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IMPERIAL ESTATES & SUBURBS
 

One of the most popular tourists’ destinations are the series of Imperial palaces established to the south and west of Saint-Petersburg during the 18th century. Largely designed by foreign architects and constructed by Russian craftsmen using the empire’s vast natural recourses – gold, marble, malachite, porphyry, lapis lazuli and amber – the ostentatious imperial estates, set in sprawling landscaped grounds, now count as some of the most important surviving cultural monuments in Russia.
 

Peterhof (Petrodvorets)

A series of palaces and gardens, laid out on the orders of Peter the Great, and sometimes called the "Russian Versailles" is situated in Peterhof. The palace-ensemble along with the city center is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. more  information >>>

Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin)
 

Tsarskoye Selo ("Tsar's Village") is a former Russian residence of the imperial family and visiting nobility, located 26 kilometres (16 mi) south from the center of Saint-Petersburg. It is now part of the town of Pushkin and of the World Heritage Site. more  information >>>

Gatchina
 

Gatchina is a city in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located 45 km south of St. Petersburg by the road leading to Pskov. It is part of the World Heritage Site. more  information >>>

Pavlovsk

Pavlovsk is the youngest of the grand Imperial estates around Saint-Petersburg. Named in honour of Tsar Pavel, this fine neo-classical palace and its extensive landscaped gardens are stamped with his taste and even more so with that of his wife, the German-born Maria Feodorovna. more  information >>>

Oranienbaum (Lomonosov)

Oranienbaum is a Russian royal residence, located on the Gulf of Finland west of Saint-Petersburg. The Palace ensemble and the city centre are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. more  information >>>

Vyborg

The first castle of Vyborg was founded during the so-called "Third Swedish Crusade" in 1293 by marshal Torkel Knutsson. The castle was fought over for decades between Sweden and the Republic of Novgorod. more  information >>>

Shlisselburg (Oreshek)

Shlisselburg is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated at the head of the Neva River on Lake Ladoga, 35 kilometers (22 mi) east of Saint-Petersburg.  The fortress and the city center are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. more  information >>>

Strelna
 

Strelna is a historic settlement situated about halfway between Saint-Petersburg and Peterhof, Russia, and overlooking the shore of the Gulf of Finland.Formerly a Swedish chancellor's estate, Strelna was chosen by Peter the Great as a place for his future summer residence in 1714. more  information >>>

Koporje
 

Koporje was mentioned in the Novgorod annals in 1240 for the first time. Germans set the wooden fortress as advanced post here. In 1241 knjaz Alexander Jaroslavovich and his squad arrived here and demolished the fortress and Germans were beaten severely. And it was serves them. It was said: "who come to us with a sword, will be slain with a sword". more  information >>>

Staraya Ladoga

The village used to be a prosperous trading outpost in the 8th and 9th centuries. A multi-ethnic settlement, it was dominated by Scandinavians who were called by the name of Rus and for that reason is sometimes called the first capital of Russia. more  information >>>