Marienthal Park is located in Pavlovsk on the banks of the Slavyanka River. In 1777, the lands 10 kilometers south of Tsarskoye Selo were donated by Empress Catherine II to her son Pavel and his wife Maria Feodorovna. This is how the city of Pavlovsk with its famous palace and park complexes appeared. Marienthal Park is located south of the huge Pavlovsky Park.
In 1778, two wooden manor houses were built on the banks of the Slavyanka River by order of Paul: – Paullust (Paul`s Joy) and Mariental (Maria`s Valley). Paullus was dismantled in 1786 when the construction of the Great Pavlovsk Palace was underway, but the Mariental remained and was even rebuilt and fortified. In 1782, architect Charles Cameron erected a monument in Marienthal Park in honor of the founding of the city of Pavlovsk.
The wooden manor house Marienthal became the center of Marienthal Park when in 1793 a Large Stone Bridge was built on the Slavyanka River, which became a dam. It divided Marienthal Park and Pavlovsky Park into separate zones. Now Sadovaya Street runs along this dam. The riverbed has been deepened and in Marienthal Park it has been turned into a flowing Big Marienthal Pond.
In 1796, Paul became emperor. He issued a decree on the construction of a full-fledged stone fortress on the site of the wooden Marienthal Palace. The project was designed by architect Vincenzo Brenna. The fortress was named the "Bastion of Emperor Paul" or simply BEP. He was often called Pavel`s Big Toy.
The construction was completed in June 1798. The BIP looks like a real fortress with towers and a courtyard. On one of the towers there was a double-headed eagle with a Maltese cross. In those years, Emperor Paul was also the Grand Master of the Order of Malta. The BIP was listed in the register of Russian fortresses until 1811.
During the WWII, the BIP Fortress burned down, but the stone skeleton remained. In the mid-2000s, the BIP fortress was completely restored. Now it houses a fashionable hotel and restaurant.
There are many hiking trails around the BIP Fortress in Marienthal Park. You can walk along the Big Marienthal Pond to the BIP fortress, as well as along the bed of the small Tyzva River. The pavilions of Pavlovsky Park are visible from the shore of Marienthal Pond.
