Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

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Overview

Anyone coming to experience the magical scenery and rugged beauty of Kamchatka will have to spend some time in the peninsula's sprawling capital, Petropavlovsk, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Compared to the active volcanoes and geysers that bring travellers to Kamchatka, it's true that Petropavlovsk is a fairly workaday and architecturally uninteresting place. However it does have a magnificent setting on Avacha Bay and is overlooked by two giant volcanoes and surrounded by a long line of snow-capped mountains.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Kamchatka Regional Museum

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

Housed in an attractive half-timbered building overlooking the bay, this museum features an imaginative mix of relics and murals that outline Kamchatka’s…

Vulkanarium

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

This new museum was just about to open during our last visit to Kamchatka, and a quick peek inside as they were putting up the display revealed an…

Trinity Cathedral

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

Petropavlovsk's largest and most impressive church is this golden-domed stunner, which sits on an outcrop from where it is visible from all over the city…

Alexander Nevsky Chapel

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

Originally built in 1857 to commemorate the victory over the British and the French in the Battle of Petropavlovsk, this wooden chapel was destroyed in…

Beach

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

Yes, there are beaches in Kamchatka too, and this one has gorgeous views of the bay and the distant snow-covered mountains, though it's unlikely you'll…

Nikolskaya Hill

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

Petropavlovsk's most charming spot for a walk, this thickly wooded hill is in the centre of the city between the harbour and the lake. There are numerous…

Lenin Statue

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

As Lenin statues go (and there are still around 1800 in Russia still standing), this is an impressive one, with the revolutionary leader in a dramatic…