The Great Peterhof Palace is one of the most beautiful palaces in Europe. It's one of the greatest monuments of the 18th century and it is protected by the UNESCO.

The most famous ensemble of fountains, the Grand Cascade, which runs from the northern facade of the Grand Palace to the Marine Canal, comprises 64 different fountains, and over 200 bronze statues, bas-reliefs, and other decorations. At the centre stands Rastrelli's spectacular statue of Samson wrestling the jaws of a lion. The vista of the Grand Cascade with the Grand Palace behind it, the first sight to great visitors who arrive in Peterhof by sea, is truly breathtaking. The Grotto behind the Grand Cascade, which was once used for small parties, contains the enormous pipes, originally wooden, that feed the fountains.

The Grand Cascade flows spectacularly from beneath the palace towards the Baltic Sea and is one of the largest fountain ensembles in the world. From the Grand Cascade's largest fountain, decorated with a magnificent gold statue of Samson battling with the lion, a channel flows through the park to the pier, where hydrofoils and boats from St. Petersburg dock. Multiple fountains and pavilions are scattered throughout the park

The Palace represents a linear symmetrical baroque composition. The length of its main facade, facing the Gulf of Finland, is about 300 m. When seen from the Sea Canal the building seems soaring over the surrounding landscape. The cobble ground enclosed with the balustrade was built on the palace terrace already in the Petrine age.

The Samson fountain is the center of the Grand Cascade and is the highest fountain in Peterhof. A special 4 km reservoir allows the fountain to shoot 20 meters into the air, easily grabbing the attention of all visitors to Peterhof. The original statue was stolen by the Germans during the war but was reproduced from photos by Vasily Simonov and on display again in 194

Peterhof park has a unique fountain system that requires no pumps. Water for the fountains is supplied by a gravity-fed water system, twenty-two kilometres long, skilfully designed to exploit the natural slope of the terrain. This system operates no pumps and supplies enough water to the fountains and cascades of Peterhoff to keep them working for up to ten hours a day.

Canal from the bay to the Palace

Remain of the lock beteen the bay and the Palace

Like almost all St. Petersburg's suburban estates, Peterhof was ravaged by German troops during the Second World War. It was, however, one of the first to be resurrected and, thanks to the work of military engineers as well as over 1,000 volunteers, the Lower Park opened to the public in 1945 and the facades of the Grand Palace were restored in 1952. The name was also de-Germanicized in 1944, becoming Petrodvorets, the name under which the surrounding town is still known. The palace and park are once again known as Peterhof.

Triton Fountain in the pool which is 15 m in diameter (1726). The sculpture of the fountain (Triton fighting with the sea monster and turtles) was made after B.C. Rastrelli's design. To the north the garden is surrounded by the block of the Great Orangery (the fagade is 34 m long), built by Braunstein and Zemtsov In 1722- 25. The building was used for keeping pots with exotic plants in winter.

The construction of the Chessboard Hill Cascade was started under Peter the Great. Originally when there was no cascade yet, its grotto already existed. It was then called Small and was one of the first constructions in the park. In 1721, after Michetti's design, the construction of the cascade was started. It was made in the ~orm of the slope of tuff, on the sides of which ruined towers were placed (hence is first name - Ruin Cascade).

Already in 1737 the alterations in the decora-zon of the cascade started. After Blank's design the cascade got the zscharge out of four wide steps. In January 1739 three brightly zouloured dragon figures (the sculptor Conrad Ossner) were put at is upper grotto. In the mid-18th century the cascade steps were zainted to resemble a chessboard. After that it was called both the Dragon and the Chessboard Hill.

The two grand double-tier fountains, erected in 1739, are situated in the Parterre Garden in front of the Chessboard Hill. The architects Blank and Davydov rendered with some changes, the famous fountains in the Square of Saint Peter in Rome - slightly heavy, but remarkable in their architecture.

In 1763, after Rastrelli's design, the fountains were moved to the line of the then made Birch Walk, where two new pools were built for them. Under Emperor Paul I (1798-1801) the fountains were rebuilt in granite and marble with the same architectural forms. In 1817 their lead mascarons were replaced by the bronze ones, cast after Ivan Martos's models.

One set of spouts – which currently is switched on once a day at 3 p.m. – is buried at each edge of a stretch of a park avenue. In Peter’s time courtiers strolling in their finery along this pleasant path would suddenly find themselves drenched by about a hundred meter stretch of tightly spaced spouts aimed at the centre of the avenue.

Sun Fountain - The fountain is placed in the centre of the large pool (70 x 30 m), included into the ensemble of the Menagerie Garden. The author of the design was Niccolo Michetti (1724). In the 1770s Velten made the original construction of the fountain more complicated. Now its central fountain is represented by the column (3.5 m high), on the peak of which the double gilt disc is set. Water jets spurt around the disc. The column rolls with the help of the water wheel hidden in the pedestal

In 1722 two pavilions of the Aviaries were set here. From the outside the pavilions are decorated with oyster shells and tuff, and inside they have refined tempera oaintings, made in 1721 by the prominent French artist Louis Caravaque. Nowadays, as well as under Peter I, birds are kept here.

Adam and Eve Fountains - In 1721 the construction of the pair fountains, representing the primogenitors of the Mankind, Adam and Eve, was started in the avenue. The marble sculptures were made in Venice by the sculptor Giovanni Bonazza in 1718, according to the order by Peter I.
They are set in the centre of the eight-sided pools (17 m in diameter); sixteen high jets spurt out of the pedestal feet. The fountains are placed on the crossing of the eastern and western parts of the Lower Park, on the same distance from the Sea Canal, forming the focal point of the park composition.

Statue of Peter The Great

Peter is wearing high boots, which are used by kids as target for coin tossing to see if they can propel them inside his boots. It is considered to be good luck.

Trik fountains - The trick fountains were brought into fashion by Peter from abroad, where they were popular with the court of Louis XIV. Nowadays the trick fountains of the 18th century, functioning only in Peterhof, are one of the most favourite entertainments for visitors.

Monplaisir Garden - The garden is probably the smartest of all the gardens in Peterhof. It is divided into four parterres, which join in the central ground with the picturesque Sheaf Fountain (Mikhail Zemtsov received the order of its construction from Peter I in 1724).
In the centres of the parterres the cloche fountains were placed (from French "cloche" - bell; in such fountains water streams over bell-shaped surfaces). There are gilt sculptures on the fountains: Apollino, Faun with the Kid Goat (the bronze copies from Antique originals), Bacchus (copy from Sansovino's original) and Psyche (copy from Antonio Kanova's original).

Statue of Neptune on the Terrace of Monplaisir Pavilion

Path along