Peterhof Palace, Majestic fountains amidst opulent gardens

Peterhof, Razvodnaya street, 2nd
The Summer Palace is a place worth visiting
4.6

Introduction

One of the landmarks in St. Petersburg is the Peterhof Palace (also known as "Peter's Palace"). Built in 1710, it was the residence of the Tsar and is similar to China's Chengde Mountain Resort. Initially, it was a place where Peter the Great lived while supervising the construction of the Kronstadt naval port. Later, he grew fond of the place and built palaces there. The Summer Palace, also known as the "Capital of Fountains," is one of the most luxurious palaces in Russia. It has over 60 fountains made of pure gold and a complex fountain pipe system. Peter the Great used to play tricks on passersby with the fountains. Nowadays, the Summer Palace is a complex of palaces and gardens from the 18th and 19th centuries, regarded as the "Versailles of Russia" due to its magnificent architecture. The entrance starts with the Upper Garden, which has three fountains and does not require a ticket. Along the way to the rear of the palace, there is a ticket booth on the right side where visitors can purchase tickets based on their desired locations to visit. Passing through the ticket checkpoint and going left leads to the Grand Palace, or visitors can go downstairs to the Lower Garden. In the center of the Lower Garden is the "Sea Channel," with paths on either side leading to the fountains and museum. Walking along the Sea Channel leads to the Baltic Sea, where people can step into the water in summer. At the end, there is a place to board a boat that takes about 40 minutes to reach the city center, offering picturesque views on both sides. The fountains are closed in early October and reopen in late May, with corresponding opening and closing ceremonies.

Must-go rating

Worth going
100%

Transportation

100%
Self-driving
Inconvenient to park
There is a parking lot
Cheap parking fees
Park by the roadside
Address
Peterhof, Razvodnaya street, 2nd
Opening hours
Upper Garden and Lower Garden 9:00-19:00
Grand Palace Monday, Wednesday to Sunday 10:30-18:00 (ticket sales stop at 17:00), closed on Mondays, and on the last Tuesday of each month.
Transportation
Take the red line subway to Автово station, and go up from the right exit through the underground passage on the right side to the bus stop where you can transfer to 200 or 210 bus and get off at Правленская station. The fixed bus fare for this journey is 80 rubles. Tell the ticket seller on the bus that you are going to Petergof and they will remind you when to get off. Alternatively, take the intercity train from the Baltic Railway Station to Старый Петергоф station, cross the road and transfer to 210 or 463 bus at the Разводная ул. station. Or, from the Winter Palace riverside pier, take a boat to Petergof at a one-way ticket price of around 800 rubles for adults and 500 rubles for students.