Catherine park in Tsarskoe Selo

 The so-called regular park is front of the Catherine Palace. There are a lot of various pavilions, ponds and precisely arranged paths. You can see there the beautiful Cameron Gallery and “Grotto” Pavilion on the bank of the Great Pond. Cameron Gallery named after its architect is the enlarged replica of the Erechtheum at the Athens Acropolis.

If you go along the Great Pond you will see the Chesma Column (you can get to it in a small ferryboat), Palladian Bridge and the Mosque. Then the path goes in the deep of the park, to the oak alley. Huge oaks are on both sides of the alley, which are especially beautiful in autumn.

If you turn to the left from the alley, you will go to the Chinese Village where nice Chinese pavilions were built under Catherine II. Then, having left the park, you should approach the Catherine Palace from the other side. And from there, through the Golden Gate, you can see how big and beautiful the palace is.

Alexander Park Entrance is opposite the Golden Gate. At the park Catherine II built a pa-lace for her favorite grandson Alexander – the Alexander Palace. It was built in style of strict Classicism. In 1905, after the rebellion at Petersburg, Nicolas II and his family left the city and lived just at this palace until 1917.

It will be quite possible for you to visit the Catherine Palace and Alexander Palace, as well as surrounding parks, and make a trip to Pavlovsk for a day; only you should start off from Petersburg as early as possible (no later than at 8 in the morning). You can take a minibus to Pavlovsk not far from the Catherine Palace.