Gulf of Finland
Sightseeing refers to the countries:RussiaRussia , FinlandEstoniaThe Gulf of Finland, which belongs to three countries at once – Russia, Estonia and Finland – is most picturesque in its Russian part. It is located in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea, stretching from the Hanko Peninsula to St. Petersburg for 420 kilometers.
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Contents- General information
- Geography
- Formation of the Gulf of Finland
- Important historical events
Sights of the Gulf of Finland - Best time to go
- Practical information
- How to get there
General Information
Why do many tourists envy the people of St. Petersburg? Because St. Petersburgers have a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the fantastically beautiful scenery of the Gulf of Finland without leaving the city. It can rightly be called a true paradise for divers, aesthetes, philosophers and beach lovers.
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At the beginning of the XIX century officers of the Russian Navy in memory of the Minister of Marine Marquis de Travers, who did not allow military vessels to go beyond the boundaries of the forts of Kronstadt, disparagingly and ironically called the Gulf of Finland Marquee Puddle. Now this place is considered a real tourist gem.
Is it any wonder that the Gulf of Finland is one of the most favorite places for quality and full-fledged rest for both tourists and native Petersburgers? Here almost everywhere there are ideal conditions for a full-fledged vacation, especially in summer. But it is in the east of the bay, on the shore of the Nevskaya Bay, that the places included in most of the popular tourist routes are located.
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Geography
https://trevaladvisor.com/img%img/Finskij-zalivreterte/Vid-na-Finskiy-zaliv-i-Lakhta_tsentr.jpg” alt=””/>‘ St. Petersburg, Peterhof, Lomonosov, Kronstadt, Zelenogorsk, Sestroretsk, Vyborg, Ust-Luga, Primorsk, Sosnovy Bor;The western border of the bay runs along an imaginary line between Cape Pyyzaspea near the island of Osmussaar and the peninsula of Hanko. The latter is the southernmost part of mainland Finland.
The Gulf of Finland has an area of 29,500 – 29,700 km² (7-8% of the total area of the Baltic Sea), is 420 km long, 70 km wide at the Põsaspea-Hanko inlet, 130 km wide at the meridian of the island of Mighty, and 20 km wide at the Shepelevsky transect. The volume of the Gulf of Finland water mass is 1120 km³ (5-6% of the volume of the Baltic Sea water mass), maximum depth – 115 m, average depth – 38-40 m.
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Important historical events
In the “Book of the Big Drawing” (KBCH), which is a detailed description of the map of the entire territory of Russia and neighboring countries of the XVI-XVII centuries, created by order of Tsar of All Russia Ivan the Terrible after 1552, the Gulf of Finland is called Kotlino Lake. The modern name of the gulf has been known since the 1730s by the people inhabiting its northern coast. From the middle to the end of the XVIII century, the bay was often called Kronstadt Bay.
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The eastern part of the Gulf of Finland became part of the Russian Empire as a result of the Great Northern War, which lasted from 1700 to 1721. In May 1703, Emperor Peter I near Nyenshants, at the mouth of the Neva River, was laid the city of St. Petersburg, which 9 years later became the capital of the state.
.https://trevaladvisor.com/img%img/Finskij-zalivreterte/Morskoe-srazhenie-pri-Vyborge.-I.-Ayvazovskiy.-1846.jpg” alt=””/>‘ Oranienbaum (Lomonosov) and Peterhof. The first naval victory of the Russian fleet in history dates back to 1714, when a battle took place between the Swedish and Russian fleets near the Hanko Peninsula (Cape Gangut).
.During the evacuation of the main forces of the Baltic Fleet from Tallinn to Kronstadt in August 1941 sank 15 boats and ships, including 2 submarines, 5 destroyers, 3 patrol ships, 43 auxiliary vessels and other transports. The fleet suffered the greatest losses on the traverse of Cape Yuminda. To this day, there are still underwater there are several dozen sunken ships.
In order to protect Leningrad from floods in 1978 it was decided to erect a complex of protective structures in the form of dams and adjacent hydraulic structures on the border of the Neva Bay and the Gulf of Finland. Construction of the complex began in 1979 and was completed in 2011
.Sights of the Gulf of Finland
The area around the Gulf of Finland is very attractive in terms of tourism, thanks to the colorful nature and rich history. Natural and man-made sights strike the imagination of even the most sophisticated tourists. The Gulf of Finland one hundred percent satisfies the needs of connoisseurs of fantastic wildlife, intellectuals who want to have a cultural vacation, learn more about the history of these places and improve their knowledge, and aesthetes, for whom the appearance is of paramount importance.
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Kronstadt Dam
The Kronstadt Dam is a chain of dams and adjacent hydraulic structures installed across the Gulf of Finland, which is more than 25 kilometers long. This attraction is not only an impressive sight, but also performs two functions: the dam itself and the highway. Part of the latter runs through a huge tunnel deep underwater.
This monumental structure offers a stunning view of the Gulf of Finland. Both the structure as a whole and each of its elements separately are unusual and interesting in their own way. Along the dam there are many old forts.
Kronstadt Dam is especially popular not only with tourists, but also with locals who want to fish, sunbathe, bask in the sun and enjoy the view of a huge massif of clear water. The time spent here will be remembered for a long time and will give a lot of positive emotions!
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St. Petersburg 300th Anniversary Park
St. Petersburg 300th Anniversary Park is located directly next to the Gulf of Finland and is an open area with many trees, clean sea air, picturesque alleys and a spacious beach. This is the youngest park in St. Petersburg, which is pleasant to walk around alone, alone with a loved one, in a large group of friends, and with children. The park has everything you need for a quality beach vacation: stunning seascapes, sun and fresh air, bicycles and sigways for rent, volleyball court. Swimming, however, is not recommended.
.The lighthouse and the Happy Monument are the main attractions of the park. The lighthouse is not actually a lighthouse. It is designed as a granite three-tiered column, each tier symbolizing one century of the city’s existence. “The Happy Monument” is a monument dedicated to freedom fighter and revolutionary Francisco da Miranda. Locals believe that the monument brings happiness to newlyweds: if the newlyweds rub the left shoe of the statue, their life together will be long and happy. And also on the territory of the park of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg there is free Internet, which is not limited in time and has a decent speed.
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Sestroretsky Beach
Sestroretsky beach is one of the most popular beaches of St. Petersburg, located on the coast of the Gulf of Finland. The gentle entrance to the water, sand dunes with pine forest and light sea breeze attract both locals and tourists. The beach is open round the clock for everyone to visit. Entrance to it is free, but the place is not intended for swimming, although many visitors are not stopped by such prohibitions. Sometimes there are strong waves, so on such days swimming is definitely not recommended, especially with small children.
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The width of Sestroretsk beach is 100-200 meters, and its length is about 2 km. At the height of the summer season, especially at weekends, there are a lot of vacationers with small children on the beach, and also here often brighten their leisure time noisy companies of young people, so if you prefer a more relaxed rhythm, it is better to come here on weekdays. In addition to beach recreation, you can walk in one of three parks – Upper, Middle or Lower.
.The territory of Sestroretsk beach is equipped with everything necessary to make vacationers feel comfortable: there are public toilets, sports grounds, changing cabins, children’s playgrounds, a rental shop for water skis and other sports equipment, cafes where you can eat delicious and relatively inexpensive food or drink a cup of coffee.
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Laskovy Beach, Solnechny settlement
https://trevaladvisor.com/img%img/Finskij-zalivreterte/Plyazh-Laskovyy_-poselok-Solnechnyy.jpg” alt=””/>‘ St. Petersburg because of its livability, neatness, cleanliness and capacity. And also Laskovy pleases visitors with its original decoration in the form of large avant-garde-style figures standing on the shore..Laskovy Beach in Sunny has all the conditions for quality and active recreation: paths for cyclists and pedestrians, benches, a fountain to wash the sand off your feet, changing cabins, a large and conveniently located parking lot, volleyball courts, which are periodically held themed competitions. The strip of beach is sandy and wide. The least amount of stones is in the southern part of the beach.
.Although swimming on the beach is not recommended, but here you can spend the night in tents and do not worry about your safety, because on the territory of Laskovoye round-the-clock security. On the coast grow pine trees, so most people come here not only to sunbathe in the sun, but also to breathe fresh pine air, to relax from the bustle of the city and put your thoughts in order.
.Peterhof State Museum-Reserve
The residence of Peter the Great, not inferior in beauty to the best residences of monarchs of many European countries, pleases and delights visitors with a luxurious and unique atmosphere. The grandeur of Peterhof is another proof of the power of the imperial family. It becomes abundantly clear why Peter the Great is called Peter the Great, and what a colossal influence the reforming emperor had on the development of the country.
.Cape Flotsky
If the well-appointed beaches of the Gulf of Finland do not attract you, your soul demands something wilder, picturesque and authentic, and you do not want to wander around St. Petersburg, and want to go farther away to the Leningrad region, then Cape Flotsky is exactly what you need. Many sophisticated travelers claim that this is hardly the most beautiful and picturesque coast in the entire region. Although in the summer period of time a hundred percent privacy you are hardly guaranteed, but it is far from being as crowded as on the Golden and Sestroretsk beaches.
.Century-old pine trees, sand dunes, flowering briar, scattered along the shore, and sometimes leaving ridges into the sea rocks, laughing seagulls, calm and peaceful atmosphere – what else do you need for complete happiness? There used to be a beautiful lighthouse here, but now there are only fragments of it left.
.Cape Flotsky – a popular place among fans of kebabs and surfing. An interesting combination, isn’t it? The thing is that the wind blows almost round the clock here, so it is at the cape that the waves are often much higher and bigger than in other locations in the Gulf of Finland.
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Krestovsky Island
The western shore of Krestovsky Island faces the Gulf of Finland, and more than half of its area is occupied by the picturesque Primorsky Victory Park. In summer, the attendance of the island is simply off the charts, as not only tourists, but also locals strive to get here. And in this there is nothing surprising, because in 2018 the beach, located behind the South Road on the island, was completely updated and landscaped.
.A couple of years ago, sports and play spaces for visitors of all ages appeared on the beach: an area with fitness equipment, a children’s playground, ping-pong tables, volleyball courts. Krestovsky Island is an ideal place for family vacations. Entrance to the Primorsky Victory Park is free, sun loungers and wooden benches are installed everywhere.
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Beach in Komarovo
If you want to go to Komarovo for a week, until the 2nd, you need to know that this beach is one of the oldest on the northern coast of the Gulf of Finland. There are two landscape zones: stony and sandy. Swimming on the beach in Komarovo is forbidden, as the clean water in this place can not be called, in addition, from mid-summer, when it is especially hot, it begins to “bloom”. This is one of the biggest minuses, but the pluses are much more.
.On the beach there is a lot of different entertainment for every taste and purse, which will appeal to fans of active recreation. There is a convenient parking lot, trash cans, toilets, changing cabins and a lifeguard station. Natives of St. Petersburg love to spend all their weekends on the beach in Komarovo: they camp here, relax and play in the fresh air, have picnics with kebabs and just admire the Gulf of Finland.
.The beach is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, entrance is free. In special cases the beach is open until 22:00.
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Best time to travel
How to get there
It is possible to admire the Gulf of Finland in different districts of St. Petersburg, which greatly facilitates the choice of roads and routes. Tourists, regardless of which part of the city they are staying in, can easily compose their program so that to visit the most beautiful places along the Gulf of Finland. Since the landscapes of the shores in different areas have their own peculiarities, when favoring this or that place, be sure to take into account the individual preferences of all members of the tourist group.
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To get to this or that place of the Gulf of Finland can be different ways: by own or rented car, electric train, shuttle bus, bus, cab, metro. The time and complexity of the route depends on the exact location from which you want to enjoy the picturesque views of the bay.
.If you don’t have much time, then favor St. Petersburg’s 300th Anniversary Park, as it is the easiest to get to. The park is in the northwestern part of the city and is located at 74D Primorsky Prospekt. From the nearest metro station to the park, Begovaya, you only need to walk 5-7 minutes.
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