How many steps to the top of Saint Isaac's Cathedral colonnade?
The 262 steps of the spiral reach an open colonnade that runs right around the drum of the dome, giving a full 360-degree view of the city — one of the few cathedral climbs that ends in a loop rather than a platform. The dome is gilded with about 100 kg of gold applied by fire-gilding, a process that killed a number of the workers through mercury poisoning. The cathedral took 40 years to build on 24,000 timber piles driven into the marsh. A lift was added in 2017 for part of the route.
The numbers
- Steps
- 262
- Reaches
- the colonnade walkway around the dome, at 43 m
- Public access
- Open to climb
- Where
- St Petersburg, Russia
- Height climbed
- 43 m — 141 ft
- Average rise per step
- 164 mm
What the climb is like
About 15 minutes. Open colonnade at the top, exposed to wind; a lift covers part of the ascent.
Published counts for the same structure routinely disagree by five to ten per cent, and nearly always for one of three reasons: whether intermediate landings count as steps, whether the final platform step counts, and where the climb is deemed to start. The figure here says what it reaches.
How it compares
Only the ones marked open to climb can actually be walked.
| Structure | Steps | Reaches | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arc de Triomphe | 284 | the roof terrace at 50 m | Open to climb |
| York Minster central tower | 275 | the top of the central tower, at 70 m | Open to climb |
| Batu Caves | 272 | the Temple Cave, in a limestone hill above Kuala Lumpur | Open to climb |
| Saint Isaac's Cathedral colonnade | 262 | the colonnade walkway around the dome, at 43 m | Open to climb |
| Cape Hatteras Lighthouse | 257 | the gallery below the lantern room, at 63 m | Open to climb |
| Leaning Tower of Pisa | 251 | the bell chamber at the top, at 56 m | Open to climb |
| Milan Cathedral rooftop | 251 | the roof terraces, at 70 m among the spires | Open to climb |
Common questions
- How many steps to the top of Saint Isaac's Cathedral colonnade?
- 262, reaching the colonnade walkway around the dome, at 43 m.
- Can the public climb Saint Isaac's Cathedral colonnade?
- Open to climb. About 15 minutes. Open colonnade at the top, exposed to wind; a lift covers part of the ascent.
- How high is that climb?
- 43 m, about 141 ft, which averages 164 mm per step.
Related pages
- Cathedrals and churches All 19 here
- How many steps up Leaning Tower of Pisa? 251 steps · open to climb
- How many steps up St Peter's Basilica dome? 551 steps · open to climb
- How many steps up Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben)? 334 steps · restricted — events or permit only
- How many steps up St Paul's Cathedral? 528 steps · open to climb
- How many steps up Brunelleschi's Dome, Florence Cathedral? 463 steps · open to climb
- How many steps up Notre-Dame de Paris towers? 422 steps · restricted — events or permit only
- How many steps up Sagrada Família towers? 400 steps · restricted — events or permit only
- How many steps up Cologne Cathedral south tower? 533 steps · open to climb
Sources
- Wikidata — Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)