trek crossrip ltd 2016

• CrossRip LTD

The New 2016 Trek 920, 720, 520 and Crossrip Touring Bikes

Table of Contents

The 2016 trek 920 adventure touring bike, the trek 720 light touring bike, the trek crossrip light touring bike, the trek 520 long distance touring bike, want to compare these touring bikes with dozens of others, helpful resources, touring & bikepacking bike overview.

Trek have recently been busy building one of the most comprehensive adventure and touring bike line ups around. There are now SEVEN  different bikes, including the 2016 Trek 920, which are suited to everything from road touring right through to adventure off-road. I’ve put this resource together to guide you through the different models and help determine what might best suit you.

The 2016 Trek 920 is a tweaked mountain bike with a drop handlebar. It’s designed around wide, knobby mountain bike tyres which can take you to more places than slicks. It uses a mountain bike drivetrain and wheels, in combination with drop handlebars and bar-end shifters.

Although the 2016 Trek 920 is best suited to off-road riding, a swap-out to slick tyres would make it an exceptional long-distance touring bike. The geometry is actually prime for heavy-loaded touring with it’s high ‘fork trail’, long chainstay/wheelbase and tall front end. That said, the gearing is optimised around lower speeds, so the 42t front chainring may have you spinning a bit on road descents.

The bike price including front and rear racks is US $1989 .

The 720 is one of Trek’s lightweight touring options. It uses an alloy frame and carbon fibre fork to keep the weight down (11kg or so), making it a great multi-purpose bike like the Cannondale Touring. It comes with Shimano 105 11-spd gearing, TRP Hydro/Cable disc brakes and some front side-mount racks and dry bags.

The 720 is best suited to smooth roads with a lightweight load, although it’s a really sturdy bike and will handle front and rear panniers if you needed. It’s smallest gear is 29 gear inches, which is a little large for really steep hills including a load, but will be fine for most touring. There are eyelets for racks and fenders.

The price is US $1889 including the front dry bags.

The CrossRip is almost identical to the 720 in every way – it even uses the same aluminium frame tubing and carbon fibre fork. The geometry is ever so slightly different between the bikes; you’d be pretty hard pressed to notice the subtle differences. The most noticeable difference may be the 5mm taller and longer front end of the CrossRip. The likely reason for Trek having these two near-identical bikes is so they can market the bikes in two separate bike categories (fitness and touring).

Like the 720, CrossRips are most at home on a smooth road with a light load but will handle four panniers well. The bikes use either compact or road triple cranksets, working with wide-range cassettes to achieve a lowish drive gear (close to 1:1 / 29 gear inches). The bikes have eyelets for racks and fenders.

The CrossRip is available in three different builds. The LTD comes with Shimano 105 11-spd gearing and TRP Hydro/Cable disc brakes and is priced at US $1679 . Next up, the Elite uses Shimano Sora 9-spd gearing and cable disc brakes and is US $1199 . For a bit less money again, you can get the Comp with Shimano Claris 8-spd gearing at US $1099 . If you’re tossing up between the CrossRip LTD and 720, go the CrossRip as it has a US $200 price advantage!

The 520 has been in the Trek line-up for 33 years! It’s actually the longest running model in Trek’s bike range. As you can imagine, the geometry of the 520 has been refined a lot over this period. The bottom bracket is low, the chainstays are long and the steering pretty slow. All good things for touring.

The 520 uses 4130 steel for both the frame and fork. The spec is super simple, solid and reliable with 36 spoke wheels, cable brakes and bar-end shifters. The gear range is exceptional, spanning from 22 to 118 gear inches. This should be enough to climb almost anything with all four panniers, but if you wanted even more low gears you could switch the cassette to a 34t (21 gear inches).

The price is US $1259 with v-brakes and US $1359 with disc brakes. My pick would be the disc model!

Check out the  Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide  which compares touring bike steering, sizing, gear ratios, specification, pricing and more. The Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide does the same thing, however, with a focus on lighter bikes and models with more off-road capability. Both of these guides are updated annually with the latest models at no extra cost!

All About Touring Bike Brakes Frame Materials for Bicycle Touring How to Select Touring Bike Gearing Understand Bicycle Frame Geometry What’s the Difference between Cyclocross and Touring Bikes?

2016 Advocate Lorax 2018 All City Gorilla Monsoon 2016 Basso Ulisse 2016 Bianchi Volpe and Lupo 2016 2016 Bombtrack Beyond 2017 Bombtrack Beyond 2018 Bombtrack Beyond 2018 Bombtrack Arise Tour 2019 Bombtrack Beyond 2016 Brodie Elan Vital 2016 Cannondale Touring 2019 Cannondale Topstone 2020 Cannondale Topstone 2016 Cinelli Hobootleg Geo 2018 Co-Op ADV 4.2 2017 Curve Grovel V2 2017 Diamondback Haanjo EXP Carbon 2016 Fuji Touring 2017 Fuji Touring 2018 Fuji Touring 2018 Fuji Touring Disc 2016 Genesis Tour de Fer 2016 Giant ToughRoad 2017 Giant ToughRoad 2018 Giant ToughRoad and ToughRoad GX 2016 Jamis Aurora and Aurora Elite 2019 Jones Plus SWB 2020 KOGA WorldTraveller-S 2016 Kona Big Rove 2016 Kona Roadhouse and Sutra LTD 2016 Kona Sutra 2017 Kona Sutra 2018 Kona Sutra 2018 Kona Sutra LTD 2019 Kona Sutra and Sutra LTD 2020 Kona Sutra and Sutra LTD 2020 Kona Unit X 2016 Marin Four Corners 2017 Marin Four Corners 2018 Marin Four Corners 2016 Masi Giramondo 2018 Masi Giramondo 2016 Niner RLT9 2016 Rawland Ulv and Ravn 2016 Salsa Deadwood 2017 Salsa Fargo 2018 Salsa Fargo Ti Frameset 2018 Salsa Journeyman 2016 Salsa Marrakesh 2017 Salsa Marrakesh 2018 Salsa Marrakesh 2020 Salsa Marrakesh 2017 Salsa Vaya 2019 Salsa Warbird 2016 Specialized AWOL 2017 Specialized AWOL 2017 Specialized Diverge 2018 Specialized Diverge 2019 Specialized Diverge 2017 Specialized Sequoia 2018 Specialized Sequoia 2019 Specialized Sequoia 2018 Surly Bridge Club 2017 Surly Troll 2016 Traitor Wander 2019 Trek 520 2016 Trek 920, 720, 520 & CrossRip 2017 Trek CrossRip 2018 Trek 920 2018 Trek 1120

• trek crossrip

Hi Alee. I just got the 920 on Friday and took it riding on the weekend!

It had about 15 kgs on it, about 75% rear loaded (until the front panniers arrive; also to give the rear wheel a bit of settling in before I head on a bigger trip). At first I thought it was not handling too good with the weight, but then I got the rear panniers forward and the weight properly L/R balanced …amazing difference 🙂 I’m new to this.

I did about 60 kms on tarmac undulating country roads around Tatong and then I’m not sure maybe about 60kms without much load (~7kg on rear) on state park clay road, gravel track, and variously more difficult track. I had lots of fun finding the boundaries (mainly mine), not being used to that type of bike or tyres. It felt well behaved and definitely good for a bit of fun with my limited off road experience. As I practiced picking lines and committing, ignoring obstacles etc, my confidence in what the bike was doing was rewarded.

I was running Schwalbe Marathons, as recommended elsewhere in your blog (pumped hard on the tarmac, soft off). The hums along the tarmac and tracks straight.

Really happy with the choice…found some things for me to learn about riding with weight and off sealed roads, got my body worn out in the sun, dust and hills, had heaps if fun. Successful foray into trekking with panniers 🙂

Sounds like you’ve made a great choice!

Hey Alee Given the 720 is cheaper than the crossrip at my local dealer? Which one would be the better option? I’ve more or less settled on the 720 since it to me looks lighter and with better specs. 🙂

They really are almost identical in spec and geometry. Go with the 720 if you like that better!

I had the Trek 728 back in 1982 and it was perfect. Unfortunately, I sold it in 1986. I am getting ready for a TransAmerican Bike Trail 4,000 mile trip. Which TREK is the right one for this kind of trip with four panniers all around? The 520? What year?

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Trek CrossRip 1 review

Does this Trek rip it up and start again?

Immediate Media

Simon Withers

Tough, practical and comfortable with well-considered kit

Not that light, and the gearing won’t suit big-time adventurers

Trek flags its CrossRip range as for ‘workday commute to weekend adventure’, a machine for ‘any surface, any weather, any ride’. Yikes, that’s quite a lot to live up to. We tested the least expensive in the three-bike range, the CrossRip 1 with Sora shifters and mechanical disc brakes. If you’ve got the cash to splash, the range is topped by the £1650 (approx. US$2050, AU$2790) CrossRip 3, complete with Shimano 105 and hydraulic discs.

• What's the best bike for cycle commuting?
• Best touring bike: how to choose the right one for you

The geometry is typically touring-/commuting-/gravel-friendly, with even the smallest model having a wheelbase well over a metre long, and much shallower head-tube angles than a typical road bike, all of which serves to slow down the handling. And though the top-tube is longer than some rival machines, the result is still a reasonably upright and back-friendly ride.

At first glance the gearing looks like a typical compact chainset with a wide-ranging 11-32 cassette, but the chainset is actually a 48/32. The result is an interesting and practical gearing choice one for a generally urban-focused machine, and is well suited to day-to-day riding and commuting.

You might be reaching for lower gears if you’re thinking of selling up and riding around the world, but for most topography it’s more than adequate.

The tyres, too, should prove fine for most of the riding this bike is likely to encounter. The 32mm width of the Bontrager H5 all-rounders offers a good balance of comfort and protection without adding too much weight. They’re fine for poor tarmac, mixed surfaces and forays on to dirt and gravel, and Trek has also gone down the tubeless-ready rim route.

One feature that we really appreciate on the Trek, and something we think more commuter bikes should have, is its cross-top – or ‘in-line’ – brake levers. These are designed to work with a traditional drop bar, giving you a secondary braking position riding on the tops.

Unlike those spindly 1970s’ style ‘suicide levers’ these actually work, giving you the same amount of braking power as the levers on the drops. The narrower handhold means they’re not ideal for high-speed braking, and there are real estate implications on fitting lights, GPS and computers, but these are great for any riding that’s not heads-down, heart-pumping hard, particularly in city streets.

The rest of the Trek’s kit is pretty similar to other rival bikes at this price point. Shimano’s 9-speed Sora does its usual solid no-nonsense job, even if it lacks the smoothness of Shimano’s 10- and 11-speed offerings. The brakes are TRP Spyres, which offer plenty of power and control whatever the weather, and are some of the best non-hydraulic stoppers out there.

If your riding doesn’t encompass anything competitive and you’re not looking for an expedition-type tourer, Trek’s CrossRip bikes could be your friend.

The CrossRip 1 is snappy enough for urban riding, and tough enough and comfortable enough for longer, more adventurous rides. It has fittings for racks and guards – and bags of clearance – and those extra brake levers come into their own in urban environments.

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Trek CrossRip Elite review

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Trek CrossRip

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Words Derri Dunn | Photos Daniel Gould

Until its 2013 models were unveiled, American cycle behemoth Trek offered a dizzying array of commuter vehicles: dozens of bike types, from brash urban fixies to basketed shoppers. Yet, conspicuously, it hadn’t yet produced anything to fill one of the most successful iterations of the all-purpose bike to emerge in recent years: the drop-bar, disc-braked, multi-terrain machine.

That all changed last year when Trek’s UK arm chose to slim and streamline its range. Gone were the Dutch-style bikes, the singlespeeds and the electric cycles; in came the all-purpose CrossRip.

Although there’s a nod to its cyclo-cross roots in the bike’s name, Trek makes few bones about this being a much more everyday vehicle than a race bike. After all, it has two specialist cyclo-cross ranges already, the Cronus and the Ion. The CrossRip is less about racing and more about real life — one bike to do it all.

All-purpose primed

There’s certainly plenty to recommend it for a variety of purposes. The fork and rear stays bear the full complement of drillings to accept any combination of mudguards and luggage racks, and the clearances are massive around the tyres to make sure it’ll accommodate your chosen rack-fender set-up.

Ridden ‘naked’, it’ll take 29x1.8in mountain bike tyres, Trek says, so you could turn it into a fairly capable mud-plugger too, if that’s more your thing. With skinnier rubber and a heavy-duty rack, it could work nicely as a tackle-anything, round-the-world touring machine, particularly as it has mechanical disc brakes for ultimate reassurance descending rough, mountainous roads with luggage piled up.

In fact, the brakes are just one part of the bike that demonstrates pleasing attention to detail: the front one is a common 160mm size, but at the back, where frankly you don’t need as much stopping power, the rotor is a mere 140mm. The Hayes CX is an unusual choice — compared to the more frequently specced Avid BB5 and BB7 road brakes — but they are neither twangy nor feeble in use on road or over rougher surfaces.

So the CrossRip feels adventure-ready, but if the ride to work is as wild as you get, it’s just as well prepped for you. Tellingly, the wheel skewers are Allen key bolt-type, rather than quick-release, providing much better theft protection. The dull grey paintwork is another nod to urban intentions, blending into the metropolis in an understated way. Less so the pretty anodised blue trim on ferrules and skewers, though, which always give a really trick finish and expensive sheen to any bike.

Gearing on the CrossRip is Shimano’s new iteration of Sora, now with sensible STI levers instead of the thumb paddles of old. It’ll never have the finesse of the more expensive gearsets in this series — Tiagra and 105 — but it’s a perfectly functional nine-speed set-up. That said, on a £950 bike, this groupset seems a tad stingy. Sora is used because, we’d guess, the budget has been chewed up elsewhere, notably by the provision of internal cable routing. Unlike the anodised blue trimmings, this is not just about looks — it’s the ultimate protection for the cable inners, particularly on a machine like this, which might see some mucky trails.

Largin’ it

On our first outing on the CrossRip, the first thing we noticed was how large it felt and looked. Our test bike was the smallest size — 50cm — despite a pretty short little stem, yet for our 5ft 6in rider the CrossRip appeared both long and broad. A wide set of bars with padding below the tape are part of this beefy illusion, as are the 700x32c tyres, of course, but it’s also a long bike, which you can feel in its stability once rolling.

The ride isn’t especially cosseting or refined, but nor is it clattering or agricultural. The CrossRip feels like it is just getting on with the job of steamrollering you over the rough and smooth in a no-nonsense manner. There’s some sensation of road-drag as you pull away, which a smoother set of tyres would improve immeasurably — well worth it if you ride mostly on tarmac.

If you never tackle rough stuff, the CrossRip is more durability than you need. On the same budget, you could find a lighter, nippier road bike with a posher groupset that would meet your requirements. But if you have that niggling feeling that one day you might want to venture down the path less travelled or perhaps take that six-month two-wheeled jaunt overland to Mongolia, this multi-purpose steed feeds into those aspirations very nicely, while still being perfectly at home as your everyday ride.

Specification

Trek CrossRip £950

Frameset 100 Series Alpha aluminium

Gears Shimano Sora

Chainset FSA Vero 50/34t

Brakes Hayes CX5 mechanical disc

Wheels Bontrager Nebula rims, Formula hubs

Tyres Bontrager H5 Hardcase Ultimate, 700x32c

Bar/stem Bontrager Race Lite/SSR

Saddle Bontrager Evoke 1

Seatpost Bontrager SSR

Size range 50, 54, 56, 58, 61cm

Weight 10.89kg

www.trek.com

Alternative

Kona Jake £1199

For years, the Kona Jake was almost peerless as the entry-level cyclo-cross bike of choice. Nevertheless, to keep up with current trends for disc brakes and all-round use, the 2013 model has received some pretty major upgrades. Most noticeable are those rather beautiful Tektro Lyra 140mm disc brakes. We think they look lovely, but sadly, in our experience, the Lyras can be a pig to set up and maintain. The Tiagra groupset is a small upgrade from the CrossRip’s Sora, but at £250 more, the Jake requires a chunk more budget.

www.konaworld.com

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Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away , following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed. 

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The Trek CrossRip LTD is a cyclocross/commuter bike with an aluminum 100 Series Alpha frame. The frame comes in Ball  Burnished or Gloss  Trek  Black.

Originally released in 2014, there are 3 versions of this bike. Due to the frame materials and other factors, we estimate that this bike weighs around 30 pounds. The CrossRip LTD is fully rigid.

The CrossRip LTD comes with Shimano components, including a Bontrager stem, a sealed Cartridge headset and Shimano shifters.

The CrossRip LTD has 10 speeds and has SRAM rear cogs and a Shimano derailleur.

It comes with Bontrager H5 Hard-Case tires (622mm x 32mm) and aluminum, disc Bontrager rims.

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

• Rider Notes

2016 Trek CrossRip Comp

A 700c aluminum frame commuter bike with mid-range components and mechanical disc brakes. Compare the full range

For This Bike

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A bike with lower gearing will be easier to ride up steep hills, while a higher top end means it will pedal faster down hills.

CrossRip Comp

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Do you have this bike? Help other riders make a decision about which size will work for them by sharing your own size and fit notes. Report your fit

Dec 2016 · Simon Withers

Well-thought-out machine for everyday riding, rough stuff, fitness and leisure riding. Buy if you’re looking for a commuter-cum-weekend away all-rounder

Tough, practical and comfortable with well-considered kit

Not that light, and the gearing won’t suit big-time adventurers

Read Review

Sep 2013 · Nigel Wynn

Less cyclo-cross, more crossing genres is the theme embodied in Trek’s newest all-rounder — despite the off-road racing hinted at in the name

Apr 2013 · Dave Atkinson

Well put together, comfortable commu-tourer with solid spec and excellent brakes

Last updated June 29 Not listed for 2,477 days

• Trek CrossRip LTD 2016

155cm - 163cm

161cm - 169cm

166cm - 175cm

172cm - 181cm

178cm - 186cm

183cm - 191cm

Bike summary

Bike components.

100 Series Alpha Aluminum w/rack & fender mounts, internal cable routing, inboard disc brake mounts

Suspension Fork

Bontrager Satellite Plus, carbon disc w/lowrider mounts

Rear Derailleur

Shimano 105

Front Derailleur

Shift levers.

Shimano 105, 10 speed

SRAM PG 1050, 11-32, 10 speed

Shimano Tiagra, 50/34 (compact)

Wellgo track-style alloy

Bontrager alloy front hub, Bontrager rear hub, Bontrager Tubeless Ready rims

Bontrager H5 Hard-Case Ultimate, 700x32c

TRP HY/RD cable/hydro disc brakes, Tektro alloy levers

Bontrager Elite, 31.8mm, 7 degree, comes w/computer & light mounts

Bontrager Race Lite IsoZone, VR-CF, 31.8mm

Cartridge bearings, sealed

Bontrager Evoke 1.5

Bontrager SSR, 2-bolt head, 27.2mm, 12mm offset

Bike geometry

About this model.

CrossRip LTD belongs to the Trek Crossrip model. Trek released 21 bikes variations of this model so far. You can get a glimpse at all models from 2016 , by clicking on this link .

Make sure you wear a helmet on every ride, and that your bike performs well. In short, this means checking the tires, brakes, and chain to make sure everything is in good working order.

Commuter bikes average price

Our math shows that the average cost of a dependable Commuter bike is 762 $ . However, paying less money than this amount doesn’t mean that you couldn’t get a great Commuter bike. In conclusion, always check bike reviews and their components before making a purchase to make sure you don’t overpay.

Internal Cable Routing

This bike has an internal cable routing. As a result, this helps to preserve the bike’s cables. No more cables around your bike.

Overview of components

Fork material.

CrossRip LTD has a carbon fork, so, it won’t add up to much weight to your bike. However, the price you have to pay for a carbon fork is considerably higher.

When it comes to wheels, the CrossRip LTD bike is equipped with the 700c aluminum model. These wheels are the most used kind for road bikes in general. However, these wheels don’t perform so well when passing over obstacles.

For your safety, it is important to have quality breaks on your bike. Trek CrossRip LTD has Hydraulic Disc brakes installed. With Hydraulic Disc brakes, you’ll be able to stop on a dime, even in wet or icy conditions. To sum up, you can ride your bike with confidence.

There are 6 sizes available for this model. Rider height can be anywhere between 155 cm – 191 cm (5.09 ft – 6.27 ft) . In conclusion, you won’t have a problem finding one that suits you.

Trek Crossrip models from 2018

Trek crossrip models from 2017, trek crossrip models from 2016, trek crossrip models from 2015, trek crossrip models from 2014, trek crossrip models from 2013.

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13 Things To Do In Saint Petersburg | Russia’s Most Beautiful City

By Author Christian L.

Posted on Published: January 17, 2021  - Last updated: September 11, 2021

Categories Europe , Destinations , Russia

Once known as Leningrad and before that Petrograd, Saint Petersburg, Russia, is the country’s second-largest city. Set next to the Neva River, close to the Baltic Sea, this city is home to over 5 million people.

It’s the world’s northernmost city, founded by Peter the Great and named after Saint Peter the apostle. Once home to the Tsars of Russia, it is today known as the country’s cultural capital.

With iconic sights such as Hermitage Museum, Nevsky Prospect, Peterhof Palace, and so much more, it has a fascinating heritage ripe for exploration. Without further ado, let’s dive into the 13 best things to do in St. Petersburg. 

Top Things to do in St. Petersburg, Russia

St. Petersburg, Europe, has grown into one of the top tourist destinations on the continent. Although it might get very cold in winter, there are still plenty of things to do – and the summers are absolutely perfect! Saint Petersburg is one of the prettiest cities in all of Europe .

Keep reading for some of my favorite choices. 

1. Visit The World Famous Hermitage Museum

One of the city’s most popular attractions (with over 3 million items in its esteemed collection), State Hermitage Museum showcases everything from fine art to ancient artifacts. 

Even if you don’t plan on entering inside, the exterior is an architectural gem in itself. The columns are all in white with green/gold facades that can be viewed from the river or Palace Square.

If you’re visiting St. Petersburg, Russia, your trip would not be complete without stopping past this world-famous landmark. It’s also a great activity to do no matter what time of year you are visiting – and a perfect way to escape those cold Russian winter days. 

There are six buildings in the museum complex in total. Five of which – Winter Palace, Small Hermitage, Old Hermitage, New Hermitage, and Hermitage Theatre – can be accessed by the public.

Within, you’ll be treated to Egyptian collections, artifacts dating from ancient Mesopotamia, and classical Greek jewelry, pottery, and sculptures. This is any historical culture lover’s dream. 

Keep exploring, and you will find collections of prehistoric relics from the Palaeolithic era to the Iron Ages, European fine arts, Impressionist works, Catherine the Great’s personal collections, and so much more.

In fact, you’ll need an entire day or possibly longer to explore this incredible museum complex. If you only have limited time in St. Petersburg, be sure to add this museum to your itinerary! There are also guided tours available if you want a more educational experience. 

Did you know? The Hermitage Museum is the world’s second-largest art museum.

2. Take in a Performance at Mariinsky Theatre

The Neoclassical Mariinsky Theatre is home to Russia’s revered opera and ballet companies.

The theatre – named after the wife of Tsar Alexandra II, Empress Maria Alexandrovna – has been here since 1860 when it was known as the Kirov Theatre.

This magnificent building, since it opened, has hosted stage performances and premieres from Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky and famous ballets such as Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. 

Today, in addition to hosting live performances, the theatre has its own record label, which focuses on releasing music by Russian composers Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninov.

If you enjoy the arts and are going to be in St. Petersburg for several days, book tickets to see a world-class performance – you won’t be disappointed.

3. See Jewelled Eggs at the Faberge Museum

The House of Faberge was founded in St. Petersburg in 1842 by Gustav Faberge. Originally a jeweler, he became famous for designing jewel-encrusted eggs for the Tsars of Russia and is arguably the most famous goldsmith of the modern era. 

Today, you can view these iconic collection pieces in the Faberge Museum. It showcases 4,000 items in total, including Faberge Easter eggs, jewelry, silverware, home decor, and fantasy-themed objects.

The incredible jeweled eggs are famous all over the world, and there are several museums dedicated to them. But if you want to learn about Gustav Faberge, his family, and how it all began, this is the museum to visit. You can purchase a ticket in person or online. 

4. Spend an Hour Canal Cruising

St. Petersburg is built on 42 islands, and once upon a time (before bridges were constructed), cruising was the only way to navigate the city.

On a Golden Ring boat tour, you’ll see some of St. Petersburg’s iconic sights along the Kryukov Canal, including St. Nicholas Cathedral, Saint Isaac’s Cathedral, and the Mariinsky theatre.

You’ll dip beneath the famous colored bridges on Neva River whilst enjoying views of Peter and Paul Fortress, Vasilyevsky Island, and the Summer Garden. This is truly one of the most breathtaking ways to take in all the beauty that St. Petersburg has to offer. 

This tour also only takes around an hour, so you’ll have plenty of time to revisit your favorite spots throughout the day!

5. Discover Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood

One of St. Petersburg’s architectural masterpieces is the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood.

This former Russian Orthodox Church was completed in 1907 and is built in Baroque, Neoclassical, and Russian Revival design. It is one of the city’s main attractions, with ornate domes, intricate frescoes, and 7,500 square meters of mosaics inside. 

If you don’t wish to enter, you can gain incredible views from Griboedov Canal. But if you do venture inside, you’ll be rewarded with interior frescoes and mosaic works depicting biblical scenes and figures created by celebrated Russian artists of the time.

The Church of the Saviour of Blood is built on the spot where Emperor Alexander 2 was assassinated in 1881 – hence the name. So, not only will you be able to appreciate the fine architectural designs, but also explore an important part of Russian history. 

6. Take a Rooftop Walk-in St. Petersburg

If you have viewed the city from canals and rivers, try it from the rooftops! You can take a guided rooftop walk in the city, seeing streets and skylines from an elevated perspective.

One particular tour to highlight is the Official Rooftops Excursion of St. Petersburg. Just a few minutes from Nevsky Prospect, these sites offer vistas of Fontanka River and Trinity Cathedral – and that’s just the first roof.

The second roof boasts views of St. Petersburg’s old center, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Kazan Cathedral, and the Church on Spilled Blood.

This is a truly incredible way to see the city in all its glory, plus the tour provides you with binoculars so you can see everything in great detail.

7. Admire Nevsky Prospect’s Magnificent Architecture

The main street of St. Petersburg is Nevsky Prospect. Begin at the intersection at Stroganov Palace before venturing to Kazan Cathedral. While you walk, take in the monuments dedicated to Catherine the Great and browse goods at The Passage – Nevsky Avenue’s premier department store.

This store was quite the trailblazer. It opened its doors in the late 1840s and was one of the first buildings in Russia to use gas for lighting. Then, in 1900, an electric station was installed on an underground floor.

Once you’ve finished shopping and enjoyed a fresh cup of coffee, continue to the Russian National Library – the oldest public library in Russia – and Alexandrinsky Theatre (which was built for the Imperial troupe of Petersburg).

8. Visit the Island of Peter and Paul Fortress

Set on an island connected by bridges, Peter and Paul Fortress is instantly recognizable from its needle spire, which dominates the skyline. The fortress was originally built to defend the maritime city from Swedish invaders.

However, Peter the Great defeated the opposition before it was even completed! It has since served as a military center and prison for political dissenters and, latterly, as a museum.

Inside the vast complex, you can see Peter and Paul Cathedral, visit the resting place of the Romanovs, and watch military processions or the firing of the noon-day gun.

It’s a great day trip for anyone interested in Russian, maritime or military history. There are also plenty of group walking tours available. 

9. Sample Russian Vodka in a Ryumochnye

A visit to Russia wouldn’t be complete without sampling the local drink – vodka, and the best place to do this is in a Ryumochnye. This is a specific style of 19th-century Russian drinking house that not only offers some of Russia’s best vodka but also a short history lesson.

You could call it a bar, but it’s more than that – most mainstream Ryumochnye have a definite Soviet vibe and are places for working men to kick back and enjoy vodka with their buddies.

Beverages come in bottles or shot form, and some places offer self-service and snacks.

If that sounds too hardcore for your taste, there are updated versions of Ryumochnye in the city, like Mayak in St. Petersburg, where you can gain a similar experience. 

10. Enjoy local Saint Petersburg Craft Beer

Although most people think of vodka when visiting Russia, you can also enjoy some of the best craft beer in Saint Petersburg . Russia’s second-largest city has an exciting, rapidly growing craft beer scene, in part due to its history and geography.

Historically, the Russian empire was influenced by Northern Europe, and the Dutch & English beer-drinking culture eventually made its way here. Today, Saint Petersburg is home to a growing number of modern microbreweries, cool taprooms, and stylish bars.

Saint Petersburg is also home to Stepan Razin Brewery, the oldest brewery in Russia (now, of course, owned by Heiniken). It opened in 1795, but today the building is known as the Saint Petersburg Beer Museum, showcasing the history of beer in Russia and the Soviet Union.

Russia’s largest and most popular brewery, Baltika, is also located in Saint Petersburg, and it’s possible to take a tour of their huge brewery.

11. See the Majestic Catherine Palace

A stately palace of blue and gold, Catherine’s Palace is located 26 kilometers south of St. Petersburg. Named after the wife of Peter the Great, this place was originally a two-story modest building commissioned in 1717.

The exterior, which stretches for one kilometer in circumference, is surrounded by woodlands, lawns, gilded balconies, and reliefs. However, the interiors are even more impressive.

With great halls, a white dining room, an amber room, and more. It’s the perfect place to step back into history and discover what life was like as a Russian aristocracy.

12. Explore Peterhof Palace

If you’re going to visit Catherine Palace, you should tour Peterhof too. It’s a 40-minute drive away, but you can even take a hydrofoil speed boat from right behind the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg center.

Sitting close to the Baltic Sea, Peterhof Palace was constructed by Peter the Great to be Russia’s version of Versailles. The opulent residence surrounded by sculptures, fountains, and tiered staircases leading to the grand entrance evokes mystery and the history of a bygone era.

Inside it is lavishly decorated with dazzling chandeliers, one-of-a-kind artworks and beautiful ceiling frescoes.

On a guided tour, you can learn more about the palace’s history. Discover the Throne Room, Portrait Hall and Peter the Great’s Oak Study. You’ll see dining rooms set for dinner, grand ballrooms where dancing and gatherings would take place, and décor which defies time.

The palace offers great insight into his life and legacy, and if you are interested in history, art and interior design, you’ll love it.

Want to know more about Peterhof?

13. Spend a Day by the Finnish Border at Vyborg

Just over an hour from central Saint Petersburg by train is the city of Vyborg. It sits on the Gulf of Finland and was first settled back in the 12th century. The city has been occupied by Finnish and German forces and suffered extensive damage during the Second World War. However, it has since been rebuilt. 

It’s a charming center to wander around, with narrow cobbled streets, a medieval castle, and Finnish art nouveau structures sprinkled throughout. An easy day trip from St. Petersburg, it can also serve as a stop-off point if you’re crossing into Finland to continue your adventure.

Want to know more about Saint Petersburg?

Where is St. Petersburg | Is St. Petersburg in Europe?

If you want to know “Where is Saint Petersburg?”, you’ve come to the right place. Beautiful St. Petersburg is located in northern Russia. Russia is a massive country, so it is no surprise that many people want to know “Is Saint Petersburg in Europe?”. The answer is yes. 

How to Get to Saint Petersburg

The maritime city is well linked to Europe by air, sea, rail and road. Depending on where you’re traveling from and the rest of your itinerary, you can use one of the following ways to arrive at St. Petersburg.

You can fly into Saint Petersburg through Pulkovo International Airport. There are around 1,100 international flights a week and 1,200 domestic flights operating in and out of the local airport.

Although many flights from European cities to Saint Petersburg are direct, you may have to change flights if flying from further afield.

It’s also possible to travel to St. Petersburg by train. The most popular (and most frequent) routes operate from Moscow, Helsinki, and Tallinn. However, there are options to travel from other areas in central Europe, central Asia, and eastern Europe by rail.

There is a central bus station in Saint Petersburg, with services to and from Moscow, Pskov, Novgorod, Vilnius, Riga , Tallinn and Helsinki. Some of these journeys can be long and arduous.

Therefore, thorough research and choosing the right bus company is important.

Baltic Sea Cruises also operate to St. Petersburg as part of a larger itinerary, and St. Peter Line Ferry sails from Helsinki in Finland and Tallinn in Estonia.

Exploring Saint Petersburg, Russia

Saint Petersburg is the 5th most populous city in Europe and also a leading tourist destination. Although people sometimes forget about Russia, this city is breathtakingly beautiful and provides plenty of cultural and historical attractions.

Now that you know where to go, I hope you have an amazing time in Russia’s most beautiful city.

Friday 19th of January 2018

Thank you! So great review about our St. Petersburg!

What to do in St. Petersburg in 1 day - Probe around the Globe

Thursday 11th of May 2017

[…] more about the beauty of St. Petersburg from the Unusual […]

Friday 17th of June 2016

Which hostel did you stay at? I am potentially thinking of going to Russia for World Cup 2018 after my World Cup trip to Brazil two years ago. Saint Petersburg is one of the host cities, and so I am very interested in learning more about this city and recommendations from fellow travellers who have been.

Christian L.

I stayed at Soul Kitchen Junior, and I will go so far and say its by far the best hostel I have ever stayed at!! Anywhere in the world, no other hostels even get close to it:)

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Story of cities #8: St Petersburg – is the 'city built on bones' starting to crumble?

Built on a swamp at the cost of thousands of lives, Peter the Great’s ‘antidote to Moscow’ has survived uprisings, sieges and floods to become Europe’s third largest city. But is history now catching up with St Petersburg?

On 16 May 1703, while looking over sparse marshlands near the mouth of the Baltic Sea that he had taken from the Swedes, Tsar Peter the Great cut two strips of turf from Hare’s Island on the Neva river, laid them in a cross and declared: “Let there be a city here.” As he spoke, an eagle appeared overhead in an auspicious omen.

Or at least that’s the myth of St Petersburg’s founding. In reality, Peter the Great wasn’t even there, and most likely neither was the eagle. It was a group of soldiers under the command of his friend, General Alexander Menshikov, who began building what would become the Peter and Paul Fortress on Hare’s Island in May 1703. The tsar only arrived the following month.

But although untrue, this myth perfectly encapsulates the origins of St Petersburg. Built on an inhospitable swamp at the cost of thousands of lives, it was brought into being through the iron will of Peter, who needed a warm-water port and a fortress against the Swedes. Moreover, it was to be his “window to Europe”: a new capital where Peter’s western-inspired reforms of the military, bureaucracy and national culture would take hold.

St Petersburg survived its adverse beginnings and then a revolution, a catastrophic siege in the second world war and seven decades of communist rule, to become the third largest city in Europe. Now, however, it faces the twin challenge of preserving its past while solving quality-of-life problems to ensure its future.

“It’s the classic question of how to preserve and develop at the same time,” says Svyatoslav Murunov, an urbanist based in the city. “The historic centre of St Petersburg is mummified. It’s not developing and it’s even deteriorating; it has viruses like commercial advertising and high-rise construction that ruin the view.”

The establishment of St Petersburg is a story that has been both celebrated and deplored in Russia, with history books trumpeting the achievement while authors lament its unnatural and bloody creation. Fyodor Dostoyevsky called it the “most abstract and premeditated city in the whole world”, and national poet Alexander Pushkin both eulogised and condemned it in his famous work The Bronze Horseman , which describes the disastrous flood of 1824 and the bronze statue of Peter that stands on Senate Square.

Starting with the construction of the Peter and Paul Fortress, Peter dragooned thousands of conscripts, convicts and prisoners of war to erect the city from scratch in a place where snow can fall as early as September and as late as May. Tree trunks had to be sunk into the swampy ground before it could support structures.

Living in ramshackle quarters and working with inadequate tools – often digging by hand and carrying the dirt in the front of their shirts – these involuntary labourers died in their thousands, carried off by disease or frequent flooding. As a result, St Petersburg became known as the “city built on bones”.

Antidote to the chaos of Moscow

Peter had got the idea for his reforms and his new capital during his travels through Europe, when he worked for a time in a shipbuilding yard in Amsterdam. Wanting his new city to be similarly based around the sea, he initially forbade bridges, even though a variety of officials and even his own physician died while navigating the treacherous Neva in small boats.

The city plan was based on Amsterdam’s, with straight prospects radiating outward from a centre – in this case, the Admiralty shipyard – and criss-crossed by canals. Peter’s system of artificial canals on Vasilyevsky Island silted up and were eventually made into roads, but the numerous channels on the southern side of the Neva became major aquatic arteries after the city centre was moved there. These canals, now hemmed in by stone embankments, have given the city its nickname: “the Venice of the North”.

Seeking an antidote to Moscow’s chaotic, organic construction, Peter laid down three main rules for his fledgling city: buildings must be constructed next to each other with their faces along a “red line”; streets must be straight, not curved; and everything must be built of stone.

Foreign architects including the German Andreas Schlüter and the Swiss Italian Domenico Trezzini were instrumental in developing the city’s layout, and its distinctively grandiose “Petrine Baroque” architecture. It is this style of building, with its white columns, arched windows and pastel-coloured walls (typically begrimed by the harsh climate) that gives the city much of its atmosphere of picturesque decay.

“[Peter’s] main task was to make Petersburg a real city, because Russian cities at that point where just a pile of buildings, naturally grown,” says the architect Daniyar Yusupov. “Schlüter made a grid city so that a courtyard was within each building – except that there were cows, sheds and other very non-urban things in the courtyards at that time.”

Just as the northern city’s dark and dismal winters give way to its glorious White Nights , when daylight is interrupted by only few hours of twilight, those difficult early days gave way to a flowering of a new state and cultural institutions. In 1712, Peter officially moved Russia’s capital to St Petersburg, and the country’s great aristocratic families soon followed with their own palaces – especially after the emperor banned building in stone everywhere but there.

Perhaps no building better represented the extravagant lifestyles of the new capital and its western-inspired cultural boom than the palace of Russia’s richest family , the Sheremetevs, which is locally known as the Fountain House. Built in the 1740s with a baroque yellow-and-white facade, the inside of the mansion was adorned with European furnishings and works by artists including Raphael, Van Dyck and Rembrandt.

It became a centre of high society, hosting lavish dinners and balls, not to mention concerts, plays and operas performed by the Sheremetevs’ serfs (bonded peasants). The family trained hundreds of them as artists, craftsmen and performers each year, and its theatrical troupe was the foremost in the nation.

Alongside the luxury of the imperial court and nobles’ palaces, however, the working classes laboured in poverty – a situation that spiralled out of control around the turn of the 20th century, as industrialisation drew ever more peasants to the capital to work in factories. This time also saw the appearance of the narrow, oddly shaped “well courtyards” that St Petersburg is famous for, as developers tried to squeeze in low-income apartments behind more expensive street-view flats.

According to Alexander Karpov, an urban planning expert and advisor to the St Petersburg legislature, the “urban planning mistake” of chaotic new construction was a direct cause of the October Revolution in 1917 , when Bolshevik forces captured the Winter Palace and established the world’s first socialist state. “The city couldn’t create conditions of life for the huge crowd of people, and they weren’t able to adapt socially or economically,” Karpov says. “These people made up the critical mass that then exploded.”

Urban planning mistakes continue to plague the city to this day, albeit with less momentous consequences. During the Soviet era, the main change to the city’s landscape, as in most parts of the USSR, was the widespread construction of “micro-districts” : huge standardised blocks of identical flats for 10,000-20,000 people constructed around vital infrastructure, penetrated only by small service roads.

As a result, most residents live in a vast band of “sleeper” neighbourhoods and have to travel through the “grey zone” of under-utilised factories to reach their jobs in the centre, leading to congestion in the underground and on the streets. St Petersburg once had more than 400 miles of tram lines , the largest such network in the world – but many of these have been torn up since the Soviet breakup.

“The density and connectivity of the street network needs to be raised, not in the centre but in the manufacturing belt,” says Karpov. “They’re building the underground very slowly; it’s an embarrassing tempo. Lines for buses, trolleybus and trams would be simpler, but these aren’t being built.”

Meanwhile, the downtown has its own problems, even though the entire historic centre is a Unesco world heritage site . According to the architectural preservation group Lively City, 10 to 15 historic buildings are lost each year, ruined in bad-faith renovations or simply torn down to make way for new-builds. Although St Petersburg passed a law in 2009 protecting “objects of cultural heritage” in the centre, owners can get around this and tear down buildings if they can prove them to be hazardous.

“Buildings are sometimes saved but often it’s a long war, unfortunately,” says Natalya Sivokhina, a Lively City activist. “We protect a building but then they try again to destroy it, or they disfigure it. When we achieve something, usually some business or lobby or interested officials are involved, and it’s hard to get a final victory.”

The authorities have even been found to be complicit in prohibited demolitions. In February, a district court ruled that the city’s preservation committee illegally allowed an investor to tear down the top floor and one wing of an 18th-century mansion on Glinka Street last year, planning to make it into a hotel. The building was once the home of the great admiral Nikolai Mordvinov and is protected as a monument of regional significance.

But the bete noir of local activists is the Lakhta Centre , a new headquarters for the state gas champion Gazprom that is planned to be the tallest building in Europe upon completion in 2018 – in a city with no other skyscrapers. Originally located directly across the Neva river from the governor’s office, the project was moved to the north-west outskirts after a public outcry .

Many activists still see this as a defeat, since the Gazprom tower will nonetheless alter the skyline that is visible from the promenades that line every river and canal. The “panorama” is greatly treasured in St Petersburg: the city’s layout, in both the imperial- and Soviet-era districts, includes many astoundingly long lines of sight. Standing on the highway at Pulkovo airport on the southern edge of the city, it is possible to see the spire of the cathedral in the Peter and Paul Fortress, more than 10 miles away.

“The whole city is built on these themes,” Karpov says. “It’s one of the ways to reflect the imperial concept … The greatness was visible in this concept, in these great orientation points. And this is very deeply rooted. It’s what makes up the genetic code of the city.”

According to local historian and author Lev Lurye, St Petersburg has more than 15,000 buildings that date back before 1914 – and most of them need to be renovated. A city programme to do repair work has moved agonisingly slowly, and flats in historic buildings generally sell for less due to their poor condition. “For sale” and “for rent” signs can often be spotted in windows even on Nevsky Prospect, the city’s main street.

“The factor of capitalisation is not right,” Yusupov says. “They can sell for lots of money just because it’s the city centre – but the quality and social infrastructure don’t match up.”

A smattering of projects have sprung up in recent years to utilise the many empty palaces, merchant houses and other structures downtown. Oligarch and Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich is bankrolling the ambitious redevelopment of New Holland , an island in the centre that currently holds brick naval facilities from the 18th century.

Other entrepreneurs have taken a more low-budget approach, starting cultural centres in old buildings such as the former Smolny bread factory, which now holds Loft Project Etagi : a makeshift honeycomb of gallery space, cafes, hipster stores and a hostel. Taking advantage of a cheap 11-month rental agreement and doing all repairs themselves, the administrators of Taiga Creative Space have transformed a mansion built in 1730 on the Neva embankment into office and retail space for creative-minded businesses, including a second-hand guitar store and a screenprinting studio. Coordinator Daria Kachavina says that many other languishing buildings could be put to similar use, were it not for the reluctance of property owners to rent for less than the market price.

“[Historic buildings] are empty because landlords have gotten used to certain standards. They can’t expand their horizons and think maybe they could rent cheaply to artistic people and then five years later give it to mid-level businesses,” she says.

Besides preserving its historic architecture, St Petersburg has also been slow to improve quality of life, and a controversial plan to reconstruct the city centre was recently cancelled. Lurye says that rather than a grandiose plan, the city simply needs more parks, more public transport and fewer fences between its intricate network of courtyards to encourage more foot traffic.

“The main problem of downtown is an absence of green space,” he says. “We are the least green city in Europe, among the big cities.”

One positive side-effect of the Gazprom tower protests was that they catalysed the formation of a civil society and residents’ involvement in urban planning politics. The ruling United Russia party, which dominates lawmaking bodies in most other regions, has only 20 out of 50 seats in the St Petersburg parliament, meaning the local government is more receptive to residents than in other places.

“We are number one in civil society activity, in terms of projects that are copied in other Russian cities, and these are volunteer projects,” says Krasimir Vransky, founder of the Beautiful Petersburg website and mobile app, which allows residents to file complaints to the city over local problems. Started after Vransky successfully complained about a store illegally selling alcohol in his courtyard, he says the group has solved 30,000 local problems and has now branched out into urban planning research.

Another activist group working to adapt the city for modern living is Velosipedizatsia (“bicyclisation”), which aims to reduce traffic gridlock and crowding on public transport by promoting bicycles – still a relatively infrequent sight on St Petersburg’s high granite sidewalks. Thanks to the group’s lobbying and promotional efforts, the city plans to create more than 20 miles of bicycle routes this year; the first three of 16 planned routes .

For Olga Mnishko, a coordinator at Velosipedizatsia, urban innovations such as bike paths are critical if St Petersburg’s population is to continue to grow and thrive amid Russia’s economic recession. “In Russia this isn’t understood, because in Russia there are two cities that are important: Moscow and St Petersburg,” she says.

“But in the future, I think there will be many cool cities, and if St Petersburg continues to just be a city-museum, no one will come here to live. The city was built in the 18th century – but now it’s the 21st century, and there are different demands being placed on it. We need new values so that people stay here, and don’t move to Copenhagen.”

Does your city have a little-known story that made a major impact on its development? Please share it in the comments below or on Twitter using #storyofcities

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