*Frommer's Moscow & St. Petersburg features gorgeous color photos of the sights and experiences that await you. * Our author, a former Moscow-based AP correspondent, hits all the highlights, from Red Squaqre to the Hermitage. She's checked out both cities' best hotels and restaurants in person, and offers authoritative, candid reviews that will help you find the choices that suit your tastes and budget. * You'll also get up-to-the-minute coverage of shopping and nightlife; detailed walking tours; accurate neighborhood maps; cultural insights; and side trips to Sergiev Posad's magnificent 14th-century monastery, the palaces of Peterhof and Tsarskoye Selo, and more. *Frommer's Moscow & St. Petersburg also includes a glossary of useful Russian terms and phrases.

Table of Contents

LIST OF MAPS. 1 THE BEST OF MOSCOW & ST. PETERSBURG. 1 Most Memorable Russian Experiences. 2 Best Luxury Hotels. 3 Best Affordable Accommodations. 4 Best Dining Experiences. 5 Best Views. 6 Best Architecture. 7 Best Museums. 8 Best Gifts to Bring Home. 9 Best Oddball Attractions. 2 MOSCOW & ST. PETERSBURG IN DEPTH. 1 Russia Today. 2 Looking Back At Russia. Dateline. Rasputin: Mystic, Sinner, Healer, or Spy? The Great Russian Spying Tradition. Chechnya. Selected List of Russian Leaders. 3 Russian Art & Architecture. 4 Etiquette & Customs. 5 Russia in Popular Culture. The Russian Silver Screen. 6 Food & Drink. What Not to Eat. Vodka. 7 Clothing Size Conversions. 3 PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO MOSCOW & ST. PETERSBURG. 1 When to Go. Calendar of Events. The Biggest Party of the Year. Surfing the "Ru-net" Before You Go. 2 Entry Requirements. Clearing Customs. 3 Moscow: Getting There & Getting Around. Stalin's Seven Sisters. The World Underground. 4 St. Petersburg: Getting There & Getting Around. Drawbridge Dilemma. 5 Money & Costs. What Things Cost in Russia [Rubles]. 6 Health. 7 Safety. 8 Specialized Travel Resources. 9 Sustainable Tourism. General Resources for Green Travel. 10 Escorted Tours & Special-Interest Trips. Butter Week. Frommers.com: The Complete Travel Resource. 11 Staying Connected. 12 Tips on Accommodations. 4 SUGGESTED MOSCOW ITINERARIES. 1 Neighborhoods in Brief. The Land Beyond the Moscow River. The Boulevard Ring. 2 The Best of Moscow in 1 Day. Babushkas. 3 The Best of Moscow in 2 Days. 4 The Best of Moscow in 3 Days. 5 WHERE TO STAY IN MOSCOW. Currency Confusion. 1 Around the Kremlin & Red Square. Family-Friendly Hotels. 2 Tverskaya & Environs. Foreigner Tax. 3 Petrovka & the Ukrainian Quarter. 4 The Arbat District. 5 South of the Moscow River. 6 Beyond the Garden Ring. 7 Near the Airport. 6 WHERE TO DINE IN MOSCOW. 1 Restaurants by Cuisine. 2 Around Red Square & the Kremlin. 3 Tverskaya & Environs. Family-Friendly Restaurants. 4 Petrovka & the Ukrainian Quarter. 5 South of the Moscow River (Zamoskvarechye). 6 The Arbat District. 7 Beyond the Garden Ring. 7 EXPLORING MOSCOW. 1 The Kremlin. Crown of Monomakh (Shapka Monomakha). 2 Around Red Square. 3 Cathedrals, Monasteries & Convents. Old Believers. 4 Soviet Sights. Conquering the Cosmos. 5 Major Museums. 6 Parks & Gardens. 7 Aristocratic Estates. 8 Literary Moscow. 9 Especially for Kids. 10 Organized Tours. 11 Outdoor Pursuits. Banya Bliss. 12 Spectator Sports. Walking Tour: Historic Moscow. 8 SHOPPING IN MOSCOW. 1 The Shopping Scene. Russian Orthodox Icons. 2 Great Shopping Areas. 3 The Shopping Centers. 4 Shopping A to Z. Couture a la Russe. Gorbushka Electronics Market. 9 MOSCOW AFTER DARK. 1 The Performing Arts. 2 The Club & Music Scene. 3 The Bar Scene. 4 The Gay & Lesbian Nightlife Scene. 5 More Entertainment. 10 SIDE TRIPS FROM MOSCOW. 1 Sergiev Posad. 2 Suzdal & Vladimir. 3 Arkhangelskoye. 4 Peredelkino. Day Excursions for Everyone. 11 SUGGESTED ST. PETERSBURG ITINERARIES. 1 The Neighborhoods in Brief. New Holland. Vasilevsky Island. 2 The Best of St. Petersburg in 1 Day. 3 The Best of St. Petersburg in 2 Days. 4 The Best of St. Petersburg in 3 Days. 12 WHERE TO STAY IN ST. PETERSBURG. A City of Mini Hotels. 1 Around the Hermitage. Family-Friendly Hotels. 2 Upper Nevsky Prospekt. Landing the Best Room. 3 Lower Nevsky to Smolny Cathedral. 4 South of Nevsky. 5 Vasilevsky Island & the Petrograd Side. 6 Near the Airport. 13 WHERE TO DINE IN ST. PETERSBURG. 1 Restaurants by Cuisine. Best of the Buffets. 2 Around Palace Square & the Hermitage. 3 Upper Nevsky Prospekt. 4 Square of the Arts up to Summer Gardens. Family-Friendly Restaurants. 5 Lower Nevsky Prospekt up to Smolny Cathedral. 6 South of Nevsky. 7 Vasilevsky Island & the Petrograd Side. 14 EXPLORING ST. PETERSBURG. 1 Hermitage & Environs. The Siege of Leningrad. 2 Around Palace Square. Peter & Paul Fortress (Petropavlovskaya Krepost). 3 Cathedrals, Monasteries & More. 4 Major Museums. 5 Parks & Gardens. 6 Monuments, Memorials & Squares. Island Pursuits. 7 Literary St. Petersburg. 8 Especially for Kids. 9 Organized Tours. 10 Outdoor Pursuits. Extreme Sports. 11 Spectator Sports. Walking Tour: St. Petersburg Highlights. 15 SHOPPING IN ST. PETERSBURG. 1 The Shopping Scene. Box That Up. 2 Great Shopping Areas. 3 Shopping Centers. 4 Shopping A to Z. 16 ST. PETERSBURG AFTER DARK. Where to Go During White Nights. 1 The Performing Arts. 2 The Club & Music Scene. 3 The Bar Scene. 4 The Gay & Lesbian Nightlife Scene. 5 More Entertainment. 17 SIDE TRIPS FROM ST. PETERSBURG. 1 Peterhof (Petrodvorets). 2 Tsarskoye Tselo (Pushkin). The Amber Room. 3 Pavlovsk. 4 Kronshtadt. 5 Vyborg. 18 FAST FACTS & TOLL FREE NUMBERS. 1 Fast Facts: Moscow. 2 Fast Facts: St. Petersburg. 3 Toll-Free Numbers & Websites. 19 USEFUL RUSSIAN TERMS & PHRASES. 1 Alphabet. 2 Basic Vocabulary. 3 Russian Dining Savvy. INDEX. General Index. Accommodations-Moscow and environs. Accommodations-St. Petersburg and environs. Restaurants-Moscow and environs. Restaurants-St. Petersburg and environs. L I S T O F M A P S. Russia. Moscow. Moscow Metro. St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg Metro. Moscow Neighborhoods. Moscow in 1 Day. Moscow in 2 Days. Moscow in 3 Days. Where to Stay in Moscow. Where to Dine in Moscow. The Kremlin. Exploring Moscow. Walking Tour: Historic Moscow. Moscow Shopping. Moscow After Dark. Side Trips from Moscow. St. Petersburg Neighborhoods. St. Petersburg in 1 Day. St. Petersburg in 2 Days. St. Petersburg in 3 Days. Where to Stay in St. Petersburg. Where to Dine in St. Petersburg. Exploring St. Petersburg. Exploring St. Peter and Paul Fortress. Walking Tour: St. Petersburg Highlights. St. Petersburg Shopping. St. Petersburg After Dark. Side Trips from St. Petersburg.

Author Biography

Angela Charlton moved to Russia in the early 1990s and spent most of the ensuing decade in the former Soviet Union working as a journalist. She was the Moscow correspondent for the Associated Press for six years, and she also studied in St. Petersburg and worked in Kiev. She is currently a journalist based in Paris.