A Royal Residence by the Sea: Palaces, Parks and Fountains of Peterhof

Peterhof estate, the summer residence of the Russian emperors outside the imperial capital of St. Petersburg, officially opened on August 15, 1723. On that day the Grand Cascade, the most spectacular fountain of the Lower Park, was turned on for the first time.

Peterhof was founded on the shore of the Gulf of Finland by Peter the Great in 1710. Peter, who loved boats and dreamed of a residence on the sea, personally drew up the plans for the parks and palaces.

The main edifice of the Peterhof estate is the Grand Palace, which contains over 30 rooms with intricate ceiling paintings and gilded walls.

The fountains at Peterhof, inspired by those at the French imperial estate of Versailles, are a true work of art. Every year, the turning on of the fountains for the first time since the winter is marked by a formal ceremony, symbolizing the beginning of the summer.

The Orangery Fountain in the Lower Park at Peterhof state museum and estate.

Visitors to Peterhof.

The history of the Grand Palace is in many ways tragic. Soon after Peterhof was occupied by German forces in 1941, the palace caught fire, which completely ravaged the interior. In 1944 the central part of the building was destroyed in a German air raid. The first rooms were opened to the public only in 1964, after years of painstaking restoration work

View of the Grand Cascade and the Samson Fountain in front of the Grand Palace.

One of the sculptures in the Grand Cascade in front of the Grand Palace at Peterhof.

The first museum of playing cards in Russia was opened at Peterhof in 2007. The museum’s collection features over 6,000 packs of cards from all over the world.

The church of the Grand Palace in the Lower Park of Peterhof.

One of the sculptures of the Grand Cascade.

The Lion Cascade in the Lower Park at Peterhof.

A child near one of the fountains in the Lower Park at Peterhof.