Grand Cascade

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Peterhof's uncontested centrepiece is the Grand Cascade, a symphony of over 140 fountains and canals partly engineered by Peter himself. To see the fountains you have to pay to enter the Lower Park, and they only work from mid-May to early October, but at any time of the year the gilded ensemble still looks marvellous.

The central statue of Samson tearing open a lion's jaws celebrates – as so many things in St Petersburg do – Peter's victory over the Swedes. If you're interested in knowing how the fountains work, pay a visit to the Grotto beneath the Grand Cascade, where there are also some trick fountains.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Special Treasury

0.07 MILES

This small museum within the main palace is a repository for the personal effects of the Romanovs from Peter the Great onwards. On display you'll see…

2. Grand Palace

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The Grand Palace is an imposing building, although with just 30-something rooms, it is not nearly as large as your typical tsarist palace. From the start…

3. Orangery

0.17 MILES

A former greenhouse that today houses a simple restaurant.

4. Water Avenue

0.21 MILES

Criss-crossed by bridges and bedecked by smaller sprays, the Water Avenue is a canal leading from the hydrofoil dock to the palace. It culminates in the…

5. Upper Garden

0.24 MILES

The Upper Garden is the charming formal garden that leads to the Grand Palace's southern front.

6. Lower Park

0.32 MILES

One of the greatest attractions outside of St Petersburg is the jaw-dropping collection of gilded fountains, statue-lined lanes and picturesque canals…

7. Catherine Building

0.32 MILES

Built by Rastrelli between 1747 and 1755, this building was where Catherine the Great was living when her husband Peter III was overthrown, paving the way…

8. Hermitage

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Along the shore to the west, the 1725 Hermitage is a two-storey yellow-and-white box featuring the ultimate in private dining: special elevators hoist a…

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