Thursday, October 3, 2013

Peterhof- Peter the Great's summer palace

Yesterday we went to Peterhof. It was the summer palace of Peter the Great, and it has probably one of the most beautiful parks in the world.
On the way, we passed the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul....

And a beautiful lake.

One of the smaller fountains. The statue in the middle is of Neptune, the Roman god of the seas. Neptune was Peter the Great's 'god of choice', representing his desire to conquer the seas.
The outside of the chapel adjoining the palace.

The main fountain in the lower gardens, and the canal leading to the ocean.

More in the lower gardens.

The main fountain up close. The gold statue in the middle is Samson, from the bible.

The palace, from a bridge spanning the canal

Adam's fountain. The gardens are completely symmetrical, so naturally Eve's fountain is on the other side.

A sign warning visitors to beware of pickpockets....

The Finnish Gulf

The Sun Fountain

The Sun Fountain... again

Another amazing fountain. The best time to visit Peterhof is in the summer or early fall, when the fountains are still working. In the winter they shut off the water (for obvious reasons) and box up the statues.

1 comment:

  1. Amazing! Such a beautiful part of the world! Love the sign about the pick pockets!

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