Monplaisir
Peter's favourite little house right by the water — like a ship ready to set sail.
Monplaisir means 'my pleasure' in French. It was founded on 17 May 1714 according to Peter's own drawing, right at the edge of the gulf. The tsar wanted the house to resemble his beloved Holland, with the sea visible from the windows, and the palace itself to seem like a ship ready to sail. On a clear day Kronstadt can be seen from here. This was Peter's favourite country house: whenever he came to Peterhof, he always stayed here rather than in the Grand Palace. The tsar last visited in October 1724, a few months before his death. And in 1725 Catherine I held a reception at Monplaisir for the first members of the Academy of Sciences.
Walks in Peterhof / Day trips
⛲ Lower Park from the "back entrance": Marly, the Hermitage Pavilion, Monplaisir
We enter the Lower Park from the quiet western side and walk against the tourist flow: Marly's fish ponds, the dining room with a rising table, Peter's little house and the Samson Fountain.
🥾 All of Peterhof in a day: from west to east
A big hike for those who love walking: from Sobstvennaya Dacha through the entire Lower Park, the Colonist Islands and the cathedral — to the Cottage Palace in Alexandria. Return by bus or taxi.