June and July are the best months to visit see the “white nights” in St. Petersburg. In this article, Weekly.ua offers some tips to its readers on how to get the most out of your two-day visit to the cultural capital of Russia

From the tracks right to the sack in
Trains from Ukraine to St. Petersburg arrive at the Vitebsk Rail Station, which is close to the Pushkinskaya Metro. If you want to save time (and we agreed that we do not have much), just hop on the subway that takes you right to downtown. While most metropolises are commonly labeled as cities of contrast, St. Petersburg is a true leader in this regard. You will understand this for yourself when you see weed-covered hollows behind luxurious marble palaces, which, on the other hand, gives the city an inimitable coloring. 
We suggest disregarding the facades and put up in one of many mini-hotels (see table). The choice of accommodation is entirely up to you. Renting an apartment in the city or the suburbs for a few days at a reasonable price is another option.
Besides that, guests have a choice of 5-star and totally modest 1-star accommodation. Be aware that prices in some hotels may be exorbitant. For example, a room in a 4-star hotel can cost UAH 2,000 - 3,000 or even as low as UAH 200 for a nice suite.

Cut to the chase for impressions
Seeing all of St. Pete in a day is impossible, even if you decide to enjoy the famous “white nights”. Indeed, it will take at least two weeks to see the works in some 400 halls of the famous Hermitage museum. Nevertheless, no matter you stay, there are two mandatory routes you must go along. You must do them. And do not forget: all cathedrals and museums charge an admission fee of approximately 120 rubles.

Nevsky Prospekt and downtown
Visitors are recommended to start their tour of the city with the the Nevsky Prospekt and the Alexander Nevsky Monastery. Admission to the monastery in which Alexander Nevsky´s relics are buried is free. Next to the monastery there is a necropolis in which the most noble people of the 18- 19th centuries of St. Petersburg were buried.
When you leave the monastery don’t make the classic mistake of tourists. Instead of going along Nevsky Prospekt, turn right and go to the river. Moving along the quay you will come to the center of the city passing through the Summer Garden and the Field of Mars to the Palace Square. On your way you can check out the Smolny Convent, the Aurora and the spire of the St. Peter and Paul Fortress on the other bank of the Neva.
Got to the Nevsky Prospekt through the Admiralty and then stroll along the avenue. A few hundred meters from the Admiralty turn into the Gostiniy Dvor shopping mall to see the monument to Catherine the Great near the Alexandriysky Theater, the Anichkov Palace and bridge and the luxurious Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace.
In this district you can feast your eyes on palaces, bridges and cathedrals, among them the breathtaking Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood where Tsar Alexander II was mortally wounded, the Mikhailovsky Palace and the Kazan Cathedral built in honor of the victory of the Russian army against Napoleon.
By the way, this is where the famous miracle-making icon of Our Lady of Kazan is preserved. When visiting the Hermitage limit yourself to works from the Renaissance or Ancient Greece so you have time to see other sights.

Vasiliyevsky Island
and Peter&Paul Fortress
The second route will take you from the center of town across the Neva to Zayachiy Island and the Peter and Paul Fortress, either by subway or above-ground public transport across a drawbridge.
The history of St. Petersburg dates back to the St. Peter and Paul Fortress built on an island to defend the city from the invasion by the Swedes. Some time thereafter the fortress was turned into a prison.
The St. Peter and Paul Cathedral, the St. Petersburg Mint, the Boat House and nearly a dozen museums near the Gorkovskaya Metro station are a highly recommended. You can get there walking through the Aleksandrovsky Park and crossing a small bridge.
If you walk from the Fortress to the Petrovskaya Quay you can board the Aurora cruiser ship free of charge. From there you stroll through the grounds of the fortress and cross the Malaya Neva River on the Tuchkov Bridge to get to Vasiliyevsky Island, the largest in the delta of the Neva River. Tsar Peter I (the Great) initially planned to make this place the city’s main district. 
You should start your tour at the Spit of Vasiliyevsky Island and check out the old building of the St. Petersburg Stock Exchange and the Rostral Columns with their sculptures symbolizing the great Russian empire rivers: Volga, Dnipro, Neva and Volkhov.
A bit further down the quay you will see the main building on the campus of the St. Petersburg State University (Building of Twelve Collegiums), Kunstkamera, the Zoological Museum and the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps. From the island you have the best view of the floating fountain on the Neva River.

Peterhof
The fountains in Peterhof are last on the list of famous sights to be seen. Describing there beauty with words is nothing other than blasphemy. You must visit Peterhof on a sunny day to truly enjoy the crystal splashes of its fountains that will keep you mesmerized until dark.
The best way to get back into town is by boat along the Neva and you should definitely take a few hours to cruise through the river’s channels. St. Petersburg is especially beautiful at night with the street lanterns shimmering on the water and new landscapes open up after every bridge.

You can grab a bite to eat at fast-food joints and cafes scattered throughout the city. You can find such establishments on practically every corner of Nevsky Prospekt.
The pedestrian zone on Vasilievsky Island is also full of fast-food joints on the 6th and 7th lines. Fast and cheap meals are served all over St. Petersburg at Coffee House, Chaikoff, Sbarro, Kroshka-Kartoshka and McDonald´s for between RUB 100-250 (UAH 25-60).
In the evening you should try out one of the three top restaurants in St. Petersburg recommended by local residents.

Bukharin
Appetizers, soups and cutlets at Bukharin must be complemented with a 50-gram shot of ice-cold vodka. This place has an impressive menu of libations offering more than 100 kinds of vodka that the wait staff will tell you about. 45 Griboyedov Canal Quay, tel.: 571-22-45, Nevsky Prospekt metro station

Stroganoff Steak House
This place has a vast menu of splendid cuisine, eight halls with 300 seats and 400-gram steaks. The staff is well-versed in the authentic dishes and the meat is prepared in Josper ovens.
4 Konnogvardeiskiy Blvd., Tel. 314-55-14, Nevsky Prospekt Metro station.

Sakartvelo
This is a small Georgian cafe that serves the most delicious homemade dishes and has the warmest hospitality. Naturally, it offers classic Georgian dolma (stuffed vegetables or grape leaves), chakapuli (haricot with berries and wine), chikhirtma (lamb soup) and khachapuri (cheese bread). No. 13 on the 12th line of Vasiliyevsky Island, Tel: 947-78-78, Vasileostrovskaya Metro station.

Venezia
This quaint Italian gelateria offers 20 varieties of ice cream, including tart vanilla, sugary melon and sour tomato. You can also order to go.
107 Nevsky Prospekt, Tel: 8-906-279-03-46, Ploshchad Vosstaniya Metro station

Flamand Rose
This is a charming Belgian cafe with antique etchings and a luxurious chandelier. The head chef is very meticulous in terms of the taste and presentation of waffles, soups and meat dishes.
74 Malaya Posadskaya St., Tel: 498-50-35, Gorkovskaya Metro station