Visiting the Fountains of Peterhof

From the entrance of the Peterhof estate we have been surprised of the big number of fountains. They are turned on early in the morning and shut down at 18:00 (6:00 PM).

The fountains are one of Russia’s most famous tourist attractions, drawing millions of visitors every year. Fountains were intrinsic to Peter the Great’s original plans for Peterhof – it was the impossibility of engineering sufficiently powerful jets of water that prompted him to move his attentions from the Strelna site to Peterhof – and subsequent generations competed with their predecessors to add grander and ever more ingenious water features to the parkland surrounding the Grand Palace.

The most famous ensemble of fountains, the Grand Cascade, which runs from the northern facade of the Grand Palace to the Marine Canal, comprises 64 different fountains, and over 200 bronze statues, basoreliefs, and other decorations. At the center stands Rastrelli’s spectacular statue of Samson wrestling the jaws of a lion. The vista of the Grand Cascade with the Grand Palace behind it, the first sight to great visitors who arrive in Peterhof by sea, is truly breathtaking. The Grotto behind the Grand Cascade, which was once used for small parties, contains the enormous pipes, originally wooden, that feed the fountains.

Everywhere in the park we can find many fountains, the range and diversity is astounding, from a monumental ensembly like the Chess Cascade and the Pyramid Fountain, to the ever-popular Joke Fountains, including one which sprays unwary passers-by who step on a particular paving stone. The Joke Fountain is not that funny in a cold day.

From an official we found out that the official opening of the fountains, which usually takes place at the end of May, is an all-day festival, with classical music, fireworks and other performances, as each section of the park’s fountains is turned on one by one.

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