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 look at 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 note the Swallow's Nest. A small castle built on a cliff of cliffs, fascinates with its beauty and as if soars at an altitude of 40 meters from the ground. Gothic style gives mystery, it seems that ghosts live 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 reminded him of his native places. In addition to the castle, a garden was also designed. The construction was entrusted to Leonid Sherwood, a famous architect of those times. The castle itself had a height of only 12 meters, it fit a living room, a small entrance hall 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 structure changed its purpose and owners several times. The new owner, the merchant Shelaputin, opened a restaurant here in 1914. And after the revolution of 1917, the castle passed into the possession of the State Farm Administration; a reading room was placed there.

After the earthquake in 1927, the garden and part of the castle collapsed, but the building was not badly damaged. Restoration work slightly altered the appearance of the building, but this did not make the castle less attractive. In the early 2000s, a restaurant reopened 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 name Swallow’s Nest was given to the palace by the Moscow merchant Rokhmanin, who acquired the building from the widow of A.K. Tobin. All that is known about him is that he was a doctor of Alexander III. It was a small house like a hut. Rohmanina ordered to demolish the old building and erect a new castle of wood.

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 sea god Poseidon to the beautiful goddess Aurora. Only Aurora did not reciprocate, then Poseidon decided to make a beautiful diadem of shells and pearls for her as a gift and, stealthily sneaking up to Aurora, put it on her head. In order to succeed, Poseidon asked the god of the wind Aeolus to cast clouds.

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

The image of this palace was decorated with banknotes of several denominations. It was also gold, silver coins of Ukraine, Russia, Poland and a paper hundred-ruble note. In addition, the cinematographers did not disregard the beautiful building. In addition to the most famous film “Ten Little Indians”, shot in this castle, there were also shots of such films as:

• “Myo, my Myo”;
• "Travel of Pan Blots";
• "Blue bird";
• "Police Story 4", where Jackie Chan starred in the title role.

To visit the museum, you must overcome the 1200 steps staircase that leads from the highway to the castle. A visit to this museum is paid, it is around 200 rubles for adults and 100 rubles for children, but you can visit the observation deck for free, enjoy the view and take great photos as a keepsake.

Livadia Palace is located near Yalta, only 3 kilometers away. The name Livadia in Greek is “lawn”. This palace was a private property of the Romanov dynasty. Emperor Nicholas II, who was looking for a cozy place on the Crimean coast so that this mild climate helped his wife recover, ordered him to be built on the site of an estate belonging to Prince Polotsky. The architect Monighetti was engaged in this, the construction took more than 5 years.

When the snow-white palace was erected in 1866, everyone who came to stay with the Romanovs was delighted with it. So organically it was inscribed in the local landscape and subtropical nature. The building is located so that it is illuminated from all sides by the sun. In addition, the appearance of this residence in the vicinity of Yalta gave the city a new impetus in the development of the economy.

The infrastructure and the transformation of the city were increasingly improving; by 1890, Yalta was equated with the number of the best resorts in Europe. After the revolution, the palace was looted, paintings and art objects were taken out 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 magnificent powers gathered in the palace:

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

And this world history event is marked as the Yalta or Crimean conference.Further, the Livadia Palace becomes a party summer residence, and after 8 years, Stalin gave it to trade union organizations, and the castle was turned into a sanatorium. And in the early 90s of the last century they made a museum, collecting bit by bit what was lost and restoring the former appearance of the palace. The interior of the rooms is of high value.

After the destruction in the Great Patriotic War, the buildings that have been preserved in their original form are few, one of them is the Holy Cross Exaltation Church. This is a small single-domed building with large arched windows, designed only for the royal family and the immediate environment. Nearby is a belfry with 6 bells and a column of marble, scribbled in Arabic and Turkish scripts.

In addition to the courtyard, the territory surrounding the palace leads to indescribable delight. Here you can not only enjoy panoramic views, but also feel as if you had visited different countries of the world. This feeling is created thanks to plants brought from all parts of the world. Gardeners did their best and created the most beautiful ensembles of plants that perfectly took root in this warm climate.

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

No one had ever slept in the palace of the most august persons, but what in those days, that now the cleanliness of the premises is maintained at a high level, as if they were still waiting for the emperor to arrive. In the early 90s of the last century, this palace was turned into a museum where you can see the genuine things of the royal family of Alexander III, some of them 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 Ai-Petri Mountain. It was built for 20 years for Count M. S. Vorontsov. Architects F. Borough and T. Harrison began construction, but after the sudden death of the latter, the English architect E. Blor took up the design.

The dining building was the first to be erected, and the construction ended with the library. Simultaneously with the construction of the building, mass work was carried out to improve the area around. K. A. Kebach was engaged in this. The 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 in the light of the sun the water sparkled and shimmered with a rainbow color.

It is here that the sculptures of the lions of the great sculptor of the Italian Giovanni Bonnani are located. Walking around the territory, you feel like in a fairy tale. Many towers, battlements, high stone walls and a southern facade immerse into the atmosphere of an oriental tale, where the princess, surrounded by a retinue, is about to enter the balcony.

The world-famous Khan's palace is located in Bakhchisarai. It began to be built in the 16th century, simultaneously with the city itself. The mosque is the oldest, the date of the beginning of its construction goes back to the distant 1532. Bakhchisaray 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 the love of the khan for the concubine. The story of the fountain of tears is not fiction.Pushkin was inspired and wrote his masterpiece after he learned a beautiful story about the appearance of the fountain. Next, ballet music was written with the same name, and now the Khan's Palace in Bakhchisarai is known throughout the world.

Chekhov's dacha is a place often 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 Chekhov Yalta Museum. After the death of the writer, the dacha went to his wife O. Knipper, who spent every summer in this secluded quiet place.

Later, the artist bought the house and after a while handed it over to the Art Fund. Chekhov’s cottage was restored and kept as historical as possible. Now the museum is open and welcomes everyone, where you can see genuine things belonging to the great writer and his wife, including copies of the manuscript of the famous play “Three Sisters”. In other rooms, expositions devoted to the staging of the play “Three Sisters” are presented:

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

In order to get acquainted with the Crimean peninsula, you can carry out a number of excursions to historical places. Crimea has always been desirable for the conquerors because of the favorable mild climate. At different times, cultural figures from different countries lived and worked here, each of which left its mark in the cultural heritage.

Having visited the Genoese fortress in the city of Sudak, you will witness the unfolding tournament battles of the Middle Ages. You can dress up in knightly armor for a fee and take part in the battle. Within the walls of this fortress you will see a consular castle, a mosque temple, twelve towers, a temple of the twelve apostles, barracks, warehouses and walls of the fortress, which, curling with a serpentine, goes into the rocks.

The city of Sudak is considered one of the best places for recreation. Located in a bay between two rocks, thanks to this, the beaches are protected from wind, weather and waves, and the swimming season in this place is the longest. Instead of ordinary sand, on the beaches 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 attacks by ill-wishers and invaders. In cave cities you can see cave monasteries, temples with wall paintings, residential caves. All cave cities are located in the Bakhchisarai district. Of the main ones, one can distinguish:

• Chufut-Kale;
• Mangup Kale;
• Eski-Kermen;
• Bakla.

Tauric Chersonesos is the name of an ancient city founded in the 5th century by the Greeks. Archaeological finds have been carried out since the 19th century, and to this day archaeologists find artifacts confirming that the city in ancient times was a rich center of trade, crafts and culture.

Kerch fortress was built to strengthen the southern border of the Russian Empire. Under the terms of the Paris Peace Treaty, it was forbidden for Russia to have a fleet on the Black Sea, since it was declared 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 monitored the construction, was pleased with the fortification. In Soviet times, this fortress was used as an ammunition depot, and after the collapse of the USSR it was transferred to the Kerch Historical and Cultural Reserve. The state protects the fortress as a historical monument.

Arriving in 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 - Adzhimushkaysky quarries. The museum is underground, but you will not miss it, a large monument to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War will serve as an indicator.

Here people lived and defended themselves during the war, restraining German troops as they could. The conditions were more than inhuman, along with hunger and lack of water, the Nazis blew up the mines, staged landslides and fired smoke bombs to smoke people. Of the ten thousand occupiers who descended into the quarry, several hundred remained alive.

The Assumption Cave Monastery annually attracts crowds of tourists because of its unusual location; it is carved into a rock in the Maria Gorge. It was built here mainly because an icon of the Virgin was found on this site. Each time the icon was removed from the cave, it ended up returning in some miraculous way.

The monastery survived many battles, miraculously surviving after the Turkish raids. There was a hospital there in the Crimean War. The remains of soldiers of many eras, from the Crimean 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 decorative miniatures of all the shrines with a handful of the land where they are.

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

St. George Monastery is located on Cape Fiolent. It is formed, as the legend says, by the ancient Greeks, who, during a terrible storm, miraculously nailed to the shore, bringing 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 Aivazovsky Picture Gallery. This great artist became famous during his lifetime, and so far the 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 has been collected here.

In addition to paintings, here you can see the personal belongings of the artist. The gallery hosts tourist excursions, which detail interesting facts from the life of the great artist.

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

It will be interesting and exciting for adults and children to go to a museum stylized as a medieval ship. There you can see old coins, objects found in the sea, personal belongings of sailors. It is also interesting to listen to the story of the origin of piracy.

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

Another favorite place for tourists. It accommodates more than 800 spectators who want to see the performance of fur seals, dolphins, white whales and sea lions.

This is a marble cave, amazing with its fabulousness. Visitors feel in it, as in the halls of the gnomes. 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 Crimea with a view of the Crimean mountains. Many different pools with sea water and extreme slides, a cafe and a volleyball court, here is truly a paradise, and everyone will find entertainment to their taste.

Another visited place in Yalta is an inverted house. It is a structure of 50 square meters, 2 floors, a garage with a parked car. It will be enough 15 minutes to inspect it completely, but many photographs will take much more time. 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 diversity of which will pleasantly surprise you.

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

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

Consider places that are worth visiting, having gone on a trip to the Crimean peninsula. You have to see the unique, amazing and unusual beauties of nature, which are breathtaking.

The mountain got its name in honor of St. Peter's Church (in Greek Ai-Petri), the ruins of which have survived to this day. The mountain is one of the most popular places among tourists. The longest cable car in Europe leads to the top. From a height of 1346 meters, a panorama opens up overlooking the coast and the Yalta mountain-forest reserve.

It is located in the southeastern part of the peninsula, near Feodosia. It is famous for its flora and fauna, many of which are listed in the Red Book, as well as for the volcano that went extinct 150 million years ago and formed an unusual landscape from the flows of frozen lava. The reserve is large enough, but for those who want to carefully consider it, there are hotels on the territory.

You can use the services of a guide who, 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.

It is located in the southern part of Crimea, separating Alushta and Yalta. Height 577 meters. It has a diverse nature and wildlife. Outlandish plants that you have never seen before will come across every now and then. Some of them are listed in the Red Book, so you should respect the flora. The mountain is also famous for the ruins of ancient settlements.

It is located 7 kilometers from Yalta on one of the trails when climbing Mount Ai-Petri and is the largest waterfall on 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 crumble along with water, so swimming under it will not work. And besides, the water in it is icy, so it is unlikely to want to plunge into it.

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

The cliff has its own story. In the Middle Ages people were executed there, dropping them from a sheer cliff. In the caves of Ak-Kai robbers hid looted treasures. Many famous commanders on this mountain took the oath. Archaeologists have 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.

Having visited the Crimean peninsula, you can make an impressive list of free natural hospitals. Estuaries are salt lakes with healing mud. Having visited such a “bath of youth”, you will be satisfied with the smoothness of your skin. This procedure is able to remove cellulite, tighten sagging skin, give it elasticity, relieve skin rashes and allergies, and promotes the rapid healing of small wounds. It will be useful for women to treat diseases and inflammation of the pelvic organs, and also helps with infertility.

In addition, there are still active mud volcanoes called Jau Tepe. There are 7 in total, 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 contribute to the cure of many diseases.

It is worth warning that in some salt lakes, despite the fact that there is a high concentration of salt, small crustaceans live. Their size is only about a centimeter, but when a person plunges into water, they begin to bite. At first you can not understand and think that the skin is pinching from 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 there are still corners untouched by man.

It received its name from the village of Baidary, which is translated from Turkic as “healer” or “herbalist”. The local area is full of healing herbs. Located in the south of Crimea, the area is about 28 thousand square kilometers. Above sea level is located at an altitude of 200-300 meters. The Chernaya river flows in the valley, and the Chernorechenskoe reservoir is a strategic object, which is surrounded by a fence, as it supplies water to many large cities of the Crimea and villages.

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

If you want to go to the Crimea and at the same time dive with scuba gear, then you have a way 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 shot in the Atlesh tract, located on the cape.

Magnificent natural pools, caves, grottoes, a 98-meter long through tunnel, there is something to see. Lovers are invited to go and jump, without breaking their hands, into the "cup of love." If it turns out, then according to legend, the couple will be happy together for the rest of their lives.

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

Overview of the sights of Crimea, see the next video.