You can also enjoy the sea and breathe in the salty air in the northern latitudes. For example, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland. Spa hotels and restaurants in ancient manors, blueberry meadows, pine forests with ecotropes and lakes full of fish are just some of the riches of the Resort area of St. Petersburg. Let’s go?
Content
- Komarovo
- Repino
- Sunny
- Sestroretsk
- Zelenogorsk
- Where to stay
- What to do
Villages and beaches
The resort area of St. Petersburg stretches for 44 km along the Gulf of Finland in the north-west of the city. You can get to it along the Primorsky highway running along the coast. Buses also run to the villages of the Kurortny District from the Chernaya Rechka and Prospekt Prosveshcheniya metro stations, and trains can be reached from the Finlandsky Railway Station.
The resort area of St. Petersburg stretches for 44 km along the Gulf of Finland in the north-west of the city. Photo: Anastasiya Alexeeva/Shutterstock.com
Sunbathing, no swimming
14 beaches have been officially opened in the Resort area, but Rospotrebnadzor does not recommend swimming on any of them. And it’s not just about possible infections and diseases. In July, algae bloom in the Gulf of Finland, which release toxins dangerous to humans. Of course, this does not stop many people and in good weather there is nowhere to fall on the beaches. However, it is better to choose a safer holiday on the local coast — picnics, sunbathing and swimming in the pools of spa hotels that can be booked on the Island.
Komarovo
The village of Komarovo near St. Petersburg is familiar to everyone — it was here that it was suggested to leave “for a week before the second” in the famous Soviet song. However, despite its apparent popularity, the local beach is semi-wild. There are several stationary fungal umbrellas installed here to protect from the sun and a toilet is working – that’s probably all. But there are parking lots right along the coastline.
An alternative to Komarovsky beach will be the coast of Pike Lake, located 4 km from the village behind the railway line. The lake belongs to the reserve of the same name. Vehicles are not allowed into the protected area, so you will have to walk about 15 minutes through the coniferous forest from the road to the shore. At the same time, you can admire the giant anthills in human height. However, the beaches on the lake are wild and are not equipped with toilets and changing rooms.
An alternative to Komarovsky beach will be the coast of Pike Lake, located 4 km from the village. Photo: Vlad Prokopenko/Shutterstock.com
Repino
The Komarovsky coast gradually turns into the village of Repino. It got its name in honor of the artist Ilya Repin — his estate “Penaty” is located here. The historic wooden villas of the St. Petersburg intelligentsia, built in the Northern Art Nouveau style, have been preserved in the surroundings. For example, the cottage of Anna Vyrubova, lady-in-waiting to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. The village is also famous for its coastal restaurants, many of them are decorated in the spirit of country residences of the late 19th century.
The most popular in the village “Wonderful Beach” is equipped with changing rooms and toilets. Umbrellas and sun loungers can also be rented here. The coastline is separated from the road by a strip of pine forest. Parking is available near the beach.
The village of Repino was named in honor of the artist Ilya Repin — his estate “Penaty” is located here. Photo: Irina_Kosheleva/Shutterstock.com
Sunny
The village of Solnechnoye begins immediately after Repino, where one of the most famous beaches of the Gulf of Finland, Laskovy, is located. It is popular not only because of the wide sandy shore, but also because of the futuristic concrete installations (for example, in the form of flying seagulls) that appeared here back in Soviet times. The beach was designed by a creative group of St. Petersburg artists in the 1960s, who used a landscape design rare for the USSR.
Now Laskovy is equipped with changing rooms and toilets. There are also free barbecue areas, numerous benches and places to relax. However, there are no parking lots nearby — you will have to park in the village and go to the bay through residential buildings. By the way, in the southern part of Solnechny, on the border with Sestroretsk, there is a nudist beach “Dunes”.
One of the most famous beaches of the Gulf of Finland, Laskovy, is located in the village of Solnechnoye. Photo: SvetlanaSunny/Yandex.Maps
Sestroretsk
The most popular beaches of the city are Dubkovsky and “Sestroretsky”. The first one is located next to the Dubki Park, founded in the time of Peter the Great — you will have to go through it to the coast. There are changing areas and toilets, but parking can be a problem.
“Sestroretsky” stretches two kilometers to the north and is distinguished by lighter sand. Photo: Stock Photos 2000/Shutterstock.com
Zelenogorsk
The Golden Beach is popular in Zelenogorsk. It is considered one of the most stylish and well-equipped in the entire Resort area. Changing rooms and toilets are open here, and free sun beds and sunshades are installed along the coast. However, the entrance to the water is rocky and not very convenient. The beach is adjacent to the Zelenogorsk Park of Culture and Recreation,where you can walk along the pine alleys, ride the rides and have a snack.
The Golden Beach is popular in Zelenogorsk. Photo: Margarita Gorskaya/Shutterstock.com
Where else to relax by the sea in Russia
We have chosen six of the warmest seas in the country, where you can go for a full-fledged beach vacation. Study the guide to seaside resorts and plan your summer vacation!
Where to stay
Swimming in the Gulf of Finland can be dangerous for your health. What should I do if I want to do more than just lie on the sand and take a sun bath? Take a closer look at one of the coastal resorts with pools, spas and other water activities! We have selected some interesting options.
Golden Creek Country Club
A suitable place for a fitness weekend. A country complex in Sestroretsk with its own green area: here you can play lawn tennis, relax in the spa and swim in the 25-meter pool. The Gulf of Finland is about 5 minutes away by car.
X-Clinic
X-Clinic is a five—star hotel on the first line in the village of Repino. Some rooms offer views of the Gulf of Finland. Each room has its own sauna and an individual treatment room, the hotel has a medical center with detox programs and a spa complex. An outdoor heated swimming pool is located on the roof of the building, where it is pleasant to relax while admiring the sea.
X-Clinic is a five—star hotel on the first line in the village of Repino.
“Scandinavia”
The Country Club “Scandinavia” is one of the most famous spa hotels in the Resort area. The complex was built at the beginning of the XX century, and the St. Petersburg nobility loved to come here. The rooms are located in historical wooden buildings and decorated in the style of country estates from the beginning of the last century. The complex has a spa area with a sauna, massage room and an outdoor heated pool. By the way, you can swim in it all year round.
“Repino Park Hotel”
“Repino Park Hotel” is built among coniferous forests on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, between the villages of Repino and Komarovo, at a distance from residential buildings. It is easy to get here along the Primorsky Highway — by car or by public transport. It is quiet and pleasant to walk along the shore of the bay. The hotel has a restaurant, a spa complex, indoor and outdoor pools, and children’s playgrounds. Bicycles can also be rented here.
“Repino Park Hotel” is built among coniferous forests on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, between the villages of Repino and Komarovo.
“Voda Aquaclub”
The country hotel “Voda Aquaclub” belongs to the category of “five stars”. It is located in the very south of the resort area between a small Tarkhovsky beach and the southern part of Lake Sestroretsky Razliv. The Primorsky Highway passes nearby and the Tarkhovka railway station is located, where trains run from the Finlandsky railway station in St. Petersburg. The concept of the hotel is built around water activities and treatments. There are indoor and outdoor pools, a sauna, a hammam and a spa complex.
“Repinsky resort”
“Repinsky Resort” is a four—star hotel in the center of the village of Repino. The territory here is impressive and pleasant for walking. Most of the rooms are located in a classic-style building, and you can also rent two- or four-bedroom family cottages with their own sauna. The hotel has a large aqua complex with three pools, including salt water, a sauna, a hammam and a salt room.
“Repinsky resort” is a four—star hotel in the center of the village of Repino.
Where to stay in St. Petersburg
If you want to combine a vacation on the Gulf of Finland with walks around St. Petersburg, you can get acquainted with the Island’s guide to the city districts and a selection of hotels during the white nights to find the perfect accommodation and not worry about the bridges.
What to do
Take a walk through the ecotropics
The resort area is rich in forest parks and nature reserves. An ecotrope with a length of 3 km has been laid on the territory of the Komarovsky Shore, and another hiking route is equipped in the Sestroretsky Swamp. The reserve “Shchuchye Lake” will surprise you with huge anthills as tall as a man, and at the end of summer it will delight you with blueberry glades. Well, next to the village of Roshchino there is a larch “Lindulovskaya grove” planted by Peter the Great.
Visit the Penaty estate
There is the Penaty estate in Repino, where the artist Ilya Repin lived for 30 years and where he was buried. Be sure to take a walk around the estate and look into the Egyptian gazebo “Temple of Osiris and Isis” and the “Scheherazade Tower” on the Chuguev Hill.
There is the Penaty estate in Repino, where the artist Ilya Repin lived for 30 years and where he was buried. Photo: Irina_Kosheleva/Shutterstock.com
Visit historical sites
In Komarovo, you should go to the Komarovsky necropolis and bring flowers to the burial place of Anna Akhmatova — it is decorated in the form of a small square with a bench. Well, in Sestroretsk at the Razliv station, we advise you to look into the museum “V. I. Lenin’s Hut”, built on the site where Vladimir Ilyich hid from arrest in 1917.
Come to the Resort area of St. Petersburg – if you don’t swim, then take a walk along the ecotropics, have a picnic on the coast, sunbathe on sandy beaches and breathe in the purest coniferous air.
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Cover photo: Zoya Avenirovna/Shutterstock.com
