Luxuriant are the interiors of the Great Palace. You'll see less pompous but more elegant interiors with moldings to the stories of the Greek mythology, precious silk upholsteries, porcelain vases, beautifully decorated fireplaces, and much more. In the dining rooms on the tables which are laid to the fashion of those times you'll see famous services and tableware produced by Wedgwood and other renowned masters.
The fountains of Peterhof are one of Russia's most famous tourist attractions, drawing millions of visitors every year. Fountains were intrinsic to Peter the Great's original plans for Peterhof - it was the impossibility of engineering sufficiently powerful jets of water that prompted him to move his attentions from the Strelna site to Peterhof - and subsequent generations competed with their predecessors to add grander and ever more ingenious water features to the parkland surrounding the Grand Palace.
The Great Cascade consists of several fountains. The central and the most luxuriant one is "Samson, tearing apart the jaws of the lion". The whole composition of the fountain complex is devoted to the victory over Sweden. Samson symbolizes Russia defeating Sweden - the lion. The Great Cascade is decorated with gilded statues of ancient Greek and Roman gods and heroes, which all are allegories of different events of the Northern War. When the sun is shining, visitors are astonished at the site of the Great Cascade with its gilded figures glistening in the sun, springs of sparkling water and the whole glamour that is felt in everything. This you will not be able to find anywhere in the world, not even in Versailles. Probably the best way to visit Peterhof is to take a hydrofoil across the Gulf of Finland to the jetty at the end of the Marine Canal.
In 1990, the architecture and park ensemble "Peterhof" was included in the world's list of intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO, and was recognized in 2008, as one of the seven wonders of Russia.
Open: Daily (except Mondays), 9 am to 8 pm. Last admission at 7:30 pm. Fountains operate from 10 am to 6 pm (Saturday and Sunday till 7 pm).