Friends, today we are heading 120 kilometers away from St. Petersburg to stroll through the beautiful ancient Vyborg. I spent only a little time here, so the walk through the city center turned out to be very brief. A similar route will take you no more than an hour.
One of the most convenient ways to travel to Vyborg is by "Swallow" from the Finlandsky railway station in St. Petersburg. The average travel time is 1 hour 15 minutes. The cost of a one-way ticket is 347 rubles (October 2020). Thanks to the fact that the train travels very quickly, you will have much more time to explore the city. In my plans was to visit "Monrepo Park", climb the tower of St. Olaf and walk through the central part of the city.
My short walk through Vyborg began at the Fortress Bridge. The first attraction I wanted to see is the ruins of the old cathedral and the Clock Tower, which are literally a five-minute walk from here.
The Vyborg Cathedral is the oldest building in the center of Old Vyborg: a wooden building for worship was erected on this site in the mid-14th century. The building burned down in 1411 and was subsequently rebuilt in stone. Throughout its centuries-old history, the cathedral building has been repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt anew. In the first half of the 20th century, the cathedral was converted into a Lutheran church of Saints Peter and Paul. The building was last destroyed in 1940. Today we can see only half-destroyed brick walls without a roof and floor.
Not far from the cathedral building stands the Clock Tower. The building was erected in 1494 as a bell tower of the aforementioned cathedral. Clocks with a bell appeared on it in the mid-18th century. The clock mechanism that operates here today dates back to 1848.
Moving on. The next attraction we will see is the former St. Hyacinth Church, or the Knights' House. Before World War II, the Church of St. Hyacinth of the Vyborg Roman Catholic parish was located here. The modern appearance of the building was acquired in the late 20th century. Today the house belongs to the city museum.
We walk along a small paved street and meet another notable building - the Round Tower. The building, about 22 meters high, appeared here in the mid-16th century. The tower was located not far from the city wall, which has not survived to this day. At different times, the tower served as an arsenal, warehouse, and even a prison. Today there is a restaurant with a very good rating on online maps - 4.6 out of 5 points.
Now we head to Fortress Street. Here, in the depths of the quarter, there is an old two-story house called in some sources the "House of the townspeople". On the Internet, you can find mentions that this is the oldest residential building in Russia, but I have not found official information on this matter.
The next destination is Vyborg Street. Here, not far from each other, are two more attractions of the Old Town - the ruined church of the Dominican Monastery and the Tower of the Town Hall.
The Monastery Church was founded on the site of an older temple in 1481. Over time, the building was repeatedly rebuilt; in the early 18th century, after the destruction of the old cathedral, it served as the city's church. It was here that the townspeople swore allegiance to Peter the Great after the capture of the city. The building burned down in 1940. Plans for the restoration of the building appeared repeatedly, but were never implemented.
Not far away is the Town Hall Tower, which since the 17th century was used as a bell tower of the Dominican Church. This is the only surviving tower of the city wall. Unlike many other attractions of the Old Town, today the tower building has been reconstructed and transferred to the Vyborg Museum-Preserve.
Returning to the railway station, I passed by the central park of the city, also known as "Park-Esplanade". In its western part, you can find a small tram car, which has been converted into a cafe. A little further on my way is a sculptural composition depicting two knights and a lady.
Well, my walk has come to an end. Next time I will tell you about one of the main tourist attractions of the city, the ancient Vyborg Castle and the ascent to the tower of St. Olaf.
In summary:
- A city with a rich history;
- Lots of old buildings;
- An excellent place for unusual photographs.
