Sport
Russia has some world-class soccer teams, however, the St Petersburg team, Zenit (website: www.fc-zenit.co.uk), which plays at the Kirov Stadium, Krestovsky Island (tel: (812) 235 4877), unfortunately is not one of them. Nevertheless, in the Russian Premier (Vischaya) League 2002, Zenit hovers around sixth place. Football is a popular spectator sport in the city and games are played on Saturday afternoons, throughout the summer season. Tickets are available from ticket outlets in hotels.
Wintersports are the most popular activities in St Petersburg. The city has several ice hockey teams, the best of which is SKA St Petersburg (website: www.snpi.org.ru/ska), who also play at the Kirov Stadium. There are plenty of opportunities for cross-country skiing and the many canals freeze in winter to provide perfect ice skating. The waterways are also the most popular recreation in the summer months, when boating takes over from skating and sledging. Not strictly a sport but very popular is the Russian banya or bath-house – an extremely hot sauna and steam room, where participants beat themselves with birch twigs, followed by a plunge into an ice cold pool, then a comforting drink of tea before starting the whole process again.
Bathing: Nevskiye Bani, Marata ulitsa 5/7 (tel: (812) 311 1400), is the major modern bathhouse in the city.
Boating: There are rowing boats – from 3-ya Yelagin Bridge – and water bicycles – from Yelagin Palace – available for hire on Yelagin Island. For those who wish to venture further onto the broad waters of the River Neva and the Gulf of Finland, fully crewed yachts, sleeping six-eight, can be hired from the New Yacht Club, Martinova Naberezhnaya 94, Krestovsky Island (tel: (812) 235 2722). Hire rates starts at approximately US$150 per day, including catering.
Fitness centres: Planeta Fitness has many locations throughout the city, with the most central location inside the Grand Hotel Europe, Mikhaylovskaya 1 (tel: (812) 329 6597), which boasts a sports centre, complete with workout room, aerobics classes, solarium and sauna.
Golf: There is no golf course in St Petersburg, although there are some local enthusiasts who hope to change that.
Tennis: Courts can be reserved at a number of tennis clubs in St Petersburg. These include Lawn Tennis Sports Centre, Metallistov prospekt 116 (tel: (812) 540 1886) and Tennis Club, Konstantinovsky Proezd 23, Krestovsky Ostrov (tel: (812) 235 0407).
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Sport