Russia - Peterhof 2

The fountains of Peterhof are one of Russia's most famous tourist attractions. 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 added grander and ever more ingenious water features to the parkland surrounding the Grand Summer Palace.The most famous ensemble of fountains, the Grand Cascade, which runs from the northern facade of the Grand Palace to the Marine Canal, comprises 64 different fountains, and over 200 gold plated bronze statues, and other decorations. The hydraulic system of the fountains works without any pump only on gravity. Consequently all the water runs to the sea.
The vista of the Grand Cascade with the Grand Palace behind it, is the first sight to visitors who arrive in Peterhof by sea, and is truly breathtaking. The Grotto behind the Grand Cascade, contains the enormous pipes, originally wooden, that feed the fountains.

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