Cycling through Meadow Park in Peterhof

I started my bike ride from the railway station in Peterhof. Peterhof is administratively within the city boundaries, but the boundaries are drawn in this way only for the convenience of organising economic activities, in fact Peterhof is a small satellite town surrounded by gardens and parks. The Peterhof railway station was built by architect Nikolai Benois in the middle of the XIX century. This branch of the railway was very short at that time, and this railway station was the terminus. Nevertheless, the architect thoughtfully built huge arches into the station building. Through these arches now pass trains travelling from Peterhof further west, towards Oranienbaum.

From the railway station I headed towards Meadow Park. I rode about 2 kilometres through the city streets and turned into the park. Meadow Park is very popular among cyclists. The park was formed around several lakes and canals that carry water to fountains. The alleys in the park are laid along the banks of the canals and lakes, and cycling turns out to be a very pleasant experience. The distances in this park may seem too long for walking, but they are great for a bicycle. I often met other cyclists during my walk.

The system of canals that carry water to the fountains starts on the Ropsha Hill, the water flows down from the hill for about 25 kilometres. For proper water supply a complex hydraulic system was created, it consists of parallel canals, dams and reservoirs. Natural lakes and rivers were used in the construction of this hydro-technical system, and sometimes it is difficult to guess whether this or that lake is a natural object or was created during the construction of the hydro system. Everything together - lakes, meadows, alleys, small areas of deciduous forest - looks like a whole, and now it is a beautiful park.

Meadow Park in Peterhof is a landscape park, there are very few architectural sights here. In the centre of the park there are ruins of a garden pavilion, and a little further away there is a miller's house and a gatehouse. Both houses are wooden and have recently been restored. Beyond the park boundary, on the far high bank of the Babigon pond, stands the Belvedere Palace, built in the antique style. You can see this palace in the photo, but you have to look very closely - it is too far away (this is the fifth photo). There are no other garden pavilions and buildings in this park, but the nature of this park is very beautiful.