Baltiysky Railway Station stands on the Obvodny Canal Embankment in Admiralteysky District, south of the centre. It opened on 21 July 1857 as the Peterhof station, built for a private railway to the imperial palaces on the Gulf of Finland, and it was designed by Alexander Krakau on the model of the Gare de l’Est in Paris. Since 1872 it has carried its present name, after the line to Reval, now Tallinn.
Today Baltiysky Railway Station handles suburban trains only, and it is one of the busiest in Russia for that traffic. Most visitors come for the trains to Peterhof and Oranienbaum, where the palaces and fountains are, or to Gatchina and Luga. The Baltiyskaya metro station on Line 1 has its lobby in the building.
Quick Facts
| Russian name | Балтийский вокзал |
|---|---|
| Type | Railway station |
| Built / opened | 1857 |
| Architect(s) | Alexander Krakau |
| Address | Санкт-Петербург, набережная Обводного канала, 120 OpenStreetMap · Google Maps |
| District | Admiralteysky District |
| Metro | Baltiyskaya (Line 1, the metro lobby is built into the left wing of the station building) |
| Opening hours | The station building serves passengers in line with the suburban train timetable, but ticket offices, left luggage and the shops keep their own hours. Check your train and the services you need before an early or late journey (as of October 2026 – check the official site of Russian Railways). |
| Admission | Free to enter the public halls; you pay only for your train ticket and any extras such as left luggage. |
| Best time to visit | The station works in every season, and suburban trains run throughout the day. For the calmest look at the building, choose midday on a weekday. The morning and evening rush fills the halls, and summer weekends are busy with day-trippers heading for Peterhof, so go early if you want a seat on the train. |
| Recommended duration | 30 minutes, plus your train |
| Website | rzd.ru |
| Last updated | October 16, 2026 |
How to Get to and from Baltiysky Railway Station, Saint Petersburg
| Option | Duration | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro from Baltiyskaya | About 10 to 15 minutes to the Nevsky Prospekt area, with a change | ₽ | Recommended. The metro lobby is in the left wing of the station, on Line 1. Line 1 runs to Tekhnologichesky Institut and Vladimirskaya, where you can change for the centre, and to Narvskaya and Avtovo in the other direction. |
| Suburban train to Peterhof or Oranienbaum | From about 30 to 50 minutes, depending on the stop | ₽ | Trains leave from this station throughout the day. From the Peterhof stations you need a bus, a minibus or a walk to the palaces and parks; check the timetable on the day. |
| Suburban train to Gatchina or Luga | From about 1 hour to a few hours | ₽ | Gatchina has its own palace and park; Luga is further out. Check the timetable and the destination on the day. |
| Tram, bus or minibus | Varies | ₽ | Several city routes stop around the station and along the Obvodny Canal. Check a map for the line that suits your hotel. |
| Official taxi or taxi app | 10 to 20 minutes to most central hotels | ₽₽ | The most comfortable option with luggage or at night. Use an official service or app, and ignore drivers who approach you in the hall. |
₽ budget · ₽₽ moderate · ₽₽₽ upscale · ₽₽₽₽ splurge. Price levels are estimates compared with typical prices for visitors.
Why Visit Baltiysky Railway Station, Saint Petersburg?
For most visitors Baltiysky is the practical starting point for a day at Peterhof, whose fountains and park are one of the best-known excursions from Saint Petersburg, and for the palaces at Oranienbaum and Gatchina. The trains are cheap and frequent compared with taxis or tour buses.
The station is also a good example of the mid-nineteenth-century railway style. Behind a Renaissance-style facade, the terminal platforms keep a glass roof, and the wings on either side once served the imperial family on their way to their summer residences. Allow half an hour to see the building before your train.
Highlights of Baltiysky Railway Station, Saint Petersburg
A Parisian model
The station was designed by the architect Alexander Krakau and built in 1855 to 1858 on the pattern of the Gare de l'Est in Paris. The facade is in a Renaissance style, and the building is flanked by two-storey wings.
In answer to it, a Gothic-style station was built at Peterhof to a design by Nikolai Benois, so the two ends of the line were meant to match each other.
Tip: Cross the road in front to see the full facade; the two wings only read properly from a distance.
The glass roof over the platforms
The terminal keeps a glass roof over the platforms, which gives the platform area a light, industrial look unusual in the modern suburban stations. The building was restored in the early 2000s for the city's 300th anniversary, with the aim of bringing back its original appearance and interiors.
The suburban passenger pavilion was restored completely.
Tip: Walk to the platform side of the hall to see the roof; it is easy to miss if you go straight from the metro to your train.
The royal wing
The left wing was once reserved for members of the Russian royal family travelling to their palaces at Strelna, Peterhof and Oranienbaum. Today the same wing holds the entrance of the Baltiyskaya metro station, added in 1955.
The imperial link is a reminder of why the line was built: to carry the court and its guests to the Gulf of Finland.
Tip: Use the metro entrance in the left wing and notice the older wing details around it.
Trains to Peterhof and Oranienbaum
Suburban trains from Baltiysky run to Peterhof (the station is called Novy Petergof), to Oranienbaum in Lomonosov, to Strelna, and on to Gatchina and Luga. They are the usual public-transport route to the Peterhof fountains and park.
From the Peterhof station you still need a bus, a minibus or a walk of some distance to reach the Lower Park.
Tip: Check the destination on the board; trains for several towns leave from the same platform area.
The old Warsaw Station next door
Close to Baltiysky stands the former Warsaw station, on the same embankment at number 118. It is now a complex called Warsaw Express, with cafes, a cinema, an ice rink and shops, and it also holds a railway museum.
It is a useful place to wait for a train or to get out of the rain.
Tip: Check the museum's current status and hours before you go; they were not confirmed for this article.
The first metro line of 1955
Baltiyskaya was one of the first stations of the Saint Petersburg metro. It opened on 15 November 1955, 57 metres underground, with Ural marble in the decoration, the colour of a silver sea. The exit leads into the railway station building.
The metro station has its own article on this site.
Tip: Allow a few minutes for the long escalator ride when you transfer between the metro and your train.
Atmosphere
The station sits on a wide stretch of the Obvodny Canal, with the old Warsaw station beside it and a mix of tram lines, bus stops and traffic around the square. The facade is calm and symmetrical, in pale colours, and the wings look like part of a small palace.
Inside, the hall is busy with commuters, especially in the morning and early evening, and at weekends in summer with day-trippers heading for Peterhof. The platform area is light and echoing under the glass roof, with the sound of electric trains and announcements.
History of Baltiysky Railway Station, Saint Petersburg
In 1853, Baron Stieglitz and Baron Felizen began to build a private railway from Saint Petersburg to Peterhof. The state had planned a branch to Peterhof, but the Crimean War was under way and the treasury did not have the money, so private investors took over the line, together with a branch from Gatchina to Luga.
The station was built near the Obvodny Canal to the design of the architect Alexander Krakau, in 1855 to 1858, and it was modelled on the Gare de l’Est in Paris. The first trains left on 21 July 1857, and the station was called the Peterhof station. In reply to its Renaissance-style building, a Gothic-style station was built at Peterhof by Nikolai Benois.
In the 1860s and 1870s, the private line was linked with Krasnoe Selo and, through it, with the Baltic Railway to Gatchina, Narva, Reval, now Tallinn, and the Baltic port, now Paldiski. On 19 December 1872 the first train from Reval arrived, and from then on the station was called Baltiysky.
In 1931 and 1932, the station was reconstructed. In 1933 the first electric train left, and since then the station has handled only suburban trains. In the 1970s and 1980s, after the closure of the Warsaw station, Baltiysky also took over the Gatchina and Luga lines.
The Baltiyskaya metro station, one of the first in the system, opened on 15 November 1955, and its lobby was built into the left wing of the railway station, the wing once reserved for the imperial family.
In the 2000s, before the city’s 300th anniversary, the station was restored. The suburban passenger pavilion was completely restored, and the wings were redesigned, with the aim of bringing back the original look and the historic interiors. The plan included a terminal for a high-speed train to Pulkovo Airport, but the airport link was built from Vitebsky station instead.
Today Baltiysky is a regional cultural heritage site and one of the busiest stations in Russia for suburban traffic, with trains to Peterhof, Oranienbaum, Gatchina and Luga.
Tickets and Payment at Baltiysky Railway Station, Saint Petersburg
Train tickets are sold by Russian Railways. Suburban tickets to Peterhof, Oranienbaum and Gatchina are sold at machines and ticket windows in the station and, for many routes, in the mobile app. Long-distance tickets, where they apply, are tied to a passenger’s identity document, so use your passport details exactly as written in your passport.
- At the station: ticket offices and machines work for same-day travel; queues can be long at weekends in summer.
- Online: the official site and app sell tickets for many routes; check what is available for your train.
- Payment: whether a foreign bank card works varies, and the sanctions rules of your own country may restrict the use of Russian payment services, so check this yourself before you travel.
- Taxis: use an official service or app, and ignore drivers who approach you in the hall; unofficial drivers have a record of overcharging foreign visitors.
Rates for Russian citizens and concession categories differ. The official ticket page is on rzd.ru.
Flights, Transfers and Planning
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How to Get to Baltiysky Railway Station, Saint Petersburg
By metro: take Line 1, the red line, to Baltiyskaya, between Tekhnologichesky Institut and Narvskaya. The station’s lobby is built into the left wing of the railway station, so you walk straight in.
On foot: the station is on the Obvodny Canal Embankment, south of the centre. From Obvodny Kanal metro station it is a walk along the canal; check a map for the best route.
By road: taxis drop you at the facade. Trams, buses and minibuses stop around the station square; check a map for the line that suits your hotel.
Accessibility
A station restored in the early 2000s is expected to have ramps and assistance services for passengers with reduced mobility, but specific details were not confirmed for this article. Request assistance from Russian Railways before your journey, and ask the station staff on arrival. Baltiyskaya metro station is about 57 metres deep, so the escalators are long, and a taxi may be easier with a wheelchair.
Food Nearby
The station has cafes, bakeries and kiosks, but the names and tenants change, so look at the signs on the day. Next door, the Warsaw Express complex in the former Warsaw station has cafes and restaurants, and the streets around the canal have more options.
What to Bring
A payment option for tickets, taxis and food, comfortable shoes for the Peterhof park, a rain layer and a warm layer in cooler months. Security checks apply at the entrance, so keep bags easy to open.
Photography Rules
Photography is generally tolerated in the public halls and outside, but filming security staff, police and technical areas is not allowed. Drones are not permitted near the station, and tripods and professional equipment usually need permission from the railway.
Family Suitability
Workable for families. The suburban trains to Peterhof are short and easy with children, and the Warsaw Express complex next door has indoor attractions. Strollers need to be handled on the escalators unless a lift is available, which was not confirmed. Summer weekends are crowded, so go early.
Russia Vibes Tips
- Look at the facade from across the road; the two wings and the central block only read from a distance.
- Check the destination on the board before boarding; trains for several towns leave from the same platform area.
- For Peterhof, get off at Novy Petergof and plan the last stretch to the park by bus, minibus or on foot.
- Use the Warsaw Express complex next door for a coffee or to shelter from the rain while you wait.
- Go early on summer weekends; the trains to Peterhof fill up and the fountains are crowded by midday.
- Do not confuse Baltiysky with the old Warsaw station; the old building next door is now a shopping complex, not a station.
Explore Nearby Baltiysky Railway Station, Saint Petersburg
Metro stations near Baltiysky Railway Station, Saint Petersburg
Baltiyskaya Metro Station, Saint Petersburgabout 50 m away (~1 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Obvodny Kanal Metro Station, Saint Petersburgabout 2.9 km awayMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Narvskaya Metro Station, Saint Petersburgabout 1.5 km away (~24 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Sights near Baltiysky Railway Station, Saint Petersburg
Russian Railway Museum, Saint Petersburgabout 100 m away (~2 min walk) · typical visit: 2–3 hoursMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Train stations and river piers near Baltiysky Railway Station, Saint Petersburg
Vitebsky Railway Station, Saint Petersburgabout 2.3 km awayMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
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FAQ: Baltiysky Railway Station, Saint Petersburg
Who designed Baltiysky Railway Station?
The architect Alexander Krakau, who built it in 1855 to 1858 on the model of the Gare de l'Est in Paris. It opened on 21 July 1857 as the Peterhof station.
Why is it called Baltiysky?
It was renamed in 1872, when the first train from Reval, now Tallinn, arrived. Before that it was the Peterhof station.
Which trains leave from here?
Suburban trains to Peterhof, Oranienbaum, Strelna, Gatchina and Luga. Check the official timetable on the day.
Can I take a train to Peterhof from here?
Yes, it is the usual route. Get off at Novy Petergof and continue by bus, minibus or on foot to the park. See the options section for onward routes.
Is there a metro station in the building?
Yes. Baltiyskaya on Line 1 has its lobby in the left wing of the station, built in 1955.
Is it the Warsaw station next door?
No. The Warsaw station is a separate former building at number 118, now a shopping and leisure complex called Warsaw Express.
Do long-distance trains leave from here?
Baltiysky handles suburban trains only, since 1933. Long-distance trains leave from Moskovsky, Ladozhsky and Vitebsky stations, so check your ticket.
Is it worth a special visit?
Only if you like railway architecture; half an hour is enough. Most visitors pass through on the way to Peterhof.
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Last updated: October 16, 2026. Found an error or something out of date? Report it and we will check and fix it.
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