Pavlovsk was a gift. In 1777 Catherine the Great gave her son Paul, the future emperor, a stretch of forest and meadow south of Saint Petersburg, and he and his wife Maria Feodorovna turned it into one of the most elegant country residences in Russia. The Scottish architect Charles Cameron designed the palace, a pale yellow building with a shallow dome and a colonnade, and the park, which spreads over some six hundred hectares, was laid out in the English landscape manner, with winding paths, little bridges and pavilions half hidden among the trees. It is among the largest landscape parks in Europe, and walking in it on a quiet morning is a joy.
The town grew up around the estate, and its historical centre is a pleasant mix of wooden villas and old imperial buildings. In 1837 the first railway in Russia connected Tsarskoye Selo to Pavlovsk, and the station became a concert hall, called the Vauxhall after the London pleasure garden, where the young Johann Strauss II conducted summer seasons in the 1850s and 1860s. In the Second World War the palace was gutted during the German occupation, and the restoration took decades. The interiors now glow again with painted ceilings, gilded furniture and the great collection of Paul and Maria's treasures.
The country around is flat, wooded and marshy, laced with rivers and old canals, and the air smells of pine and wet moss. In autumn the park turns copper and gold, and the leaves float down on the ponds. In winter it is a snowy white landscape, and cross-country skiers use the avenues.
Riding here is easy but unexciting: broad, flat roads, a mixed surface and heavy traffic around Pushkin and the city. The park itself is a place for walking. Pavlovsk has fuel and shops, and Pushkin, about five kilometres away, is large, with plenty of cafés. Entry conditions for visitors can change, so check before you go. The best time is September, when the colours are rich, and the summer crowds have gone home.