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Indulge your passion for Art Nouveau on this 4-hour private tour of Saint Petersburg. Your expert guide will illuminate why this artistic style, known as Modern Style in Russia, holds a special place in the city’s history, offering a unique blend of variations and distinctive features. We want to accompany you on the discovery of the beautiful art nouveau available in the city of St Petersburg.
This journey will take you through the “Venice of the North” in comfort, with stops to admire its architectural gems. We’ll begin at the magnificent Vitebsk Train Station, an Art Nouveau masterpiece originally redesigned in 1904 to accommodate travel westward from Saint Petersburg. The station is a showcase of Jugendstil elegance, with its floral decorative reliefs, stained glass, sweeping staircases, and soaring arches.
Driving through the city center, you’ll see highlights such as the iconic Eliseev’s grocery store, a stunning example of Art Nouveau inside and out. If you’d like, we can pause here to enjoy coffee and cakes in its charming café. You’ll also catch a glimpse of the House of Books, Saint Petersburg’s tallest building in 1904, embodying the modernist spirit of its time.
Next, we’ll explore Petrograd Island, historically a prestigious district of the city where affluent residents built luxurious Art Nouveau mansions and dachas. Here, you’ll discover architectural treasures like the Kshesinskiy Mansion, designed in 1904 by court architect Alexander von Hohen. This elegant building, now home to the Museum of Political History of Russia, is a striking example of Art Nouveau, with its asymmetrical design, octagonal tower, and intricate use of contrasting materials such as pink and grey granite, cream bricks, iron railings, and majolica tiles. Although we won’t enter the mansion, the exterior is sure to captivate.
We’ll also pass by the Lidval House, a true Art Nouveau masterpiece, as well as other beautiful examples of the style on the island.
After this enriching journey, we’ll return you to your hotel or any central location of your choice.
A private car or minivan with a professional driver will be at your service for the entire tour.
We have designed this full day tour by car/minivan because we want you to discover the beauty of art nouveau in the city of Saint Petersburg in the best of the ways. The use of private car/minivan and chauffeur allows you to discover the main art nouveau highlights with comfort.
Our experienced tour guides love art nouveau and this is an extra guarantee of satisfaction. Small-group tour ensures a more personalised experience for your discovery of the art nouveau in the Russian Venice of the North.
Discover St. Petersburg’s Art Nouveau gems through the eyes of a passionate local expert. Your personalized tour will delve into the city’s elegant architecture, rich history, and cultural heritage. We’ll tailor the experience to your specific interests, whether you’re fascinated by the intricate details of Art Nouveau design, the stories behind iconic buildings, or the lives of the artists who shaped the city’s artistic landscape.
Our flexible approach ensures that your tour is truly yours. Whether you prefer a leisurely stroll or a more in-depth exploration, we’ll adapt the itinerary to your pace and preferences. We’ll also consider any special requirements, such as mobility needs or family travel, to provide a comfortable and enjoyable experience.
Join us on a journey through time, uncovering hidden gems and off-the-beaten-path locations that only a local expert can reveal. Your personalized St. Petersburg Art Nouveau tour will leave you with lasting memories of this magnificent city.
The tour starts and finishes at the lobby of your hotel.
Food and drinks.
Entrance fees to museums are not included, as visits are not part of the planned itinerary. Museum fees will be paid at the entrance of their premises and will not be included in the final price of the tour:
> The Entrance fee to Fabergé Museum – closed on Fridays- is not included in the price of this tour. This is Recommended because of the high interest for art nouveau lovers but Optional due to the high price that this museum charges for a private group entrance (up to 300€). Select in the scroll below the calendar if interested.
If you want to visit it individually this museum another day there is the option of visiting it with audio guides and with no guides.
> The Entrance fee to the Kshesinskiy mansion – closed on Thursdays- is not included in the price of this tour, and varies according to the group size.
Take into account that our tour, which includes private visits to two private visits to museums (Faberge and Kshesinskiy), needs to be booked one week before the private tour takes place.
Languages – Most of our guests prefer private tours in English. If you require a tour in another language, please let us know, and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Unexpected Changes – Major events, health regulations, and weather conditions may affect the final itinerary of your private experience. Changes in opening hours for specific buildings, ongoing renovations, and guest interests may allow us to include additional sites in your itinerary, such as the Ráth György Villa, the Music Academy, the Geological Institute, the Schiffer Villa, the Róth Miksa Stained Glass Museum, and other noteworthy locations. Please note that the Budapest Museum of Applied Arts is currently undergoing renovations after five years of restoration, and the Bedő House is closed and no longer accessible for visits. We offer flexibility regarding cancellations or date changes, and we will provide detailed information with the quote sent.
Selection of guides – Knowledgeable of the city, each of them in various subjects, they all ensure an enriching experience that matches the interests of every guest. They will offer you fascinating insights into the cultural and historical contexts. To ensure you secure the expert guide best suited to your group’s profile, we encourage early bookings.
Not only Art Nouveau – A decade ago, we began offering exclusive Art Nouveau private tours. As time went on, our guests expressed interest in a wider range of experiences, leading us to expand our offerings. Today, we provide general city tours, arts and culture tours, and specialized experiences such as Jewish Budapest tours and our classical Great Plains one-day private tour, showcasing charming villages that feature hidden Art Nouveau gems.To enhance your experience, we also offer chauffeur services, hotel recommendations, and airport pickups. Additionally, we’ve introduced unique services based on our clients’ requests, including organizing business lunches in restaurants and private homes, locating filming sites, and home-hunting assistance.
On our city page, you can request any experience you envision, and we’ll be delighted to assist you.
Between 1890 and 1914, St. Petersburg stood at the crossroads of immense transformation. As the Russian Empire’s capital, it symbolized both the grandeur and the contradictions of the late imperial era. The city was a hub of political power, cultural refinement, and industrial growth. By the end of the 19th century, St. Petersburg had solidified its reputation as a European city with Russian soul, boasting grand boulevards, palaces, and burgeoning infrastructure. This period saw the rise of new technologies like electrification and public transportation, including the expansion of tramlines, which connected the urban sprawl. However, these advancements contrasted sharply with the growing social discontent among workers and intellectuals, foreshadowing the revolutionary turmoil to come.
Architecturally and artistically, this was the era when Art Nouveau (known as Modern Style in Russia) began to reshape the cityscape. Inspired by Western European movements like the Wiener Secession and Jugendstil, Russian architects adapted these trends, blending them with national romanticism and Slavic motifs. St. Petersburg’s Art Nouveau mansions and tenement buildings, especially those on the Petrograd Side and Stone Island, reflected the city’s cosmopolitan aspirations while nodding to its unique cultural identity. The House of Bazhanov, Kshesinsky Mansion, and Vytebsk Station stand as enduring symbols of this synthesis. Artists and artisans contributed to the flourishing of the decorative arts, and institutions like the Imperial Academy of Arts became hotbeds of experimentation. Yet, beneath this creative vibrancy, the city was a cauldron of political dissent, labor strikes, and the growing influence of revolutionary ideas that would soon dismantle the imperial structure altogether.
A must: Vitebsky Station, opened in 1837, is Russia’s oldest and most beautiful train station, and St. Petersburg’s first Art Nouveau building. The current structure, completed in 1904 and meticulously restored in 2003, features grand semicircular windows, sweeping balconies, and an opulent interior crafted by Semyon Minash. Its main hall is adorned with gilded leaves, an enormous stained glass window, and landscape friezes depicting scenes from St. Petersburg and Odessa. With its concert hall and stunning decorative details, Vitebsky Station feels more like a palace than a transportation hub, making it a favorite spot for wedding photos.
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