Not every historic road is a pretty one, and the Tallinn highway on the south-western edge of St Petersburg is not trying to win prizes for charm. It is, however, one of the old imperial routes out of the capital, the road toward Narva and Reval, today's Tallinn, and as such it forms part of the UNESCO listing of the historic centre of St Petersburg and its related monuments, which includes the network of roads tying the city to its palaces and estates. Along it, the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries planted suburban residences, military camps and post stations.
The districts around here, Uritsk, Sosnovaya Polyana and Gorelovo, are now part of the city's sprawl, with Soviet apartment blocks, shopping centres and tram lines. But the land has a hard history. During the siege of Leningrad from 1941 to 1944, the German front line ran close by, and Uritsk and the Ligovo area were scenes of savage fighting. Memorials along the roads mark the positions. Further south-west, Krasnoye Selo was the summer camp where the imperial guard held its manoeuvres, and the Duderhof heights rise above the flat land as the first real hills you meet leaving the city.
Riding here is about getting somewhere rather than enjoying the journey for its own sake. Traffic is heavy at rush hour, surfaces can be rough, with potholes and tram rails to cross at angles, and the weather is unpredictable, from summer heat to sudden cold rain blowing off the Gulf of Finland. White nights in June bring an endless dusk that makes evening rides feel unreal, while winter is no season for two wheels at all. Toward Peterhof and Strelna, the roads become greener, lined with parks and the remains of noble estates.
Fuel, food and repairs are easy to find around Uritsk and along the main roads. If you are heading toward the palaces of Peterhof, Oranienbaum or Ropsha, this is the logical route out, and cafés along the way serve blini, soups and strong tea. Bear in mind the current difficulties of travel to Russia for many foreign riders and check the rules carefully. As for the road itself, ride it with a little imagination: beneath the asphalt and traffic lights lies a route once travelled by couriers, generals and emperors.