Trip to Alexandria

Not everyone knows about this place. And that makes it special. When guests choose an excursion to Alexandria, I understand that they do not want a parade, but a personal, almost family history. Where Peterhof makes noise with fountains, Alexandria whispers. And it does it -- very beautifully.

We meet at the hotel and head south, where the green line begins over the Gulf of Finland. The road takes about an hour, but the mood is an era. I tell you about Nicholas I, about his love for his wife, Alexandra Fedorovna, about how he wanted a corner for her without loud luxury, but with a soul.

When we enter the park, the air changes. It's easy to breathe here. The silence is almost ringing. And among the greenery, on a small hill, we meet the Cottage Palace. Soft blue, with Gothic arches, with white turrets - it seems to have been accidentally brought here from England. But he is completely Russian in his spirit. Inside the cozy rooms because it is not about the parade, but about life. This is Alexandra Fedorovna's bedroom. Here's Nikolai's office. On the walls - watercolors, on the shelves - books, and outside the windows - the park, which today has not lost its peace. The Cottage is always a little cool, a little quiet, and always very personal.

Alexandria Park is like a palace diary. He doesn't brag - he remembers. The majestic trees, the smell of pine trees, the paths where the children of the emperor walked slowly. And in the middle of the greenery is the Farm Palace. Small, like a toy, with white casings and a veranda where you could serve tea with jam. There is no gold inside, thank goodness. Here are photos on tables, rooms with wallpaper, old chairs with worn armrests. It's real. Everything is alive. And you suddenly begin to feel, not to know, but to feel: this was the private life of the royal family. No parades. Heat.

After the inspection, we take our time. You can take a walk in the park, and I'll show you the Gothic Chapel, over which the wind of old legends blows. You can reach the cliff – look at the bay, at the light that falls on the water as if Nicholas himself painted this landscape with oil. If Peterhof is a scene, then Alexandria is behind the scenes. And it's often more important.

On the way back, we drive in silence. Alexandria is doing exactly that with people - setting things up in a different way. Because these places are not just inspected, they are breathed.

# excursion on my Hyundai Creta car for a group of 1-3 people costs 14000 rubles
Tour by car "minivan" (driver + guide) for a group of 1-6 people costs 25000 rubles
tour by car "microbus" (driver + guide) for a group of 7-12 people costs 32000 rubles
tour by car "microbus" (driver + guide) for a group of 13-16 people costs 38000 rubles
tour for a group of more than 16 people by agreement

Entrance tickets to the park and the palace are paid separately.