One of the most visited places in St. Petersburg, filled with attractions, is, of course, the Lower Park of Peterhof (formed in 1714-1723), located on an area of 112.5 hectares on the coast of the Gulf of Finland. The uniqueness of the Lower Park is not only in its palace architecture and sculptural compositions of fountains, but also in the original solutions of the garden and park complex, based on the best European examples of the 17th-18th centuries. and transferred to Russian soil by the great master of landscape art Jean-Baptiste Leblond.
Opening hours and cost of visiting the Lower Park
You can visit the Lower Park on weekdays from 9.00 to 17.15 (17.30 - 19.30 - evening visit) in the summer (late April - mid-October). On Saturday-Sunday and holidays the park is open from 9.00 to 18.15 hours (in the evening from 18.30 to 19.30 hours). The large cascade is launched daily at 11.00 a.m., the cracker fountain is open at 13.00 p.m., 14.00 p.m., 15.00 p.m.
Ticket prices for visiting the Lower Park:
- Full ticket for non-citizens of Russia and Belarus – 750 rubles.
- Ticket for Russian and Belarusian visitors – 450 rubles.
- Students and pupils – 300 rubles.
- Evening visits: 200 rub. for citizens of the Russian Federation and 300 rubles. for foreign guests.
- Children under 16 years of age and representatives of privileged categories of citizens can view the ensemble of the Lower Park for free.
- In winter, visiting the Lower Park is free.
Sights of the Lower Park in Peterhof
The lower park can be called a seaside park, since everything here is subordinated to the idea of Russian maritime dominion. The line of the Sea Canal with 12 fountains and the Grand Cascade (64 fountains and 250 sculptures) directly point to the Gulf of Finland to understand that here is the residence of the king of the oceans and seas. 
The Grand Palace is a kind of center of all this splendor, in front of which there are alleys, fountains, architectural and sculptural ensembles. As you go down the steps from the Grand Palace towards the Sea Canal, you pass by gilded statues with the central figure of Samson tearing apart the jaws of a lion, which personifies the victory over Sweden in the Northern War. 
The sound of water, the shine of gold (if you are lucky and the weather is sunny), the Baltic breeze, the surrounding greenery of the park - all these are indescribable sensations of grandeur, peace and beauty, in its highest sense. This is the front part of the complex.
To the right and left of the Grand Cascade are the Monplaisir and Marlin components of the Lower Park. In the center, near the Sea Canal, bright flower beds attract attention, from which four alleys begin: two to the west, to the main attraction of the park - the Hermitage Palace; two - to the east, to the Monplaisir Palace, located on the very shore of the bay and built in the style of Dutch palaces of the 18th century. Nearby are the Bathhouse, Kitchen, and Catherine Buildings. 
Walking along the Sea Canal, we will see the intersection with Marlinskaya Alley, which is rightfully considered Central, starting at the Marly Palace (architect I.F. Braunstein) with an exhibition of things of Peter the Great and ending at the Nikolsky Gate of Alexander Park. Near the Marly Palace, two more alleys are born: Birch and Maliban. The alleys diverge from the palace in different directions. Birch leads to the Roman fountains, Maliban (maliban is a type of billiards), considered one of the most picturesque, to the Monplaisir Palace. These alleys are connected by the Monplaisir alley, and the result of this layout was a triangle with the top - the Marly Palace. 
The mainline of the Marlin Alley cuts through all the radial paths coming from the Great Palace, at the intersection of which in the eastern part there is a magnificent fountain “Adam”, and in the western part - a beautiful “Eve”. 
The symmetry of these works to the Grand Palace is noticeable to the naked eye. These are the original centers of their parts of the park, from which alleys also go. The trees, shrubs, flower beds and lawns of Peterhof have always been taken care of by highly professional gardeners who know how to grow excellent plants of various types even in northern latitudes, giving them geometric crowns or decorating the flower beds with bright flowers.
Other ensembles of landscape art are located around the Monplaisir Palace with its garden, the area next to the Marly Palace, and the Grand Orangerie. When there were greenhouses for vegetables and greenhouses where herbs were grown, as well as an orchard. Ponds were dug for fish breeding, and they also served to fill the park with aesthetics.
Fountains of the Lower Park
In addition to the Great Cascade, on the slope of the terrace on which the Great Peterhof Palace stands, there are two more cascades: “Chess Mountain” - in the east, “Golden Mountain” (“Marlinskaya Hill”) - in the west. 
In front of these ensembles there are paired fountains - “Bowls”, “Menager” (architect N. Michetti), “Roman”. To the right and left of the Front part there are the “Italian” and “French” fountains. They are absolutely symmetrical, and the names speak of the architects - the Italians, the Barattini brothers, as well as the Frenchman Philippe Soual. From the terrace of the Grand Palace the paired Voronikhin colonnades (architect A. Voronikhin) are clearly visible. 
A little further from the “Italian” fountain we will see the “Favorite” fountain with mechanical ducks and a dog. In the eastern part of the ensemble there are other fountains of the Lower Park of Peterhof: “Bell”, “Sheaf”, “Sun”, “Pyramid”. 
The only cascade based in the lower part of the terrace was the “Lion Cascade”, which appeared later than the others and embodied the idea of Peter I, the basis of which was the location of palaces with corresponding cascades. There are about 150 fountains in the Lower Park. In addition to the majestic cascades, there are also children's amusements in the form of joker fountains: “Water Road”, “Sofas”, “Oak Tree”, “Umbrella”, “Christmas Trees”. 
It is impossible to get around all the fountains and palaces in one visit to Peterhof, but it is possible to get positive emotions and unforgettable impressions from the splendor of architecture and the grace of sculptural images, the silence of the alleys, the beauty of flowers, and this must be done at least once!
It is not for nothing that St. Petersburg is called the Northern capital of Russia, because Peter built the city precisely as the main city of the empire, and emperors and tsars were supposed to not only rule, but also relax. Therefore, many residences of both the emperor himself and the entire royal nobility are concentrated around St. Petersburg. Today, most of the country palaces have been turned into museums, or more precisely, they are all united into a single whole: the “Peterhof State Museum-Reserve”, which includes the Alexandria palace and park ensemble, the Colonial Park in Peterhof, the Palace of Peter I and the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, museums “Imperial Yachts”, the Benois family and bicycles. In 2007, after the liquidation of the Oranienbaum State Museum, the Oranienbaum palace and park ensemble in Lomonosov was also transferred to the Peterhof State Museum. However, some objects (for example, the Konstantinovsky Palace) are still used to receive distinguished guests. Our initial route included visiting all of the listed places, as well as Kronstadt. But, as a rule, it is only when planning that it seems that the distances are small and only take an hour or two at each point. In reality, everything looks completely different and there is a catastrophic lack of time. As a result, from all of the above, we were able to visit the residence of Peter I in Strelna, Peterhof and stop by Kronstadt. But this program was enough to return to the hotel, which is called “without arms, without legs.”
Travel Palace of Peter I
As I already said, initially our first goal was the Konstantinovsky Palace (also known as the “State Complex “Palace of Congresses”) with the adjacent park. From the photographs and descriptions, I got the feeling that in terms of beauty and abundance of luxury, the palace is definitely not inferior to Peterhof. However, we were not able to see this man-made miracle. The fact is that Konstantinovsky is officially one of the residences of the President of the country and is used, among other things, to host various events. At this time, of course, the entire complex is closed to mere mortals. By coincidence, we found ourselves at just such a moment.
Konstantinovsky Palace “State Complex “Palace of Congresses”
St. Petersburg, pos. Strelna, Berezovaya Alley, 3
Show on the map
In a word, if you are going to this complex, find out in advance whether it will be open to the public. Without getting to the Imperial Palace due to the above-described opportunity, we move further along the Peterhof Highway. It must be said that even from a car window, without a tourist guide, it is clear that to get to know the surroundings of St. Petersburg in detail you need at least three days. Here you have a new building like the South Primorsky Park and a lot of other parks built for tsars and emperors - Mikhailovsky, Aleksandrovsky, Kolonistsky. But it is absolutely impossible to cover all this in one or even two or three days.
Very close to the Konstantinovsky Palace is the Traveling Palace of Peter I - this is the earliest building in the suburb of St. Petersburg - Strelna, which has survived to this day from the times of Peter the Great. Once on the territory of the museum complex, you would never say that the small wooden building is a palace. Modest in both size and decoration, the building was intended as a stop for the emperor during his frequent trips from St. Petersburg to Kronstadt, which was under construction.
On the territory of the “palace” there is a park with a fountain and a vegetable garden. And, as it turned out, this is not just a vegetable garden, but a historical vegetable garden. It has existed here since the time of Peter I. There is a version according to which it was here that Peter I first planted potatoes brought from Holland in Russia. In the 19th century, they experimented with growing rare plant species, new varieties of potatoes and similar rarities. In general, this is not just a vegetable garden, but a famous, historical vegetable garden.
Museum – Traveling Palace of Peter I
Opening hours: Tue-Sun from 10:30 to 18:00, ticket office until 16:00
In the Travel Palace itself, today a museum is organized, which contains unique exhibits - things and objects that belonged to Peter I and Prince Konstantin Konstantinovich Romanov. The furniture in the museum, although not original (that is, did not belong to Peter), corresponds to the times of the Emperor’s life. You are not allowed to take photographs in the museum, so we leave our cameras in the dressing room, put on special shoe covers and go to inspect the exhibition.
Throughout your visit, you will be closely watched by the museum's caretakers, every step and every careless movement is under control. I personally even had some feeling of discomfort, as if I had gone to visit someone and decided to closely examine the owners’ house, which they were not very happy about. And yet, visiting the museum left a very pleasant impression; you plunge into “that era”, imagine exactly how life was structured in the 17th century.
Peterhof
From the Travel Palace of Peter I to Peterhof it takes no more than half an hour. It so happened that the trip to the suburbs of St. Petersburg took place on weekends, when the flow of people wanting to experience culture increases many times over, so I had to look for a parking space. It is very difficult to comment or say anything about the park itself, except that it is a concentrate of luxury. Gilded statues, fountains, openwork gazebos, domes sparkling with gold leaf... You can literally go blind from the abundance of gold and the splashes of the fountains sparkling in the sun. Everything here is only in superlatives - luxurious, chic, dazzling. Of course, Peterhof is one of the most popular and visited places in the vicinity of St. Petersburg, and it is almost impossible to take a picture here that would not include a tourist.
In Europe, in terms of luxury, abundance of fountains, statues and gold, only the Palace of Versailles and, with some stretch, Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna can compare with Peterhof.
Layout of fountains and museums in Peterhof (Upper Garden, Lower Park)
Fountains on the map Museums on the map
- 1 “Mezheumny” 1 Grand Palace
- 2 “Neptune” 2 Special storage room
- 3 “Oak” 3 Museum of Fountain Making
- 4 “Venus of Italy” 4 Grottoes
- 5 Apollo 5 Collectors Museum
- 6 “Great Cascade” 6 “Imperial Bicycles” Museum
- 7 “Samson” 7 Benois Family Museum
- 8 “Chalice” (Italian) 8 Playing Card Museum
- 9 “Chalice” (French) 9 Monplaisir
- 10 “Favorite” 10 Bath building and Kitchen
- 11 Alley of Fountains 11 Catherine's Building
- 12 “Greenhouse” 12 Aviaries
- 13 Cascade “Chess Mountain” 13 Museum “Imperial Yachts”
- 14 “Roman Fountains” 14 Palace of Marly
- 15 “Water Road” 15 Hermitage
- 16 “Pyramid”
- 17 Cracker “Christmas Trees”
- 18 Cracker “Oak”
- 19 Cracker “Umbrella”
- 20 “Sun”
- 21 Crackers “Benches”
- 22 “Bells”
- 23 “Sheaf”
- 24 “Adam”
- 25 “Eva”
- 26 “Whale”
- 27 Cascade “Lion”
- 28 Cascade “Golden Mountain”
- 29 “Management”
- 30 “Cloches” (“Tritons”)
I have provided a map of the park for clarity and some idea of the scale of luxury: 11 museums and 30 fountains. But that's not all. There are many different statues, gazebos and ponds in the parks. Squirrels feel extremely at ease here and are always ready to accept some treat from visitors.
Tickets to Peterhof
Beautiful is beautiful, but everything has its price. And this price cannot be called symbolic (prices are indicated as of 2015).
Lower Park 500 rub. Sales time: 9:00 – 16:45
Lower Park + two museums of the Lower Park to choose from (except for the Grand Palace Museum) 1000 rubles. Sales time: 9:00 to 15:00
Lower Park + Lower Park Museum of your choice (except for the Grand Palace Museum) 800 rub. Sales time: 9:00 to 15:45
Lower Park + Fountain Case Museum (daily except Monday) 700 rub. Sales time: 9:00 to 15:45
Nizhny Park + Museum “Imperial Yachts” (daily from June 6, 2015) 700 rub. Sales time: 9:00 to 15:45
In other words, the minimum cost of visiting the park will be 500 rubles. Well, if you want to admire the beauty like a king - from the window of a carriage (its role is played by an electric car), then the figure will already be four digits. For royal services - royal prices. Everything is fair. A two-day ticket to Versailles will cost 25 euros, so prices to Peterhof are quite European. But the entrance fee to Vienna will be 9.5 euros, and even less if you have a Wien Karte discount card. By the way, in our country such a discount system is not yet developed at all.
Prices for excursions to Peterhof usually include the cost of admission to the park, so this option is also worth considering.
Kronstadt
Kronstadt is an island and actually a separate city, although it is considered the Kronstadt district of the federal city of St. Petersburg and its intra-city municipality. Despite the fact that Kronstadt is an island, you can get to it without the help of floating craft, since the island of Kotlin (where Kronstadt is actually located) is connected by a ring road (Ring Road), passing through the complex of flood protection structures of St. Petersburg (KZS), with northern and southern shores of the Gulf of Finland. Kronstadt also includes the adjacent islands of the Gulf of Finland and the dam.
However, we arrived on the island when the sun had already begun to disappear behind the horizon, so we didn’t manage to do anything other than walk along the Petrovskaya pier and watch the leisurely movement of the huge cruise ship.
But the island has a lot of interesting places and historical monuments; their list will take at least one page.
Instead of an epilogue
In general, the trip around the outskirts of St. Petersburg turned out to be not too full of vivid impressions, but it left a clear feeling that it was not only necessary to come here, you would have to return in order to more thoroughly and carefully get acquainted with the local attractions. We only pretended that we saw Kronstadt (there are also islands with forts around the island), we only admired the city of Lomonosov from the car window (and it is worth coming here for the whole day), we did not get to Konstantinovsky. From all this, I concluded for myself that when the question arises “where to go?”, we know exactly the answer: to St. Petersburg and its environs, and if the vacation is full, then also Karelia.
The Mezheumny fountain is located in front of the main entrance to the Upper Garden of Peterhof. Currently, the image of the fountain is one of the postcard views of Peterhof.
The fountain also has a second name, “Uncertain,” which reflects numerous changes in the sculptural design.
In 1738, the sculptural group “Andromeda” was installed in the fountain, which depicted Perseus on a horse, protecting Andromeda from the dragon. Four dolphins swam around the sculpture. The sculpture remained in the fountain until 1775. It was too large to provide water for the fountain. Of the entire sculptural group, only a dragon and four dolphins remained.
In 1859, a crater vase was installed in the middle of the fountain.
During World War II, the fountain was completely destroyed. After the war it was restored by A.F. Gurzhiy based on surviving sketches.
Fountain Eva
The Eva Fountain in Peterhof is named after the legendary biblical ancestor of the human race. Its construction began in 1725 under the leadership of T. Usov, in 1726 the fountain was tested. Located in the western part of the park, the Eva Fountain is paired with the Adam Fountain, located in the eastern part . Both fountains are located on the axis of Marlinskaya Alley.
The Eva Fountain is a sculpture of Eve located on a high pedestal in the center of an octagonal basin made of hewn profiled granite. The sculpture is surrounded by sixteen fan-shaped water jets seven meters high.
There is a small area around the fountain, from which large and small alleys radiate.
Fountain - joker Dubok
The joke fountain "Dubok" is a funny fountain-curiosity in Peterhof. It was originally made according to the design of B.K. They were shot in 1735 as part of a fountain in the Upper Garden. In 1802, it was installed in the Lower Garden as part of a composition of several jokes.
The Oak Fountain is a six-meter tall metal tree with a hollow trunk, five hundred tubular branches and several thousand metal leaves painted green, standing on an oval island surrounded by a narrow stream. Jets of water shoot out from the tips of each branch. There are five fountain tulips under the tree. Next to the tree there are two benches, on which you just sit down and water jets rise from behind the backs.
During the war, the entire composition of the fountains, including oak trees, tulips and benches, was destroyed. The fountain was created anew in 1947 by the Lavrentyev craftsmen, according to the design of the architect A.A. Olya and according to the surviving fragments and a drawing from 1828.
Sea canal with fountain alley
The creation of the Sea Canal, 12 meters wide, was the idea of Peter I. The canal was assigned not only a decorative, but also a shipping role; in the middle of the 18th century, light ships could sail through it to the harbor in front of the Great Palace. The Alley of Fountains is 22 pools with fountains on the lawns on both sides of the Sea Canal.
According to the idea of Peter I, 22 swimming pools were installed along the canal. Initially they were called Nishelnye, as they were located in niches, and further from the water than they are now. Four pools had fountains decorated with sculptural groups based on scenes from Aesop's fables. There were also vase fountains. In 1835, the pools with fountains were moved closer to the canal, the fountain pipes were altered in such a way that the water jets formed different geometric shapes, including pyramids. Therefore, the fountains began to be called Pyramid.
In 1854-1860, fourteen pools were replaced with new ones made of Carrara marble. The eight pools remained the same, only they were painted the color of marble; they were replaced later, in the 60s of the 20th century. Single-jet water cannons were installed in the pools, shooting to a height of four meters; perhaps it was from then on that the name Alley of Fountains appeared, since the jets looked like amazing trees made of water.
Fountain "Pyramid"
The Pyramid fountain, created by the architect Nicolo Michetti in 1724 on behalf of Peter I, is located in the eastern part of the Lower Park of Peterhof. It is one of the most beautiful fountains in Peterhof.
Its peculiarity lies in its layout, thanks to which the fountain site is not visible from the alleys. Therefore, the water pyramid sparkling with splashes suddenly opens up to the eyes of visitors when they find themselves in close proximity to the fountain.
The fountain consists of four cascades oriented to the cardinal points. It also has important symbolic meaning. In the 18th century, the Russian army had a tradition of installing pyramid-shaped obelisks at battle sites. One of these obelisks was a water pyramid on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, dedicated to the victory of Russian troops in the Northern War.
Fountains "Clochy"
In 1724, near the Marly Palace in the western part of the Lower Park, on the alley along the reservoir, it was planned to build four fountains based on the scenes of Aesop's fables. However, the plan was not realized, and the figures of four “Tritons”, made in 1721 from bronze according to a drawing by the architect I.-F., were transferred to the prepared places from the arches of the Grand Cascade grotto. Braunstein. Wooden bowls with tubes, from which water flowed over the heads of the Tritons, were replaced at the end of the 18th century by flat disks with a conduit outlet in the center. Water flowing out under low pressure forms something like a bell. “Tritons”, surrounded by a transparent veil, seem to be in their native element of the underwater kingdom. Since then, the fountains began to be called "Cloches", which translated from French means "bells".
Destroyed during the Great Patriotic War, the Cloches were recreated in 1955.
Terrace fountains Peterhof
Terrace fountains are located on the sides of the Grand Cascade in Peterhof, on the terraces in front of the Grand Palace. The idea of creating fountains on terraces arose in the first quarter of the 18th century. In 1799-1800, the architect F. Brower and the fountain master F. Strelnikov, according to the design of A. Voronikhin, created 20 bowl fountains and 10 cascades from Pudost limestone. In 1852-1854, according to the drawings of A. Stackenschneider, the details of the cascades and bowls were made of marble. The fountains have been preserved in this form to this day.
Ten identical fountains are located five to the left and right of the Grand Cascade. There are marble bowls on the ledges, from each of them a stream of water shoots upward. Below the bowls are marble cascades of four steps, their vertical walls ending in triangular pediments with gilded mascarons, from which water flows down the steps. At the bottom of the cascades, single-jet water jets can be seen in the long marble trough that connects the five fountains together.
Fountain Favorite
The Favorite Fountain, or Favorite, is one of the most interesting and original fountains of Peterhof. It is located behind the western Voronikhin colonnade. The fountain was made in three months in 1725 by order of Catherine I, it was designed by the architect M. Zemtsov. The fountain clearly illustrates J. Lafontaine’s fable “Ducks and the Poodle”: “The Favorite dog is chasing ducks on the water, then the ducks told her this: you are suffering in vain, you have the strength to chase us, but you do not have the strength to catch us.”
The composition of the fountain is constantly in motion: in a small pool, a funny dog chases four copper ducks, brightly painted in oil, in a circle. Streams of water fly out of the duck beaks and the dog's mouth. The musical accompaniment is the barking of a dog and the quack of ducks.
The fountain figures are set in motion by a special mechanism hidden at the bottom of the pool.
During the Great Patriotic War, the fountain was destroyed. In 1957, the water supply system of the fountain was reconstructed, and the ducks and dog Favorite were recreated from copper.
Fountain "Adam"
The Adam Fountain was built in St. Petersburg between 1718 and 1726. designed by the Venetian sculptor Giovanni Bonazza.
This fountain, located on the territory of the Peterhof Palace and Park Ensemble, is part of a single architectural concept, along with the “Eva” fountain. The fountains are similar in artistic style and engineering design.
The “Adam” and “Eve” fountains are located on the axis of the main alley of the park (Marlinsky Alley) at the central points of the eastern and western parts of the park, respectively.
The fountain's pool has the shape of a regular octagon, in the center of which there is a sculpture on a pedestal, which is surrounded by sixteen inclined jets of water.
These are the only fountains on the territory of Peterhof that have retained their original appearance.
Fountain "Sheaf"
The Sheaf Fountain is located in the Monplaisir Garden of Peterhof. The garden, like the palace itself, was created according to the design of Peter I in the eastern part of the Lower Park.
Construction began in 1721 under the direction of the architect N. Michetti.
The fountain is a powerful water jet. Twenty-four jets shoot from the base of a circular pool whose diameter is twenty-one meters. The streams burst out in the form of ears of corn, which form the shape of a sheaf. The central jet shoots up four and a half meters.
The fountain is surrounded by four bell fountains, which create a complete composition of the Monplaisir Garden.
Currently, the garden is one of the most popular places in Petrodvorets.
Oak Fountain
The Oak Fountain is the first fountain in the Upper Garden in Peterhof. In 1734, P. Sualem created a plan for the future fountain. B.K. Rastrelli created sculptures for him from lead: an oak tree, modeled after the same sculpture at Versailles, three tritons and six dolphins. The lead oak was moved to the Lower Park in 1746. Over the course of two hundred years, the fountain was constantly rebuilt; by the 19th century, only dolphins remained from the original composition. In 1929, the fountain took its final form.
Now the fountain, which has retained its former name "Oak", delights with its elegant decor. In the middle of the round pool, the bottom of which is lined with slabs of dark and light granite, there is a tuff slide in the shape of a starfish with six rays. At the ends of the starfish there are six bronze dolphins, from whose mouths thin streams of water are directed upward. In the center of the hill you can see the marble sculpture "Cupid Putting on a Mask".
Fountain Adam
The Adam Fountain is located on Marlinskaya Alley, Lower Park in Peterhof - the main alley of the park, running parallel to the seashore. Adam is located in the eastern part of the park. The fountain's water jet is designed in such a way that the water, having risen high, does not spray, but breaks up into large drops; their fall into the pool is noticeable from afar.
Fountain "Neptune"
The Neptune Fountain, decorated with a three-tiered sculptural group, is the central fountain of the Upper Garden of Peterhof. The statue of Neptune stands on a high pedestal, surrounded by masks of sea monsters, from which slanted streams of water shoot out.
The composition entitled “Neptunov’s Cart” was installed in the central pool of the Upper Garden in 1736. The sculptures were made of gilded lead. In 1797, instead of the “Neptune’s Cart”, a sculptural group “Neptune” was installed, which has survived to this day. After the war and the dismantling of the fountains, they were launched again by craftsmen under the leadership of A. Smirnov only in 1956.
The fountain figures were made in Nuremberg to commemorate the Peace of Westphalia and then sold to Russia. A copy of the fountain, installed in the Nuremberg city park, has been there since 1902.
Western Square Pond (with the "Venus of Italy" fountain)
One of the so-called “Square Ponds” (which are actually rectangular) is located next to the Special Storeroom of the Grand Palace.
Square ponds were intended to store water supplied to the Grand Cascade.
In the center of the pond there is a fountain with a sculpture of the Italian Venus - a copy of the sculpture of the same name by Antonio Canova.
Fountain Sun in Peterhof
The magnificent fountains of Peterhof are famous not only for their extraordinary beauty but also for their great diversity of both architectural and engineering ideas. One of the most interesting fountains in the park, without a doubt, is the Sun Fountain.
The lower park of Peterhof is part of the palace and park ensemble. The model for the park was the country residence of King Louis XIV in Versailles. The layout of the park is characterized by strict symmetry. The basis of its composition is the intersection of two alley systems.
The sea canal from the Grand Palace to the bay divides the park into eastern and western parts. Four alleys fan out from the Great Flower Gardens, located on both sides of the Sea Canal bucket. The eastern ones lead to the Monplaisir Palace, the western ones lead to the Hermitage Pavilion. Another system of alleys starts from the Marly Palace; three rays of roads go from it.
There are 4 cascades and more than 150 fountains in the Lower Park. The main fountain is the Grand Cascade with the magnificent Samson Fountain. In the ground floor at the foot of the cascade there are the “Bowls” and “Marble Benches” fountains. In the western part there are the “Orangereiny”, “Adam”, “Eve”, Roman fountains, “Sheaf”, “Bells” fountains, as well as the “Pyramid”, “Sun” fountains, the “Chess Mountain” cascade, and various joker fountains. In the eastern part of the park you can admire the “Lion” and “Golden Mountain” cascades; the “Favoritny”, “Whale”, “Menazhernye” fountains, and the “Kloshi” fountains are also of interest here.
Petrodvorets
“The Capital of Fountains” is also the name of Petrodvorets in Peterhof. On its territory there is a park ensemble of amazing beauty, a huge number of statues of ancient heroes made of gilding and marble, and, of course, numerous fountains. All this, combined with lush greenery, turns the suburb of the cultural capital into the most attractive excursion destination for tourists.
In good weather, it is better to come by train from the Baltic and sail on the Meteor to the Hermitage.
Alexander Park in Peterhof
To the south of the palace and park ensemble of Alexandria, on the other side of St. Petersburg Avenue, there is another landscape park - Alexandrovsky.
Its territory extends to the station square and occupies 144 hectares. In the 18th century, on the site of the park there was a Big, or Deer, menagerie, surrounded by a fence. In 1832–1836, according to the project of A.A. Menelas, I.I. Charlemagne garden master P.I. Erler drained the area, dug a picturesque artificial pond with winding banks and three islands, laid gravel roads, planted birch groves, groups of oaks, spruce and pine trees.
Peterhof architectural and park complex
Emperor Peter I conceived Peterhof as the most luxurious summer royal residence. And today, probably, there is no more magnificent architectural and park complex in our country than Peterhof. This park was supposed to eclipse, according to Peter's plan, all European analogues.
The Upper Garden covers an area of 15 hectares, and the Lower Park - 105 hectares - here is the largest complex of fountains in the world. The Sea Canal divides the Lower Park into two parts - eastern and western. In the eastern part there are the “Chess Mountain” cascade and two Roman fountains, in the western part there are the “Golden Mountain” cascade and two Menager fountains. The Grand Palace, made in the Baroque style, is considered a masterpiece of architecture. It forms a single ensemble with the Upper Garden and Lower Park. In addition, on the territory of the park there is the Tsaritsyn Pavilion, made in the image of the villas of ancient Pompeii, and the Holguin Pavilion - a three-story tower in the Neapolitan style protruding from the water. The Hermitage Pavilion is a small building that was once intended for family dinners. The main feature of the pavilion is the lifting table. The Monplaisir Palace is the most favorite building of Peter I - he personally chose the location for it and developed the building plan. Today, “Monplaisir” is one of the few buildings that have survived from those times and escaped reconstruction.
Today there are 21 museums on the territory of Peterhof.
Aviaries in the Lower Park
The enclosures are the only surviving wooden pavilions from the first quarter of the 18th century. They retained their original appearance, miraculously surviving during the Great Patriotic War.
The enclosures were created in 1722 according to the design of N. Michetti.
There are 2 enclosures in the park (the second one is near the Sun fountain).
In both Aviaries (bird houses) in the 18th century, in the summer, gilded copper cages with nightingales, thrushes, canaries, parrots, and hummingbirds were placed and hung.
Today there is a museum in the Aviaries, which is open from 10.30 to 17.30 daily.
Alexandria Park
Alexandria Park is a city park in Peterhof, dedicated to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Nicholas I. The area of the park is 115 hectares.
The park consists of coastal and upper terraces, on which architectural landmarks are built: the Cottage, the Chapel and the Farmers' Palace. The park harmoniously alternates between glades and hills, a deep ravine and gentle slopes, narrow paths and wide shady alleys.
Englishman Adam Menelas supervised the construction work in the park. Gardeners Rodionov, Erler, Wendelsdorf, and Gombel also worked on the park.
The park is home to oaks, maples, lindens, poplars, and trees from Kyrgyzstan, Siberia, the Far East and Europe.
Sights of Peterhof
