The Romanov rulers also had their pick of royal residences to live in. In addition to the previously mentioned Peterhof Palace, the magnificent Winter Palace in Saint Peterburg was built and altered continuously between the 1730s and 1837, after a fire damaged Peter the Great's original design. The Hermitage Museum is now housed in the majestic three-story abode, which has 1,786 doors, 1,945 windows, and 1,057 rooms. Nicholas II, however, preferred the privacy and seclusion of the Alexander Palace, located south of Saint Peterburg. The grand building, which overlooks beautiful gardens, was commissioned during the reign of Catherine the Great.
Pictured: the jaw-dropping interior of the Winter Palace.