CATHERINE’S PALACE • The palace that houses the world famous Amber Room is rightly called a gem among the summer royal residences scattered around St.Petersburg. Designed at utmost luxury, it nowadays bears «fingerprints» of every russian monarch from 18th to 20th century: it’s been completely re-designed twice, and experienced a couple of dozen minor redecorations. Monumental but lightful, Catherine’s palace demonstrates what Baroque style of mid-18th century was like. Its blue and white facades with sand-color bas-reliefs and golden pilasters make all visitors gasp «Whoa!» when approaching it (we’re not kidding). The interiors are no less spectacular. The sun-drenched Suite of staterooms astounds the imagination with its perspective and the abundance of precious materials. Its focal point, the legendary Amber Room, almost entirely laid up with gold and amber, is often called the 8th wonder of the world.
CATHERINE’S PARK • The logical extension of Catherine’s Palace, this park is able to satisfy the preferences of the most discerning visitors. Within its 200-year history, it absorbed the best of landscape design, which is seen in a stylistic diversity of its numerous pavilions and the layout of the park itself.
LOWER PARK • A splendid fountain park that looks like informal Versailles, created by the order of Emperor Peter I. Decorated with 4 water cascades and around 150 fountains, the park clearly illustrates its founder’s love for the sea… along with his quite specific sense of humor: beware of «tricky» fountains that may entirely wet you! • 102,5 sq km of 18th century gardens, water cascades, fountains, pavilions on the shore of the Gulf of Finland.