Palace Square

Palace Square is the central city square of St Petersburg, connecting Nevsky Prospekt with Palace Bridge to Vasilievsky Island. It is dominated by the Baroque white-and-turquoise Winter Palace on one side and the bow-shaped Empire-style Building of the General Staff on the other. In the center stands the Alexander Column, a 47.5-meter red granite column that is the tallest of its kind in the world.

Don't miss

• The Baroque white-and-turquoise Winter Palace, rebuilt between 1754 and 1762
• The bow-shaped Building of the General Staff (1819–1829) with a double triumphal arch crowned by a Roman quadriga
• The Alexander Column (1830–1834), a 47.5-meter red granite column that stands without attachment to its base
• The Guards Corps Headquarters building (1837–1843) on the eastern side

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Palace Square

Cheapest way inImagine Museum of Contemporary Glass Art General Admission4.2★ · 24 travelers1-2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$5 per personSee dates →Most bookedAmsterdam 90 minutes Canal Cruise with bar and snacks on board.4.9★ · 2,733 travelers~2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$27 per personSee dates →Private & flexiblePrivate Golf Cart Tour - The History of St. Petersburg5★ · 13 travelers~2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$49 per personSee dates →

Getting there

Know before you go

• On May 9 (Victory Day), a military parade is held on Palace Square in front of the Hermitage.
• During the White Nights (roughly June 11–July 2), the sun sets only briefly, and the square stays lively around the clock.
• Rain showers are common in July and August; carry an umbrella or rain jacket even on clear days.

A bit of history

Many significant events took place here, including the Bloody Sunday massacre and parts of the October Revolution of 1917. Between 1918 and 1944, it was known as Uritsky Square. Alexander I envisaged the square as a vast monument to the 1812–1814 Russian victories over Napoleon, commissioning Carlo Rossi to design the Building of the General Staff with its double triumphal arch.