Overview of the best sights of Crimea

Arriving to rest in the Crimea, it is simply impossible to sit in one place or spend all the time on the beach. If you inspect all the attractions of this peninsula, it will take more than a month. From the article you will learn about the most basic and popular with tourists.

First of all I want to mention Swallow's Nest. A small castle built on a cliff, fascinates with its beauty and as if floating at a height of 40 meters from the ground. Gothic style gives mystery, it seems that there are ghosts living there. The castle was built in 1912, and it seems that several centuries ago.

German oilman Baron von Steingel chose to make it in such a style that this castle would remind him of his native places. In addition to the castle, the garden was also designed. Construction was entrusted to Leonid Sherwood, the famous architect of those times. The castle itself had a height of only 12 meters, it fit a living room, a small hallway and 2 bedrooms in a two-story tower.

In World War I, the owner was forced to urgently sell the castle and leave, after which this magnificent building several times changed its destination and owners. The new owner, the merchant Shelaputin, opened a restaurant here in 1914. And after the 1917 revolution, the castle passed into the possession of the Office of State Farms, a reading room was placed there.

After the earthquake in 1927, the garden and part of the castle collapsed, but the building did not suffer much. Restoration work slightly modified the appearance of the building, but this did not make the castle less attractive. In the early 2000s, a restaurant re-opened in it, and in 2011 the castle became a museum where various exhibitions are held. Later the palace became an object of cultural heritage. This status was assigned to him in 2015.

The very name of the Swallow's Nest was given to the palace by the Moscow merchant dean Rokhmanina, who acquired the building from the widow of AK Tobin. All that is known about him is that he was a doctor of Alexander III. It was a small house like a hut. Rokhmanina ordered to demolish the old building and build a new wooden castle.

Of course, like all castles, this one has its own legend, which locals love to tell tourists. This is an incredibly romantic love story of the god of the sea Poseidon to the beautiful goddess Aurora. Only Aurora did not reciprocate, then Poseidon decided to make a beautiful tiara made of shells and pearls for her as a gift and, quietly crept up to Aurora, put it on her head. To succeed unnoticed, Poseidon asked the wind god Eola to blow the clouds.

At the crucial moment, crept up, Poseidon missed because of the darkness, and the gift fell into the crevice between the rocks. And when the clouds cleared, the ray of the sun hit the place where the tiara fell, it sparkled and turned into a castle.

The image of this palace was decorated with banknotes of several denominations. These were gold and silver coins of Ukraine, Russia, Poland and a hundred-ruble paper bill. In addition, the filmmakers did not disregard the beautiful structure. In addition to the most famous film "Ten Little Indians", filmed in this castle, there were also filming such films as:

• "Mio, my Mio";
• "Travel of Pan Blob";
• "Blue bird";
• Police Story 4, in which Jackie Chan was starring.

To visit the museum, it is necessary to overcome the stairs of 1200 steps, which leads from the road to the castle. Visiting this museum is paid, amounts to around 200 rubles for adults and 100 rubles for children, but you can visit the viewing platform for free, enjoy the view and take great photos for memory.

Livadia Palace is located near Yalta, just 3 kilometers away. The name Livadia in Greek is “lawn”. This palace was the private property of the Romanov dynasty. Emperor Nicholas II, who was looking for a cozy place on the coast of Crimea, so that this mild climate would help his wife recover, ordered to build it on the place of the estate belonging to Prince Polotsky. This involved the architect Monighetti, the construction took more than 5 years.

When in 1866 the snow-white palace was erected, they were enraptured by all who came to visit the Romanovs. So organically it was inscribed in the local landscape and subtropical nature. The building is located in such a way that it is illuminated from all sides by the sun. In addition, the appearance of this residence next door to Yalta gave the city a new impetus to the development of the economy.

The infrastructure and the transformation of the city were improving more and more; by 1890, Yalta was equated to the number of the best resorts in Europe. After the revolution, the palace was ransacked, paintings and art objects were exported in whole collections. In 1925, the government organized the world's first sanatorium for peasants, which lasted until World War II. The Great Patriotic War did not spare Levadia and caused serious damage. In February 1945, the heads of the most majestic powers gather in the palace:

• Winston Churchill (England);
• Franklin Roosevelt (USA);
• Joseph Stalin (Russia).

And this world history event is commemorated as the Yalta or Crimean conference. Then the Livadia Palace became the party dacha, and after 8 years, Stalin gave it to the trade union organizations, and turned the castle into a sanatorium. And in the beginning of the 90s of the last century they made a museum, collecting bits and pieces of what was lost and restoring the old look of the palace. The interior decoration of rooms has a high value.

After the destruction in the Great Patriotic War of the buildings, which have been preserved in their original form, few are left; one of them is the Holy Cross Church. This is a small one-dome building with large arched windows, designed only for the royal family and the immediate environment. Nearby there is a belfry with 6 bells and a column of marble, written in Arabic and Turkish letters.

In addition to the courtyard, the territory surrounding the palace leads to indescribable delight. Here you can not only admire the panoramic views, but also feel yourself as if you were in different countries of the world. This sensation is created by plants brought from all parts of the world. Gardeners tried their best and created beautiful plant ensembles that got acclimatized in this warm climate.

Massandra Palace is located on the territory of the mountain forest reserve in Alupka. The architecture resembles the French Versailles, which is why the palace in common is called a mini-Versailles in the Crimea. The construction of the Massandra Palace ended after the death of Alexander III, and his son Nicholas II stayed there for a short while, only with the aim of rest after the hunt.

No one ever slept in the palace of the august persons, but that in those days, that now the cleanliness of the premises is maintained at a high level, as if still waiting for the sovereign to arrive. In the early 90s of the last century, this palace was turned into a museum where you can see the real things of the royal family of Alexander III, some of which were returned from the Winter Palace.

Vorontsov Palace - one of the most popular attractions of the Crimean peninsula. The palace is located in a picturesque place at the foot of Mount Ai-Petri. It was built 20 years for Count M. S. Vorontsov. The architects F. Borough and T. Harrison started the construction, but after the sudden death of the latter, the English architect E. Blore began designing.

The first was erected dining room, and ended the construction of the library. Simultaneously with the construction of the building, mass work was carried out on the landscaping around. This was done by KA Kebach. Palace Park impresses with its magnificence and variety of plant species. When creating a swan lake, about 20 bags of semiprecious stones were poured to the bottom, so that when the sun was shining, the water would sparkle and iridescent.

Here are the sculptures of lions by the great sculptor of the Italian Giovanni Bonnani. Walking through the territory, you feel like a fairy tale. A multitude of turrets, battlements, high stone walls and the southern facade immerse themselves in the atmosphere of an oriental tale, where a princess surrounded by a retinue is about to leave on the balcony.

The Khan palace known to the whole world is located in Bakhchisarai. Began to build in the XVI century, simultaneously with the city itself. The mosque is the oldest, the date of the beginning of its construction dates back to the distant 1532 year. Bakhchisarai in translation means "palace-garden". The main idea was to create a paradise on earth, with wonderful gardens, shady tall trees, beautiful palaces.

A.S. Pushkin glorified this palace in his poem “The Fountain of Bakhchisarai”, which was dedicated to Khan’s love for his concubine. The story about the fountain of tears is not a fiction. Pushkin was inspired and wrote his masterpiece after he learned the beautiful history of the emergence of the fountain. Then the music for the ballet with the same name was written, and now the Khan's palace in Bakhchisarai is known all over the world.

Chekhov's dacha is a place frequently visited by tourists. In the last years of his life, A. P. Chekhov preferred peace and quiet. Previously this was his favorite vacation spot. The cottage is located in the picturesque bay of Gurzuf, recognized as a monument and a branch of the Yalta Museum of Chekhov. After the death of the writer, his wife O. Knipper, who spent every summer in this secluded and tranquil place, went to the dacha.

Later, the artist bought the house and after some time handed it over to the Art Fund. Chekhov's dacha was restored and preserved as much as possible historical appearance. Now the museum is open and accepts all comers, where you can see the authentic things belonging to the great writer and his wife, including copies of the manuscript of the famous play "Three Sisters". In other halls there are expositions devoted to the play “Three Sisters”:

• costumes;
• theater programs;
• scenery and props;
• pictures with artists;
• letters, archives, sketches, famous and unknown portraits of Chekhov.

In order to take a closer look at the Crimean peninsula, you can make a number of excursions to historical sites. Crimea has always been desirable for the conquerors because of the favorable mild climate. At different times, cultural workers from different countries lived and worked here, each of whom left his mark in the cultural heritage.

Having visited the Genoese fortress in the town of Sudak, you will witness the unfolded tournament battles of the Middle Ages. You can for a fee to change into knightly armor and participate in the battle. In the walls of this fortress you will see a consular castle, a mosque, twelve towers, a temple of the twelve apostles, barracks, warehouses and walls of the fortress, which, curling with serpentine, goes into the rocks.

Sudak city is considered one of the best places to stay. It is located in a bay between two rocks, thanks to which the beaches are protected from wind, weather and waves, and the swimming season in this place is the longest. Instead of the usual sand, on the beaches of the city of Sudak lies quartz sand.

Cave cities are an amazing attraction, since in the Middle Ages, these caves were created manually by people to protect against the raids of ill-wishers and invaders. In the cave cities you can see cave monasteries, temples with painted walls, residential caves. All cave cities are located in the Bakhchsarai district. Of the main can be identified:

• Chufut-Kale;
• Mangup Kale;
• Eski-Kerman;
• Buckle.

Tauric Chersonesos is the name of an ancient city founded in the V century by the Greeks. Archaeological finds were conducted from the XIX century, and to this day, archaeologists find artifacts, confirming that the city in ancient times was a rich center for trade, crafts and culture.

Kerch fortress was built to strengthen the southern boundary of the Russian Empire. Under the terms of the Paris Peace Treaty, Russia was forbidden to have a fleet on the Black Sea, since it was declared a neutral territory. But the construction of the fortress did not contradict the conditions, and in 1856 the construction of the fortress began. Alexander II, who followed the construction, was pleased with the fortification. In Soviet times, this fortress was used as a munitions depot, and after the collapse of the USSR, it was transferred to the possession of the Kerch Historical and Cultural Reserve. The state guards the fortress as a historical monument.

Arriving in the Crimea, you should definitely visit and see the sights and places of military glory. One of these is the famous museum near Kerch, created on the site of the former quarry - Adzhimushkay quarry. The museum is under the ground, but you will not miss it, a large monument to the heroes of World War II will serve as a pointer.

Here, people lived and defended during the war, holding back the German troops, as they could. The conditions were more than inhuman, along with hunger and lack of water, the Hitlerites undermined the mines, made collapses and allowed smoke bombs to smoke people. Of the ten thousand invaders who descended into the quarries, several hundred people survived.

The Assumption Cave Monastery annually attracts crowds of tourists because of its unusual location, it is carved into the rock in the gorge of Mary. It was built here mainly because an icon of the Virgin Mary was found on this site. Every time when the icon was removed from the cave, it eventually came back in some miraculous way.

The monastery survived many fights, miraculously survived after the Turkish raids. In the Crimean War there was a hospital. The remains of soldiers of many epochs, from the Crimea to the Great Patriotic War, are buried on the territory of the monastery. And on the wall on one side of the stairs leading to the monastery, you can see the decorative miniatures of all the shrines with a handful of the land where they are located.

Foros Church was built on a cliff, towering above sea level at 412 meters. This is a Byzantine-style building with a cross-domed layout and rich interior. Murals, mosaics and stained glass decorate the church inside. It was built in memory of the rescue of the royal family during a train wreck in 1888.

St. George's Monastery is located on Cape Fiolent. It was formed, as it is believed, by the ancient Greeks, who during a terrible storm miraculously washed ashore, offering prayers to St. George. After their salvation, they built a cross from the branches, and later a monastery was founded here.

One of the cultural attractions is the art gallery named after Aivazovsky. This great artist became famous during his lifetime, and so far fame has not faded. This gallery is located in the city of Feodosia, where the artist was born. Aivazovsky independently opened an exhibition of his paintings right at home, so it is not surprising that the largest number of paintings are collected here.

In addition to paintings, here you can see the personal belongings of the artist. Tours are organized around the gallery, where interesting facts from the life of the great artist are told in detail.

From modern entertainment you can go to the Bakhchisarai park of miniatures. This is one of three such parks in the Crimea and is the largest. Here are the miniatures of all architectural buildings in the scale of 1: 25. Seventy plastic exhibits with respect to all proportions will impress with their jewelry work.

Adults and children will be interested and fascinating to go to the museum, stylized medieval ship. There you can look at old coins, items found in the sea, personal belongings of sailors. It is also interesting to hear the story of the birth of piracy.

Zoo, located in the city of Yalta, will not leave visitors indifferent. It contains about 120 species of various animals and birds, which can be fed with food purchased at the central entrance to the zoo.

Another favorite tourist destination. It contains more than 800 spectators who want to watch the performance of fur seals, dolphins, white whales and sea lions.

This is a marble cave, striking the imagination with its fabulousness. Visitors feel in her like in the palaces of the dwarves. Huge halls, corridors, stalactites and stone flowers, all this made the cave a very visited attraction of the Crimean peninsula.

There are also attractions for children and adults. This is the only water park in the Crimea overlooking the Crimean Mountains. Many different pools with sea water and extreme slides, cafes and a volleyball court, this is truly a paradise, and everyone will find entertainment to their liking.

Another place visited in Yalta is an upside down house. It is a building of 50 square meters, 2 floors, a garage with a parked car. To examine it completely, 15 minutes will be enough, but on numerous photos it will take much longer. Everyone wants to capture themselves in such an unusual setting.

There is a greenhouse of roses, numbering more than a hundred varieties, tropical butterflies, ancient trees, a lotus pool and many other plants, the variety of which will pleasantly surprise.

The aquarium, located in the city of Alushta, has more than 250 marine inhabitants. It is simply impossible to go past this structure, since by its shape this modern building resembles a futuristic spaceship.

The territory has more than 30 hectares, more than 80 species of fauna representatives are represented here. Here animals are in their natural habitat. It is offered to move around such a large area on electric vehicles, there is also a hotel and a cafe on the territory.

Consider the places that are worth a visit, going on a trip to the Crimean Peninsula. You will see the unique, amazing and unusual beauty of nature, which is breathtaking.

The mountain got its name in honor of St. Peter’s Temple (in Greek Ai-Petri), the ruins of which are still preserved. The mountain is one of the most popular tourist destinations. The longest cable car in Europe leads to the top. From a height of 1346 meters opens a panorama overlooking the coast and the mountain forest reserve of Yalta.

Located in the south-eastern part of the peninsula, near Feodosia. It is famous for its flora and fauna, many of whose members are listed in the Red Book, as well as a volcano that died out 150 million years ago and formed an unusual landscape from streams of frozen lava. The reserve is large enough, and for those who want to carefully consider it, there are hotels in the territory.

You can use the services of a guide, which, in addition to the most popular places, will show unknown paths. In addition, you can visit the reserve not only on land, but also by water. From different cities of the peninsula many boats and motor ships sail here. The view is simply amazing.

Located in the southern part of Crimea, separating Alushta and Yalta. Height is 577 meters. It has a diverse nature and wildlife. Now and then will come across strange plants that you previously did not have to see. Some of them are listed in the Red Book, so you should be respectful to the flora. The mountain is also famous for the ruins of ancient settlements.

Located 7 kilometers from Yalta on one of the trails when climbing Mount Ai-Petri and is the largest waterfall of the peninsula. The height reaches almost 100 meters. Only in the hot summer months there is a chance not to see its beauty, because it dries up due to the heat.

It is considered the most picturesque in the Crimea. Its height is about 15 meters, and stones are showered together with water, so swimming under it will not work. And besides, the water in it is ice, so it is unlikely to want to plunge into it.

This is the name of the mountain, which actually represents a plateau stretching for several kilometers along the Black Sea coast. Translated from the Tatar language means "blacksmith". Located near the city of Alushta. Famous for its huge, stone blocks-pillars.

The rock has its own history. In the Middle Ages, people were executed there, throwing them off a cliff. In the caves of Ak-Kaya, the robbers hid their stolen treasures. Many famous commanders on this mountain took the oath. Archaeologists found here the remains of a mammoth and the sites of ancient people. The appearance of the rock resembles the American Grand Canyon, only white. The height is 100 meters.

Visiting the Crimean peninsula, you can make an impressive list of free natural clinics. Estuaries are salt lakes with healing mud. Visiting such a “youth bath”, you will be satisfied with the smoothness of your skin. This procedure is able to remove cellulite, tighten loose skin, give it elasticity, get rid of skin rashes and allergies, promotes the rapid healing of small wounds. Women will be useful for the treatment of diseases and inflammations of the pelvic organs, and also helps with infertility.

In addition, there are still active mud volcanoes called Jau Tepe. In total there are 7 of them, they are located in the village of Vulkanovka, in the eastern part of the peninsula.Their healing mud is also full of various useful minerals that help to cure many diseases.

It should be warned that in some salt lakes, despite the fact that there is a high concentration of salt, small shrimps live. Their size is only about a centimeter, but when a person is immersed in water, they begin to bite. At first you can not understand and think that the skin is tingling with salt, but keep in mind that some lakes are not "dead."

Without exaggeration, we can say that this is the most picturesque, most fertile and green valley of the peninsula. The period of education is Jurassic. The Baidar Valley is one of the places where corners remain untouched by man.

It received its name from the village of Baidary, which in Turkish means “healer” or “herbalist”. These places are full of healing herbs. Located in the south of the Crimea, the area is about 28 thousand square kilometers. Above sea level is located at an altitude of 200-300 meters. The Black River flows along the valley, and the Chernorechensky Reservoir is a strategic object, which is surrounded by a fence, as it supplies water to many major cities of the Crimea and villages.

The air is considered the cleanest, because there is no harmful waste products. In spring and autumn, the Baidar Valley turns into a solid cascade of waterfalls, and in winter tourists book cottages to celebrate the New Year. It is worth starting in September, otherwise there will be no places left.

If you want to go to the Crimea and at the same time diving with scuba diving, then you have to go to Cape Tarkhankut. Fans of diving, surfing and just a beach holiday will appreciate this place, here, perhaps, the most transparent water on the entire coast. Films such as Amphibian Man and Pirates of the 20th Century were filmed in the Atlesh tract located on the Cape.

Magnificent natural pools, caves, grottoes, tunnel through the length of 98 meters, there is something to see. Lovers are invited to go and jump, not opening their hands, in the "cup of love." If it turns out, then, according to legend, the couple will be happy together until the end of life.

To any of these attractions can be reached by taxi and bus to the addresses specified in the guide. In the Crimea, there are many excursions for every taste, everyone can choose for themselves a whole list of memorable places that they want to visit.

See the sights of Crimea in the next video.