Kazan Cathedral
St Petersburg, Russia
Griboyedov Canal, St Petersburg
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Photo: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- Free
- Hours
- Open 24/7 — it’s a public embankment; churches, museums and boats keep their own hours
- Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 30 min
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Open
- 24/7
- Route
- From the Moika by the Field of Mars to the Fontanka at Malo-Kalinkin Bridge
- Length
- About 5 km; the best part is the 1 km from Spilled Blood to Bank Bridge
- Bridges
- 21, including Bank Bridge (griffins) and Lion Bridge
- Metro
- Nevsky Prospekt (Line 2, blue) and Gostiny Dvor (Line 3, green); for the southern end, Sennaya Ploshchad / Spasskaya / Sadovaya
- Canal exit
- Nevsky Prospekt’s second entrance opens right onto the canal embankment
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Boat tours
- During the navigation season, usually May to October; fares vary by operator
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Time needed
- 30 minutes for the highlights, 1–1.5 hours to walk on to St Nicholas Cathedral
Key facts
≈ 5 kmlength of the canal, from the Moika to the Fontanka (Russian Wikipedia gives 5.1 km)
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English and Russian Wikipedia, Griboyedov Canal21 bridgescross the canal along its length
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English and Russian Wikipedia, Griboyedov Canal1881Tsar Alexander II was assassinated on the canal embankment — the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood marks the spot
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English and Russian Wikipedia, Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood1764–1790the old Krivusha river bed was deepened and lined with granite
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English and Russian Wikipedia, Griboyedov Canal1923the Catherine Canal was renamed after the playwright and diplomat Alexander Griboyedov
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English and Russian Wikipedia, Griboyedov Canal1826Bank Bridge and Lion Bridge opened, both with sculptures by Pavel Sokolov
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Russian Wikipedia, Bank Bridge and Lion Bridge32 mwidth of the canal; depth up to 3.5 m
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English and Russian Wikipedia, Griboyedov Canal95 mwidth of Kazansky Bridge on Nevsky — the city’s third-widest bridge
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Russian Wikipedia, Kazansky Bridge1739the Krivusha was linked to the Moika, turning it into a canal
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English and Russian Wikipedia, Griboyedov CanalNo. 540the canal is part of the UNESCO site Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg
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UNESCO World Heritage List, 1990Russian WikipediaIs the Griboyedov Canal worth it?
Yes — and it costs nothing. The canal is the most photogenic walk in central St Petersburg and also the most useful shortcut: it links the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, Nevsky Prospekt and Kazan Cathedral in a 10-minute stroll, with granite embankments and cast-iron railings all the way.
Don’t plan a whole morning around it, though. There’s no ticket office or single sight — the canal is the setting. Thirty minutes from Spilled Blood to Bank Bridge gives you the best of it. Carry on south past Sennaya Square only if you like quiet, lived-in streets: that’s Dostoevsky’s Petersburg, with fewer tourists and more courtyards.
Unlike straight Nevsky, the canal curves. It follows the bed of a small marshy river, the Krivusha, linked to the Moika in 1739 and lined with granite between 1764 and 1790 — so a new view opens at every bend.
What to see along the Griboyedov Canal
- Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood — built right on the embankment where Alexander II was mortally wounded in 1881. Your starting point.
- Italian Bridge — a footbridge between the church and Nevsky; from the middle you get the classic frame of railings, water and coloured domes.
- Kazansky Bridge on Nevsky — 95 m wide, so it feels like part of the street. Look left for Spilled Blood, right for Kazan Cathedral’s colonnade.
- Singer House — the glass-domed corner building with a globe on top, now the Dom Knigi bookshop.
- Kazan Cathedral — its colonnade sweeps down to the canal; entry is free.
- Bank Bridge — a narrow footbridge guarded by four winged lions everyone calls griffins, with wings of copper covered in gold leaf. Five minutes from Nevsky and worth the detour even on a short visit.
- Sennaya Square — around Sennoy Bridge starts the neighbourhood of Crime and Punishment: tenement blocks, courtyards and stairwells.
- Lion Bridge — four cast-iron lions by Pavel Sokolov hold the bridge’s chains in their mouths.
- The seven-bridges spot — at Pikalov Bridge, where the Griboyedov meets the Kryukov Canal, you can see seven bridges at once, with blue-and-white St Nicholas Naval Cathedral beside you.
Where is the best photo spot of Spilled Blood?
The postcard shot is from Kazansky Bridge on Nevsky Prospekt, looking north up the canal with the church framed by houses at the end. For a closer, bigger church, walk halfway to the Italian Bridge and shoot from its centre. Both are free and open all night.
Bank Bridge is the second photo: golden wings against the former Assignation Bank. Get there early — by midday there’s often a small queue of people posing. For the seven bridges, stand by Pikalov Bridge with the cathedral on your left.
Night lighting puts the church in floodlights while the houses go dark, so the best evening light is the blue hour just after sunset. During the White Nights, from late May to mid-July, it stays light almost all night and the embankment is calmer than in the day.
Griboyedov Canal boat tours
Canal boats run only during the navigation season, usually May to October, when the water is free of ice. Boats board by Kazansky Bridge, just off Nevsky. Most “rivers and canals” cruises loop through the Moika, the Griboyedov and the Fontanka before coming out onto the Neva.
A typical trip takes 1–1.5 hours. Fares differ between operators and change with the season, so check at the pier on the day. Some bridges are very low — on an open deck, duck when the crew tells you to.
Paying: foreign Visa and Mastercard cards haven’t worked in Russia since March 2022, so bring roubles in cash for pier kiosks, or book with a service that clearly accepts foreign cards before you travel.
YesGo’s take: on a first visit in summer, an hour on a canal boat is time well spent — the city looks different from the water and your feet get a break. Short on time? Walk the highlights instead: 30 minutes, free, and you get all the best views. There are no boats in winter.
How to get to the Griboyedov Canal
Tap a route to highlight it on the map.
Where are you starting from?
We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.
On foot
- Kazan Cathedral is about 3 min away on foot.
- Nevsky Prospekt is about 13 min away on foot.
- State Russian Museum is about 15 min away on foot.
More tips
- Take the metro to Nevsky Prospekt (Line 2, blue) or Gostiny Dvor (Line 3, green) — one interchange. Nevsky Prospekt’s second entrance opens straight onto the canal embankment, a minute from Kazansky Bridge.
- From Palace Square and Admiralteyskaya station (Line 5), walk down Nevsky to Kazan Cathedral — about 15 minutes.
- To start at Spilled Blood, walk north from Nevsky Prospekt station along the canal, 6–7 minutes; the church is in view the whole way.
- For Sennoy Bridge and Lion Bridge, use Sennaya Ploshchad (Line 2), Spasskaya (Line 4) or Sadovaya (Line 5) — a three-station interchange 3–5 minutes from the water.
- In Russian the canal is Канал Грибоедова (Kanal Griboyedova) — handy for taxi apps and street signs.
Before you go: checklist
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Griboyedov Canal vs Summer Garden vs New Holland
| Griboyedov Canalyou are here | Embankment walk with bridges and the Spilled Blood view | Free, 24/7 | 30 min – 1.5 h | Canal, bridges, boats | Morning and blue hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Garden | The city’s oldest formal garden with statues | Free, garden hours | 1 h | Fountains and the Swan Canal | Daytime in the warm months |
| New Holland | Island park with cafés and exhibitions | Free, island hours | 1–2 h | Pond and canals around the island | Weekend evenings |
Do the Griboyedov Canal on day one — it ties the big churches together and costs you almost no extra time. The Summer Garden is a calm hour nearby; New Holland deserves its own evening.
St Petersburg by the water, compared
Every waterside place in St Petersburg YesGo has scored. Tap a column header to sort.
| Cruiser Aurora | 67 | 1 h | 1,000 ₽ for foreign visitors | 2.6 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palace Bridge and the bridge openings | 53 | 45 min | Free | 23 min walk |
| Peterhof | 50 | 4 h | Lower Park from 2,000 ₽ for foreign visitors | 23.7 km |
| Kronstadt | 49 | 4 h | Free | 31.2 km |
| Griboyedov Canalyou are here | 48 | 30 min | Free | — |
| New Holland Island | 48 | 1 h | Free | 35 min walk |
| Summer Garden | 46 | 1 h | Free | 25 min walk |
| Sevkabel Port | 38 | 1 h | Free | 4.8 km |
| Yelagin Island | 36 | 1 h 30 min | Free weekdays, 200 ₽ at weekends | 6.4 km |
| Krestovsky Island | 36 | 1 h 30 min | Free | 6.0 km |
The canal and the centre in half a day
Start at Spilled Blood, follow the canal past Kazan Cathedral to Bank Bridge and Sennaya, and finish at the Mariinsky Theatre and New Holland. Add the stops to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and walks.
- Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood45 min · 700 ₽, under 7 free
- 14 min walk from the previous stopGriboyedov Canalyou are here30 min · Free
- 3 min walk from the previous stopKazan Cathedral30 min · Free
- 32 min walk from the previous stopMariinsky Theatre3 h · Price depends on the show
- 9 min walk from the previous stopNew Holland Island1 h · Free
5 places · about 6 h 43 min with walks · 58 min on foot in total
Nearby — add to your day
Nevsky Prospekt
St Petersburg, Russia
State Russian Museum
St Petersburg, Russia
Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
St Petersburg, Russia
How to do it right
- In 30 minutes: Spilled Blood → Italian Bridge → Kazansky Bridge on Nevsky → Bank Bridge.
- In 1.5 hours: keep going past Sennaya to Lion Bridge and the seven-bridges spot at St Nicholas, then it’s 5 minutes to the Mariinsky Theatre.
- Want it quiet? Turn south off Nevsky — beyond Bank Bridge the crowds thin out fast.
- Head back by metro from Sennaya Ploshchad or Sadovaya.
- The churches keep different hours: Spilled Blood closes on Wednesdays, Kazan Cathedral opens daily.
- Don’t push coins into the griffins’ mouths on Bank Bridge — it damages the sculptures.
Questions
Is the Griboyedov Canal worth visiting?
Yes. It’s free, open 24/7 and gives you the city’s most famous view of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. Thirty minutes from the church to Bank Bridge is enough.
How long is the Griboyedov Canal?
About 5 km, from the Moika near the Field of Mars to the Fontanka. The section most visitors walk, Spilled Blood to Bank Bridge, is about 1 km.
What metro station is closest to the Griboyedov Canal?
Nevsky Prospekt (Line 2) — its second entrance opens onto the canal embankment. Gostiny Dvor (Line 3) is the same interchange. For the southern end, use Sennaya Ploshchad, Spasskaya or Sadovaya.
Why is it called the Griboyedov Canal?
It was renamed in 1923 after Alexander Griboyedov, the playwright of Woe from Wit and a diplomat. Before that it was the Catherine Canal.
Can you take a boat tour on the Griboyedov Canal?
Yes, during the navigation season, usually May to October. Boats board by Kazansky Bridge on Nevsky; most trips last 1–1.5 hours.
Where is the best view of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood?
From Kazansky Bridge on Nevsky Prospekt, looking up the canal, or from the middle of the Italian Bridge for a closer shot.
What is Bank Bridge?
A narrow footbridge from 1826 with four gilded winged lions, usually called griffins, by sculptor Pavel Sokolov. It’s five minutes south of Nevsky.
Where is the seven-bridges viewpoint?
At Pikalov Bridge, where the Griboyedov meets the Kryukov Canal next to St Nicholas Naval Cathedral. Seven bridges are visible from one spot.
How many bridges cross the Griboyedov Canal?
Twenty-one, from Theatre Bridge by Spilled Blood to Malo-Kalinkin Bridge at the Fontanka.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- English and Russian Wikipedia: Griboyedov Canal; Wikidata Q1137992
- Russian Wikipedia: Bank Bridge, Lion Bridge, Kazansky Bridge and Pikalov Bridge articles
- English and Russian Wikipedia: Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
- UNESCO World Heritage List: Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments, No. 540, 1990
- Delovoy Peterburg and Fontanka.ru news on the Nevsky Prospekt metro entrance on the canal, 29.07.2026
- Visa and Mastercard statements on suspending operations in Russia, March 2022
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