The Peterhof Palace (Dutch or German for Peter's Court) is also known as Petrodvorets and is located approximately 30km west of St Petersburg, Russia. It is positioned on a 16m-high bluff overlooking the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland. Peterhof is one of St. Petersburg's most famous and popular visitor attractions.
At the site is a series of palaces and gardens laid out on the orders of Peter the Great and they are sometimes referred as the "Russian Versailles". Versailles was indeed the inspiration for Peter the Great's plan to construct an Imperial palace for his new city. Initially, it became the site for the Tsar's Monplaisir Palace, and then of the original Grand Palace. The Grand Palace was extended and further development of the park continued throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Catherine the Great moved the Imperial court to Pushkin, but later, once again, Peterhof became the official Imperial Residence in the reign of Nicholas I, who ordered the construction of the modest Cottage Palace in 1826.
Peterhof was extensively damaged by occupying German troops during World War II. Reconstruction by military engineers and over 1,000 volunteers began after the war and most of the estate's major structures had already been fully restored by 1947. Some work still continues.
The park is separated into an upper part and a lower part. On top of the ridge that separates the upper and lower park sits the three storey Great Peterhof Palace (see photos below). The form seen today is a much expanded building than the original mansion that stood there during the rule of Peter the Great. In the lower park sits Marly Palace. Near the Gulf shore lies the Monplaisir Palace conceived and named by Peter the Great forming the beginning of the creation of the Peterhof ensemble. The gardens at Peterhof are truly exceptional and, like Versailles, water plays a pivotal role in the landscaping. Four main cascades have been added during the history of Peterhof - the Great Cascade, Dragon Cascade (Chess Hill), Marly Cascade and the Lion Cascade. As seen in the photos below, the Great Cascade is directly below the Grand Palace. It has an artificial grotto which has five arches. Decorative steps follow either side of the cascade which takes water eventually down to a sea channel, leading to the gulf. Throughout the parkland are plenty of fountains - too many to list here, although one thing is for certain - if you enjoy this sort of thing, allow for plenty of time.
One of the less elegant water features I came across in the gardens proved popular with the younger visitors - a path with large pebble-shaped stones to walk over. Step on the wrong magic stone, and a jet of water comes out of the ground and soaks you. Endless careful tip-toeing over the stones in anticipation by the children. How the stepping on the stones made the water come out of the ground left the youngsters baffled. Email me and I will tell you the secret...
The municipal town of Peterhof, itself, is also famous for the "Petrodvorets Watch Factory - Raketa", a 300 years old Russian watch manufacturer. It might be worth noting here that after dinner in the restaurant of the hotel I was staying at, the waiter opened up the inside of his jacket to reveal a vast array of 'these' watches he had for sale. They were most likely fakes imported from China - the best bet here is to buy one from the Palace shop or from the factory which has a shop inside the production facility. Anywhere else selling watches probably trades in counterfeits.
Like several other destinations featured on this website, The Palaces and Parks Ensembles of the Town of Peterhof form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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