Parterres - the territory located in the central (Front) part of the Lower Park of the Palace and Park Ensemble "Peterhof" in Peterhof (St. Petersburg).
The parterres, together with the slope (terrace), are a single landscape and architectural ensemble, created on the model of regular French gardens.
This is the most picturesque and visited part of the Lower Park, located at the foot of the Great Peterhof Palace.
In the Front parterre of the park there are fountains, including the grandiose Grand Cascade Fountain and the Samson Fountain, which has become a symbol of Peterhof, as well as the Voronikhinsky colonnades, flower beds and alleys.
It is this exquisite architectural and landscape ensemble that gives solemnity to the central part of the Lower Park, and also welcomes its guests who enter the Lower Park from the Peterhof Palace, making an indelible impression of a mixture of beauty and grandeur and giving a great mood for the whole walk in the park.
Above the parterre part of the park, near the Grand Palace, there is a terrace, which offers three-dimensional panoramic views of the entire parterre ensemble. From the terrace, on the slope, directly to the stalls leads stairs.
Video of the front parterre of the Lower Park of the Grand Palace of Peterhof
Objects of the ground floor area of the Lower Park
Fountains Grand Cascade with grottos, Basket and Samson
These fountains are the compositional center of the Front part of the park and visually represent a single impressive and grandiose architectural and water ensemble of Peterhof. It is also one of the most outstanding buildings in the world.
The Grand Cascade Fountain consists of two massive seven-step staircases running down the slope in front of the palace, connected by arches of a Large Grotto and decorated with sculptures.
On the lower terrace of the Grand Cascade, in front of the entrance to the Large Grotto, there is a fountain "Basket".
The Grottos of the Grand Cascade are now a museum that you can visit for a fee.
The Samson Fountain, located in a bucket at the foot of the Grand Cascade, is a symbol of Peterhof. Learn more about the fountain ensemble with photos, videos, and descriptions…
Terraced fountains
The terraced fountains are located on the slope between the Grand Peterhof Palace and the parterres, on the east and west sides of the Grand Cascade fountain.
According to their location, the fountains were called "Terraced".
The fountains appeared in the park in 1800 and were designed by A. N. Voronikhin.
The Pudost stone, from which the terraced water cannons were originally made, was replaced in the middle of the 19th century by the masters of the Peterhof lapidary factory with white Carrara marble according to the drawings of A. I. Stackenschneider, while preserving the composition and original appearance.
Below the bowls with single-jet fountain water cannons, small four-stage cascades are embedded in the slope, the top of which is completed with a triangular pediment and decorated with a gilded bronze mascaron, from which water flows down the steps. At the foot of the cascades, small thin streams beat.
In total, there are ten Terraced fountains in the park, the water from which flows into the bucket of the fountain Grand Cascade along the gutters laid along the lower retaining granite wall.
View of the Terraced fountains and the Great Peterhof Palace, in which today museums are open and you can visit the restored halls of the palace. Learn more about the palace, halls and museums…
Fountains Bowls
The parterre fountains of the Bowl, of which there are two, are located in the center of the parterre flower beds, one on each side of the Samson Fountain.
The fountains were built at the end of 1722 by the architect N. Michetti. The trial launch of the fountains took place in the presence of Peter the Great, who created the Grand Palace and the adjacent Park.
These are the oldest fountains of Peterhof, which for the power of the jets have a second name - "Big Fountains". And since the work on the hydrotechnical device of the eastern fountain "Bowl" was performed by the Frenchman Paul Sualem, and the western fountain-by the Italians Giovanni and Giuliano Barratini, the eastern fountain is also called "French", and the western fountain - "Italian".
Originally, the bowls and plinths of the fountains were carved out of wood, covered with lead, and painted to resemble marble. But by the middle of the 19th century, they were dilapidated and were replaced by new ones, carved from Carrara marble by the masters of the Peterhof lapidary Factory.
Oriental Fountain Bowl
West Fountain Bowl
Fountains of marble benches "Nymph" and " Danaida»
The fountains of the marble benches "Nymph" and " Danaida "are located in the eastern and western corners of the stalls, near the fountains"Bowls".
Compared to others, these are smaller fountains.
Fountains in the form of semicircular benches made of snow-white Carrara marble with gilded statues above them were created in the 19th century by A. I. Stackenschneider.
The massive elbows of the benches are made in the form of large volutes, turning into powerful lion paws. Behind the smooth backs, enlivened by relief belts of geometric ornamentation, are pools with marble bowls, in which gilded bronze statues are placed:
- above the west bench stands the figure of a Nymph-a river goddess, a copy of an ancient Roman sculpture of the 3rd century BC, stored in the collectionState Hermitage Museum of St. Petersburg;
"above the east bench is a statue of Danaida holding a pitcher - one of the fifty daughters of the Libyan king Danaus, who were condemned to fill a bottomless barrel with water forever for the murder of their husbands. The sculpture "Danaida" is made on the model of I. Vitali, who made a copy of the original marble work of the German sculptor of the 19th century. Rauha.
Voronikhinsky colonnades
The powerful Voronikhinsky colonnades are located in the central northern part of the porters, on both sides of the bucket with the Samson fountain, the water from which flows through the Samson Canal into the Gulf of Finland.
Colonnades close the stalls in front of the Grand Palace and accentuate the entrance to the Sea Channel.
Even under Peter I, galleries with small pavilions made of brick and wood were built on both sides of the canal. In the east gallery was a klokspiel, a musical instrument with crystal bells, powered by water. In the middle of the 18th century, a water organ was created in the western gallery - the "jaeger thing", in which water falling on a water wheel made wooden painted sculptures move (a jaeger blowing a horn, satyrs playing flutes, dogs barking after a deer and twelve songbirds); the sounds were reproduced with the help of bellows.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the already dilapidated galleries were dismantled, and colonnades of granite, brick and Pudost stone were built in their place. Fountains were arranged on the gilded domes of the side pavilions and the roofs of the galleries; at the entrances to the galleries there were figures of lions carved from granite according to the models of I. Prokofiev. The new structures were named "Voronikhinsky Colonnades" after their creator - architect Andrey Nikiforovich Voronikhin.
Half a century later, the colonnades were faced with marble by the architect A. I. Stackenschneider and acquired their current appearance.
Canal and Fountain Alley
In the central part of the parterre leads to the Samson Canal, which originates from the bucket with the Samson fountain and originally served as the main entrance to the territory of the palace complex. Guests arrived in Peterhof by ship, after which they were transferred to boats and light vessels that passed through the channel to the bucket, which then served as a harbor (the Samson fountain under Peter I was not yet there).
Today, an Alley of Fountains runs along part of the canal, with 22 fountains ("Niche" fountains), and the canal itself is crossed by pedestrian bridges.
Practical information
The stalls with the entire ensemble are located in the central part of the Lower Park of the Palace and Park Ensemble "Peterhof", which belongs to the State Museum-Reserve "Peterhof".
The fountains of Peterhof are closed for the winter (they do not work) - from about the middle of October until the 20th of April. The Grand Cascade Grottoes Museum is also closed in winter.
In winter, when the fountains are not working, the entrance to the Lower Park is free (free of charge).
During the summer, the fountains and grotto are open and the entrance to the park is paid. A visit to the grottos of the Grand Cascade is not included in the price of the entrance to the Lower Park - it is paid separately.
Tickets to the park and to the grottoes can be purchased at the ticket offices located directly near the entrances to the park or in advance-online on the official website.
We recommend that you check the working hours of the park and fountains, as well as the conditions of visiting and the cost of tickets, on the official website of the State Museum-Reserve "Peterhof": peterhofmuseum.
You can visit Peterhof with one of the excursions
All the ways to get to Peterhof from St. Petersburg (the airport and the city center) can be found here →
Near the Palace and Park Ensemble "Peterhof" you can stop
The 4-star Novy Peterhof Hotel features a restaurant, bar, parking, tour desk, spa area with indoor pool, gym, steam bath, Finnish cedar sauna and aroma sauna.
The modern-style rooms at the hotel are equipped with a TV with satellite channels, free Wi-Fi, a safe, bathrobes and slippers, a hairdryer and free toiletries. Some rooms have a seating area.
The room rate can include: breakfast, breakfast + dinner or breakfast + lunch + dinner. Link to the hotel
EGO-LOFT Apartment (Holgin Pond) they offer views of the lake and the city.
The apartmentfeatures air conditioning, a balcony, free Wi-Fi, a flat-screen TV, a washing machine, a bedroom, a kitchen with a dishwasher and a microwave, and a bathroom with a hairdryer and free toiletries. Link to the apartment
Severnaya Venezia Apartment с features a balcony with lake views, free Wi-Fi, a children's playground, a garden and a shared lounge.
The apartmentfeatures a bedroom, a flat-screen TV with cable channels, an equipped kitchen with a microwave and a refrigerator, a washing machine, and a bathroom with a shower. Link to the apartment
All accommodation facilities in St. Petersburg, including in the city center and in Peterhof, can be viewed and booked here
