It’s almost a year since we were in St Petersburg and I realised recently that I hadn’t blogged about our visit to the Summer Garden there. I hadn’t even heard of this place before we got to St Petersburg, but it is the most famous garden in Rusia apparently. It dates from 1704 when Tsar Peter the Great decided he wanted a garden in the European style and drew the initial plans himself.
I love fountains, we don’t have enough of them in the UK in my opinion, well not anywhere near where I live.
There are plenty to choose from in the Summer Garden, it’s all very classical. But we were there in early May and there wasn’t an awful lot in bloom at that time of the year in St Petersburg.
I’m not sure how the design differs from the original, but in 1777 there was a huge flood here, it’s close to the River Neva and everything was swept away, including the structures and fountains.
This is a beautiful place for those lucky enough to live in St Petersburg to take their exercise and it is well used by the locals. There were more locals in it than tourists which is always nice when you are in a foreign country. Maybe I’m strange but I hate feeling like a tourist! If you happen to be in St Petesrburg sometime, do check out the Summer Garden.
That is a lovely garden and very nice photos you took. I would love to visit there.
tracybham,
We didn’t have long enough there really but I’ve been interested in Russian history since I was a child so I was pinching myself all the time, I could hardly believe I was there!
Katrina,
I’m so glad that when you visited there were at least spring leaves on the trees. Your photos are wonderful, thank you, and how I’d grab at the chance to visit. But, that said, I could take two trips to the UK for the cost of one trip there. (I’ve checked around over the past 3-4 years.) But!! I will search for photos of this garden when it’s in full bloom.
Judith,
Nowadays you can go to Google Street and it almost feels like you are there, you can ‘stand’ right where the Aurora is berthed. It’s great to bring back memories anyway. We went the cheapest way really, on a cruise, I’d never do that again, but that way you don’t have to get a visa and it’s £400 each for a Russian visa apparently, that adds a lot on to any holiday costs.
They are beautiful gardens. It is nice to see what the locals do, where they spend their time, rather than just going to ‘touristy’ places.
Joan,
I so agree, you never get the correct flavour of a place if you stick to tourist areas.