During the White Nights, St. Petersburg’s central streets are packed! I believe, among its northern neighbors, it is the most fun place to be in summer. You won’t get anything like it in Finland, Scandinavia or Baltic countries.
Helsinki, where I now live, has quite good conditions for employees, but the nightlife and parties are disastrously boring. I have outsourced it all back to my hometown – St. Petersburg (happily in pursuit of a career I didn’t move further than Helsinki). I return every month and stay long during summer. I suggest you do the same, even if you need a visa to Russia, it is well worth it.
White nights, what is it exactly?
In summer, the nights in the north are bright, the closer to the north pole, the longer the days are. St. Petersburg is well advertised for its White Nights. But don’t talk about it to people of the far north, they will laugh at you. White Nights is a “light” version of Midnight Sun (which happens in the Arctic Circle).
If you google “St. Petersburg White Nights”, it will tell you that they happen in mid-July. These are indeed the longest days, but it doesn’t mean that it is the only time when the party goes on. The city is alive for the whole summer.
I would argue, that the other summer nights are better. The peak of White Nights feels almost like daytime. But 15 days before or after you have a sunset, darkness, and sunrise within a few hours.
Nightlife
No other city celebrates the White Nights that loud. It is warm for 24 hours, end tired of cold weather, everyone makes it to the city center.
Many restaurants and night clubs expand to the streets and extend working hours. I love the fact that good restaurants are open until very late, not crapy fast foods like in Scandinavia. Bars are packed, both inside and outside.
Russian food and local beers at 2 AM? Yes, please. You would expect something like this from Spain, but not from a city in the north.
Bridges
“A lot of babies are born because someone is stuck on the wrong side of the bridge”
In St. Petersburg, bridges over Neva lift at night, this way, large ships can go through. It happens when the river is free of ice, obviously including summer. There is no way to get to another side of the city, except taking an expensive taxi over east or west motorways.
22 of 342 bridges are drawbridges. It would be an inconvenience if they weren’t celebrated so much. Hundreds of people gather up along the Neva river to catch the moment when bridges start to lift.
The Palace bridge, for instance, is one of the most recognizable symbols of the city. Everyone who does travel photography makes a picture of it. Made around 100 years ago, It is an outstanding piece of art and engineering. The lifting mechanism still has some original parts.
Ships
If you want to have the ultimate experience of the White Nights, you should go for a night party on a ship! In my opinion, it is the best thing St. Petersburg has to offer.
At around 1:30, hundreds of ships gather up at Palace Bridge to see it lift. Then they proceed to other bridges to capture the same moment. Most of the ships have a party on board, and because they go with the same speed, it looks like the whole river is moving in non-stop fun.
Please consider following or sharing
I love working on Engineer on tour, but it is a time-consuming thing to make. I would like to ask for your support, shares or follows would allow me to make the content better. Follow me on social media:
FACEBOOK/TWITTER/INSTAGRAM/PINTERST
Pinterest:
