On the very top of the hill, near the Silver Lake, a monumental building surrounded by a deep moat proudly stands. The Gatchina Imperial Palace was built to imitate a castle — which makes it a unique structure in the suburbs of St. Petersburg. But, despite its likeness to a medieval castle, the palace represents the original work of Russian architecture, for several generations of outstanding architects and decorators worked on its construction.

Built to the design of the Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi, the Gatchina Palace first served for 13 years as a summer residence of Grand Duke Paul, and then, for five years — as Paul I’s favorite imperial summer residence.

Tourists come to Gatchina to admire magnificent interiors of the Palace, to wander around the surrounding landscape park, and peek into the Priory Palace ... But there is one more unique attraction in Gatchina. It is a mysterious underground passage — a 120-meter tunnel stretching from the Palace right to the Silver Lake — the only one of its kind in St. Petersburg's suburban area.