Emperor's Amusement Park

Time travel and experience an imperial holiday in Virolahti

Russia's last Tsar Nicholas II and his family spent their holidays in the Virolahti archipelago in the summers between 1906 and 1914. Virolahti was their holiday paradise, where they spent a total of about a year's worth of days. In 1908 alone, the imperial family spent in Virolahti for almost three months. Here, the imperial family felt safe: there was no need to fear terrorists or anarchists like in Russia. Virolahti was also conveniently close to St Petersburg. The journey took l only five hours by ship.

Nicholas II did not see the need to build himself a villa in Virolahti. Instead, he designed an amusement park with a tennis court, a miniature golf course, a hand-operated carousel and a swing for the emperor's children. Every summer, a pier was built on the beach, where the emperor would come ashore in his motorboat. The amusement park was surrounded by a pendant fence and entered through a stately iron gate. The park was lined with sandy walkways and included a cooking area and a fountain. During the festivities, the park was beautifully decorated. A red carpet was spread from the beach to the party venue.