Summer Palace of Peter the Great (Letniy Dvorets)
Standing where the Fontanka River meets the Neva River in the center of St Petersburg, the Summer Palace of Peter the Great (Letniy Dvorets) offer a nice escape from the busy city. Founded by Peter the Great himself at the start of the 18th century, the garden is modeled after Versailles. Laid out by geometric principles, the romantic garden may be best known for the 79 sculptures lining its avenues, all by 17th and 18th century Italian sculptors.
The Summer Palace sits on the banks of the Neva River and is modest compared to other palaces of the same era. A two-story, Dutch-style building with a yellow exterior, the palace was one of the first stone palaces in St. Petersburg. The interior, with just seven rooms on each floor, has been restored to its original state and now displays a collection of 18th century artifacts, including paintings, furniture, tapestries and glassware belonging to Peter and his wife, Catherine.
Practical Info
The Summer Garden and Summer Palace are best reached on foot or by taking the Metro to Gostiniy Dvor. From Gostiniy Dvor, walk up Sadovaya Ulitsa past St. Michael’s Castle and across the canal to reach one of the two entrances to the garden. Walk north through the garden to reach the palace.
Trip ideas
- Neva River (Reka Neva)
- Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
- State Memorial Museum of Leningrad Defense and Siege
- Mikhailovsky Castle (St. Michael's Castle)
- Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines
- State Russian Museum (Russkiy Muzey)
- Pushkin Museum
- Yusupov Palace (Yusupovsky Dvorets)
- Russian Museum of Ethnography
- Winter Palace of Peter the Great at the Hermitage
- Peter and Paul Fortress (Petropavlovskaya Krepost)
- State Hermitage Museum
- The General Staff Building
- Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan (Kazansky Sobor)
- The State Museum of the Political History of Russia