Bolshoi Gatchina Palace
Gatchina, Krasnoarmeysky ave., 1 
One of the main symbols of Gatchina is the Grand Palace - in the past the favorite place of rest for the representatives of the imperial family. The country residence, reminiscent of a medieval castle, began to be built in the suburbs of St. Petersburg in 1766, even under Count Orlov
Priory Palace
ul. Chkalova, Gatchina 
Priory castle is one of the most unusual sights of Gatchina. The building located on the Black Sea shore was built in 1799 for the French Prince Conde. The Prior of the Order of Malta asked for help from Emperor Paul I.
Gatchina Pokrovsky Cathedral
ul. Krasnaya, 1, Gatchina 
The largest temple in the Leningrad Region - the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary - was built in Gatchina from 1895 to 1914. The authors of the creation of the Orthodox Church sought to implement the idea of the revival of the original Russian style
Gatchina Palace and Park Ensemble
Dvortsovaya pl., 1, Gatchina 
It's hard to count the number Attractions that can be seen by visiting Gatchina. A large part of the monuments of history and architecture is concentrated in the Palace park of the museum-reserve that appeared on these lands in the 18th century
Venus Pavilion
Dvortsovy Park, Gatchina 
On the island Love in Gatchina is one of the main decorations of a small piece of land. The Venus Pavilion appeared in the Palace Park of Gatchina under Paul I. The Emperor saw the construction of the same name on a trip to France.
The monument of the first Russian submarine
Boulevard Kirasirsky, Gatchina 
One of the landmarks of Gatchina that appeared in the suburbs of St. Petersburg in recent years was a monument dedicated to the first Russian submarine. The grandiose structure was demonstrated by the creator of the submarine Stepan Dzhevetsky to Emperor Alexander III in 1881.
Zverinets Park
Gatchina 
In the northern direction from the Palace Park in Gatchina there is an amazing landscape park "Zverinets", occupying the territory of 340 hectares. The picturesque place began to settle even under Count Orlov - a connoisseur of hunting fun. "Zverinets" was created as a kind of reserve.
Sylvia Park
Palace Park, Gatchina 
Gatchina Park also includes a park with French character - Sylvia. This isolated part of the Palace Park occupies only 17.5 hectares on the territory, if we compare its scale with the area of the landscape ensemble. Sylvia was created in Gatchina with the easy hand of Paul I.
The charm of antiquity in Gatchina, remote from St. Petersburg only 41 km, showed itself in full. One of the most beautiful cities in Russia itself is a historical monument. The palace and park ensembles, magnificent bridges, amazing landscapes with the cleanest lakes are just a small part of the sights worthy of attention of tourists who found themselves in this part of the Leningrad region.
Gatchina in the past had other names: from the time of foundation - in 1796 - the city had "Native" name, from 1923 the settlement became Trotsky in honor of Lev Davidovich Trotsky, and in 1929-1944 he managed to stay in Krasnogvardeysky as well.
There are many versions of the origin of the name Gatchina. It is believed that the city was formed on the site of the village Hotchino, perhaps on its behalf and the name went, because often used to designate a settlement "Gatchina". It is curious that in 1942 German occupants also made changes to the name of the center of the Gatchina district, giving him the name Lindemanstadt. Naturally, this renaming was not taken into account by the Soviet authorities.
The railway in Gatchina appeared in 1853, and in 1881 local streets were electrified - an unprecedented miracle for the Russian Empire. Thanks to the efforts of the architects, Gatchina was recognized as the most comfortable small town in the country in 1900 at an exhibition in France.
Unique nature together with favorable location made Gatchina a favorite place for many Russian rulers .In particular, Pavel I was in love with a nice manor, and then Alexander III . But first in 1765 Catherine II presented the estate in Gatchina to Count Orlov, his favorite . From this very moment, a large-scale improvement of the park complex began, the construction of the Bolshoi Palace, whose architect was Antonio Rinaldi . After the death of Grigory Orlov, Pavel Petrovich became the owner of Gatchina, who appropriated the status of the city to a small village .
Unique nature together with a favorable location made Gatchina a favorite place for m ogih Russian rulers. In particular, the lovely manor was dear to the heart of Paul I, and then of Alexander III.
The famous buildings of Gatchina were badly damaged in the Great Patriotic War. The halls of the Gatchina Palace were opened for visits after restoration only in 1985. And today the guests of the city can enjoy walks in Orlov Grove, Prioratsky, Palace and other parks, admiring the architectural decorations of Gatchina.