You haven’t decided where to go on vacation yet? You want to go to the sea, but you don’t want to apply for a visa? We invite you to consider the option of a vacation in Abkhazia! Unspoiled nature, pristine beaches, Caucasian hospitality and relative cheapness are just a few reasons why you should visit this place.
In this article we have prepared 10 tasks for you. If you cope with them, we guarantee you an unforgettable vacation and a lot of positive impressions. Ready? Then let’s go!
Task No. 1: Try Abkhazian cuisine
You can safely go on a gastronomic tour to Abkhazia. Local cuisine delights gourmets with all kinds of dishes. Here are five items you should definitely look for on the menu and order for lunch:
- Mamalyga (thick porridge made from corn flour, which actually replaces bread);
- Achash (Abkhazian pie with cheese);
- Aqud and achapa (bean dishes served with herbs and vegetables);
- Akurma (lamb stew with spices);
- Shashlik.
Don’t forget to try Abkhazian sweets, cheese, ayran and wine. The food here is so delicious that this item rightfully ranks first on our to-do list.
Task No. 2: Admire the wildlife
The economy of Abkhazia cannot boast of any particular success. But every cloud has a silver lining. The absence of industry has the best effect on preserving the environment. Russia and Abkhazia border on protected lands; on the Russian side this is the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve (on the map),
from Abkhazian – Ritsinsky relict national park (on the map). Reserved lands occupy 10% of the country’s territory and contribute to the conservation of diverse fauna and ancient pre-glacial species of flora.
More than 800 species of plants grow in the Ritsinsky relict national park. In addition to the well-known oaks, fir, spruce and pine trees, you can find rare species of trees here. For example, Iberian oak, Sosnovsky maple and black alder.
When walking through the national park, be careful. Large wild animals live here. It is quite possible to come across a wild boar, wolf, deer and even a brown bear.
Task No. 3: Visit the New Athos Monastery
One of the most popular tourist places in Abkhazia is New Athos. The city has an ancient history; the first mentions of it date back to the 3rd century. Archaeologists believe that this city used to be a developed trading post. In 1875, Russian monks founded a monastery at the foot of Mount Athos, and this place also became the largest religious center.
One day, Emperor Alexander III and his family visited the monastery. He brought chimes as a gift to the monks, which later began to decorate one of the bell towers of the monastery.
Now there are six churches in the New Athos Monastery. They are open to the public, but please note that women are allowed only with their heads covered and in long clothing.
You can get to the monastery both from Sukhum and Sochi. The easiest way is to take a regular bus, which will take you to the city of New Athos. If you don’t want to travel on your own, you can contact numerous excursion companies. A visit to the monastery is included in all standard tours of Abkhazia.
Task No. 4: See the New Athos Cave
Near the New Athos Monastery in 1961, a local resident discovered a giant underground cave. Since 1975 it has been open to tourists. A special train will take you to a stunning underground complex, which is 183 meters deep and 3000 meters long.
The cave consists of 9 halls, 6 of which can be accessed as part of standard excursion tours that take place daily. You will see stalactites and stalagmites, underground lakes and stone waterfalls. The cave has amazing acoustics, so in the summer music concerts are held in some halls.
To visit this place, you need to get to the city of New Athos and get off at the “Rakushka” stop. You will recognize it by its characteristic design.
Task No. 5: Enjoy the view of Lake Ritsa
The picturesque Lake Ritsa is located at an altitude of 950 meters above sea level. It is of glacial-tectonic origin and was put on maps relatively recently, in 1865. Before this, only local hunters and shepherds knew about its existence.
Surprisingly, the water in the lake changes its color depending on the time of year. In summer and spring the water here is green-yellow, and in autumn and winter it is blue-blue. Soviet leaders noted the beauty of this place. The dachas of Stalin, Brezhnev and Khrushchev are located right next to the lake. You can get to them by booking a special excursion.
You can get to the lake as part of excursion tours and by car. The road leads to this wonderful place from the M-27 highway. If you drive from Sukhum, the turn will be one kilometer after the bridge over the Bzyb River. If you get from Gagra, then the desired turn can be found a kilometer from the traffic police post.
Task No. 6: Study the Sukhumi Botanical Garden
If you want to hide from the southern heat in the shade of trees, then you can’t think of a better place than the Sukhumi Botanical Garden. The garden was founded in 1838, its area is more than 30 hectares. The main attraction is the Caucasian linden, which grew here even before the garden was founded. It is about 300 years old and is a very large tree – the trunk is more than three meters in diameter. The botanical garden boasts another long-lived sequoia, planted in 1848.
In total, the garden features about 5 thousand different species of trees and plants from all over the world. There are “guests” here from Southeast Asia, America and even Australia.
The Botanical Garden is located at D. Gulia Street, 22. It is easy to find, since other famous attractions of Sukhum are located nearby. For example, the Philharmonic.
Task No. 7: Feed the monkeys in the Sukhumi nursery
Another interesting place for tourists in Abkhazia is the Sukhumi monkey nursery. It was founded in 1927. It conducted experiments on monkeys, the purpose of which was to study various diseases.
Today the nursery belongs to the Research Institute of Experimental Pathology and Therapy of the Academy of Sciences of Abkhazia. It contains about a thousand primates.
Since the monkey nursery is going through hard times, the animals need more care and attention. Therefore, the nursery staff greets every tourist with great joy, because the sale of monkey food is an important source of income for this establishment.
To find the monkey nursery, you need to walk along the Botanical Garden and climb up the mountain using a special staircase. This ascent will take no more than 15 minutes.
Task No. 8: Find the Bedia Cathedral
It is very interesting to travel around the territory of Abkhazia by car. The country is small, but this land has a rich history. When driving past another village, field or mountain plateau, do not forget to look around. You will probably come across ancient buildings along the way, many of which have long been abandoned. Take your time, stop and walk around the ruins. Surrounded by walls that are hundreds of years old, the passage of time itself seems to change.
You can start your search by traveling to the Bedia Cathedral. It was built in the 10th century in honor of the Blachernae Icon of the Mother of God. The walls of the temple partially preserved three layers of frescoes, which date back to the 10th, 13th and 16th centuries. Currently, restoration work is underway in the temple.
Finding the cathedral is not so easy. It is located ten kilometers from the border with Georgia. There is practically no public transport here. You’ll have to rent a car or negotiate with a private owner. From Sukhum you need to drive about 77 kilometers along the Abzhui highway in the direction of Tbilisi and do not miss the turn to the villages of Bedia and Agubedia.
Task No. 9: Take a photo of the Geg waterfall
In the valley of the Gega River, at an altitude of more than 500 meters above sea level, the famous Gega waterfall is located. You could see him in such popular Soviet films as “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson”, “Sportloto-82” and “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi”.
The waterfall is located five kilometers from the road leading to Lake Ritsa, but it is difficult to get to. Only SUV owners will be able to drive directly to the waterfall; the rest will have to walk.
Task No. 10: Walk through the alpine meadows of Abkhazia
Eco-tourists from all over the world travel to Abkhazia to, among other things, see the picturesque alpine meadows of the Caucasus. In Abkhazia they are found northeast of the mountain village of Avadhara at an altitude of more than two thousand meters.
In the area of alpine meadows there is Mount Mamdzyshkha, popular among tourists. The climb to the top will take 6-7 hours if you dare to climb on foot, and 50 minutes by car; but you will never forget the view of the surrounding cliffs, winding rivers and magnificent meadows.
You can get to Mount Mamdzyshkha from Gagra. It is necessary to cover six kilometers on a good asphalt road. You can get there by car, taxi or minibus. In addition, excursion groups regularly go to the mountain.
Delicious national cuisine, stunning nature, ancient temples, underground caves and waterfalls – these are just a small part of the beauties of Abkhazia, where, without any doubt, you can have a great vacation and fully relax.
You can get to Abkhazia by flying to Sochi, from where buses and minibuses run regularly to Sukhum. You can also travel from Sochi to the capital of Abkhazia by train. Ticket costs from 600 rubles. Travel time will be about 6 hours.
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