Things to Do at Mariinsky Theatre

The Mariinsky Theatre, opened in 1860 and home to the world-renowned Mariinsky Ballet and Opera, seats 1,625 people in its opulent blue and gold auditorium. Tickets range from 1,500 rubles ($16) for upper balcony seats to 8,000 rubles ($88) for premium orchestra - book well in advance as performances regularly sell out months ahead. The theater's acoustics are legendary, designed so perfectly that whispers from the stage carry clearly to the back rows. As you settle into the plush velvet seats, the theater fills with the rustle of programs and the excited murmur of anticipation from audience members dressed in their finest attire. The air carries a faint mixture of perfume, old wood, and the distinctive scent of stage makeup that drifts from backstage. When the curtain rises and the orchestra begins, the sound seems to envelop you completely - this is where Tchaikovsky's ballets premiered, and the ghosts of those first performances still seem to linger in the gilded boxes and crystal chandeliers above.

Spasskaya station drops you closest to the theatre. The purple line metro stop puts you just seven minutes away on foot, winding through decent streets in central St. Petersburg's Theatre Square area. Two other stations work fine too. Sadovaya or Sennaya Ploshchad stations mean a longer walk-10 to 15 minutes-but totally doable. Taxis and ride-shares get the job done, though traffic changes without warning. Most city center hotels put you within walking distance anyway. The theatre district connects well to everything else. You'll pass some impressive architecture on the way, so the walk beats sitting in a car most days. Easy enough.