Crimea in winter: where to go and what to see?

Crimea is known as an insanely popular tourist location - tourists come here not only from all over the former Soviet Union, but also from Western Europe. The main tourist season falls on the warm half of the year, since one of the main local “magnets” is the sea surrounding the peninsula from almost all sides. The sea is not only in the Crimea, but the region is unique here - there are mountains and ancient sights near the beaches.

Consider what to do on the Crimean peninsula in non-resort months.

In winter, looking at the alternation of snow and slush outside the window, many people want to go somewhere far south, where it is always warm. Crimea is located in the south, but it would be a big mistake to assume that it is located far enough so that it is warm all year round. Contrary to popular belief, winter is here, and it is far from always as mild as one might think. Moreover, the climate on the peninsula is, in principle, not the same in different parts, this should be discussed separately.

The warmest of all, of course, is on the southern coast of Crimea - there is a subtropical climate. Winter here, of course, is not typical of Russian, but wintering here is not very pleasant anyway: in December the average daily temperature is usually positive, but frosts are typical at night. It should be borne in mind that in the subtropical part of Crimea there are generally no places far from the sea, which means that fogs and dampness regularly occur here, which only exacerbates the unpleasant impressions of low temperatures.

The eastern coast of Crimea is another popular resort area east of Feodosia. It no longer applies to the subtropical climate, because winter is even cooler here, although not very much. In January, the average night temperature steadily drops to minus, during the day it stays at about zero degrees. By the way, crackling (relatively) frosts are also here - up to 15 degrees, but this is more an exception than a rule.

The snow cover here does not lie as long as in the even more northern regions, but it also happens here, and is not a curiosity for local residents. Moreover, experienced people say that it is here that winter is a little easier to carry, because in the interior of the peninsula there is no humidity, due to which it shivers.

Winter Crimea, especially when it comes to coastal regions, is exposed to strong winds, storms on the east coast are frequent. The peak of wind activity occurs in February, which is why many consider it the coldest month on the peninsula. This, of course, is conditional, because daffodils can already bloom on the south coast at the end of the month, which certainly does not happen in January.

Given the specifics of local weather in the winter, traveling to the Crimea on the sea at this time is pointless. Accordingly, the sights of the peninsula, as well as mountains, come into play. The latter, for example, do not have popular ski resorts, but if you live in Crimea itself or in the neighboring Krasnodar Territory, you can go here in your own car even for the weekend. Wherein skiers are advised to choose relatively large mountain villages or well-known ski resorts, because often the road can be covered with snow, and the goal will be unattainable, and you yourself will be locked up.

In the winter, the central Crimea experiences a peculiar renaissance - at least in comparison with the southern coast, the number of tourists increases significantly in favor of Simferopol and its environs.

The Crimean capital is deprived of any serious attractions and even on the scale of the peninsula is not a recognized tourist center, but you can stay here to conveniently go on excursions to all significant cities of the region.

Of the non-coastal cities of central Crimea, the most famous among tourists was Bakhchisaray, and if you were on the peninsula in the winter, it is here that you must get there. The main attraction of this place are cave citiesbecause you are almost indoors - it’s not so cold here as outside. The whole family can relax in the southern part of the peninsula, being tied to the cardinal points, and not to the tourist region, known as the southern coast.

For instance, Zanderlocated in the subtropics in the wintertime is pretty cool, and due to its small size there is practically no entertainment activity left - just limited to a sightseeing tour of the local sights of antiquity. The same can be said of Alushte - it is considered the warmest place in the Crimea, but if you have already been in winter, at least in Turkey, you will not be warm here, and even the preserved greenery in places will not impress. Whether business Sevastopol - It is not part of the subtropics, but due to the large size of the city it is always interesting here.

Large cities of Crimea are generally good precisely because life in them never freezes completely, and local architectural monuments of antiquity remain relevant at any time of the year. The same Yalta and Sevastopol are good because they spend here spectacular New Year's shows, and museums operate year-round. For this reason, children often come here in the winter with children, but it is important to explain to the child that you are going to the sea, however, you will not sunbathe and swim.

As for Yevpatoriya, its sanatoriums invite children to rest and improve their health even during the winter holidays. Theodosia, who also never stops taking tourists, can complement the overall picture.

If you are not traveling from the even more southern regions, you can come to the Crimea for the winter without much concern - here it is unlikely to be colder than at home. Another thing is that elderly people and families with small children are usually not recommended for winter visits to Kerch and its environs.

Not all the sights of Crimea are equally interesting at all times of the year - for example, Nikitsky Botanical Gardens also works in winter, but most plants look more meager and unattractive than it could be in summer. The same applies to many other beautiful places, because The Crimean peninsula is famous for its palaces with aristocratic parks.. However, not all interesting places are subject to deterioration from the cold.

If you don’t like to organize trips on your own, but want a rich program in which in a short time you will be shown absolutely everything interesting, without missing anything - contact travel agencies. Local operators offer impressive tours specifically for the winter, but get ready for a good week to take.

As a rule, a capital sightseeing tour of all the outstanding places of the peninsula involves visiting several of the most famous cities, each of which takes 1-2 days. The panorama of the Sevastopol Bay, the picture gallery of Ivan Aivazovsky in Feodosia, the thermal springs near Kerch and the interior decoration of the palaces mentioned above are just a very short description of everything that might be included in the program.

Many citizens would love to go on foot to the mountains, but then in the summer, but in winter, even local people don’t recommend such entertainment. Another thing is that sightseeing trips to the mountains are quite in demand - for example, nothing prevents you from visiting the most famous local caves, including Marble, Red and others. About the cave cities mentioned above, there are monasteries in the Crimea, hollowed out in the rocks. Inside the caves, as already mentioned, a little warmer, and local travel agencies go out of their way so that visitors want to get there - let's say There is a completely unusual version of the New Year’s meeting with Santa Claus, a Christmas tree and champagne right under the ground.

Children may be somewhat disappointed, since in the winter not a single Crimean water park usually works - there isn’t the number of people who would make the enterprise’s work profitable. Another thing - dolphinariums: Pets have nowhere to go, in any case they want to eat every day, but because such institutions give an idea, even with a weak filling of the auditorium. If you agree that this may be interesting, go to Sevastopol, Evpatoria or Alushta. In Yalta, you should go to a local zoo called the Tale.

Alternative options for entertaining kids may be local museums “They are far from always boring, as some adults might think.” For example, the Theodosian Museum of Money presents for its guests an impressive collection of coins, which can be used to trace the history of this city, which is already 2500 years old. The exhibition "Crimea in Miniature" is very informative and allows you to take a virtual tour of the entire peninsula in just a couple of hours - this is also a very interesting experience.

For those who believe that the sea is necessary in order to walk on it, there are Sightseeing tours to explore the navy. A similar option is available year-round in Sevastopol, and this is one of the main reasons why this city attracts a significant number of tourists throughout the year. Nearby is another very interesting object - in Balaklava there is an underground plant that excites the minds of all lovers of the secret and unusual.

We must not forget that Crimea is a famous wine region, and local wineries conduct tasting tours year-round. Not only is it informative, it’s also possible to try a huge number of different brands of alcoholic beverages at a time, having the opportunity to visually compare them. This is relatively inexpensive, but after such an excursion you can call yourself a gourmet, and friends and acquaintances will ask you for advice on which wine to stock up for the holiday.

If endless excursions do not appeal to you, but on the whole you agree to go to Crimea in winter, you need to think about what to do on the spot. Do not think that there is absolutely nothing to do here out of season - locals live precisely due to tourism, therefore guests will always be welcome. Many people are embarrassed by the fact that vacation in the Crimea, washed from almost all sides by the seas, will be deprived of traditional bathing in the winter.

Even if you do not belong to the "walruses" for which a low water temperature is not a reason for refusing to swim, the problem can still be solved - for this, there are indoor pools present in any more or less large city. This is not the same as swimming in the real sea, but the "minimum program" will be respected - you will visit interesting excursions and swim.

The beautiful nature of Crimea literally requires that you walk on it, however, in winter, this can cause problems - it is hard to walk in snow or slush. To simplify the task, You can go to picturesque places on horseback - horseback riding is organized even in the winter months. You are unlikely to ride a horse around the city, but you can get out of it and look at the bewitching cliffs, from where a large-scale view of the sea expanses opens.

For those who regard any reservoir as an opportunity to go fishing, it seems interesting option of sea fishing. You can attend a similar event in any village overlooking the sea - as a rule, this issue is individually solved with locals who have their own boat and all the necessary gear. The sea off the coast of Crimea, especially from the south, usually does not freeze, so even in winter fishing does not look like sitting over a hole.

For many winter visitors to Crimea, entertainment must necessarily be combined with treatment, but how exactly this combination is provided depends on the specific ticket. Many motels offer indoor swimming pool right on the territory and treatment with healthy Crimean air, combining sea and mountain odors. At the same time, in your free time from the procedures, you can engage in any activity for which there is infrastructure - for example, play table tennis with your neighbors.

Other health facilities focus on mud treatment (similar sanatoriums are usually located in Yevpatoriya and its environs). Already such a procedure, which a person undergoes for the first time, may seem to him a peculiar entertainment.

In addition, many large hotels offer their guests a full-fledged show program for every day if you come during the New Year holidays. For such establishments, this is also a high season, due to which they can organize a full-fledged team of animators, and staging interesting performances, and even the arrival of celebrities of Russian scale with a concert. Finally, no one bothers you to spend your leisure time as if you were a local.

Visit theaters and cinema, take a look at the variety of local catering establishments, go to art exhibitions - In a word, do the same thing that you like to do in your hometown.

Among all tourists who have come to Crimea at least once in their lives, the percentage of those who did this in the winter is very small. Largely because of this, it is generally believed that this peninsula is good mainly by the sea, although an attentive person during the holidays probably noticed that this is not true. Among the positive comments, one can often find the opinion that a person who came to Crimea 10 times in the summer did not recognize him, and even on his first trip here in winter, one can learn the real soul of the peninsula.

In the summer, most vacationers who escaped from a bored job, most of all want to go to the beach, because of which too many interesting things pass by. For people who think and are open to everything new, the Crimean Peninsula is curious in any season - it just won’t get bored here.

About what to do in the winter in Crimea, see the next video.