Palace Embankment Live Webcam, Saint Petersburg

Palace Embankment is a historic waterfront located in the central part of Saint Petersburg, on the left bank of the Neva River. It runs along the northern façade of the Winter Palace and the Hermitage complex, stretching from Admiralty Embankment to Kutuzov Embankment, with a total length of about 1,300 meters. From here, visitors can enjoy iconic views of the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, and the Palace and Trinity Bridges spanning the Neva. The Palace Passage connects the embankment to Palace Square — the main square of Saint Petersburg.

The city’s embankments along the Neva and its tributaries began forming with the founding of Saint Petersburg in the early 18th century. The stone embankment near the palace complex took shape in the 18th–19th centuries during the construction of the Winter Palace, the Small and Great Hermitages, and other imperial buildings. By the 19th century, the Palace Embankment had become one of the city’s grand ceremonial waterfronts, featuring granite slopes, ornate façades, and public piers for river cruises.

Today, the Palace Embankment is home to many of Saint Petersburg’s most famous architectural and historical landmarks — including the Winter Palace, the State Hermitage Museum, the Small and New Hermitages, the Headquarters of the Guards Corps, the Palace Pier, and the Marble Palace. Nearby are the Winter Palace Garden and the Summer Garden. The Palace Embankment remains one of the key cultural, historical, and tourist areas of Saint Petersburg, attracting millions of visitors each year with its museums, monuments, and panoramic river views.