The opening and closing of drawbridges in St. Petersburg is a magnificent and breathtaking sight. If you booked a hotel online in the center of St. Petersburg, then you just need to look at this. Let's talk about the best places where you can see the drawing of bridges and the schedule of the event itself.
Some basic facts about drawbridges
There are 12 drawbridges in St. Petersburg. Nine of them rise regularly, and the remaining three are only on special request.
Many people think that bridges are built solely for the entertainment of tourists. This is not true. The main goal is to let through cargo river vessels following the Neva to the Gulf of Finland and in the opposite direction. The Neva River is the last section of the Volga-Baltic Canal, built in Soviet times for the passage of river vessels from central Russia to the ports of Europe.
Therefore, all bridges open strictly at the time set by the authorities.
The procedure is carried out once or twice a night: the first opening is followed by a closure to let cars through, followed by a second iteration of opening-closing. There is one important point: since the opening of the bridge is only necessary for the passage of ships, the bridge can be closed ahead of schedule (after the last ship has passed), and the second iteration can be canceled.
Drawbridge lifting schedule for 2022
Name of the bridge - Rise time
Bolsheokhtinsky bridge 2:00 – 5:00
Foundry Bridge 1:40 – 4:45
Trinity Bridge 1:20 – 4:50
Alexander Nevsky Bridge 2:20 – 5:10
Exchange Bridge 2:00 – 4:55
Palace Bridge 1:10 – 2:50; 3:10 – 4:55
Tuchkov bridge 2:00 – 2:55; 3:35 – 4:55
Blagoveshchensky Bridge 1:25 - 2:45; 3:10 – 5:00
Volodarsky bridge 2:00 - 3:45; 4:15 – 5:45
The most popular with tourists are two drawbridges in the center of St. Petersburg:
• Palace bridge;
• Trinity bridge.
Most visitors rush to the Palace Embankment to see the rise of the Palace Bridge, and then quickly run to the Trinity Bridge and, as a rule, do not have time. Here are 7 vantage points that offer a good view of the bridges:
Points 1 and 2 - next to the Palace Bridge
Near the embankment you can take beautiful photos. It will be difficult to get a front row seat as people start to gather about an hour before the show starts.
Points 3 and 4 - the golden mean
These points are located between the two most popular bridges and offer a good view from here. Point address: Palace embankment between 26 and 18 houses.
Point 5 - closer to the Trinity Bridge
Here, the level of competition for the best viewing platforms is low, since this bridge is less popular than the Palace Bridge.
Points 6 and 7 - Universitetskaya embankment
If you stand at any point of the Universitetskaya embankment or the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, the view of the bridges will also be excellent. There will be no crowds here, but you will have to stay on the island, as the bridge will be raised for a couple of hours.
If you haven’t had time to see the drawbridges yet, we advise you to organize a trip to St. Petersburg as soon as possible, book an inexpensive Theater Square Hotel and enjoy the historical heritage of the city.
