Russian Emperor Paul the First was so fascinated by the period of knights and the Middle Ages that he had a real castle built for himself – called BEP (the Bastion of Emperor Paul) — complete with a moat, drawbridges, narrow windows and high towers. Centuries later the historical building, located just outside of St. Petersburg in the suburb of Pavlovsk, has become a design hotel. The castle’s rooms in which the Emperor himself once stayed have become elegant apartments. The hotel has about two dozen rooms, each which is unique in its own way with the décor lending to an atmosphere of the gloomy yet romantic period the Paul loved so much without imitating its style. RTG TV presenter Evgenia Altfeld set off to learn about the artists who helped create this historic design hotel and discovered just why the Emperor insisted there be secret staircases as well as the explanation behind the naming of one room the Maltinskaya Chapel.