Peter and Paul Fortress

About this place

The Peter and Paul Fortress is the original citadel of Saint Petersburg, standing on small Hare Island near the north bank of the Neva River, about 2.1 km in a straight line north-west of the city centre. Peter the Great founded it on 27 May 1703, the date counted as the founding of the city itself. It was built as a star fortress to designs by the architect Domenico Trezzini between 1706 and 1740, with walls and corner bastions ringing the whole island. It has been a museum since 1924, and at its centre stands the Peter and Paul Cathedral, whose gilded spire rises about 122.5 m and which holds the tombs of the Russian emperors from Peter the Great onwards. From the banks of the Neva, the slender golden spire soars above the low stone walls and the wide blue water, one of the city's most famous views. Inside are squares and lanes between historic buildings, a cannon is fired from the Naryshkin Bastion at noon every day, and in summer people sunbathe on the sandy beach below the walls. Walking the grounds is free, while the cathedral and exhibitions are paid. Arrive shortly before noon to hear the cannon, and walk along the walls for wide views over the river. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Russia, and non-Russian bank cards may not work, so read the current advice before you plan.