Lakhta Center Webcam – Neva Bay from Europe’s Tallest Tower

The Lakhta Center Webcam looks southeast from high on the tallest building in Europe, along the northern shore of Neva Bay in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The tower itself never appears in the picture, because the camera is mounted on it. Directly below, the Park of the 300th Anniversary of Saint Petersburg curves along a sandy shore, with three giant flagpoles standing on round platforms in the water. Farther out, Gazprom Arena sits on the western tip of Krestovsky Island, and the rooftops of the old city run along the horizon behind. The camera does not move, so the light does the changing: haze softening the far shore on many autumn days, sun glare on the bay toward midday, and after dark a stadium lit blue and a park path traced in gold.

About the Lakhta Center

The Lakhta Center rises 462 meters (1,516 feet) in Lakhta, a district on the northwestern edge of Saint Petersburg, and has been the tallest building in both Russia and Europe since 2017. Construction began on October 30, 2012, the tower topped out on January 29, 2018, and the complex was finished in 2019 with 87 floors above ground. The British firm RMJM drew the first design, and the Russian firm Gorproject completed it. Gazprom owns the tower and has its headquarters there. Besides offices, the complex holds a 140-seat planetarium, a children’s science center, a sports center and a conference center.

Gazprom Arena stands about 2.9 kilometers (1.8 miles) from the tower, and Palace Square, in the heart of the historic center, lies about 9.4 kilometers (5.8 miles) away on almost the same bearing, so the old city reads as a low band of rooftops on the horizon and fades out on hazy days.

The green strip under the camera is the Park of the 300th Anniversary, laid out in 1995 to mark the city’s 300th birthday in 2003. It once covered 89 hectares (220 acres), but commercial building and the loss of about 15 hectares (37 acres), mostly beach, in 2018 have cut it to 38.58 hectares (95 acres). Off its shore stand the Saint Petersburg Flagpoles, put up by Gazprom in June 2023. Each pole is 175 meters (574 feet) tall and each flag measures 40 by 60 meters (131 by 197 feet). From the camera, the nearest pole flies the black, yellow and white flag of the Russian Empire, the middle one the red Soviet flag and the farthest the Russian tricolor. The flags come down in strong wind, still air and fog, so on some days the poles stand bare.

Weather and Climate at the Lakhta Center

Winter here is cold, damp and short of light. January averages a high of -2.5°C (28°F) and a low of -7.2°C (19°F) on the 1991 to 2020 normals, and the city’s record low is -35.9°C (-33°F). Daylight shrinks to 5 hours 53 minutes at the winter solstice, when the noon sun climbs less than 7 degrees above the horizon. Because the camera faces southeast, a low sun in the south often throws glare across the right side of the picture. April highs average 9.5°C (49°F), with lows of 1.7°C (35°F).

Summer is mild. July averages a high of 23.3°C (74°F) and a low of 15.3°C (60°F), with about 84 millimeters (3.3 inches) of rain against 46 millimeters (1.8 inches) in January, and the record high stands at 37.1°C (99°F). From mid-May to the end of July the sky gets no darker than nautical twilight, the white nights, and days peak at 18 hours 50 minutes, so midnight on the camera can show a pale sky over the bay. October brings highs of 8.7°C (48°F), lows of 4.1°C (39°F) and yellowing trees in the park below.

Things to Do Near the Lakhta Center

The tower has a public observation deck at 357 meters (1,171 feet), near the top of the building, where you can pick out the same shoreline, flagpoles and stadium the webcam shows, and the planetarium is in the same complex.

Below the tower, the Park of the 300th Anniversary has a shore path, a central pool with fountains and a 22-meter (72-foot) granite column styled as a lighthouse. On its eastern edge sits the Friendship Stone of 2003, a split Finnish granite boulder marking the bond between Saint Petersburg and Helsinki, and opposite it stand five Dolharban statues carved from volcanic lava, a 2017 gift from South Korea. The Yakhtenny Bridge, a footbridge opened in 2018, crosses from the park to Krestovsky Island, home to Gazprom Arena, Primorsky Victory Park and the Divo-Ostrov amusement park. Begovaya station on metro Line 3 serves the park.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Lakhta Center located?

The Lakhta Center stands in Lakhta, on the northwestern edge of Saint Petersburg, Russia, on the northern shore of Neva Bay at the eastern end of the Gulf of Finland. Palace Square is about 9.4 kilometers (5.8 miles) to the southeast.

What can you see on the Lakhta Center Webcam?

The camera looks southeast along the shore. In front are the Park of the 300th Anniversary, its sandy beach and three giant flagpoles in the water. Beyond them stand Gazprom Arena on Krestovsky Island and the bridges around it, with Neva Bay filling the right of the frame and central Saint Petersburg along the horizon.

Does the Lakhta Center Webcam show the tower itself?

No. The camera is mounted on the Lakhta Center and looks out from it, so the skyscraper never appears in the picture.

How tall is the Lakhta Center?

It is 462 meters (1,516 feet) tall with 87 floors above ground, the tallest building in Europe since 2017. Lakhta Center II, announced in 2021, is planned at 703 meters (2,306 feet).

Does the Lakhta Center have an observation deck?

Yes. A public observation deck sits at 357 meters (1,171 feet), near the top of the tower. Check the Lakhta Center’s own website for tickets and opening times.

What are the giant flags next to the Lakhta Center?

They are the Saint Petersburg Flagpoles, three 175-meter (574-foot) poles Gazprom put up off the park in June 2023, flying the flags of Russia, the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union.

What is the weather like in Saint Petersburg?

Expect cold, dark winters and mild summers. January averages -2.5°C (28°F) by day and -7.2°C (19°F) at night, July averages 23.3°C (74°F) by day and 15.3°C (60°F) at night.

Is the Lakhta Center camera live at night?

Yes, the stream runs through the night. After dark Gazprom Arena glows blue, the shore path through the park is lit gold, the flagpole bases are ringed with blue light and the city’s lights spread along the horizon.

Source: Lakhta Center and Time Technology