Peterhof

Peterhof is the Russian equivalent of France’s Versailles, and in true Russian style it is opulent, sprawling, and over-the-top. It was commissioned by Peter the Great in the 18th century, as so many things in Piter were. He first attempted to build on Strelna’s bogs and marshy grounds, but finally moved his plans farther East, to where they stand now. Located about an hour from St. Petersburg, Peterhof was where Peter the Great, and later his granddaughter Elizabeth, spent their summers. As a point of interest, they spent the rest of the year at the Winter Palace on Nevsky Prospekt, where the Hermitage is now housed.

The grounds are massive, with plenty of beautiful fountains and views of the gulf. It was badly shelled by the Germans during WWII (ironic, given its German name), but was one of the first areas to be rebuilt, and now stands as the most popular day-trip from St. Petersburg. In addition to the fountains and gardens, there are many lovely museums, all of whose queues are huge at the height of summer; we instead chose to wander the grounds and imagine that we lived as the tsars once did. Not a bad life at all.