The Fontanka Canal flows from the Neva River to the Gulf of Finland and crosses the central part of St. Petersburg. Its length is 6.7 kilometers (4 miles), and its width reaches up to 70 meters (229 ft.) in some spots.
The canal's name comes from the fact that it served as a water source for the fountains in the Summer Garden. The flood of 1777 destroyed the fountains. However, citizens of the city continued to call the canal Fontanka.
Although quite shallow for big ship navigation nowadays, the Fontanka used to be an important transportation route in the 18th and 19th centuries. Several draw bridges were thrown above it to allow ships with high masts to go through the canal to the Gulf of Finland freely. With the introduction of modern ships, the Fontaka was no longer suitable for big navigation, and the draw mechanisms were removed from the bridges.
There are many remarkable sights situated along the FontankaCanal, including the Summer Garden, the Palace of Peter I, Mikhaylovky Castle, Anichkov Bridge and Palace, Palace of Beloselsky-Belozersky, Derjzavin’s house, and more.
