Peterhof

Why go

Peterhof rewards attention to scale, orientation, and setting. Petergof (Петерго́ф) or Peterhof, known as Petrodvorets (Петродворец) from 1944 to 1992, is a municipal town within Petrodvortsovy District of the federal city of Saint Petersburg, on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland. Before leaving, compare one close detail of Peterhof with its broadest public view.

What to look for

• Peterhof: Look for the feature that controls the first sightline.
• Peterhof: Inspect the transition from the lower level to the roofline.
• Peterhof: Circle the site to see how its proportions shift.

The full story

Petergof (Петерго́ф) or Peterhof, known as Petrodvorets (Петродворец) from 1944 to 1992, is a municipal town within Petrodvortsovy District of the federal city of Saint Petersburg, on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland. The town hosts one of two campuses of Saint Petersburg State University. A series of palaces and gardens, laid out on the orders of Peter the Great, and sometimes called the ""Russian Versailles"", is also situated there. The palace-ensemble along with the city center is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Palaces, Fountains, and Gardens The dominant natural feature of Peterhof Grand Palace is a sixteen-meter-high bluff lying less than a hundred meters from the shore. The so-called Lower Gardens (Nizhny Sad), at 1.02 square kilometers (0.4 sq mi) comprising the better part of the palace complex land area, are confined between this bluff and the shore, stretching east and west for roughly 200 meters (656 ft).

Useful to know

• Walk Peterhof in daylight, then compare its outline with the Lower Park.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.