The oldest structure in St-Petersburg that was founded on the 16th of May, 1703 (the 27th of May by the new Gregorian calendar) to protect the lands from the attacks of the Swedes. This day is still regarded as an official day of St-Petersburg.
In the 1730s the St. Peter and Paul's Cathedral was built on its territory and became the burial place of the Russian tsars. The fortress itself has never been used for military purposes and later on was changed into a political prison.
The spire of the Cathedral is 122.5 metres high and, thus, represents the highest point in the centre of the city. At the top of the spire there is a weather vane depicting an Angel which has become a symbol of St-Petersburg over the years and is believed to protect the city.
Amongst other buildings inside the fortress you can find the City History Museum and the Mint Building, where coins and medals are still minted.
The fortress stands on so-called Hare Island (which used to teem with hares). There is even a statue of a little hare standing on a piece of wood just next to the bridge that leads to the fortress. Citizens believe that if you throw a coin and it lands on the statue, your wish will come true!
In summer time the beach next to St. Peter and Paul's Fortress is a very popular place to visit as an annual festival of sand sculpture takes place on the shore. Even though sand seems to be a very fragile material, the statues usually last for up to 2 months due to an invisible layer of glue they are covered with and, therefore, the festival is usually opened to visitors during July and August.
Finally, there is one more interesting fact about this place: every day at 12 pm a cannon is fired from one of the fortress's bastions which is an old tradition. So, don't be scared, if you hear a loud noise of gunfire at this time of day!
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