The cottage doesn't really resemble a cottage and is also rather tellingly referred to as the Cottage Palace. It was created for Nicholas I's wife, Alexandra Fyodorovna, who found the pomp of court life hard to bear and preferred a simpler lifestyle when staying at Peterhof.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
13.88 MILES
The Hermitage fully lives up to its sterling reputation. You can be absorbed by its treasures for days and still come out wanting more. The enormous…
1.05 MILES
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…
13.91 MILES
The east wing of this magnificent building, wrapping around the south of Dvortsovaya pl and designed by Carlo Rossi in the 1820s, marries restored…
1.38 MILES
One of the greatest attractions outside of St Petersburg is the jaw-dropping collection of gilded fountains, statue-lined lanes and picturesque canals…
13.03 MILES
This spectacular palace on the Moyka River has some of the best 19th-century interiors in the city, in addition to a fascinating and gruesome history. The…
19.51 MILES
The centrepiece of Tsarskoe Selo, created under Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine the Great between 1744 and 1796, is the vast baroque Catherine Palace,…
12.91 MILES
The Mariinsky Theatre has played a pivotal role in Russian ballet ever since it was built in 1859 and remains one of Russia's most loved and respected…
19.7 MILES
Around the Catherine Palace extends the lovely Catherine Park. The main entrance is on Sadovaya ul, next to the Palace Chapel. The park extends around the…
Nearby Around St Petersburg attractions
0.14 MILES
This palace was the summer residence of Alexander II and his family. Alexander spent much of his childhood here, and loved the place, which began as a…
0.26 MILES
This Schinkel–designed 1829 church functioned as the Romanov family's chapel when they were at Peterhof.
0.34 MILES
Even on summer weekends, the rambling and overgrown Park Alexandria is peaceful and practically empty. Built for Tsar Nicholas I (and named for his…
0.81 MILES
In the complex of Monplaisir, this was built over various periods. Although the interior isn't spectacular, it does provide insight into life among the…
5. St Peter and Paul Cathedral
0.84 MILES
An imposing brick church completed in 1905 that stands tall (70m high) in Peterhof town.
0.87 MILES
This humble, sea-facing, wood-panelled villa was always Peter the Great’s favourite retreat and it’s easy to see why. It is snug, elegant and peaceful,…
0.88 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…