Peterhof or Petrodvorets is the former official Summer residence of the Russian Tsars. It was based by Peter the Great, and is situated on the shore of the Gulf of Finland.

Peterhof is famous for its great park with more than 150 fountains and of course for its beautiful palaces. It is often referred to as “Russian Versailles”.

The fountains of Peterhof function from the end of May to September, so this is the best time for a visit. And the most important part of the tour is the park itself. Our guide will take you around the park to see the most interesting fountains and cascades, and will tell you about the unique engineering system of the fountains. The fountains of Peterhof work under gravity, but nevertheless, the tallest fountain – Samson – rises up to 23 meters high.

The usual tour includes an inside visit to one of the palaces of Peterhof. It can be either the Grand Palace or one of the minor palaces. You can choose the option to your liking. The palaces are very different.

The Grand Palace is the main official reception. All glorious and ornate, with gilded domes above the Church Wing and luxurious gala interiors.

The minor palaces were built to live in or to accommodate guests, so they are less ornate but not less interesting. The most famous small palace is the Monplaisir – the private palace of Peter the Great. It is small and cozy and still bears the traces of personality of its owner. It is also a rare example of a building which survived since the time of Peter the Great himself (the beginning of the 18^th century) almost without changes.

The Barth House – a little block near Monplaisir, where a real Russian bath was designed and there were also some rooms for the entertainment of guests, dinners and little receptions. One of the rooms is a fountain-room and during the tour you can see the fountain working.

The Catherine’s Block — a small palace built for Empress Elisabeth I and redesigned for Alexander I. It has charming interiors designed with great taste in the empire style and a wonderful collection of Royal porcelain on display.

Usually the tour to Peterhof from St.Petersburg takes around 4 hours. However, Peterhof is a good place to spend a day there. If you have such a possibility, you can visit several palaces, and/or visit the Grottos under the Grand Cascade.

It is also a good idea to come to Peterhof by Hydrofoil. Hydrofoil takes you from the centre of St.Petersburg directly to the Park of Peterhof, so you can enjoy a sea voyage and save a lot of time avoiding traffic.