St. Petersburg’s Palace Bridge

If you ever go to St. Petersburg (or the “City of 300 Bridges,” as it’s sometimes called) don’t miss the opportunity to visit the Palace Bridge.
If you just stand on the bridge and look around, an impressive panorama will open up before you: the Winter Palace, the Peter and Paul fortress, and the wide array of palatial buildings along both banks of the Neva River.
The Palace Bridge is one of the most famous bridges in the world. It connects Palace Square to Vasilevsky Island. The total length of the Palace Bridge is 260.1 meters and the width is 27.8 meters. The bridge is decorated with ornate cast-iron railings, lamp posts and lion sculptures.
Most of the bridges spanning the Neva River are drawn at night, and the Palace Bridge isn’t an exception. So, ships can sail along the river at night, but it’s impossible for people to walk from one part of the city to another on foot. And if you get stuck on one side of the bridge, you’ll have to wait a long time before you’re able to cross to the other side.

The history of the Palace Bridge dates back to 1901. At that time a competition was announced for the best project for the construction of the Palace Bridge and the Bolsheohtinsky Bridge. There were 27 projects, but none of them was good enough to be chosen. In 1909, the project of the engineer Pshenitsky was accepted, and the famous architect Roman Meltzer was entitled to design the bridge’s architectural decorations. The construction of the bridge finally began in 1912.

When World War I began, the construction wasn’t yet completed. The bridge opened in 1916, but some decorative elements of the designs were missing. The construction was finally completed in 1939.
It would be a great idea to go to St. Petersburg during the White Nights that usually start in the end of May and last until the beginning of July. The view of the Palace Bridge is really astounding especially during the White Nights.