Free: All time
Alexander Nevsky Monastery or Lavra is St. Petersburg’s most ancient and prominent monastery. In fact, the word “lavra” in Russian is reserved only for a monastery of the highest order, of which there are just found in all of Russia and Ukraine. The monastery was first built in 1710 – seven years after the foundation of Petersburg. The location was wrongly chosen by Peter the Great thinking that it was the spot where Alexander Novgorod had beaten the Swedes in 1240. Today, Alexander Nevsky Monastery is a working church as well as the burial grounds to some of Russia’s most famous cultural figures. Entry to the grounds of the monastery is free, but a visit to the cemetery requires a fee.
Address: Nevsky Prospekt 29, St. Petersburg
Opening hours: Grounds 6am – 11pm (8am – 9pm winter); Churches 6am – 9pm; Cemeteries 9:30am – 9pm (11am – 4pm winter); Pantheon 11am – 5pm Tue & Wed, Fri-Sun
Direction: Metro Line 2 or 3 to Nevsky Prospekt Station
Phone: +7 812 274-17-02
Website: lavra.spb.ru
Photo credit: ninara (Flickr CC)
