👑 Catherine Palace, St. Petersburg – The Splendor of Imperial Russia

#hellohalloween #october2025 #europe Located about 30 kilometers south of St. Petersburg in the town of Pushkin (Tsarskoye Selo), the Catherine Palace is a dazzling testament to the grandeur of Russia’s imperial past. Originally commissioned in 1717 for Empress Catherine I, the palace was later expanded by Empress Elizabeth and Catherine the Great, each adding their own touch of elegance and opulence. The palace’s sky-blue and white façade, adorned with gilded stucco and ornate sculptures, is breathtaking even from afar. Inside, visitors are transported into an era of unimaginable luxury — from the legendary Amber Room, glowing with golden warmth, to the endless sequence of grand halls, chandeliers, and intricate parquet floors. Used as a summer retreat for the royal family, the Catherine Palace epitomizes the excess and beauty of 18th-century aristocratic life. Every corridor, every gilded doorway, feels like a glimpse into history’s golden age. It’s hard to capture its magnificence in words — truly, the photos tell the story better.