Nearest metro: Novocherkasskaya
The Okthinskaya is located on the north bank of the Neva River in a non-descript residential district a short distance from the downtown.Although the hotel is not particularly convenient for the metro - the nearest station, Novocherkasskaya, is over 20 minutes' walk away - there are very convenient bus links to the historic centre just a block from the hotel entrance. THE HOTEL OFFERS FREE SHUTTLE VAN TO CITY CENTER (Moscow Railway Station and Nevsky Prospekt). PLEASE SEE EXACT TIMETABLE AT THE HOTEL.
Pulkovo airport are located south of the city, around 20km from the Okhtinskaya Hotel, and the journey to/from the hotel will take at least 40 minutes. The nearest mainline station, Ladozhskiy Station, serves trains from Helsinki and northern Russia, and is around 15 minutes' drive from the hotel. Moskovskiy Station, which is the main terminal for trains to/from the capital, is about 20 minutes away by car. All other mainline stations can be reached within 30 minutes.
Local Sightseeing
Although the area around the Okhtinskaya is somewhat bereft of visitor attractions, the hotel does have fantastic views onto the Smolny Cathedral across the river. Designed by the renowned Italian-born architect Francesco Bartholomeo Rastrelli, the cathedral was completed in 1764, and is one of the finest baroque buildings in St. Petersburg. Once part of a convent, later a preparatory school for girls from the higher echelons of St. Petersburg society, the cathedral has recently been fully restored, and is now used mainly as a concert and exhibition venue.The other major landmark in the vicinity of the Okhtinskaya is the Bolsheokhtinskiy Bridge, about 300m upstream from the hotel. One of the finest of the famous bascule bridges crossing the Neva River, it is a monument to early 20th century engineering, with a spectacular design that combines two latticed steel arches with elegant medieval towers at each corner of the central opening span.
The Exhibition Hall of the Union of Artists of Russia, an exhibition space which hosts work by contemporary Russian artists, is located about 10 minutes' walk from the Oktinskaya Hotel, and can often be worth visiting, depending on the program at the time.
