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St Petersburg 2017 - Part Three - Catherine Palace and Peterhof
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There are two major attractions each about 30 kms from the centre of St Petersburg... the Catherine Palace and Peterhof.

I found the best way to reach those destinations was to catch the Metro to the last or second last station on a Metro Line, and then catch a Marshrutka to the desired location. The Marshrutkas in St Petersburg are minibuses, which supplement the normal public buses.

If you look up the website of your destination, it will give you clear instructions on which Marchrutka and which Metro Line to take.
The Catherine Palace.
A room in the Catherine Palace.
Unfortunately, when the Nazis were finally forced to retreat from the Siege of Leningrad, they destroyed both the Catherine Palace and the buildings at Peterhof.

This is the newly reconstructed Amber Room. There were rumours that the Nazis removed all the original amber panelling and took it back to Germany. Its whereabouts remain a mystery to this day.
I particularly enjoyed strolling through the lovely Park of this Palace.
The lively squirrels were quite tame.
A pavillion in the Park with its own moat.
The Park has a large lake.
This is the Classical Cameron Wing. Catherine the Great apparently preferred living in this wing rather than in the over-the-top Rococo parts of the main Palace.
This in the Peterhof Palace. It is the view from the entrance after alighting from the Marshtruka minibus. The major fountain features are on the other side of the building.
I arrived early in the morning and the maintenance staff were busy at work. The fountains were turned on at 11 AM.
This is the view from the Palace promenade, before the water is turned on.
I mentioned earlier that both Peterhof and the Catherine Palace had been destroyed by the Nazis. This was a photo showing the remains of Peterhof Palace. The reconstruction of these palaces has been amazing.
I explored the extensive gardens of Peterhof while waiting for the fountains to start.
This is the Montplaisir Palace on the shores of the Baltic Sea.
The fountains began gushing at 11 in the morning.
I caught the hydrofoil back to the centre of St Petersburg.
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