Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

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Winter view of Petropavlovsk's central port

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is the capital and only city in Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. It is a hilly port city on the Avacha Bay and is surrounded by high, snow-capped mountains and volcanoes. It is the principal entry point for travelers visiting the peninsula and is the second largest city in the world that is unreachable by road.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

The small Petropavlovsk Kamchatsky airport is 16 km from city center in Yelizovo. Most visitors arrive on the Aeroflot flight from Moscow, but S7 also arrives from Vladivostok. The Aeroflot flight is on an IL-96-300.

Bus #113 goes from the airport to the city center for 10 RUR; a taxi would cost about 150 RUR ($5).

[edit] Get around

Most things of interest within the city are located within a compact area that can be covered on foot. There are also cheap buses and minbuses operating fixed routes throughout the city.

[edit] See

• Lenin Square — the center of town is based around a statue of Lenin
• Nikolskaya hill — excellent views of the city and bay

[edit] Do

• Gamble at the Casino inside Hotel Avacha
• Take a boat out on the Avacha Bay for great views, fishing, and whale-watching
• Go bowling at the Hotel Petropavlovsk

[edit] Buy

• Rossiiskaya Bookstore, : 2 Tushkanova St.. A good place to stock up on area maps

[edit] Eat

[edit] Drink

[edit] Sleep

• Heiser Hotel, : 10 Toporkova St., : +7 4152 58595. A budget Soviet hotel, which is not terribly pleasant, but offers single rooms for 200 RUR
• Hotel Avacha, : 61 Leningradskaya St., : +7 4152 410808. Three stars and probably the best choice after the Hotel Petropavlovsk. Rooms are below western standards, but the hotel has a central location with good maid service.
• Hotel Petropavlovsk, : 31a Karl Marx Ave., : +7 4152 50374, Website: http://www.petropavlovsk-hotel.ru. The city's "premiere" three star hotel is slightly less centrally located then the Avacha, but has a better restaurant and amenities. Regardless of whether you stay here, this is a good stop for its ATM machine. English-speaking staff

[edit] Contact

• Internet Cafe Tete-à-tete, : 4 Lukashevskovo St., : +7 4152 110540 60 RUR/hour

[edit] Get Out

Public transportation in Kamchatka is limited to buses. The main bus station is on Pobedy Prospect and offers daily services (in high season) to Esso, Oktyabrsky, Milkovo, and Ust-Kamchatsk. Be sure to get to the ticket office early in the morning. It opens at 8:00am.