A Zelenogorsk day trip takes you to the last big settlement of the Kurortny District on the Gulf of Finland, once the Finnish resort of Terijoki. It is known for its wooden villas, a long sandy beach called the Golden Beach and its quiet park.
The coast road and railway line also take you past Repino, where the painter Ilya Repin lived, and Komarovo. This page explains how to get there, what to see on the way and how to plan a full day.
Quick Facts
| Russian name | Зеленогорск |
|---|---|
| Distance from the nearest major city | Further along the coast beyond Repino, which lies about 37 km north-west of central Saint Petersburg |
| Travel time from the nearest major city | Roughly one hour or a little more by train from Finlyandsky Station |
| Built / opened | 1870 |
| Address | Zelenogorsk, Kurortny District, Saint Petersburg (Зеленогорск, Курортный район, Санкт-Петербург) |
| Opening hours | The town, the park and the Golden Beach are open all day. Museums, including the Penaty estate in Repino, have their own hours; the Penaty museum is usually open Wednesday to Monday from 10:30 to 18:00 and closed on Tuesdays. (as of October 2026 – check the official sites of each museum) |
| Admission | Walking in the town, park and beach is free. The Penaty and other museums have separate tickets, mostly ₽ to ₽₽. |
| Best time to visit | Summer is best for the beach and the park, and autumn is good for quiet walks. In winter the town is empty and cold, and some museums have shorter hours. Weekdays are quieter than weekends. |
| Recommended duration | A full day |
| Last updated | October 17, 2026 |
What Is (and Isn't) Part of a Visit to Zelenogorsk Day Trip, Saint Petersburg?
| Part | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Zelenogorsk town, park and Golden Beach | Outside / not part of it | Public streets and beach, free to visit. |
| Penaty estate in Repino | Separate ticket or institution | A museum about 15 km away; own ticket; closed Tuesdays. |
| Kellomäki-Komarovo museum | Separate ticket or institution | Own ticket, in Komarovo. |
| Retro-car museum and ant museum | Separate ticket or institution | Small museums with their own tickets. |
| Akhmatova's grave and dacha | Outside / not part of it | In Komarovo; the cemetery is public, the dacha is a landmark. |
| Sestroretsk | Outside / not part of it | A different town on the same coast; see Sestroretsk Day Trip, Saint Petersburg. |
How to Get from the nearest major city to Zelenogorsk Day Trip, Saint Petersburg
| Option | Duration | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suburban train from Finlyandsky Station | About 60 to 80 minutes | ₽ | The simplest way; trains stop at Repino and Komarovo on the way, so you can break the journey. See Finlyandsky Railway Station, Saint Petersburg and Ploshchad Lenina Metro Station, Saint Petersburg. |
| Bus along the coast road | About 70 to 100 minutes | ₽ | Bus 211 serves the coast road through Repino, Komarovo and Zelenogorsk, according to local guides; check the starting point and times. |
| Taxi or ride-hailing car | About 50 to 80 minutes | ₽₽ | Useful for moving between Repino, Komarovo and Zelenogorsk. See How to Book a Taxi or Ride-Hailing Car, Saint Petersburg. |
| Guided tour of the resort coast | About 6 hours | ₽₽₽ | Tours combine Sestroretsk, Repino, Komarovo and Zelenogorsk and usually include Penaty. |
₽ budget · ₽₽ moderate · ₽₽₽ upscale · ₽₽₽₽ splurge. Price levels are estimates compared with typical prices for visitors.
Why Visit Zelenogorsk Day Trip, Saint Petersburg?
- The old resort: a town of wooden villas, including northern-modern dachas and the villa Ainola.
- The Golden Beach: a wide sandy beach at the end of the central park.
- Repin’s Penaty: the painter’s estate in Repino, about 15 km away, now a museum.
- Small museums: including a retro-car museum and a small ant museum.
Highlights of Zelenogorsk Day Trip, Saint Petersburg
The old resort streets
Zelenogorsk was the Finnish resort of Terijoki, part of the Grand Duchy of Finland. After the railway to Vyborg opened in 1870 it became a popular summer destination for people from Saint Petersburg. Walk the old streets to see Finnish villas and one of the most unusual wooden dachas in the northern-modern style.
The villa Ainola has a mysterious history that local guides tell.
Tip: Walk from the station through the older streets toward the park.
The central park and the Golden Beach
The main alley of the central park runs down to the Golden Beach, a broad sandy beach on the gulf. Next to it is a yacht club opened in 1909 on the initiative of Admiral Skrydlov. The park has a monument to the actor Georgy Vitsin, who was born in this area.
The beach and park are free and open all day.
Tip: Walk the whole alley to the water rather than stopping at the park entrance.
The Penaty estate in Repino
In 1899 Ilya Repin bought an estate at Kuokkala, now Repino, and named it Penaty. He lived there for thirty years and was buried in the garden. The museum opened in 1940, the house burned in the war and it reopened in 1962. The estate is a branch of the museum of the Academy of Arts and is on the coast road at number 411.
It is a separate site, about 15 km from Zelenogorsk, with its own ticket and a closing day, Tuesday.
Tip: Get off at Repino station and walk to the estate, and combine it with the Chudny beach.
Komarovo and the Kellomäki museum
Komarovo, on the way, is known for its sandy beaches, pine woods and the cemetery where the poet Anna Akhmatova is buried. Her dacha is on Kudrinsky Lane. The Kellomäki-Komarovo museum re-creates dacha life of the Silver Age.
It is a separate museum with its own ticket.
Tip: Visit Komarovo only if you have a full day.
The small museums of Zelenogorsk
The town has a small retro-car museum, founded in the 2000s by enthusiasts, and an interactive ant museum in the local children's library, which takes about an hour.
Both have their own hours.
Tip: Check the opening hours; small museums often close early.
Atmosphere
Zelenogorsk is quiet, green and slow. The streets are lined with wooden villas behind fences and gardens, many with towers, porches and carved windows, and the pine trees smell of resin in summer.
At the Golden Beach, the sand is wide and the water shallow and grey, with the gulf stretching to the horizon. In winter the town is empty and the beach is white and windy.
History of Zelenogorsk Day Trip, Saint Petersburg
Zelenogorsk was the Finnish settlement of Terijoki, part of the Grand Duchy of Finland. After the railway to Vyborg opened in 1870 it became a popular summer resort for visitors from Saint Petersburg, with many wooden villas. In 1909 a yacht club was opened on the initiative of Admiral Skrydlov.
From 1918 to 1940 the coast, including Terijoki and Kuokkala, was under Finnish rule. In 1941 to 1944 the area was occupied by Finnish troops and was liberated in the summer of 1944. In 1948 Terijoki was renamed Zelenogorsk, and Kuokkala was renamed Repino in memory of the painter Ilya Repin.
After the war the coast was developed as a resort area with hotels and sanatoriums, and was transferred to the city of Saint Petersburg as part of the Kurortny District. Repin’s Penaty estate was burned in the war and reopened as a museum in 1962.
Tickets and Booking for Zelenogorsk Day Trip, Saint Petersburg
| Ticket | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Penaty estate museum | ₽₽ | The house and the estate park; with an audio guide. |
| Kellomäki-Komarovo museum | ₽ | The dacha-life exhibition. |
| Small museums in Zelenogorsk | ₽ | Each has its own ticket. |
₽ budget · ₽₽ moderate · ₽₽₽ upscale · ₽₽₽₽ splurge. Price levels are estimates compared with typical prices for visitors.
There is no single ticket for the coast. Buy museum tickets at each site or on its official page; the town, the park and the beach are free. Check each museum for opening days and for how far in advance tickets can be bought.
- Rates: prices for Russian citizens and concession categories differ from those for foreign visitors.
- Payment: the sanctions rules of your own country may restrict some Russian payment services, so check this yourself.
For all ticket categories, see the official site of each museum.
Plan and Book
Suggested itineraries Zelenogorsk Day Trip, Saint Petersburg
4 hours in Zelenogorsk
Walk from the station through the old streets to the park and the Golden Beach, then see one small museum and return by train.
Full day on the coast
Start at Repino for the Penaty estate and the Chudny beach, continue to Komarovo for the shore and the cemetery, and end in Zelenogorsk at the Golden Beach.
Winter half day
A walk through the old streets and the park to the frozen shore, with one museum; the Penaty museum is closed on Tuesdays.
How to Get to Zelenogorsk Day Trip, Saint Petersburg
Zelenogorsk is the last major settlement of the Kurortny District, on the Gulf of Finland, reached by the same line as Sestroretsk, Repino and Komarovo.
- Train: from Finlyandsky Station to Zelenogorsk, with stops at Repino and Komarovo.
- Bus: along the Primorskoye Highway.
- Taxi: for moving along the coast.
Food Nearby
There are cafes in the town centre and near the beach; take a snack for the walk between villages.
What to Bring
Comfortable shoes, a windproof jacket, swimwear in summer and a camera for the villas.
Best Views and Photo Spots of Zelenogorsk Day Trip, Saint Petersburg
The central park alley
A long alley leading down to the beach.
Best time: Early morning.
The wooden villas
Carved windows, porches and towers behind fences.
Best time: Midday light.
The Golden Beach
A broad shore and the gulf.
Best time: Sunset.
The Penaty garden
The house, paths and the grave in the garden.
Best time: Autumn.
Family Suitability
Good for families in summer: the shallow beach and park suit children, and the train is simple. The museums suit older children. Strollers work on the paths, less so on sand.
Russia Vibes Tips
- Break the journey at Repino for Penaty; it saves a separate trip.
- Check that the Penaty museum is not closed; its closing day is Tuesday.
- Do not expect Zelenogorsk and Repino to be within walking distance; they are about 15 km apart.
- Dress for wind on the beach even in summer.
- Combine with Sestroretsk only on a long day.
Explore Nearby Zelenogorsk Day Trip, Saint Petersburg
Metro stations near Zelenogorsk Day Trip, Saint Petersburg
Ploshchad Lenina Metro Station, Saint PetersburgMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Train stations and river piers near Zelenogorsk Day Trip, Saint Petersburg
Finlyandsky Railway Station, Saint PetersburgMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Related guides
- Sestroretsk Day Trip, Saint Petersburg: Gulf Beach, Dubki and Razliv
Best Parks and Gardens, Saint Petersburg: 8 Green Escapes in the CityMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Best Museums, Saint Petersburg: 9 Picks and What to SeeMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Browse more: All Day Trips · All Day Trips in Saint Petersburg · All Landmarks · All Saint Petersburg
FAQ: Zelenogorsk Day Trip, Saint Petersburg
What was Zelenogorsk called before?
Terijoki, a Finnish resort; it was renamed in 1948.
Is Penaty in Zelenogorsk?
No; it is in Repino, about 15 km away. See the scope table.
When is the Penaty museum closed?
On Tuesdays, according to published schedules; check the official site.
How do I get there?
By train from Finlyandsky Station. See the options section.
Can I swim at the Golden Beach?
In summer, in the shallow gulf; the water is cold.
Is Zelenogorsk part of Saint Petersburg?
Yes, it belongs to the Kurortny District of the federal city.
How long do I need?
A full day if you add Repino and Komarovo; four hours for Zelenogorsk alone.
Can I combine it with Sestroretsk?
Yes, along the same coast. See Sestroretsk Day Trip, Saint Petersburg.
Russia Vibes is a one-person project. A coffee keeps it going
Last updated: October 17, 2026.
How we research and update our guides
About this guide: AI assistance and accuracy
This guide is created with the help of AI and is based on official sources where available. Mistakes can still happen. Opening hours, prices, rules and other details are given to the best of our knowledge as of the date shown and can change without notice. It offers general recommendations only, not professional, legal or travel advice. Please confirm important details with the official source before you travel; you are responsible for your own plans and decisions.
International sanctions affect payments between Russia and many other countries. In practice, cards issued in the EU, the UK, the US and several other countries often do not work in Russia, Russian cards usually do not work abroad, and some booking platforms, airlines and payment providers limit or suspend their services for Russia. The situation changes frequently. We do not give legal or financial advice, and this site does not encourage anyone to break or circumvent sanctions. Whatever you plan, you are responsible for following the laws and regulations that apply to you, including those of your country of residence and citizenship. Many travelers still organise their stay lawfully. It is worth asking your bank or payment provider what is currently permitted, contacting hotels, tour operators and carriers directly about the payment methods they accept, and checking which services are open to customers from your country. Clarify payment, cancellation and refund terms before you commit to a booking, and keep your plans flexible. Partner links on this site may not be available in every country, and prices, availability and rules in our guides can differ from what you see when you book.Paying for your trip: please read
Report an issue on this page
Take this guide with you
Get a free PDF of this guide to print or read offline: key facts, tips and a map link on a few clean pages.