Livadia in Crimea: history, sights, travel and accommodation

As you can see on the map, in the southern part of the Crimea, near the city of Yalta, there is the famous resort village of Livadia. Clean air, beautiful scenery, warm sea and comfortable beaches - all this awaits vacationers. Tourists probably will not remain disappointed with the trip and bring home a lot of positive emotions and the most cheerful memories of their holidays.

The history of Livadia dates back to the Bronze Age - it was then that the very first settlements appeared here. Many centuries later, the settlement was chosen by the Greeks, and their descendants during the reign of Catherine the Second protected the southern borders of their new homeland. The Greek battalion commander Lambros Kaconis bought a small piece of land and named him Livadia in honor of his native Greek city.

In the 30s. The Polish Count Pototsky bought the land of the XIX century - by that time the Crimea had already gained wide popularity among the Russian aristocracy as a popular holiday destination. Livadia began to be actively settled by Russians - by the 50s. In the 19th century, about 30 courtyards settled there, and the village itself was chosen by the royal family.

Over the years of its existence, Livadia has changed many owners, at the moment it belongs to Russiabut the fame of the resort extends far beyond its borders, and not only as one of the best resorts in the world, but also as a historical place where the fate of the whole post-war Europe was made.

Even in the imperial times Livadia was developed as a medical and health resort, therefore, in our time a large number of sanatoriums, hospitals and boarding houses have been built here. The infrastructure of the area is replete with shopping complexes, cafes, markets, first-aid posts, pharmacies and, of course, beaches. There are always rental bicycles and scooters, where everyone can take a fascinating walk through the picturesque surroundings.

Beaches in Livadia differ from Yalta, and for the better: due to the small number of tourists, they are not overcrowded and always well-kept, and the water remains clean. Sun loungers as well as umbrellas are provided for guests, shower cabins and dressing areas are equipped. On the beach lifeguards work around the clock.

Nature in Livadia is picturesque - the resort is located on the sea coast near the forest, and in the village itself, built on the mountainside, it is always warm and sunny. The main "highlight" of the town is that due to the proximity of the sea and the mountains, a unique microclimate is created - the warm sea warms the land in winter, cools down a hot breeze on a hot summer day, and high mountains reliably protect the village from dank winds.

The weather here is warm - in winter the temperature varies from +21 to +24 degreesYou can swim from mid-May until the last decade of October, even in the winter months the water temperature is not lower than +5 degrees, so you can relax here year-round, but the main tourist flow falls on the velvet season.

At one time, Count Pototsky put a lot of effort into achieving the prosperity of his estate; his park was made of marvelous beauty, decorated with fountains and made of marble. The “Nymph” fountain was especially popular among visitors.which was a real ancient sarcophagus, cunningly exported from Italy.

Of particular interest is the Imperial Cottage. When Emperor Alexander II became the owner of Livadia, on his instructions, the county estate, through the efforts of the architect Monighetti, became the royal residence - by the end of 1866 an architectural ensemble was erected here, including about 70 buildings. The Big and Small palaces were considered the most beautiful of them. The estate of the Russian Tsar was an unusual mixture of Russian national and Mediterranean traditions. In this place, through the efforts of Alexander II, one of the world's largest collections of paintings and a rich library were assembled.

By the end of the 19th century, the Great Livadia Palace decayed, and it was decided to demolish it and build a new castle on this site. So, at the beginning of the XX century. a unique sample of Russian architecture from white Inkerman stone has appeared, which has reached us unchanged. The architect N. Krasnov was guided by the principle of mixing the classical style with the modernist style that was gaining popularity - the palace looks like a palace of the Renaissance, but inside everything corresponds to the demands of modern times.

You can dive into the Renaissance epoch by passing into the inner Italian courtyard surrounded by Tuscan columns, you can enjoy the oriental flavor in the Arabian courtyard, which, in fact, is a light well.

The local church creates a special atmosphere - it was in it that the family members of several Russian emperors prayed. The church was built in accordance with the Byzantine canons of temple architecture and supplemented with several features of Georgian religious buildings. Today the church is called the Holy Cross Church and delights all visitors with the elegance of its forms. First of all, the white marble iconostasis and the blue vault dotted with golden stars caused special delight of visitors. Unfortunately, after the revolution, most of the values ​​were lost, and the iconostasis was destroyed - today its analogue is erected from wood, which imitates stone carving in its texture.

The authors of the palace and park ensemble tried as harmoniously as possible to fit all the buildings into the surrounding space. In total, Livadia Park covers about 50 hectares, and throughout the entire territory the natural landscape is adjacent to the park-made art. The vegetation here is represented by traditional Crimean plants and supplemented with bushes and trees that are completely unusual for these places - every vacationer can see huge redwoods, rare pine species, Lebanese cedars and even exotic roses.

Behind one of the palace buildings begins the Tsar Path, which, after 5.7 km, connects Livadia with the Gasprinsky mansionwho were famous for the fact that Leo Tolstoy often visited here - in memory of him one of the places on the path got the name “Yasnaya Polyana”. During the times after the collapse of the USSR, the trail became neglected, but in recent years every possible effort has been made to reconstruct it.

In the halls of the palace complex is now a museum, the exposure of which represent the main milestones of the history of the complex.So, one of them is associated with the Yalta Conference, and the other represents canvases dedicated to the history of the Romanovs.

If vacationers get to the Crimea by plane, from the airport you can always get to Livadia in several ways:

• bus No27 - this flight starts from the airport itself;
• intercity bus;
• trolleybus moving along the route Simferopol - Yalta.

All of these buses go regularly, so catch them will not be any difficulty. If a tourist has a large luggage with him, then it is preferable to take a taxi, which quickly and comfortably takes you to your destination.

It is very convenient to get to Livadia from Yalta - the distance between these settlements is only 3 km.By the way, the road will pass through the huge vineyards of one of the most famous wineries of the Crimea, this is where the famous wines Cahors, port and nutmets are produced. If you wish, you can get to Livadia by water - a boat arrives ashore every three hours, which takes tourists to the resort town.

The village of Livadia is quite small, but despite this, it accommodates significant tourist flows. There are a lot of establishments where people settle in. These are motels, hotels, hotels, guest houses, recreation centers with a private beach, as well as the private sector, where you can always rent a house for a family of vacationers.

One of the most comfortable resorts is considered "Livadia". It is built on the slope of Mount Mogabi - here you can not only relax, but also to heal. The price usually includes accommodation in rooms, three meals a day and therapy for patients with a heart condition.

Everything necessary for a comfortable healing holiday offers another popular sanatorium - "Black Sea". For visitors, not only well-equipped sleeping blocks are equipped, but also a volleyball court, a gym, tennis courts, as well as an indoor pool, a winter garden, conference rooms and a rich library.

The resort has its own pebble beach, which is connected with the hotel by cable car.

Spa hotel "Livadi" certainly will not remain undervalued. From the huge windows of the sanatorium opens a picturesque panorama, and at will you can pay for both “all inclusive” and one-time meals. On the territory of the pension there are three swimming pools, a natural solarium, a sauna, a billiard room, a gym, and a playground. Less than 50 meters away is a private beach.

As evidenced by reviews, the comfort of rest in the first place depends on the selected housing and its proximity to the sea. It is best to give preference to sanatoria, which are located almost on the coast - this allows in many respects to reduce the time spent on the road to the beach.

Despite the fact that Livadia is today considered to be one of the most well-equipped resorts, nevertheless the remnants of the Soviet period make themselves felt - there are often hotel complexes in the area that have not been properly repaired over the years, consider when choosing a hotel.

It should also be borne in mind that a part of the Sevastopol highway passes through Livadia, so if you rent a guest house near it, you will hardly be able to enjoy the peace and quiet.

Overview of Livadia in Crimea in the next video.