Excursions in St.Petersburg – summer palaces

Tsarskoe Selo: Catherine’s Palace and Park

This tour will take you outside St.Petersburg, to the town of Pushkin (Tsarskoe Selo). The town is associated with the great poet Alexander Pushkin who studied at the local Lyceum. Palaces and park ensembles of the town of Pushkin and its historical centre are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. You will visit Catherine’s Palace, the largest summer palace of the Russian Royal family, famous for the splendor of its Baroque interiors, including the stunning Gold suite of rooms and the unique Amber Room, the 8th wonder of the world. After the tour of the palace you will have a walk in the park, featuring both the landscape design and the numerous pavilions.

Approximate duration: 4 hours

Tsarskoe Selo: Alexander Palace

This tour will take you outside St.Petersburg, to the town of Pushkin (Tsarskoe Selo). Palaces and park ensembles of the town of Pushkin and its historical centre are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. You will visit Alexander Palace, which was a wedding gift of Catherine the Great to her grandson Alexander, the future Emperor Alexander I, the conqueror of Napoleon. After Alexander I it was used by all of his successors on the Russian throne, including Nicholas II, who turned it into his permanent home and where he and his family lived even after his abdication.

Approximate duration: 4 hours

Peterhof: Gardens

This tour will take you to the suburban town of Peterhof, located on the coast of the Gulf of Finland, 30 km south-west from St.Petersburg, famous for its palaces, parks and fountains. It was an official royal summer residence founded by Peter the Great in 1704 and meant to beat Versailles. The museum complex of Peterhof is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. You will walk in the famous Gardens, the elaborate grounds featuring over 150 fountains, among which you will see the breathtaking Great Cascade, the largest fountain ensemble in the world, the Checker Board Cascade, the Monplaisir Garden and the popular trick fountains, illustrating the love of Peter the Great for practical jokes.

Approximate duration: 4 hours

Peterhof: Gardens and the palace of your choice

If you are willing to spend another hour in Peterhof, you will have an opportunity to see not only the famous fountains, but also one of the palaces located on the grounds.

Approximate duration: 5 hours

Grand Palace

The splendid Grand Palace is one of the three Crown palaces of the Russian royal family, designed for receptions. There you will see the stunning interiors, including the Ballroom, the local Hall of Mirrors, the exquisite Chinoiserie rooms and the Oak Study of Peter the Great.

Monplaisir Palace

While in the Monplaisir Garden you will visit the Monplaisir Palace of Peter the Great, where he actually lived in the summer time. In the palace, overlooking the Gulf of Finland, you will see not only the interiors typical for Russia in the first quarter of the 18th century, but also the personal belongings and collections of Peter the Great.

Royal Bath House and Kitchen

In the Monplaisir Garden you can visit the Royal Bath House and Kitchen, where you will learn about traditional Russian sauna, equally popular among commoners and royalty, and the gastronomic tastes of the Romanovs.

Cottage Palace in Alexandria Park and Roadside Palace of Peter the Great

This tour will take you to the Alexandria complex, located south-west from St.Petersburg on the coast of the Gulf of Finland, on the way to Peterhof. It was a present of Nicholas I to his wife Alexandra, hence the name. The complex is centered round the Cottage Palace, built in the first half of the 19th century in the pseudo-Gothic style. At the turn of the 20th century it was used by Empress Maria, the mother of Nicholas II, the last Russian Emperor, and she had her private rooms decorated in the style of Modernism, fashionable at that period of time. Then you will proceed to the Roadside Palace of Peter the Great, the oldest royal residence in the area, where he lived while Peterhof residence was under construction and where his successors stopped on the way to Peterhof.

Approximate duration: 4.5 hours

Pavlovsk: Paul’s Palace and Park

This tour will take you to the suburban town of Pavlovsk, named after Paul I; palaces and parks of Pavlovsk and its historical centre are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. You will visit the former summer residence of the Russian Emperor Paul I. It was given to Paul by his mother Catherine the Great to reward him for the birth of a grandson, the future tsar Alexander I. You will see the charming Great Palace, designed and decorated by the best Neoclassical architects, featuring not only the reception rooms but also the living quarters of the tsars. You will also have a walk in Pavlovsk Park, the largest landscaped park in Europe with numerous temples, colonnades and bridges.

Approximate duration: 4 hours

Gatchina Palace and Park

This tour will take you outside St.Petersburg to the charming town of Gatchina, developed by the Russian Emperor Paul I as a model town of the Enlightenment Period. Palace and park ensemble of Gatchina and its historical centre are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. You will have a guided tour of Gatchina Castle, built in 1781 by the court architect of Catherine the Great Antonio Rinaldi for her favorite Count Orlov as his hunting residence. In 1796 it became the Imperial summer residence of Paul I, the son of Catherine the Great. Since then it was used by all of his successors, and was especially favored by the father of Nicholas II Alexandre III. The estate is also famous for the palace park with its romantic pavilions such as Venus Pavilion, Eagle Temple, Birchwood Hut and others.

Approximate duration: 5 hours