St. Petersburg, Russia – Catherine’s Palace « Elizabeth & Gary's Magic Bus Tour

About 15 miles south of St. Petersburg is the small town of Pushkin. Here Peter the Great began the building of a summer palace and called the area Tsarskoye Selo, or Czar’s Village. The main attraction of the area is the Catherine Palace (named for Peter’s wife, Catherine I), thought by some to be the most enjoyable palace to tour/visit. This night – we certainly thought that as we were formally welcomed, given a tour of the palace including the breathtaking Amber Room, celebrated the evening with champagne, dancing and music and were then provided an entertaining evening with a scrumptious dinner;-). Truly treated like ‘royal guests’!

Peter & Catherine’s daughter, Elizabeth, expanded the Palace to make Russia’s Versailles.

First, we must see the Royal coaches to pick one to arrive in. The one below would NOT be a good choice as this is the one Czar Alexander II was blown up in on the site of the Church on Spilled Blood;-(

On a cold night this would not be a good choice.

Ahhhh – perhaps this is the one!!

So – off to the front gates to be officially received – –

What pomp and circumstance!!

Now to the really good stuff – like the Amber Room. This jewel box of a room is slathered with six tons of amber mosaic. Originally commissioned by Frederick the Great of Prussia in the early 1700’s, he sent it to his then ally, Peter the Great. First installed in the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg but moved to Tsarkoye Selo in 1755 as ordered by Elizabeth. In 1944, the Nazi army completely dismantled the original Amber Room and shipped the pieces to Germany – never to be seen again. In 1979 Soviet authorities set about recreating the room relying on prior photos. The new room was unveiled in 2003.