165. St. Petersburg Parks #9 - Yusupov Gardens
The Yusupov Gardens are tucked away in the middle of an otherwise heavily built up neighborhood in the city center. The park is located north of the Fontanka River and south of the Griboyedov Canal, but is only accessible from Sadovaya Ulitsa. The gardens were formerly the private park for the Yusupov Palace on the Fontanka, which is confusingly not the same building as the better-known Yusupov Palace (located nearby on the Moyka River). The park has been here since the late 1700s and became a public space in the mid-1800s.
The Yusupov Palace on the Fontanka sits at the south end of the park, straight across from the entrance. It is not open to the public and appears a bit dilapidated - although it's hard to tell in the pictures below, the facade is definitely overdue for a renovation. The east side of the park is dominated by similarly impressive buildings that appear to likewise be closed to tourists or visitors. I can't tell if anything actually goes on inside any of these.
A lake covers most of the park's central area, with paths winding around it and a playground and basketball court at the southwest corner. Surprisingly, this lake was the site for the first world championship competition in figure skating, in 1896. Although the park itself isn't especially large, it forms a nice oasis in the urban landscape. I would not recommend it as a tourist destination, but it's a great stop if you're in the neighborhood or live nearby and want to go for a walk or feed some ducks.
The Yusupov Palace on the Fontanka sits at the south end of the park, straight across from the entrance. It is not open to the public and appears a bit dilapidated - although it's hard to tell in the pictures below, the facade is definitely overdue for a renovation. The east side of the park is dominated by similarly impressive buildings that appear to likewise be closed to tourists or visitors. I can't tell if anything actually goes on inside any of these.
A lake covers most of the park's central area, with paths winding around it and a playground and basketball court at the southwest corner. Surprisingly, this lake was the site for the first world championship competition in figure skating, in 1896. Although the park itself isn't especially large, it forms a nice oasis in the urban landscape. I would not recommend it as a tourist destination, but it's a great stop if you're in the neighborhood or live nearby and want to go for a walk or feed some ducks.
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