Things to see and do PEtErhof (Пет E Ргоodc)

During the summer months, the countless water jets of the Peterhof fountains, which operate without a pump and only with the speed gained from the slope, are in operation all day long. The water symphony is accompanied on the opening day of the season by classical music concerts, ballets, fireworks... The illuminated fountains offer a truly magical spectacle. St. Petersburg tourist agencies organize guided tours of Peterhof on the first Sundays in June and October (beginning and end of the season). If you are lucky enough to be able to join them, you will have unforgettable memories. Peterhof is so densely populated that we advise you to visit it with a guide to get the most out of it, and to spend at least half a full day there!

The Great Waterfall is a fabulous ensemble of tiered fountains and marble and bronze statues, designed by Peter the Great himself. The  vasque of the Grande Cascade bears in its center the sculpted group of Samson tearing the lion's mouth

, a work symbolizing Poltava's victory. La colonne of water gushing from the lion's mouth reaches a height of about twenty metres. Surrounding the basin, statues of maritime deities celebrate the access Peter the Great has gained to the Baltic Sea. La  Grande Cascade is linked to the Gulf of Finland by the Maritime Canal. On its shores, a truly magical spectacle is offered by the water games in the double alley of the Fountains.

The Palais de Marly, designed by the architect Braustein (1723 par), hides behind its apparent modesty rich decorations with an abundance of bronzes, lacquers and crystals. Ce palais miniature one-storey high is a unique building from the petrovian era, and one of the rare examples of early Petersburg country houses. Vous y will see collections of paintings as well as personal objects of the greatest of the czars, whose statue, by the sculptor Antokolski (1883), adorns Marly's driveway. To the south of the Grand Palais are the formal gardens of the Verkhni Park, designed according to the plans of^Pierre Ier, whose large central pond is adorned with a beautiful bronze Neptune from^{XVIIe siècle}

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Superior Park.

Free entrance. Stretching between Prospekt St. Peterburgski and the Peterhof Palace, il est bounded on the west by Razvodnaya Street and on the east by Pravlenskaya Street. From a surface of 15 ha, il a was created in 1724. Between 1733 et 1739 fountains, statues and pergolas were installed there. The Chessboard cascade gathers statues and fountains staggered on three terraces paved with black and white marble checkerboard. The complex is flanked by two imposing fountains - Rimskié Fontani - of Roman influence. The Fountain of the Pyramid consists of a pyramidal assembly of 500 tubes from which jets of water gush forth.

The Fountain of the Sun

is a rectangular basin with, in the centre, sixteen dolphins in gilded bronze from which as many jets of water gush forth.

Finally, some fountains equipped with ingenious joking mechanisms, unexpectedly water the unwary who comes too close près  !

Pavillon de Montplaisir. Designed by Pierre le Grand and located on the edge of the gulf, it consists of a central body flanked by lateral galleries. The Palais de Monplaisir exhibits collections of paintings gathered by^Pierre Ier during his travels in France and Holland.