New Holland Island, St Petersburg

Is New Holland Island free?

Yes — there’s no ticket for the island. You walk in, sit on the lawn and stay as long as you like. You only pay for food and drinks, ticketed concerts, talks and shows, the winter rink, and a day pass to the Community space in House 12 (300 ₽ — a reading room, co-working desks, board games and a lecture hall, open 12:00–21:00).

Cafés take roubles in cash or Russian bank cards. Visa and Mastercard cards issued abroad have not worked in Russia since March 2022, so bring cash or a Russian payment option before you sit down for lunch.

New Holland Island opening hours

The island is open every day: Monday to Thursday 9:00–22:00, Friday to Sunday 9:00–23:00. Last entry is half an hour before closing. The Bottle stays open later — until 23:00 on weekdays and midnight at weekends — though each café inside sets its own hours.

On sunny weekends and holidays the island itself warns there may be a queue at the gate. Weekday mornings are the quietest time, and the best for photos without crowds.

Is New Holland Island worth visiting?

Yes, if you treat it as a break, not a sight. It sits between St Isaac’s Cathedral, the Yusupov Palace and the Mariinsky Theatre, so it slots neatly into a day in the centre: coffee on the grass, a look at the arch and the Bottle, lunch, and on to the next museum.

It isn’t a museum — there are almost no signs explaining the warehouses, the prison or the old test basin. Don’t cross the city just for it. Locals come for the food, the lawn and the events; YesGo thinks the lawn alone is reason enough on a warm afternoon.

What to see on New Holland Island

• The New Holland Arch by Vallin de la Mothe — the island’s postcard view. Shoot it from the Moika embankment opposite, not from inside.
• The Bottle — the round former naval prison with an inner courtyard; now cafés, shops and studios.
• The central lawn and pond — picnics, pétanque and open-air film screenings in summer.
• The Pavilion — exhibitions, talks and workshops; check the events page on the official site for what’s on.
• The Summer Theatre — an open-air amphitheatre for plays and concerts in the warm months.
• The Frigate playground — a 26-metre wooden ship frame that kids climb all over.
• The herb garden and the shady alley — the quiet corner when the lawn gets busy.
• The tide gauge — it shows the water level of the Neva; most people walk straight past it.

A short history: warehouses, a prison and a test basin

The island was cut out of the city in 1719, when the Kryukov and Admiralty canals were dug, to dry and store ship timber for the Admiralty. The story goes that it took its name from an older timber yard called “Holland”, where wood was stacked upright the Dutch way. Savva Chevakinsky rebuilt the warehouses in brick from the 1760s, and Vallin de la Mothe added the Moika façade and the great arch.

In the 1820s Alexander Staubert built the round naval prison nicknamed the Bottle. In the 1890s an experimental basin appeared, where shipbuilder Alexei Krylov tested hull models, and in 1915 the navy put its most powerful radio station here.

For most of the 20th century the island was closed military land. It opened to everyone in 2011, and a private redevelopment based on a concept by the New York studio WORKac turned it into a park in 2016; work on some buildings is still going on.

Where to eat on New Holland Island

Most of the food is in the Bottle, where small restaurants and coffee bars ring the courtyard. Kuznya, the old smithy, is a club-restaurant and café, and House 12 has a café too; in summer there are food kiosks on the lawn.

Tenants change often, so YesGo doesn’t list names — the official site and the Bottle’s own site keep the current list. Prices are central-St-Petersburg café prices. The cheapest good option: a takeaway coffee and a spot on the grass.

New Holland ice rink in winter

In winter the central lawn is flooded to make an open-air rink on natural ice — one of the best-known in the city. Hockey and figure skates are for hire in Russian sizes 25–47, and beginners get a free skating aid.

Season dates and prices are posted closer to opening; on 29 October 2026 the official site only says “see you in autumn”. Because the ice is natural, a thaw can close the rink, so check the site on the day. The rest of the island stays open in winter.

New Holland vs Sevkabel Port vs the Summer Garden

On a first trip, pick New Holland — it fits between St Isaac’s and the Mariinsky. Sevkabel Port is for a free evening and a sunset over the Gulf. The Summer Garden is quieter and more historic, but has no lawn-and-coffee scene.

St Petersburg waterside places compared

Every waterside place in St Petersburg rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Nearby — add to your day

47

Yusupov Palace on the Moika

St Petersburg, Russia

1 h 30 min · from 950 ₽ · 8 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Yusupov Palace on the Moika

46

Mariinsky Theatre

St Petersburg, Russia

3 h · Price depends on the show · 9 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Mariinsky Theatre

69

St Isaac's Cathedral

St Petersburg, Russia

1 h · 700 ₽, colonnade 700 ₽ · 18 min walk

Yes — add to my route: St Isaac's Cathedral

72

Bronze Horseman

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20 min · Free · 19 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Bronze Horseman

How to do it right

• One free hour: the arch from the Moika → in through the Admiralty Canal gate → the lawn and pond → the Bottle’s courtyard.
• Two hours: add lunch in the Bottle and whatever is on in the Pavilion.
• With kids, head straight for the Frigate playground — everything else gets easier after that.
• Weekday mornings are almost empty — the time for crowd-free photos.
• Afterwards it’s a 5-minute walk to the Yusupov Palace or to the Mariinsky Theatre for an evening show.
• Want the story of the warehouses, the prison and Krylov’s basin? Take a guided tour — the buildings themselves say very little.

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