Saint Petersburg

Take a free virtual walk through Saint Petersburg, Russia — no passport, no flights, no account required. Nearaway streams immersive 4K walking tour footage from Saint Petersburg's streets, letting you explore Europe's cities from anywhere in the world. Choose from 4 different walking tour videos across the city.

Saint Petersburg was founded in 1703 by Tsar Peter the Great on land freshly seized from Sweden, built at immense human cost on the marshy delta of the Neva River. Peter's ambition was radical — a European-style capital that would drag Russia into the modern world and give it direct sea access to the West. Dutch and Italian architects designed a city of baroque palaces, wide boulevards, and canals on 42 islands, earning it the nickname 'Venice of the North.' It served as Russia's imperial capital for two centuries, accumulating the Hermitage's 3 million artworks and architectural masterpieces including the Winter Palace and Saint Isaac's Cathedral. In World War II the city endured the 872-day Siege of Leningrad — during which over 800,000 civilians died of starvation. The city voted to reclaim its original name in 1991.

Saint Petersburg was built on 42 islands and is connected by 342 bridges — more bridges than any other city on Earth. Peter the Great was so determined to build his 'window to the West' that an estimated 30,000–100,000 workers died during construction on the swampy Neva delta. The city changed its name three times: St Petersburg → Petrograd (1914) → Leningrad (1924) → St Petersburg again (1991). The best time for a virtual walk through Saint Petersburg is june (white nights — sun barely sets, city stays awake around the clock) or december (snow-covered canals and new year lights on nevsky prospekt). Must-try local foods include Olivier salad (the original 'Russian salad', invented here), Pirozhki (baked or fried pastries stuffed with meat, cabbage, or egg), Ukha (clear fish broth — a St Petersburg staple).