Kotlin island carries so many forts that the usual way to describe it is as a single stone ship moored in the middle of the gulf. The whole island is fortified, and you can see the evidence from the water, from the road and from the air: low batteries, round towers, harbour walls and the great forts built on artificial islands in the shallows. Many carry the names of tsars and grand dukes, and some, like the fort known as Alexander I, have a more sinister reputation, since it was used as a research station for plague bacteria in the early twentieth century and is still called the Plague Fort.
The stretch labelled here lies a couple of kilometres from the centre of Kronstadt, and the name refers to a dacha, a country house, that once belonged to a member of the nobility. These dachas appeared along the island's edge in the nineteenth century, when the defences were already old and Kronstadt had become a place for naval officers to live with their families. Some of the old wooden houses survive, with carved window frames and steep roofs, and they give the area a different mood from the grim, grey forts.
The defences were built for a reason: Russia's capital was only a day's sail from the open sea, and the shallow gulf made the channel past Kotlin the only deep route. A fleet that wanted to attack Saint Petersburg had to pass under these guns. The forts worked, and no enemy fleet ever got through.
The roads on Kotlin are flat, mostly straight, and quiet outside the town. Surfaces are patchy, wind off the water can be strong, and in winter the ice and snow make riding impractical. Between May and September the long evenings give a lot of time for exploring, and sunsets over the gulf are spectacular.
Kronstadt, two and a half kilometres away, has fuel, cafés and shops. Take warm clothing, as the wind from the water is cool even in summer. Some forts are accessible by boat tours in the warmer months, while others are closed or hazardous, so check what is possible before setting out.