Peterhos is the famous city-residence of the Russian tsars, located 28 km from St. Petersburg. Conceived of by Peter the Great: the ensemble includes Grand Peterhof Palace (open all year), the Grande Cascade, and the Upper and Lower Parks (open from May to October). All together, this creates a uniform landscape completely atypical for Russia.
Opening a Window to Europe, Peter the Great created one of the few truly "European" ensembles in terms of layout.
In summer, it is especially convenient to get to Peterhof not by car but by water - on a speed boat (hydrofoil) directly from St. Petersburg centre.