Pushkin is about an hours drive from St. Petersburg. The roads are good and the drive, going past Pulkova International Airport, fairly scenic. Named after the famous Russian poet, Alexander Pushkin, the main reason to visit Pushkin is the Catherine Palace, the summer palace of Russian Tsars and the adjoining Catherine and Alexander parks.
There are several small shops selling souvenirs outside the entrance to the Palace. I was very happy to see the ticket counter was almost empty until I was told that this ticket was for entry into the complex(comprising the palace and the parks) and there will be a separate counter inside for tickets to the palace.
Waiting time is long
Once inside the huge complex, my heart sank on seeing the queue….there were over 200 people atleast. I thought of skipping the Palace but changed my mind soon enough. Apparently, the authorities allow limited number of people inside and hence we had to wait for some of those inside to exit. It took over 2 hours to get to the ticket counter. A quick visit to the locker room to leave the belongings, I was about to start the tour when I noticed the café. A snack and coffee followed and after some rest, I was ready.
The route inside is neatly organized and takes one from one room to another. The interiors are largely reminiscent of the living in the 18thand 19 th century. Just before exit, there are counters selling exquisite jewellery. I would think about 1 hour is good for the Palace.
Amber room
I spent another hour strolling around the huge park.
Vegetarians do not have much of food options
I did not check if tickets could be purchased online, but maybe worth checking if it helps jump the queue. My driver also informed me that finding vegetarian food may not be easy in Pushkin and hence I decided to drive back to St. Petersburg for a late lunch.
