Eyewitness Travel Guide to St. Petersburg (Paperback)

by Chris Rice (Author), Melanie Rice (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
...You feel, looking at them, as if you could close the book and step into the street. -- Contra Costa Times

...considered to be the world's best travel resource to over 30 destinations around the world, make it easier to plan a splendid vacation. -- North American Press Syndication

A new breed of guidebook. -- Travel & Leisure

Both novice and experienced travelers will be captivated. -- US News & World Report

Each book is a visual as well as informational feast about a particular place. -- The New York Times

Easily the best city guides available today. -- PLAYBOY

Encyclopedic in scope, it's meant to be used before, during, and after your stay. -- Travel & Leisure

It has an authority and clarity that make it indispensable on the road. But the illustrations are so good that it could also provide hours of armchair diversions. -- The New York Times New Service

The best travel guides ever. -- Sky Magazine -Delta In flight Magazine

The most graphically exciting and visually pleasing series on the market. -- Chicago Tribune

Want to know where to get a great espresso on your way to the Uffizi? Or how much to tip a hotel maid in New York City? Try these travel guides, each an intricate trove of 3-D aerial views, landmark floor plans, color photos and essential eating, shopping and entertainment info. With titles covering Paris, Prague, and London, these pocket-sized guides are like a Michelangelo fresco: deliriously rich in detail. -- People Magazine

Product Description
Truly the guides that show you what others only tell you, this book features stunning 3D and cutaway views of museums, cathedrals, and other must-see sights; detailed street maps; a handy phrase section; advice on the best places to eat, drink, shop, sleep, and be entertained; and a Survival Guide to help the traveler sort out essential information such as currency, transportation, and communications. As world traveler and TV personality Michael Palin says, "the Eyewitness Travel Guides are irresistibly seductive.... They also deliver where it matters most -- uncluttered and accurate information."

More than 750 color photographs capture the palaces and other visual pleasures in DK's Eyewitness Travel Guide: St. Petersburg. Dividing the city into five districts (Vasilevskiy Island, Petrogradskaya, Palace Embankment, Gostiny Dvor, and Sennaya Ploschad), precise street-by-street maps and 3-D aerial overviews guide you to all of St. Petersburg's most magnificent attractions. Visit the splendid Winter Palace, a superb example of Russian Baroque architecture, with a stunning illustration surrounded by photos of its key highlights. The glorious treasures of the Hermitage are vividly depicted in an eight-page section featuring illustrations, photos, complete floor plans, and collection highlights by Gauguin, Matisse, Rembrandt, and da Vinci. Additional special features showcase such sights as St. Isaac's Cathedral and the Russian Museum. Two guided walks are outlined--one along St. Petersburg's waterways, detailing the route's grand architecture, and another covering the Kamennyy and Yelagin Islands. The guide also goes beyond St. Petersburg, especially Peterof, Peter the Great's Palace, and Tsarskoe Selo, both depicted in stunning four-page sections complete with aerial overviews and photos of their highlights. The city's absorbing history, colorful royal personages, cultural centers, and flavorful cuisine are among the numerous subjects covered throughout this outstanding guide. If St. Petersburg is on your itinerary, be sure you pick up this invaluable guide before you go.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: DK Travel; 1st edition (September 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789435306
• ISBN-13: 978-0789435309
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 4.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #616,936 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of the best Russian travel guides available, March 29, 2000

By	Mrs. Padilla "supreme genius" (Washington DC) - See all my reviews

I studied at Novgorod State University, somewhat outside St. Petersburg, last summer and needed a really good guide to the city to map out where to go during my limited off-time (hmm... that would be what a travel guide is generally used for, eh?) I did a LOT of browsing in stores and was really enchanted with Eyewitness. Their guides are usually the best ones, but I especially enjoyed this one. Reading it before I left really excited and prepared me for what to expect, and is still interesting to look through.

One of the best features, in my opinion, is a "what to buy in St. Petersburg" section, which includes pictures and ideas of neat Russian stuff to buy and give as gifts (or keep for yourself). This was helpful to think of things ahead of time to give to people, or even let them choose themselves. Also a great feature is the section on Russian food, which includes pictures, so you know what the stuff actually looks like. There's naturally a detailed guide to the city and sections devoted to museums and shopping. It's very simple to navigate through, if you're looking for specific references, e.g. bookshops or anything pertaining to Tchaikovsky. There's notes on historical spots and significances, as well as a detailed street and metro map, accomodations and dining guides (with prices and directions), information and tips on traveling to other spots in Russia, day trip ideas, basic safety info (pictures of Russian police officers and cars, codes to street signs, etc), Russians terms and pronunciations, as well as any other pertinent information and "Stuff you'd never think of but really need to know" about travelling in a foreign country.

This guide probably costs a little more than most (I actually bought mine for full price in the store, I liked it so much) but it is TOTALLY worth it. This is the perfect companion to plan a dynamite trip in St. Petersburg.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Does a good job overall, November 4, 2000

By A Customer

I just returned from three months in St. Petersburg, and I found this book to be mostly useful. The maps and descriptions of museums and major historical sites are quite good. The sections on food, drink and gifts are well done, but very brief. The recommendations for travel outside of St. Petersburg are also good, Repina is particularly beautiful in the summer. As a student, one major problem I had with this book was the restaurant section. For the most part, the establishments recommended were either foreign run or clearly catering to foreigners, and rather pricy for a student on a budget. I could have found phoney western food on my own, I would have appreciated more native choices in town. I found it worthwhile to combine this book with the Lonely Planet travel guide, as that book gave more complete background information on more varied places, including better places to eat. In short, this is an excellent book for a casual traveler, but it needs a suppliment for a longer stay.

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ideal for a short visit or for travel planning, March 22, 2002

By	Marc David Miller "www.DiscoveringRussia.com-... (New York, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If I was taking just one guide, 'Eyewitness Travel Guide to St. Petersburg' would be my first choice. Although it is starting to age (published in 1998) it is a good visual and historic guide to St Petersburg, with enough color photographs to both inspire and guide you.

As other reviewers have noted, this book is ideal to use to review with a tour guide the sights and areas that you want to see because of its diagrams, pictures and suggested itineraries.

It is also ideal for the cruise ship visitors who will be in St. Petersburg for less than three days, as the photos give a good appreciation to the visitor of what there is to see, especially in a limited amount of time.

The history and art sections are reasonably good for a guide book.

The restaurant and hotel suggestions are a bit stale, and the pricing is out of date (although the range of pricing is still reasonably accurate).