Introduction to St. Petersburg, Russia

St. Petersburg was a planned city from day one, and therefore makes sense to most visitors right away. The center of town is relatively compact, and the increasing use of English on street signs and billboards breaks up the puzzling array of Russian lettering and helps visitors get their bearings. But globalization has encroached only so far, and even though the city was Peter the Great's window to the Western world, there's no mistaking St. Petersburg's Russianness. Here are some tips on how to get oriented and get on with your Petersburg adventure.