Petrodvorets

Most European rulers had at least one Versailles, and Peter the Great was no exception. He built a series of palaces on the site now known as Petrodvorets. Fountains play a very large part in its grandeur. Petrodvorets' other charms include the Grand Palace, enlarged for Empress Elizabeth and later remodelled by Catherine.

The Grand Cascade and Water Avenue is a symphony of fountains and canals partly engineered by Peter himself. In the Grand Palace, the pendulous chandeliers and paintings are originals. Peter's original villa, Monplaisir, has bright and airy galleries facing the sea - it's easy to see why it was his favourite place to doss. The gardens are dotted with the ubiquitous fountains, charming pavilions, and summer houses, including the ultimate in private dining rooms, the self-contained and moated Hermitage. The whole complex was heavily bombed by both sides in WWII; what you see today is largely a reconstruction from photographs, drawings and anecdotes.