Palace Tour in St. Petersburg: Fairytales Do Exist

     Once upon a time, Jasmine stepped off her palace balcony for a curb-side carpet ride, Cinderella fled from the castle losing her one-size-fits-only-her shoe, and Ariel swam from her castle in the sea to trade her fins for legs and a little silence.  Disney produced these fairytales for our viewing entertainment causing little girls to play princesses and older ones to wonder where their prince charmings are.  Although the magic may be a fairytale, the castles and palaces most certainly are not; as in, people actually lived (live) as extravagantly as these stories tell.  I guess it is a little more overwhelming to someone from the US to find out that palaces, exquisite fountains, golden ballrooms, and royal families actually did (do) exist.  My once upon a dream was made a reality on our palace tour of St. Petersburg, Russia.

Peterhof

     After searching for a great many touring companies, we came across Best Guides, who were able to organize a day just for us and exactly what we wanted to see for a decent price.  We started the day with a ride to the outskirts of St. Petersburg landing at Peterhof Palace, also known as the Russian Versailles; it consists of a series of palaces built by Peter the Great and expanded by his successors.  Like Versailles in France, the grounds are packed full of fountains for beauty and fun.  The main palace is a small one having only 30 rooms, but each has been restored to its original decor (WWII damaged the palace greatly).

At the entrance to Peterhof Palace, the church of the grounds in the background.  Yes, that is real gold plated on those fancy things.

Preparing for the fountains to begin.....again, real gold.

Some of the gardens with some pretty creative designs.  I plan on incorporating this into our terrace next spring.

Sound in my head: Opera singer backed by full orchestra.

Canal empties into the Gulf of Finland.

It only took us 5 tries to get this picture due to the interference of East Asian tour groups, their umbrellas, and own picture taking.

The fountains are completely natural (no pumps), powered by gravity and natural springs (hills sure do make a difference).

Swirls and shooting water.

I'm not sure which is prettier (the fountains or us).  Sheesh PDub, did you pack anything other than the track jacket?

Samson tearing into a lion; special to Peter the Great because he was considered Samson and Sweden the lion (he had just won a war against them).

Fountains with the Grand Palace in the background.

The view guests would see when they arrived from the sea.  Peter the Great would greet them with fireworks to make them feel special and him appear super loaded.

One of the many fountains on the grounds of Peterhof.

Peter's more modest villa and his favorite, Monplaisir.  (Still on the grounds of Peterhof).

Overlooking the Gulf of Finland, from Monplaisir.

One of the trick fountains where getting to the bench without triggering the fountain was the obstacle.  Little do the players know that an "onlooker" is triggering the water flow.

Another trick fountain.  Peter the Great would take his guests down this pathway where they would be surprised (and drenched) with the activation of this fountain.  The individuals here thought they were prepared for it, but the full-blown super-soaker firing squad looked to be a shock.

One of the beautiful fountains.

Checkerboard fountain aka Dragon fountain.

Pavlovsk Palace

     After lunching on some Russian pancakes, which happened to be exactly like French crepes, we headed for the next palace on our list, Pavlovsk Palace or Paul's Palace.  Catherine the Great ordered this palace to be built for her son, Paul, and his second wife, Maria.  Although this one was not as ornate as Peterhof, it was probably my favorite; I could actually picture myself living in it.  Again, WWII drove the palace into ruin; however, it has been completely restored to its original state.  Unlike the well landscaped grounds of Peterhof, Pavlovsk has more natural grounds, something that I also prefer.  I did not take many pictures at this one....

I could not capture the entire palace seeing that it wrapped around in a partial circle, but you get the gist.

Catherine Palace

     Our last stop for the day was the Catherine Palace, built by Catherine I and later revamped by Empress Elizabeth.  Elizabeth was well-known for her need for luxury and excess; she is reported to have owned 15,000 dresses!  Therefore, this palace was truly decked out with 100kg of gold for the exterior and an impressive interior including the well-known Amber Room (walls completely made of amber).  After Empress Elizabeth passed away, the palace was passed on to Catherine the Great, who it is named after; it was her favorite palace.  Again, the palace has been restored since its destruction during WWII.

The golden gates entering into the palace grounds.

Some fun photography of the palace.

More fun.

Catherine Palace.

So pretty...

I think this might be a new addition to the front door of our dream house.

Yes, the Beauty and the Beast ballroom does exist.

PDub wouldn't waltz with me.

The Amber Room with wall panels made of amber.  Restoration of this room alone cost over $12 million.  The original panels were most likely stolen by Germans and never returned during WWII.

The grounds of Catherine Palace.

Catherine Palace from the gardens.

The Hermitage with a dumbwaiter mechanism dining.  The food is elevated to the guests from the floor below.  No waiters necessary.

     I am still in awe as to the lifestyles of the Romanov (royal) family in Russia.  With their extremely lavish ways, I do not blame the peasants for overthrowing them back in the early 1900's sadly falling into communist hands.  I thank Russia for taking the time and money to restore these palaces to their original state; it makes Disney's happily ever after all the more realistic.