Swallow's Nest in Crimea: features, history and location

Places that have a romantic history have always attracted thousands of tourists. Swallow's Nest is one of those places. And although it is relatively young compared to other cultural monuments of the Crimea, it was he who had the honor of becoming the calling card of the peninsula.

Swallow's Nest is an attraction that every tourist who comes to relax in the Crimea is obliged to see. After all, a miniature white castle, comfortably located on the very edge of a 40-meter cliff, it is impossible not to appreciate. The castle was built in the Gothic style and is somewhat reminiscent of medieval buildings, popular during the time of chivalry.

On the walls of the castle are located the battlements, lancet windows. The building is crowned with a round-shaped 3-tier turret, at the top of which there are several spiers. As for the inside of the room, you should not expect something supernatural and fascinating, there are almost no decorations. The castle is quite small - only 12 m in height and 20 m in length, but its beauty lies not in size, but in location. If you look at the Swallow's Nest from the sea, it seems as if it is floating in the sky.

The rock on which the castle is located today has been known since antiquity. Few people know that at the bottom of the rock itself is hidden a cave in which, according to the assumptions of historians, primitive people lived. Later, a fortress was built on the rock, which was then replaced by a lighthouse.

At the end of the 19th century, a building was erected on a rock, intended for a Russian general who participated in the Crimean War. To date, the mention, and even the name of the general is not preserved, and with the type of construction can be found only through photographs and paintings of artists.

After some time, the general’s dacha was transferred to a certain Tobin, who held the post of doctor under Alexander III in the Livadia Palace. For a long time to take the building of the doctor did not work, because he soon died. After that, his wife sold the building along with the land on which it was located, Merchant Rachmanina.

The appearance of the building was not impressed by the merchant, and she ordered the complete demolition of the building. It was she who subsequently belonged to the idea of ​​building a castle. When the building was completed, it was called the Swallow's Nest. The castle was built of wood and, if you read the paintings of artists of those times, it becomes clear that it was very similar to its modern counterpart.

The wooden structure did not last too long, because P. L. Steingel noticed it.dealing with the oil industry. This man was keenly interested in medieval buildings and had long dreamed of realizing his dreams by building a beautiful Gothic ensemble. The engineer Leonid Sherwood helped him in this, who enthusiastically took up the project to become a reality.

In 1912, the old wooden building was destroyed, and in a fairly short time, its place was taken by a light and elegant white castle. Its size was no different from modern. In addition, the estate was surrounded by a small garden. In 1914, with the beginning of the First World War, the owner of the castle decided to sell it and go to Germany.A merchant Shelaputin bought the castle, and some time later opened a restaurant there. The idea at that time was not too successful, the restaurant did not bring profit, and therefore quickly fell into disrepair.

In 1920, Soviet power was established in the Crimea, and the Swallow's Nest was finally noticed. A dining room was organized here, but it also did not exist for a long time due to the 1927 earthquake. The rock under the castle cracked, and because of this, the garden, which was laid out near the estate, collapsed into the depths of the sea. The observation deck sagged dangerously, but the building did not receive any special damage.

Restoration of the castle began only after 1960, it was then that the castle was well fortified. The next reconstruction took place in 2002, and the castle reopened its doors for tourists. Inside there was a restaurant, and outside it was possible to walk around the souvenir market.

Since 2011, the palace regularly hosts tours, exhibitions are constantly held. Despite this, the palace constantly requires reconstruction, as it is in a rather dangerous area. The fact that the rock under the castle is regularly strengthened leads to the fact that it is getting fatter, and from time to time it can be chipped.

If you carefully examine the map of the Crimea, we will see that the castle "Swallow's Nest" is located in the resort town of Gaspra. Located Gaspra on the southern coast of the Crimean Peninsula, 12 km west of the city of Yalta.

The castle is located near the palace Haraks, on top of the Avorinoy cliff of Cape Ai-Todor, which is 40 meters high. The exact address of the sights is Gaspra, Alupkinskoye Highway 9A. If you do not plan to enter the castle itself, you can also view it from the sea, arriving at one of the pleasure boats from the top down to the cliff. From the road you will have to go 1200 steps. And although this tour may seem burdensome to many, stunning views of the bay of Yalta and Ayu-Dag will be simply impossible to forget.

The path to the "Swallow Nest" is not particularly difficult, and you can choose different means of transportation.

• A machine. If you plan to drive your own car, move along the Yalta-Sevastopol highway before turning to the village of Gaspra. As soon as you see the souvenir shops, you can start searching for parking. Parking prices are approximately 100-300 rubles per hour, it all depends on how close you are to the castle.

• Bus. A cheaper option is public transportation. There are quite a lot of buses going to Gaspra, you can take those that run in the direction of Alupka or Simeiz. These may be routes 115, 102, 132. The stop, which will need to get out, is called “Swallow Nest”.

• Cater. To get to the castle is quite possible by sea, many consider it the best option in the heat. The first destination is the Marine Station in Yalta. From it every half an hour ships depart, which quickly take you to the desired location. Each walk is accompanied by a guide who tells about all the sights, past which the ship goes. The last flights are 6:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Please note that during these two flights there is no landing of passengers, so if you want to go up to the castle, go early. But also, of course, you can rent private yachts and boats, but the cost of tickets will increase.

Before talking about the interior of a romantic castle, it’s worth a little to talk about what is around it. As already noted, to come directly to the Swallow's Nest, you will need to overcome about 1200 steps. However, judging by the reviews, the hike is not particularly difficult.In addition, many tourists claim that they thought the steps were much smaller. While you climb, be sure to find the observation deck, from which you can once again look at the beautiful castle. And along the way there will be a Garden of Living Butterflies, where you can take a break and watch, and also buy yourself a butterfly.

On the approach to the castle you will see a lot of souvenir shops, as well as a cafe where you can buy ice cream, kvass, lemonade, and, of course, order dishes on the grill or barbecue. There is another observation deck near the Swallow's Nest itself., which offers stunning views of the sea bays, as well as the mountain Ayu-Dag.

As for the castle itself, no one will be able to ban it from the inside. Nevertheless, hopes to see the ancient interiors should not be fed here - they simply did not survive. Recall the history of the castle: literally every decade, he moved to a new owner, who sought to make it unique. Shteingel realized his dream of a Gothic construction, but did not manage to furnish anything inside, I had to leave. Before the revolution, one of the owners arranged everything in the old Russian direction, which has nothing to do with the Gothic.

Of course, with such an authentic approach, nothing could be preserved. Now inside the castle is a cultural and exhibition center, designed to attract visitors to the walls of the "Swallow's Nest." Every two months the exposure is updated. Tourists are offered to look at interesting ancient artifacts, canvases by famous artists, vintage photos and postcards. And here you can listen to the history of the Crimea and the famous romantic legend of Poseidon and Aurora. Coming out of the castle, do not forget about another local tradition - the Tree of Desires. It is located next to the castle, and each vacationer can attach a ribbon to it, which will symbolize the speedy fulfillment of the desire.

Entrance to the castle is free, any tourist has the right to enter and explore the external territory, visiting the observation platforms also does not require payment. If you want to listen to the guide, who will tell about the history and attractions of the castle, and will hold on the inner chambers of the palace, it will cost a small amount. And also you will have the opportunity to see the exhibitions that take place during your visit. The price for the inspection of two rooms - 250 rubles for an adult, and 125 - for a child.

As for the opening hours of the castle museum, everything depends on the time of year. From November to May, the castle is open to the public, but closes quite early - at 16.00. Planning a trip on Monday should not be, on this day, "Swallow's Nest" is not working. But from May to October there is no weekend in the work of the palace - anyone can visit it from 10.00 to 19.00. In addition, if you are going to visit the castle, it is possible to know in advance what kind of exhibitions there will be.

A huge number of impressions from visiting the castle and its surroundings can arouse a good appetite. You should not worry about this, since there are several cafes and restaurants near the castle. The closest to the palace is the cafe "Maria", more precisely, it is located right on its territory. The cafe has open and closed areas, as well as a terrace from which you can admire views of the sea. The cuisine here is varied: homemade, Mediterranean and other. You can order dishes on the grill.

The next cafe is located 400 meters from the castle and is called “Yacht”. There is a summer terrace, which also offers wonderful views of the castle and its surroundings. The cuisine here is Mediterranean and Eastern European, the main focus is on fish and seafood. Prices are about the same as in the "Mary", but there are discounts for regular customers and tourist groups.

At the same distance from the palace is the popular restaurant "Elena". Here, vacationers can not only enjoy the beautiful scenery, but also try several types of cuisines. Especially delicious seafood snacks, as well as exclusive dishes of young lamb. The restaurant offers visitors a rich wine list, as well as live music and an original children's menu with surprises.

A little further from the castle, at a distance of 500 meters or more, there are cafes and restaurants such as Erpan, Knyazha Kuszha, and Little Farm.

If you decide to come to the Swallow's Nest Castle, you can also think about staying in Gaspra for the whole day. There are several hotels near the castle, but keep in mind that daily living in them will cost no less than 6 thousand rubles. However, these hotels provide a full range of services for a good rest: Wi-Fi, private beaches, food, swimming pools, accommodation, sports halls, various medical procedures. The closest hotels to the palace are the sanatorium Zhemchuzhina, Kichkine, SPA-hotel Livadiysky.

A more budget solution will be to use the services of guest houses or boarding houses, here accommodation will be on average 2,000 rubles per person. The most popular places: guest house Tavr, pension "Malachite", hotel "Musson".

In addition, not far from the castle is located a hostel where you can pay about 500 rubles for accommodation. But it is also always possible to rent a flat for a day at one of the private owners.

Such a structure as the Swallow's Nest, of course, could not but be reflected in the folk culture and art. For example, this aerial construction featured in several famous films. Among them, "Ten Little Indians", "Academy" and "Journey of Pan Blots", "Blue Bird" and many others.

The Swallow's Nest is very popular in numismatics. In 2008, Ukraine was issued coins with the image of the castle, gold - 50 hryvnia, silver - 10. The gold coin circulation was 4,000 copies, silver - 5,000. In 2012, an interesting coin was issued in Poland - the coin was made of silver and had form of the Crimean peninsula.

In 2014, Russia also issued a coin in denominations of 10 rubles, which has a circulation of 10 million. And in 2016, the soaring castle decorated the new 100-ruble bills.

Deciding to visit the castle "Swallow's Nest", you will never leave disappointed. The complex history of occurrence and numerous reconstructions allowed the castle to be as it is today, and no one knows how much longer it is given to please mankind. Not without reason “Swallow's Nest” was included in the “7 wonders of the Crimea”, because after seeing this airy, white and romantic palace, you will definitely want to get here again.

For the Swallow Nest, see the video below.