World Cup 2018: What to do in St Petersburg besides the football

‘The former Russian capital is the greatest urban creation of all time’

England’s poor recent record in the World Cup is matched by the dismal choices of HQ for successive tournaments, which always seem hopelessly inconvenient for their matches: Baden-Baden in Germany 2006, Rustenburg in South Africa 2010, Rio in Brazil 2014.

The choice of Repino, a village north of St Petersburg, follows this tradition of keeping many miles away from the action. But at least the squad are close to the greatest urban creation of all time.

St Petersburg was coaxed into existence by Peter the Great, who devoted his energies to opening a window on the west. He recruited the best architects to transform forlorn Baltic marshland into Russia’s finest city, then and now. St Petersburg became capital of the Russian Empire for two centuries, until Moscow grabbed the title back under communism.

The star tsar is now entombed in the Peter and Paul Cathedral (alongside the murdered family of the last tsar). But his handiwork endures, and will provide plenty of interest while England fans await the Semi Final on 10 July, no doubt involving Gareth the Great and his team.

Touch down

St Petersburg retains its airport code (LED) from back in the USSR days, when it was known as Leningrad. The airport, Pulkovo, retains something of a Soviet atmosphere. It is 11 miles south of the centre; bus 39Ex runs every half-hour to Moskovskaya Metro station, taking 20 minutes for 40 roubles (50p).

Getting around

If you can’t reach it on the Metro, you’re probably better off not going. The magnificent network has a flat fare of 45 roubles (55p), though if you buy a TravelCard, 10 journeys within a week cost 355 roubles (£4.25). For elaborate Soviet interpretations of Classical themes, visit Sportivnaya station for ancient Greece and Pushkinskaya for ancient Rome.

In the centre, St Petersburg is eminently walkable.

Check in

I like the Oktyabrskaya Hotel, very close to the Moscow station – opened in December 1851 to welcome travellers arriving by rail to the then-capital of Russia, and for a time known as the Grand Hotel du Nord. Apart from the Semi Final night on 10 July, rates are looking good from as little as 6,413 roubles (£76) room only.

A tale of two palaces

At the heart of St Petersburg is the Winter Palace, the Imperial residence which now houses a good chunk of the Hermitage. This is arguably the finest art gallery in the world, both in terms of its location, in a string of former palaces, and its contents: Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Picasso…

The summer residence of the tsars was 18 miles south, in the shape of the Catherine Palace, accessible by train from Vitebsky station to Tsarskoe Selo, then bus 371 or 382.

This astonishing confection of indulgence was half destroyed by Nazi Germany during the Second World War Siege of Leningrad, but meticulously restored. The expansive grounds are as impressive as the shimmering structures they contain.

Dining with the locals

For a formidably filling meal, find one of the 22 branches of Stolle dotted around the city. They serve massive salmon pies, weighing 1kg, for the equivalent of under £10; bring a friend to help.

If you enjoy a bit of bling with your dinner, then the Gymnasia restaurant will make you feel you are back in the last days of the tsars, as you dine on solid Russian fare.

Watch out for

“In St Petersburg there have been reports of street crime where tourists have been specifically targeted,” says the Foreign Office. “These crimes are carried out by well organised gangs. Be aware of pickpockets in the main tourist areas and around the main railway concourses. Bogus police officers have harassed and robbed tourists. If you are stopped, always insist on seeing identification.”