Peterhof is perhaps St. Petersburg's most famous and spectacular imperial estate. Nestled on the shore of the Gulf of Finland (part of the Baltic Sea), the palace was built by Peter the Great initially as a resting place on route to the imperial naval base at Kronshtadt. But the Tsar was quick to recognize the attractiveness of the area and masterminded a vast estate intended to rival the famous gardens of Versailles.

   The Grand Palace, filled with fascinating and elaborate interiors, sits on top of a high seashore ridge overlooking the vast Lower Park. The original palace was built between 1714 and 1725 by the architects Braunstein, Zemtsov and Leblond. Later that century the palace was extended to its present size and redesigned by the court architect Francesco Bartholomeo Rastrelli, the creator of the Winter Palace, the Catherine Palace, Smolny Cathedral and many more of St. Petersburg's major landmarks. The original Baroque decor was preserved in some of the rooms, while others were redesigned throughout the 18th and early 19th century. During the World War II the palace was seriously damaged but most of the rooms have now been restored to their former glory.

   The park features numerous pavilions and small palaces, amongst which is Peter the Great's favorite, Montplaisir. Built by the architects Braunstein, Leblond and Zemtsov between 1714 and 1725, Montplaisir sits right on the sea shore and provided the perfect vantage point for Peter to spend hours watching the ships sail by. Among the park's other pavilions are the Hermitage, designed and built specifically for holding imperial dinner parties, and the two-story residential Marly Palace, built in 1723 by the architect Braunstein.
Between 1944 and the early 1990s the town and the Imperial estate were known under the name Petrodvorets, which can still be found in some older guide books. So don't be confused by the two names!

    Pushkin(Tsarskoe Selo)

   Tsarskoye Selo (formerly known as Pushkin) is one of St. Petersburg's numerous imperial estates. Located just 25 kilometers south of the city, the estate boasts a large landscape park, dotted with architectural follies, and centered on the magnificent blue, white and gold Catherine Palace. Named after its creator, Empress Catherine, the second wife of Peter the Great, the original palace was built between 1717 and 1723 by the architect Braunstein. The palace was expanded later in the century and given a new, richly decorated Baroque facade by the architect Francesco Bartholomeo Rastrelli. The Catherine Palace houses some beautiful Baroque interiors, including the luxurious Grand Hall, a long, gold, mirrored ballroom. The Palace also boasts a unique Amber Room, whose priceless amber panels were stolen by Nazi troops during the World War II, but which is now being painstakingly recreated by Russian craftsmen.

   Empress Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter the Great, preferred Tsarskoye Selo to many of the other imperialresidences around St. Petersburg, as did the famous Catherine the Great herself. Catherine particularly enjoyed the Neo-Classical Cameron Gallery section of the palace, built by the Scottish architect Charles Cameron between 1781 and 1786. Adjacent to the gallery and also worthy of note is Cameron's Cold Baths building, an extravagant bathhouse of semi-precious stones.

   Forming the core of the estate, Tsarskoye Selo boasts almost 600 hectares of beautiful parkland. In front of the Catherine Palace visitors can enjoy formal gardens with finely trimmed trees and bushes, geometrically designed flowerbeds and fine marble statues. This section of the park is also home to various follies, including the Grotto, the Upper and Lower Baths and Rastrelli's delightful blue and white Hermitage building.

   Pavlovsk

   Pavlovsk is another of St. Petersburg's historical imperial estates and lies just 29 kilometers from the city and very close to the estate at Tsarskoye Selo. Named after Paul I, who received the park grounds as a gift from his mother Catherine the Great in 1777, Pavlovsk is home to the Grand Palace and hundreds of acres of densely forested parkland.
The Grand Palace was built by the Scottish architect Charles Cameron between 1782 and 1786 in the general style of an Italian villa. Initially meant as a private home for Paul and his wife Maria Fedorovna, the estate was later given an Imperial facelift when Paul ascended the throne after the death of Catherine the Great in 1796. The architect Vincenzo Brenna was in charge of upgrading some of the palace interiors and building several additional park pavilions.

   The Palace's interiors reveal a multitude of artistic and architectural influences and include an Egyptian Vestibule, the Italian Hall under the main Palace dome, featuring classical Roman sculptures, a Greek Hall filled with luxurious French furnishings and Paul's War Hall, demonstrating his fascination with all things military. Visitors can witness the opulent splendor of the State Bedroom with its lavishly decorated bed, painted walls and elegant chandelier. The Throne Room (formerly the Dining Room) is famous for its excellent acoustics and unique plafond (ceiling painting) by Pietro Gonzaga. The palace, although smaller and less ornate than those at Tsarskoye Selo and Peterhof, has the feel of a stylish country home, whose inhabitants you can almost imagine have just left for an afternoon of hunting in the palace park.

   Much of Pavlovsk's charm is derived from its wonderful landscape park. Located along the picturesque valley of the Slavyanka River, the extensive park is dotted with small pavilions and architectural follies, including the Temple of Friendship, the Colonnade of Apollo, the pavilion of the Three Graces, the Dairy Farm and the Rose Pavilion. The dense birch forest that fills the park, the numerous inter-linking paths running through it and the brooks and tributary streams of the Slavyanka that cover it make the park a wonderful setting for a long walk and a taste of the Russian countryside.