New Holland Island in St. Petersburg: What to See, How to Get There and Opening Hours

New Holland Island (Новая Голландия) is the only man-made island in St. Petersburg and, arguably, the most original corner of the city centre: a former secret shipyard from the time of Peter the Great turned into an open-air cultural park. It sits right next to the Mariinsky and the Yusupov Palace, entrance is free, and it has become one of the favourite hangouts of the locals. In this guide I’ll tell you what to see, what to do, how to get there and when to go to make the most of it.

What is New Holland Island and why you should visit

New Holland is a triangular island of about 8 hectares surrounded by the Moika River and the Admiralty and Kryukov canals. It was created by Peter the Great in 1719 as a timber storage yard for shipbuilding and as Russia’s first military port. For nearly three centuries it stayed closed to the public because it belonged to the Navy. It opened for the first time in 2011 and, after a massive restoration that wrapped up in 2021, today it works as a city park and cultural centre.

If you ask me why you should slot it into your St. Petersburg itinerary, I’d give you these reasons:

• Free entry. You only pay if you grab a coffee, a meal or join a specific event, but the park itself is free.
• It’s right in the centre, a 15-minute walk from the Yusupov Palace, the Mariinsky and Saint Isaac’s Cathedral.
• A mix of industrial and modern: tastefully restored 18th-century brick buildings, Dutch-style gardens and contemporary architecture.
• It feels alive. It’s not a frozen museum: you’ll see families on the lawn, people playing pétanque, open-air concerts, food trucks and bookshops.
• In winter it transforms into a 2,000 m² ice rink with a Christmas market, so it’s worth a visit any time of year.

It’s one of those places that don’t usually feature in the classic St. Petersburg itineraries, and precisely because of that it gives you a more authentic feel for how Petersburgers live when they finish work.

A brief history: from secret shipyard to cultural park

The name is no accident. Peter the Great was a declared fan of Holland: he had worked incognito as a carpenter’s apprentice in the shipyards of Zaandam and wanted to copy the Dutch model of timber storage for shipbuilding. So when the Kryukov and Admiralty canals were dug in 1719 and this triangular artificial island was born, he named it after his beloved Holland. Some historians even argue that the original name covered the entire area around the Admiralty, all the way to the Gulf of Finland.

Until the late 18th century the island worked as a storage yard for shipbuilding logs: the warehouses were designed with a vertical system that dried the timber faster. In the 19th century the island changed dramatically:

• 1828–1830: architect Alexander Shtaubert built the famous circular prison, which locals nicknamed “The Bottle” (Бутылка). That’s where the Russian saying “don’t get into the bottle” (“не лезь в бутылку”) comes from, still in use today.
• 1893: a naval laboratory and Russia’s first ship model testing tank were set up here, where mathematician Alexei Krylov worked and where the first Russian submarine was tested in 1900.
• 1915: the country’s most powerful naval radio station was installed. From here the Bolsheviks announced to the world, in November 1917, the seizure of power in the October Revolution.
• World War II: the island was badly damaged by bombing during the Siege of Leningrad.
• Soviet era: closed to the public, used as a storage facility for the Baltic Fleet.
• 2004: a fire destroyed part of the historic structures and triggered the regeneration project.
• 2011: first partial opening to the public.
• 2016–2021: full overhaul led by the West 8 studio (Adriaan Geuze) and funded by billionaire Roman Abramovich through the Iris foundation.

Today the island is listed as a federal heritage monument protected by UNESCO, as part of the historic centre of St. Petersburg. It’s one of the few examples in Europe of urban regeneration that blends 18th-century heritage with a serious contemporary cultural programme.

Where it is and how to get there

The official address is Naberezhnaya Admiralteyskogo Kanala, 2 (Набережная Адмиралтейского канала, 2), 190121, St. Petersburg. It sits just west of the historic centre, between the Moika River and the canals that wrap around it. You’ve got several ways to get there:

By metro

There’s no metro station right next to the island. The closest stops are:

• Admiralteyskaya (line 5, purple): the closest, 1.9 km away. About a 25-minute walk through the historic centre.
• Vasileostrovskaya (line 3, green): 2 km, crossing the Blagoveshchensky Bridge from Vasilyevsky Island.
• Sennaya Ploschad / Sadovaya / Spasskaya (interchange of lines 2, 4 and 5): 2.4 km, around 30 minutes.
• Nevsky Prospekt (line 2): 2.7 km. If you’re coming from Nevsky, the walk takes you through Palace Square and the Admiralty.

By bus or trolleybus

The reference stop is called “Ploschad Truda” (Площадь Труда, “Labour Square”), 200 metres from the main entrance to the island. Lines that stop here:

• Buses: 2, 3, 6, 22, 27, 70, 71, 100 and 262.
• Trolleybuses: 5, 12 and 22.

To use St. Petersburg public transport, the most convenient option is the Podorozhnik card, which gives you a much better fare than buying a single ticket.

By canal cruise

One option I particularly love: many cruises along the rivers and canals of St. Petersburg sail past the impressive New Holland Arch as part of their route. Seeing it from the water is the original perspective it was designed for. Some boats even stop nearby, at the Admiralty pier.

On foot from the centre

My recommendation: go on foot. From Palace Square it’s about 20 minutes skirting the Admiralty and Saint Isaac’s Cathedral. From the Mariinsky it’s barely 7 minutes. And from the Yusupov Palace, 10 minutes. The walk is lovely and you skip the metro hassle.

Map of New Holland

The buildings and corners worth seeing

The island is small: you can comfortably walk around it in an hour and a half or two hours at a strolling pace. These are the spots I wouldn’t skip:

The New Holland Arch

This is the iconic image of the island: a monumental 23-metre-high arch over the Moika River, in granite and red brick, built between 1765 and 1780 by the French architect Vallin de la Mothe, who also designed the Small Hermitage. It wasn’t decorative: the arch was raised to connect the warehouses on either side of the inner canal and to take the pressure of the water and the stored logs.

If you stop for a moment on the Moika embankment before entering the island, you’ll see that the contrast between the classical details and the raw industrial brick is a rarity in St. Petersburg architecture. It’s one of the most photogenic corners and, they say, full of urban legends: from mystical portals to ghosts of sailors.

The Bottle (Бутылка): the circular prison

The most curious building on the island. It’s a three-storey ring with a circular inner courtyard, built by Shtaubert in 1830 as a naval prison. The ground floor housed administrative services; the two upper floors held the cells. The prison was famous for its very harsh regime: prisoners worked by day and slept at night in individual cells so small you could only sit or lie down.

Today it’s a lively gastronomic and shopping hub. I’d plan it like this:

• Ground floor: restaurants and cafés for every budget, from an Italian pizzeria to Asian food, dim sum or wine bars.
• First floor: shops by independent Russian designers, art bookshops, an eco-friendly toy store, home décor.
• Second floor: devoted to health and sport. There’s a yoga studio, a contemporary dance hall, a cycling room and a gym.
• Inner circular courtyard: in summer it turns into a huge space with sun loungers, concerts and pop-up markets.

The programme for the venues is updated on the website bottlehouse.ru. The Bottle is open from 8 am until 11 pm or midnight, depending on the day. It’s a good spot to grab breakfast before starting your sightseeing.

The Commandant’s House (Дом коменданта)

The most recent historic building on the island, built in the 1830s as the residence of the prison commandant and his family. A third floor was added in 1877 and the whole place was fully restored in 2013. Today it houses “Moya Shkola” (My School), a free educational project for children aged 3 to 15 with art, science and design workshops. During school holidays it also works as a city camp. It’s not usually open to general visitors, but the restored pastel yellow façade is gorgeous.

The Forge (Кузня)

It was built on Peter the Great’s orders as a workshop for forging tools and repairing naval weaponry. Today it’s split into three zones: a stage with seating, a bar with a dance hall that turns into a club at weekends, and a kitchen that runs cooking classes open to the public. In summer you can sit on the terrace with views over the Herb Garden.

House 12 (Дом 12) and the “Community” space

It used to house a military tailor shop specialised in naval caps (sailors could spot a “Leningrad” cap from miles away). Now it hosts:

• Сообщество (“Community”): a hybrid cultural space with a children’s library, a games room, a reading room, table tennis, chess and lectures. Entry: 300 ₽ for adults, free for under-14s, pensioners, people with disabilities and large families. Open Monday to Sunday, 12 pm to 9 pm.
• A restaurant and a bike lounge on the corner.
• Cinema and workshops on a rotating schedule.

The Herb Garden (Травяной сад)

Designed by the landscape studio “Moh” as a tribute to the Dutchman Piet Oudolf, the father of the naturalistic garden. The composition is built around sages, ornamental grasses and perennials that completely change appearance with the seasons: in April and May crocuses, primroses and tulips dominate; from June onwards you get wild meadow flowers; in October the whole thing turns gold and bronze.

The original name was “Aptekarsky ogorod” (Apothecary’s Garden), because Peter the Great originally opened it as a medicinal herb garden to supply the island. Reviving the botanical purpose of the place is one of the smartest moves of the current project.

The “Kovsh” pond and solarium

In the centre of the island is the “Kovsh” (Ковш, “the ladle”), the old ship model testing tank from the late 19th century where the first Russian submarine was tested. Now it’s a rectangular pond surrounded by lawn and lined with a pontoon with sun loungers and parasols. On sunny summer days it becomes the busiest spot on the island. One thing to keep in mind: no swimming allowed. You can only sunbathe and dip your feet in the water.

The “Fregat” children’s playground

This main children’s playground recreates at full scale the skeleton of an 18th-century warship, with slides, ropes, ladders, mazes, wooden helms and telescopes. The idea is for the kids to feel like sailors from Peter the Great’s era. It’s aimed at children between 6 and 14. Right next to it there’s another playground for the little ones with a sandbox and swings, plus a rest area with benches for parents.

The Pavilion and the stage

A light dark-wood structure set near the Kovsh, where the free lectures and talks take place between May and October. Topics range from art history and architecture to philosophy, graphic design and music. The nearby open-air stage hosts jazz, blues and classical concerts, plus evening film screenings (also free). It’s worth checking the official agenda before you go.

What to do on New Holland Island

Besides strolling around, sitting on the grass with a book or grabbing a coffee, the island offers a bunch of small activities that turn it into a proper urban park. The most popular:

• Pétanque: there are two courts dedicated to this French classic. You can bring your own boules or rent them at the Info Centre.
• Streetball: just a single hoop, but the pavement is a work of art by contemporary Russian artist Aleksei Luka, with patterns painted from Neva embankment granite, “metlakh” mosaics and bits of parquet from communal flats. A very Petersburg cultural blend.
• Giant chess: in the courtyard there’s an outdoor chessboard with pieces almost as tall as a person. Great for playing or, above all, for fun photos.
• Table tennis: outdoor tables scattered around the park and another covered one inside the “Community” space. Bats are rented at the Info Centre.
• Official audio guide: if you want a self-guided tour, the Info Centre sells an audio guide about the history of the place. It’s available in Russian and English.
• Concerts and open-air cinema: the programme is solid and almost always free, especially during the White Nights.
• Buy souvenirs: the Info Centre and the online shop shop.newhollandsp.com sell products with the place’s graphic identity (T-shirts, postcards, books, stationery). They’re some of the nicest souvenirs in the city if you want to skip the standard matryoshkas.

New Holland in winter: the ice rink

If you’re coming to St. Petersburg between December and March, the island changes completely. On the central lawn an ice skating rink of about 2,000 m² goes up in front of the open-air stage. It’s one of the most beautiful urban rinks in Russia: historic buildings in the background, careful lighting and music.

How it works:

• 1-hour sessions, with tickets sold online and at the box office.
• Skate and helmet rental available (paid separately).
• Warm area for changing and a locker room.
• Special events: disco skating on Friday nights, hockey lessons, themed sessions.

On top of that, in mid-December the Christmas market goes up with stalls from Russian artisans, workshops, a music programme and a Christmas tree market. It usually runs until the end of the holiday season (around 10 January, after Orthodox Christmas). It’s one of the most charming plans you can do in St. Petersburg in deep winter.

Opening hours, prices and practical rules

Opening hours

• Park: Monday to Thursday, 9 am to 10 pm. Friday to Sunday, 9 am to 11 pm. Last entry is half an hour before closing.
• Info Centre: Monday to Thursday 11 am to 10 pm; Friday to Sunday 11 am to 11 pm.
• The Bottle: Monday to Thursday 8 am to 11 pm; Friday to Sunday 8 am to midnight.
• No weekly closing day: the island is open every day of the year.

Price

Entry to the park is free. You only pay if you go into the “Community” space in House 12 (300 ₽), if you skate on the ice rink in winter, if you sign up for a specific class (yoga, cooking, kids’ workshop) or if you order food and drinks at the cafés and restaurants.

Rules worth knowing

The island has a pretty clear set of rules that Petersburgers follow to the letter:

• You can’t bring in outside alcohol or glass bottles. You can drink whatever the on-site venues sell.
• No grills, no barbecues and no fire of any kind: you can picnic with cold food, not hot.
• Under-14s must be accompanied by an adult.
• No dogs or cats allowed, except guide dogs with the relevant paperwork.
• Bikes, scooters, hoverboards: there’s a dedicated parking area at the entrance; inside the park you can only move around on foot. Exception: kids under 6 under supervision.
• Smoking (including vaping and IQOS/Glo) only in designated areas.
• Professional or commercial photography: needs prior permission from the management. Photos for personal use are allowed freely.

On the sunniest days (especially in May, July and August) there can be a queue at the entrance, because capacity is capped. If you want to avoid it, your best bet is to come on a weekday or first thing in the morning.

Late autumn is the trickiest time: the gardens look bare and temperatures are already too cold to enjoy being outside. Even so, the indoor venues stay open and there’s usually some sort of indoor concert.

What visitors say

What people love most

• The modern, European vibe: lots of travellers say “it doesn’t feel like St. Petersburg” in the best possible way, comparing it to squares in Berlin or Amsterdam.
• The contrast with the rest of the centre: after baroque palaces and cathedrals, finding a contemporary, open and relaxed space feels really refreshing.
• The food at The Bottle: the cafés and restaurants are on par with any European capital, at more reasonable prices.
• It’s perfect with kids: the “Fregat” playground is one of the highest-rated in all of Russia.
• It’s free: being able to spend half a day in a well-kept park with events without paying a thing is particularly appreciated by visitors fresh from queuing at the Hermitage.

What gets mentioned as a downside

• Ongoing construction work: part of the perimeter is still under restoration and there are fenced-off areas. The promise is to wrap up the project in the next few years.
• You can’t go inside every building: some areas are reserved for events and you can only see them from the outside.
• Queues in August and on sunny weekends: capacity is limited and there can be 15–20 minute waits.
• Almost no information in English: signs are in Russian. If you don’t read Cyrillic, it’s worth bringing a translated map.

Frequently asked questions about New Holland