The Fontanka River got its name because the water from this river was used for the fountains of the Summer Garden. In the first half of the XVIII century, the Fontanka essentially limited the borders of St. Petersburg from the south.


The river originates from the Neva near the Summer Garden and flows into the Bolshaya Neva near Gutuevsky Island. The architectural appearance of the Fontanka embankment and nearby areas took shape over many years.


The first building to appear on the Fontanka embankment was the Summer Palace of Peter I. At the end of the XVIII century, the embankment was covered in granite, decorated with slopes and approaches to the river. At first, the area near the Fontanka was mainly built up with houses like country estates, often with their own piers by the river. Later, the construction of monumental architectural buildings began here.


On the Fontanka River embankment, you can see many real architectural masterpieces, historical buildings and monuments. It amazes with the diversity of its buildings: there are magnificent palaces, elegant mansions, and old apartment buildings.