Crimea is famous not only for its beaches and sanatoriums. There are many interesting and beautiful places here that even experienced tourists will appreciate. Ancient ruins and ancient castles, mountains, nature reserves – you name it. We present ten of the most picturesque places that, after a holiday in Crimea, will probably end up on your social networks, because you want to capture such beauty and show everyone.
Golitsyn Path
The Golitsyn Trail is also called the Falcon Trail. It is located near the village of Novy Svet and carved out on the slope of Mount Koba-Kaya. The trail was built by order of Prince Golitsyn for the arrival of Tsar Nicholas II in Crimea, who stayed here in 1912.
Excursions are often held along the trail; tourists are invited to the grotto located right there. It is formed naturally – from the impacts of sea waves. Once there was a Christian monastery here, and Prince Golitsyn adapted the place for a wine warehouse. There is also a platform for performances by artists – the prince often invited singers here. From the grotto, the trail will lead you to the coast of the Blue Bay, and then to the Blue Bay and to the Tsarskoye Beach.
Tavrichesky Chersonesus Nature Reserve
In the 4th century BC there was an entire city here. Now there are ruins here, but you can get an idea of Chersonesos.
There is a citadel, Zeno’s tower, city gates, crypts, one surviving building from that period, and a city square. There is also a historical and archaeological museum there. The reserve is located in a place called Kamyshovaya Bay (Sevastopol).
“Valley of Ghosts”
The place is located on Mount Demerdzhi and looks exactly like its name, quite scary. The stone sculptures resemble animals and even people in their outlines, although humans have never touched these boulders. All this is complemented by a legend: nomads went to seize the local lands, but nature intervened in their plans and turned the unlucky conquerors into stones. A scene from “Prisoner of the Caucasus” was filmed in these parts, in which the heroine sings a song and dances on a boulder.
You can come to the “Valley of Ghosts” by bus from Alushta. Then you will need to walk to Mount Demerdzhi, but this effort is definitely worth the views that open from above.
Wine factory “Massandra”
This is one of the oldest wine-making factories; its task was to supply the king’s palace in Livadia with drinks. Massandra produces mainly sweet wines – fortified, dessert and liqueur.
The building itself looks like a castle. I’m glad that it is open to tourists. There are excursions here, and in the tasting room you can try some varieties of Massandra products. Not far from the plant there is a rock in which cellars have been carved for long-term aging of wines.
Holy Dormition Monastery
The monastery is located a couple of kilometers from Bakhchisarai. You can get here by bus or minibus; from the stop you will need to walk along a pedestrian road. The Holy Dormition Monastery is an elegant and extremely interesting example of mountain construction: it is literally built into a sheer rock. The approximate time of its foundation is the turn of the 8th-9th centuries.
The entrance to the monastery caves is open, and you can also get into the building itself. Excursions are conducted by monks and novices, and they do it for free. You just need to follow the formal rules of dress that apply to any other Orthodox church.
“Swallow’s Nest”
One of the most famous sights of Crimea. This is a castle that was built right on a cliff. The castle is quite modest in size: 20x10x12 meters. It’s hard to imagine a more spectacular place for construction.
It is interesting that the appearance of the “Swallow’s Nest” is the merit not of local princes, but of the German baron and major oil industrialist Rudolf von Stengel. Its architecture follows German medieval castles. Inside the building there are exhibition halls, the exhibitions of which (drawings and engravings) tell the story of the history of the southern coast of Crimea.
Karadag Reserve
You can only walk around this reserve accompanied by guides. Such measures have been taken to preserve local plants that are listed in the Red Book. The excursion will take about four hours, sometimes you will have to climb mountains.
The relief looks unusual; you will not find such rocks anywhere else. In addition to them, there are mysterious gorges and bays with crystal clear water.
Chufut-Kale
This cave city is well preserved and easy to get to: the walk takes about half an hour from Bakhchisarai. Here, between Chufut-Kale and Bakhchisaray, is the Holy Dormition Monastery, which we mentioned above. You can see two interesting places at one time.
The tour is led by people who participated in the excavations of the city. Entrance to Chufut-Kale is paid, as is the excursion. If you are interested in archeology and the history of ancient settlements, this place is worth a visit.
Cape “Chameleon”
Like the tropical lizard, the Crimean cape changes its color. The shade is affected not only by the time of day, but also by the weather. And all because of clay shales, which reflect light unevenly.
The “Chameleon” separates two bays, and the water in them is of different colors. From above, an amazing picture opens up with several shades of water and the cape itself.
Livadia Palace
Known as the southern residence of the emperors, the palace stands on the Black Sea shore three kilometers from Yalta (one of the most popular resorts in Crimea). The Livadia Palace looks magnificent, it is one of the most beautiful buildings on the entire peninsula.
Since 1993, the palace officially became a museum. Now there are two exhibitions here: the first is dedicated to the Yalta Conference of 1945, the second tells about the Russian tsars, and this exhibition is located in the rooms where Nicholas II lived with his family.
