Sylvia Park
Photo: Yulyasha, Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
A forest park with a poetic name brought from France.
"Sylvia" means "forest" in Latin. But the name also came from a journey: the future Paul I and his wife visited Chantilly in France in 1782, where a park called "Sylvie" already existed, and they wanted the same. Architect Brenna and garden master Hackett created Gatchina's Sylvia from 1792 to 1800. Today it is a quiet part of the Palace Park, where the rays of alleys diverge from a single point, and there are few strollers even on weekends.
Tip: Find the place where three roads converge — from there you get a good view of the radial layout.
Walks in Peterhof / Day trips
🏰 Gatchina: Orlov's castle and a palace made of earth
The only castle in the suburbs of Petersburg, the earth-built Priory Palace and the radial Sylvia Park.