Peter the Great built Peterhof as a summer home, inspired by the iconic, French Palace of Versailles. Plus, he built the opulent Catherine Palace for his wife. These 2 sites are a window into the lavish and sophisticated world of Russian Tsardom for almost 300 years. If you’re limited in time, arrange a tour that takes you to both in one day. Peterhof and Catherine Palaces, along with their Gardens, are a must-see day trip from St. Petersburg.
About 25 miles southwest of St. Petersburg is this gorgeous UNESCO World Heritage Site. One can easily spend a whole day here, seeing both inside the palace and the elegant gardens. It also provides extraordinary views of the Gulf of Finland. The colorfully manicured gardens are a dream, all interspersed with creative fountains.
Peterhof’s Grand Palace
The Peterhof Grand Palace regally sits at the top of the Grand Cascade Fountains and the Lower Gardens. This grandiose yellow and white palace appears majestic. However, it’s relatively modest in size with thirty rooms and is quite narrow. Because the palace was built at the end of the Baroque era transitioning to the Neoclassical, the building is elegant, yet somewhat subdued on the outside. However, the inside is very lavish and worth the tour. The Palaces exterior harmonizes with the elaborately ornate gardens and fountains. Also, on the complex are other smaller palaces, such as, Monplaisir and Marli.
The Grand Palace’s interior showcases highlights not to be missed, such as, the Portrait Hall, the Ballroom decorated with infinity mirrors and the Chesma Hall’s war paintings.
Peterhof’s Grand Cascade Fountains
The Grand Cascade Fountains enshrines 64 fountains, below and on both sides of the grotto. The water flows into a semi-circular pool that empties into the sea channel. The Samson Fountain in the pool displays the moment when Samson opens the jaws of a lion. Moreover, this is a metaphor for Russia’s victory over Sweden in the Great Northern War.
From the lion’s mouth shoots the largest spray of water, 20-metre (66ft) high. This stream of fountains is the greatest engineering marvel of Peterhof because they’re made with no pumps. The water collects from springs in the Upper Gardens and through gravity makes its way down the Cascade Fountains and finally to the Lower Gardens.
A canal links the pool to the Baltic Sea, symmetrically flanked with 20 fountains, all bisecting the Lower Gardens. Overall, Peterhof has one of the most elaborate fountain systems in the world, with 147 active fountains.
Lower and Upper Gardens- Peterhof and Catherine Palaces
The Lower Gardens are a formal French style from the 17th century. Overall, they are designed in an orderly, geometric fashion. Most noteworthy, a fountain entitled “The Sun” comprises a disk, with water spraying outward like rays of the sun.
The Upper Gardens garnish 40 acres along the southern Grand Palace façade on top of the hill. Peter the Great utilized this area for Dutch gardening of herbs and vegetables. There are also ornate fountains and statuary in this garden with the Neptune Fountain as the center.
Overall, Peterhof is endlessly magnificent, like its palace’s infinity mirrors of culture and history with stunning gardens and fountains. One needs a minimum of a half day to explore Peterhof, yet could easily spend the whole day here. One thing I heard about later, is visitors can take the hydrofoil route back to St. Petersburg instead of the road. This offers awesome views of both the Peterhof and the Winter Palace.
Catherine Palace and Park
Located about 20 miles from St. Petersburg, the Catherine Palace and Park is an opulent Rococo complex elaborately decorated with architecture, gardens and art. Peter the Great commissioned this palace for his wife, Catherine. Their daughter, Empress Elizabeth expanded upon it greatly as a blue and white palace decorated with real gold. Most noteworthy, this edifice is most famous for its Amber Room, decorated with six tons of amber and semiprecious stones. However, the Nazis during WW II looted the Amber Room. So, in 2003 the palace revealed a reconstructed version of the room.
Also, the 1400-acre park is a breathtaking landscape with beautiful gardens and bridges. It consists of an Old Garden and the English Garden landscape. On these grounds there are many things, such as, bridges, monuments, 100 different sculptures and pavilions.
The Catherine Park is an exquisite display of landscape art of the 18-20th centuries. Visitors can take a ferry tour over the Great Pond or horse-drawn carriage ride through the park. The scenic park here creates a sanctuary for rest often needed when traveling or touring historic sites.
Overall, Peterhof and Catherine Palaces
This day trip to see these historic monuments are a refreshing way to discover history with so much of it outside, surrounded by scenery. This can be a nice balance to the city tours of St. Petersburg and should be on anyone’s itinerary when visiting this region.
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