The Lion Bridge is a chain pedestrian bridge across the Griboedov Canal, where four cast-iron lions by Pavel Sokolov (1825–1826, the same sculptor as the Bank Bridge griffins) serve as supports. A short walk ties the two bridges together.
🦁 What to see
Four lions "guard" the bridge from two banks, two on each side. The chains disappearing into their jaws are structural. The lions were restored in the 1990s after decades of neglect.
🗺 Finding it
Griboedov Canal, between Lviny Lane and Malaya Podyacheskaya. From Kazan Cathedral it is ten minutes on foot along the canal to the south (even-numbered side, past the Bank Bridge). From Sennaya, seven minutes.
📅 When to go
Like the Bank Bridge — morning or evening for the best light. Sunset gives good silhouettes.
🚕 Routing
Bank + Lion + Kazan + Savior on Spilled Blood is a classic 90-minute canal loop. All walkable from the centre; from further out, RideClu.
🛏 Where to stay
Apartments along the Griboedov Canal 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 on 22 October 2026.
Cover photo: Sergpavl, CC BY-SA 4.0, Викисклад
