost of energy from the city, enjoy the beauty of street decoration, and chat with residents.
It is such tourists who are most interested in the question of where to celebrate the New Year in St. Petersburg. I want to get to exactly where the most interesting things will happen.
The place of folk festivities on New Year's Eve becomes Nevsky Prospect. He strikes with his lights. Here friends meet and get to know each other for the first time. Institutions of Nevsky Prospect work all night. If you want to relax, you can look into one of the clubs or in a small cafe, if there is a place in it.
Another of the popular places for walking will be the Peter and Paul Fortress. Ice sculptures are being built here, a huge screen is being installed. From here, as from all the Neva embankments, a festive salute will be perfectly visible.
Alternative Celebration Options
Not everyone is trying to spend the New Year in St. Petersburg among friends and family at home or on Nevsky. Some residents go to the bathhouse, and for many it becomes a tradition, like the heroes of the famous "Irony of Fate".
Someone, on the contrary, is trying to leave St. Petersburg and celebrate the holiday in a country house or in a small town near the Northern capital, for example, in Tsarskoye Selo, where it is cozy and not so noisy.
Fans of adventures can dare to celebrate the New Year on the famous roofs of St. Petersburg. It is quite possible, but you need to be careful. But what a view will open to those who decide on this event!
How to celebrate the main holiday of the year, everyone decides for himself. Someone likes to sit with their families and enjoy homemade dishes, while someone prefers fun in the clubs of the city. The main thing is that the New Year becomes unforgettable!