Peterhof is best appreciated through the interplay of its palace and gardens. The façade of the Grand Peterhof Palace stretches for almost 300 metres along the terrace. In the composition of the ensemble, the palace links the Upper Garden and Lower Park into an artistic whole. For 200 years, the architectural and park ensemble served as the emperors’ representative summer residence, and in 1990 it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Palaces and historical highlights

Monplaisir also makes its own distinctive impression: the palace on the shore of the Gulf of Finland was Peter the Great’s favourite country residence. Peterhof thus brings together different aspects of the history of the residence—from the grand ensemble with its long palace façade to the country residence by the water. Those interested in architecture can also take note of the connection between the Upper Garden and Lower Park: this is more than a matter of geographical proximity; it is part of the ensemble’s artistic composition.

The gardens as a designed landscape

The Lower Park was laid out on the model of French formal gardens and designed by J.-B. Leblond. Its three interconnected areas are the central ceremonial area, the western Marly area and the eastern Monplaisir area. Two systems of avenues fan out from the Grand Palace and Marly Palace, defining the layout. This division gives the park several distinct focal points rather than making it seem like one uniform expanse.

The cascades are also arranged in different locations: “Bolshoy” is centrally located at the foot of the Parade Palace; “Shakhmatnaya gora” is in the east and “Zolotaya gora” in the west. The Russian names make the three features easy to distinguish, while their locations reveal how the slopes of the Lower Park are part of its design. The Labyrinth is in the eastern part of the park, beside Marly Avenue. It was reconstructed based on archaeological research and surviving archival documents.

Fountains and walks

The Upper Garden is a place where Peterhof residents and visitors can stroll. Five fountains have adorned the garden since the time of Anna Ioannovna. A rose garden lies in the bosquets beside the eastern pond, while the central pool features the Baroque sculpture group “Neptune”. Together, these details give the Upper Garden several distinct points of interest: water features, a sculpture in the central pool and the rose garden beside the eastern pond.

The Lower Park is also home to the trick fountains “Benches”, “Umbrella”, “Oak”, “Firs” and “Water Road”. They add named features, specifically described as trick fountains, to the formal park layout. Comparing the garden areas, then, reveals different focal points: the five fountains and rose garden in the Upper Garden, and the layout, avenues and cascades in the Lower Park.

Museums and other themes

The museum in the Catherine Block focuses on a collection of Russian furniture made from poplar, Karelian birch and mahogany. The three types of wood give the collection a specific material character. The House of Playing Cards explores a different subject: it is a museum project about the history of playing cards, considered there both as works of art and as a popular pastime. Its concept is called “Museum-Spectacle”. Check the current visitor arrangements for the House of Playing Cards before your visit.

This offers several distinct themes to explore according to your interests: the history of the residence and its architecture, the design of the garden areas, individual fountains and cascades, and the history of furniture and playing cards. These specific details help you understand Peterhof not only through the name of its palace, but also through the different landscape and collection themes that shape the ensemble.

For an overview of the wider trip: Saint Petersburg.