Saint Petersburg is a city established by Peter the Great and for a time, was the official royal residence of the Russian tsars. As such, among the most popular historical sights here are the former palaces of the Russian rulers.
The Summer Palace in Saint Petersburg – Russia of Emperor Peter the Great is among these tourist hotspots in the city.
Location
The Summer Palace in Saint Petersburg – Russia is located along the embankment of the Fontanka River on the grounds of the Summer Garden.
Getting There
The metro system in Saint Petersburg is very efficient and this is actually one of the most affordable as well as the fastest way to travel around the city.
To reach the Summer Palace in Saint Petersburg – Russia, simply take the metro that goes through Nevsky Prospekt. The metro stop is just a few meters off the palace grounds.
What to See and Do
The Summer Palace in Saint Petersburg – Russia is a two – storey structure that is quite modest in appearance as compared to the other royal residences in the city. It nevertheless provides guests with a glimpse of the celebrated tzar’s past.
The palace is divided into fourteen rooms, seven on the lower floor and seven on the upper floor; plus 2 kitchen areas and 2 inner corridors. The lower floor was where the tzar resided while the upper floor was reserved for his wife, Catherine.
The rooms were made of oak wood panels and most of these rooms are preserved in much the same way as when Peter the Great and Catherine lived here. There are various memorabilia of the tzar himself in his rooms.
Exploring the palace, you can also visit the kitchen, the check out the cloakroom, the room intended for ladies – in – waiting and the bathrooms.
There is also the private study of Peter the Great located on the first floor, whose doors lead to the kitchen on one side and to the tzar’s bedroom on the other side. The Green Study on the second floor is one of the most well – preserved rooms in the palace.
Its interiors are considered as one of the finest examples of French Nouveau interior design style.
Brief History
The Summer Palace in Saint Petersburg – Russia was constructed between the years 1710 and 1713 upon the request of Peter the Great. He instructed the city’s most prominent architect known as Domenico Trezinni to oversee the design and construction of the palace.
The tzar was first inspired to create a garden as beautiful as the parks that he saw in Europe where the garden was landscaped according to the latest trend; and where sculptures and fountains would be placed around the garden for additional aesthetics.
When the garden was completed, he then wanted to have a summer house built on the same grounds.
The Summer Palace had no heating system as it was only intended for use in the summer and the walls are thinner than those of the other palaces in the city. Its exteriors are colored yellow and the design was what then called as “Dutch.”
Cost
Entry fee into the Summer Palace in Saint Petersburg – Russia is about two hundred rubles for adults and seventy rubles for children aged 8 years old and above.
Other Information
The Summer Palace in Saint Petersburg – Russia is open everyday except Tuesdays and the first Monday of each month. Visitors may come from 10 in the morning up to 6 in the evening.
