North of St. Petersburg, along the Baltic Sea coast, lies the Kurortny District of St. Petersburg. Clean air, the seashore, and fine beaches make this area a great vacation spot. Popular destinations here include Repino, Komarovo, Sestroretsk, and Zelenogorsk.
Zelenogorsk is probably the most famous town in the Kurortny District of St. Petersburg. It has many parks, and a good beach is located right in the city center. The best time to visit Zelenogorsk is summer, but it’s also a great escape from the hustle and bustle of the city at other times.
The swimming season here typically lasts from mid-June to the end of August. In the summer, if the weather is favorable, it’s a wonderful place to spend a few free days or an entire vacation. The city’s old Finnish name was Terijoki.
The Baltic Sea coastline is what attracts vacationers to Zelenogorsk (and the St. Petersburg resort area). There are quite a few beaches along the coast. Zelenogorsk’s fine, sandy beach is located right within the city limits. To ensure no one doubts its wonderfulness, it’s called “Golden Beach.”
Finding the beach in Zelenogorsk is very easy. Next to the school building, you’ll see a monument to Lenin. Lenin gestures toward the beach, as if inviting, “Comrades, everyone to the beach.”
The most prominent buildings in most cities are churches. Zelenogorsk has two churches. One of them is Finnish, a Lutheran church (Terijoen kirkko). The architecture of the Lutheran church differs from that of typical Russian churches, making it a prominent landmark. Organ concerts are regularly held at the Lutheran Church of Zelenogorsk.
The second church is an Orthodox church. It is located closer to the beach. Various interesting sculptures are sometimes installed near the church in Zelenogorsk.
Zelenogorsk is very green. The city center feels like it’s in a park.
Zelenogorsk is located approximately 50 kilometers northwest of St. Petersburg. Getting to Zelenogorsk from St. Petersburg is quite easy. You can use any form of public transportation: commuter train, bus, private car, or taxi.
If you’re flying into St. Petersburg from another region, it might be easier to take a taxi, although this is the most expensive form of transportation. You can also use car sharing.
During the Soviet era, many holiday resorts were built on the Baltic Sea coast. Today, these resort hotels offer varying levels of comfort and price points, from very expensive to quite affordable.
Not only St. Petersburg residents spend their holidays (weekends) in the hotels, sanatoriums, and holiday resorts of St. Petersburg’s resort area. Tourists from other regions of Russia also come here.
Of course, the Black Sea coast, Turkey, Spain, and other warm countries are great, but not everyone enjoys hot weather, and many find it unsuitable for health reasons. Consider taking a weekend vacation to the Baltic Sea coast.
If you’re planning a summer trip to St. Petersburg and plan to stay there for a while, you should consider staying in the Kurortny District of St. Petersburg. For example, in Zelenogorsk (Sestroretsk, Repino, Komarovo). Getting to St. Petersburg won’t be difficult, and you won’t find such natural beauty, sea, beaches, and tranquility in a big city.