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Peterhof (Petrodvorets)
 Peterhof is located on the southern shore of the Finnish
Gulf 14 miles (29 kilometers) away from St.Petersburg.
It is a place to visit during the summer when the fountains
are operating. In good weather it is well worth spending an
entire day here, enjoying the various palaces, the parks,
and the sea view.
 The history of Petrodvorets (called Peterhof until 1944)
begins in 1704 when Peter I built a wooden house on the Gulf
while overseeing the construction of the nearby Kronstadt
Fortress. In 1713 he began transforming the area into an imperial
residence. The palace was inaugurated in 1723 and later expanded
by Empress Elizabeth.
With its commanding views of the Baltic, Peterhof is a perfect expression of triumphalism. Originally designed by Jean Baptiste Le Blond, the Grand Palace (1714-21) was transformed during the reign of Elizabeth when Bartolomeo Rastrelli added a third storey and wings with pavilions at either end. He tried to preserve Le Blond's early Baroque exterior, but redesigned the interiors, indulging his love for gilded Baroque decoration. Peterhof stands at the centre of a magnificent landscaped park, with both French and English gardens.
  The Grand Palace dominates the estate. Similar in scale to
Catherine's Palace in Pushkin, it is filled with lavish rooms
and galleries. The rooms are standard palace material: gilt
and mirrors, "Chinese" rooms, thematic rooms (like
the Chesma Hall with its endless artistic renditions of the
Russian victory over the Turks at Chesma Bay in 1770), a room
filled with portraits of little girls, fancy drawing rooms
and bedrooms, and so on.
The estate includes several other mini-museums of interest.
The outwardly-modest Monplaisir Palace, which Peter I preferred
to the Grand Palace, has a nice sea view and several interesting
rooms, such as the State Hall where Peter would force his guests to drink huge quantities of wine until they passed
out. The nearby Hermitage Pavilion, which also has nice views
and artwork, is a highbrow two-storey dining room where guests
sitting on the upper floor ate and  drank in peace, occasionally
lowering the table to the ground floor where servants did
their thing (refilled wine glasses, replaced dirty plates,
and spat in the beef  stroganoff).
Peterhof is the kingdom of fountains. There are 144 fountains,
all operating without the use of pumps by a combination of naturally generated water pressure and magic. Each fountain
is unique and once you step in the area of the kingdom of
fountains you will be surprised by this splendid oasis, a
reminder of the beauty that man can create.
Address: Petrodvorets, 2 Razvodnaya Str.
Open: 10.00 - 17.00
Closed: on MON and on the last TUE of every month
However, if you aren't ready yet for trip to Peterhof, you can
learn more
about fountains throughout the world at Garden Fountains web site.
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