Ropsha: Palace and Springs

Photo: Aleksandr Adolfovich Otsup (1878–1920), CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

⛲ Water and Fountains

The water for Peterhof's fountains flows from here. Peter III died here.

Ropsha is a place few know about, although without it Peterhof would be left without fountains. It is here, on a hill, that springs gush forth, whose water flows through canals to Peterhof. The name of the village comes from the old Russian 'Khrapsha', which the local Finnish residents reshaped in their own way. Peter set up a small estate here for treatment with mineral water at the Iordan spring. Later the estate became a palace, worked on by Rastrelli, Felten, and Rusca. Here in 1762, under mysterious circumstances, the deposed Emperor Peter III died. Today the palace is abandoned and damaged by fires; restoration has not yet begun. But the landscape park with ponds and cascades, the springs, and the atmosphere itself are worth the trip.

Tip: You cannot enter the palace — it is a dilapidated building. Take a walk through the park and along the ponds to the springs. In spring and after rain it is very muddy — rubber boots are needed.

Coordinates: 59.72320, 29.86030 · 🗺️ Yandex Maps

Walks in Peterhof / Day trips

🌊 Ropsha: where the water for Samson comes from

An abandoned royal estate where Peter III died, and the springs whose water still feeds the fountains of Peterhof. Atmospheric and almost deserted.

3–4 h

📱 Open in the guide app (map, audio, offline)