New Holland is a triangular island in the western centre, used from Peter I's day as a naval storage depot. In 2016 it reopened as a public space: park, restaurants, exhibition venues.
🏛 Inside
Three restored buildings: "The Bottle" (former naval prison — restaurants and boutiques), "The Forge" (exhibition hall) and the Commandant's House. In the middle is a lawn with sun loungers in summer and a skating rink in winter. A separate zone is a children's park.
🎵 Events
Summer: concerts, talks, markets. Winter: skating, Christmas markets, snow-screen cinema. Schedule at newhollandsp.ru.
🏘 Pryazhka nearby
Walking west from New Holland you reach the Pryazhka — a river and district where Alexander Blok lived (museum at Dekabristov 57). An atmospheric embankment with almost no tourists.
💳 Entry
Free, open 11:00–23:00 (summer until 02:00). Photography free.
🚕 Getting there
Sadovaya or Admiralteyskaya metro, 15 minutes on foot. For a late return, RideClu.
🛏 Where to stay
Apartments in Kolomna and by the Potseluev Bridge are bookable on Tutkakdoma.
If this is your first time in St Petersburg, bear two things in mind. Distances between the main sights are short, but autumn daylight is brief and rain arrives on no schedule. Plan your route around the lit half of the day, allow half an hour of buffer between stops, and bring a thermos and gloves for the evening. Dress in layers and wear non-slip soles — the embankments and bridges are windy, and courtyards stay wet after rain.
On the ground, walking is easiest between adjacent blocks, with short taxi hops when it gets dark or wet. If you are travelling as a group or with children, arrange the evening transfer back to your flat ahead of time — late-night fares spike. Flats in the centre go fast at weekends: book a week ahead for Nevsky, the Petrograd Side or Vasilievsky.
St Petersburg rewards half-day visits rather than one long marathon. Pick a theme — a single museum, a district, a walk — and give it time. After the active part, a warm cafe, a bookshop or a swimming pool is as much part of the ritual as the sights themselves, especially in November.
Verified against newhollandsp.ru on 22 October 2026.
Cover photo: Florstein (Telegram:WikiPhoto.Space), CC BY-SA 4.0, Викисклад
