In the minds of foreigners and even Russian, Petergof is not disassociated from St. Petersburg. Actually, these are different cities and Petergof is almost 30 km from St. Petersburg. The idea of creating the city by building an incredibly beautiful architectural complex belongs to Peter the Great. He started to bring it to life in 1709. Originally, the city was just the country residence of the first Russian emperor. The road to Oranienbaum and then Kronshtadt through Petergof were built.
When Petrodvorets started to be built up, the first marble workshops appeared here. Later, one of the workshops became a Lapidary Plant and then the Petrodvorets Watch Factory. The plant has long stopped working but its squares have been preserved and rented out to the Raketa Supermarket called after the famous watch brand manufactured here in the Soviet Period.
In 1721, the first cascades were opened in the Lower Park. Seven years later, the Great Palace was built. It should be noted that almost all the palaces of Petergof are designed in the baroque style. Their flawless appearance is the best complement to the English and Alexander Parks. At the beginning of the 19th century, all the copper statues of Petergof were replaced by bronze and gilded ones. Petergof was almost destroyed after the Great Patriotic War and has not been restored completely. The unique complex of fountains and the Upper and Lower Parks have survived to this day. Walking along these wonderful places will impress those who are interested in history and art.
In Petergof, there are a lot of religious attractions. The most beautiful one is the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul. It is located on the bank of Red Pond. This luxurious cathedral was built in the Moscow baroque style. The church started to be built in 1895 and was finished in 1908. It impresses with its imposing height, as it is almost 70 m high. It is built of very beautiful bricks of different colors. The interesting feature of the cathedral is its big upper windows. Today, they have a spectacular panoramic view of the city.
In Petergof, there is a wonderful greenhouse that you can visit at any time of the year. In winter, all the plants are stored in the gallery. Here, from year to year, flower seedlings are set down and then fresh flowers are planted in the adjacent territory. In spring, the traditional Tulip Festivals is regularly held. There is also a popular restaurant in the territory of the greenhouse. It was opened in the first half of the 20th century. In the period of the Great Patriotic War, the building was destroyed. It was restored only in 1960.
As for museums, the Museum of Playing Cards is worth special attention. The core of its exposure is the private collection of A. S. Perelman. When he was a student, he was a big fan of poker. Then, Perelman decided to replace his passion for the game by collecting rare and beautiful playing cards. Nowadays, the museum presents over a thousand rare card decks. It occupied the separate building in 1999.
Another interesting venue is the Museum of Watches that occupies the building of the Petrozavodsk Watch Factory. The factory was opened over 300 years ago. Since its opening, only the best masters have worked here. Nowadays, almost the entire territory of the historic factory, as well as the museum, is open for visitors. The museum houses unique models of watches made of precious metals and decorated with gems.
One of the oldest stone buildings of Petergof constructed in the late 18th century serves as the Museum of Bicycles now. Here, you can see special models of two- and three-wheel bicycles the natives rode in city streets in the 19th-20th centuries.
