Tourist Attractions in Crimea
At the very heart of the Eastern Europe a glorious and ancient peninsula of Crimea is situated. In the Russian sources the Crimean peninsula was called Taurida or Tavricheskaya province till the XX century. From the South and from the West Crimea is washed by the Black sea, and from the East – by the Azov sea. In the north Crimea is connected to the continent by the Perecop neck. It is impossible to tell about the sights of Crimea in brief. After many millennia there remain a lot of well-preserved sights. Crimea gradually developed , diverse architectural and park ensembles and new historical monuments emerged. TheTaures were the most ancient inhabitants of Crimea. In the VIII-IV centuries B.C.E. Crimea was owned by Greek colonists who founded Hersones and Panticapea. In the III – II centuries B.C.E. the capital of the Scythian state was transferred to Crimea, to Scythian Naples (today’s Simferopol). In the 63 B.C.E. the Roman Empire conquered Crimea. In 257 C.E. Crimea was conquered by the Goths. In 375 C.E. Crimea experienced a Huns invasion. IV-V centuries saw the restoration of the Roman (Byzantine) Empire; the Goths who survived under the Huns administration accepted the Byzantine authority. In 1239 Crimea was conquered by the Mongol khan Batu. In 1783 Empress Ekaterina II signed a manifesto of joining Crimea to the Russian Empire. In 1853 – 1856 the Crimean war occurred. In 1921 the Autonomous Crimean Soviet Socialist Republic was established within the RSFSR. In 1954 the Crimean region was given to the Ukraine Soviet Socialist Republic and became part of Ukraine. For many tourists it will be interesting to get acquainted with the numerous sights of Crimea – that ancient and never aging peninsula.
The Most Important and Well-Known Sights of Crimea
The key historic sights of Crimea include palace and park complexes: Livadia, Vorontsov, Massandra, Yusupov, a palace complex of the Crimean khans in Bakhchisarai, Nikitsky botanic garden, Alupka park, Lastochkino Gnezdo (Swallow’s Nest) Castle, Genoese fortresses in Sudak and Feodosiya, the fortress of Calamite in Ikerman, St. Assumption , Saint George’s, Cosmas and Damian Monasteries, the city of glory of the Black Sea fleet Sebastopol, ancient Chersonesos, cave towns Chufut-Kale, Mangup-Kale, Kachi-Kalion to name just a few. The most well-known natural sights of Crimea include the waterfalls of Dzhur-Dzhur, Uchian-Su, mountains of Ai-Petri, Aiu-Dag, Demerdzhi, Caradag, Koshka, Roman-Kosh, Sokol, the Valley of Ghosts, Marble, Red and Emine-Bair-Khosar caves. We will describe in detail some of them.
The Alupka Park
The world-famous Alupka park also called the Vorontsov park holds a special place in the list of Crimean historical places of interest. The Vorontsov palace is surrounded by a wonderful landscape park over 30 hectares in area. The park design may be called a chef-d’oeuvre of park architecture. The park was laid out in the first half of the XIX century by a German hereditary landscape architect Carl Kebah. The key feature of the park is its good blend of special features of the Alupka mountain landscape and wonderful views of the Ai-Petri peak crown surrounded by coniferous frames of mighty trees. The style of the park is that of a landscape. Its plant collections complement the environment according to the amphitheater principle. The natural lumps of dunstones (a stone of magma origin) were wound into romantic corners of the park. The dunstone slopes intentionally exploded with dynamite serve as a background to the sights of the “Big Chaos” framed with special trees. According to the idea of Countess Elisaveta Vorontsova the views of the meadow of chaos must remind us all where we come from. The mountain water springs were used to create artificial lakes and numerous cool water cascades. In the Lower Park, not far from the sea there is a pavilion built in 1834 called “Tea House”. The Tea House serves as a base for the amphitheater designed by the genial park landscape architect. The park sights of interest include: Trout, Mirror and Swan lakes, Platinum, Sun, Contrast and Chestnut meadows, Moon Stone, Small and Large Chaos, the Trilby Fountain, the Tears Fountain, the Shell Fountain, the Cat’s Eye spring, I.K. Aivazovsky rock and legendary Lion terrace with three pairs of lions made of white Carrara marble made by the sculptor V. Bonniani. The sight of the Lion Terrace is often used as a trademark of Crimea.
The Ai-Petri Mountain
Ai-Petri is one of the most popular sights of Crimea. The height of the mountain is 1234 meters. The silhouette of the mountain accomplishes the line of picturesque amphitheater from the sea and the Swallow’s Nest Castle (Lastochkino Gnezdo) to the shaped spikes of the Ai-Petri “crown”. The name of Ai-Petri is the Greek for “Saint Peter”. The mountain is situated near Alupka in the territory which is part of Yalta mountain and forest national park. From the mountain top a wonderful and eye-catching panoramic view of the Black sea coast and Yalta opens.
The Bakhchisarai Palace
The Bakhchisarai Palace, the former residency of the Crimean Khans, a historic monument of global significance is another interesting place to see. The palace is part of the Bakhchisarai historic and cultural conservation area together with the History Museum, the Arts Museum, the exhibition of Cold Weapons and Firearms. The palace complex consists of wonderfully preserved northern and southern gates, the Svitsky Corpus, the Palace Square, the Sokolinaya Tower, the Central Building, Harem, Khan Kitchen and Stable, Library building, the Khan Moscque, the Persian Garden, the Sauna of Sara-Guzel, Embankment with three bridges, gardens and park elemens. The Ekaterina mile can also be seen here. Inside the palace there are a lot of picturesque patios with flowers, trees and fountains. The Tears Fountain chanted by A.S. Pushkin in the Bakhchisarai Fountain poem is a special Crimean item of interest.
Crimea Tourist Attractions – Popular Tours
The hotel staff will help you book your tours in advance. Going on tours you will be able to get to know the great history, culture and nature of Crimea assisted by an experienced guide. Many tours are organized every day. Here is a list of the most popular tours:
Palaces of Livadia, Vorontsov and Massandra – history of palaces, luxuriant interiors and decoration, former tsar private quarters, the palace church, the tsar path, wonderful park ensembles.
National Park – Trout Farm, at the tsar hunting place, the Tsar chapel, Cosmas and Damian Monastery, the Pavilion of Winds at a height of 1325 meters, a healing spring Savlukh-Su, the mountain of Roman-Kosh.
Athos – the Foros church, the Laspi chapel, the caves of Inkerman, the fortress of Calamite, St. Clement’s Monastery, Memorial and St. Nicholas Cathedral at the northern end of Sebastopol. A sea trip on a ferry to the Earl’s quay. Free time in Sebastopol. Chersonese of the Taurida.
Bakhchisarai – the palace of the Crimean khans, the Fountain of Tears, Harem, the Hall of Council and Court, the Minor Palace Mosque, Cave town of Chufut-Kale, Saint Assumption Monastery – a functioning friary of the Moscow patriarchate, a saint spring.
Mramornaya (Marble) Cave and Emine-Bair Khosar Cave – rocky waterfalls, fantastic stalactites and cascades of mountain lakes. The Mramornaya Cave is one of the five most beautiful European caves. In the Emine-Bair-Khosar cave an underground paleozoologic museum is functioning.
The Mountain of Ai-Petri – A 3km funicular way up to 1000 m above the sea. A stop at the plateau for 2 hours. A stop at the highest European waterfall Uchian-Su (98 m), Silver Pavilion.
Crimean Grand Canyon – a picturesque fracture of the rock massif of the principle Crimean mountain range. A walk (5 km) along the bottom of the canyon, along the bed of a mountain river surrounded by a beech forest. You will see the Blue lake, the Foros church, Baydarskiye gates. Bathing in the cool spring water of the Bath of Youth will be a genuine ritual for you. A stop at Mangupskoye lake, at the Ai-Petri plateau, descent by the funicular.
The Balaklava Heights – a small Balaklava hidden in a cozy bay. At the embankment you will hear its history and the history of a medieval fortress of Chembalo. You will hear about cute Odysseus who managed to escape from Cyclops (because that is the place where the legendary bay of one-eyed giants Laestrygones is!). A unique museum of submarines and a sea trip along one of the most beautiful world bays plus going into the open sea to the Aya cape and bathing. A manufacturer’s store of sparkling wines “Zolotaya Balka”, “Baidarskiye Vorota”, the Foros Church.
Nikitsky Botanic Garden – a blossoming treasury. One of the largest world collections of rare and endangered plant species (18,000 species). At the tour you will be able to see various regions of the world flora. A visit to the cactus greenhouse is also available.
Sebastopol – a city of fame of the Black Sea navy. Ancient Chersonese, the Castle of Saint Vladimir the Baptizer, Panoramic museum of heroic defense of Sebastopol in 1854-1855, Diorama – an assault of the mountain of Sapun.
Dzhur-Dzhur Waterfall – the most full-flowing and the most beautiful Crimean waterfall. A broad (5 meters wide) band of water 15 meters high. A forest gorge Khap-khal on the Easter Ulu-Uzen river with the baths of Love and Youth.
Sudak - Noviy Svet – Genoese fortress, multicolored bays of Noviy Svet, the Golitsin path and cavern, a manufacturer’s store of sparkling wines.
Triatour – Castle Lastochkino Gnezdo (Swallow’s Nest)(Crimean trade mark), a sea trip to the Vorontsov Palace and Park, funicular to the Ai-Petri mountain.
Waterparks – Mindalnaya Roscha (Almond Grove), Goluboy Zaliv (BlueCreek).
Sea Animal Theatre AQUATORIA.
Zoo and Polyana Skazok (A Meadow of Fairy Tales).
Horse rides – the mountain of Demerdzhi, Paregelmen.
Zelenogorie, Koktebel– the Arpatsky Canyon, cascade waterfalls and a mountain lake in Zelenogorie. A sea trip with bathing along the dead volcano of Cara-Dag and through the Golden Gates. A manufacturer’s store of cognacs at Koktebel.
It is impossible to see all the sights of the Crimea in one week or even in one month. That is why the tourists who come here always make a list of items to see “It’s for the future… we will surely come here again next year!”