Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The finest rooms are on the middle floor of the central block. Cameron designed
the round
Italian Hall
beneath the dome and the
Grecian Hall
to its west, though
the lovely green fluted columns were added by his assistant Vincenzo Brenna. Flank-
ing these are two private suites designed mainly by Brenna: Paul's along the north
side of the block and Maria Fyodorovna's on the south. The
Hall of War
of the in-
sane, military-obsessed Paul contrasts with Maria's
Hall of Peace
, decorated with
musical instruments and flowers.
On the middle floor of the south block are Paul's
Throne Room
and the Hall of
the Maltese Knights of St John, of whom he was the Grand Master.
If you decide to skip the palace, you may simply wish to wander around the serene
park grounds
(adult/student R150/80; 9.30am-5pm, until 6pm Sat & Sun)
- and as
you'll have to pay to enter them just to access the palace, it's worth exploring and see-
ing what you come across. Filled with rivers and ponds, tree-lined avenues, classical
statues and hidden temples, it's a delightful place to get lost. Highlights include the
Rose Pavilion
(adult/student R150/80)
and the
Private Garden
(adult/student R100/
50)
, with its beautifully arranged flowerbeds and impressive sculpture of the Three
Graces.
SLEEPING IN PUSHKIN & PAVLOVSK
Selo; r incl breakfast from R3500; )
Located inside the old servants' block at the
Catherine Palace, this small, midrange hotel offers great views on the building's
gilded facade. Rooms are modern and reasonably spacious. Best of all though,
by staying here you can enjoy the grounds at Tsarskoe Selo after the day-trip-
ping crowds have gone home.
