I, Varvara Ivanova, went to Crimea in the spring with a friend as part of the “Kudablin” project. May Yalta is ideal for excursions, long walks along the embankment and conquering the mountains. It is still cool for swimming, but this fact did not spoil our trip at all. We saw the sights without crowds of vacationers, inhaled the smell of fresh greenery and enjoyed all the delights of the approaching hot season.
Day one: Swallow’s Nest
Immediately upon arrival, we went for a walk on the water to the famous Swallow’s Nest. Regular boats depart from the maritime station to the castle regularly. The cost of a ticket for an adult is 300 rubles, and for a child – 240 rubles*.
The water offers the best views of the “emblem” of the South Coast, but you should definitely see this architectural monument up close and take gorgeous photos against its background.
Swallow’s Nest attracts tourists with its Gothic beauty and unusual location. The building is located on the cliff of the Aurora rock, so it looks very romantic and bewitching. Entrance ticket with a visit to the territory and exhibition halls is 200 rubles*. Various lectures and events are also held here, such as the Russian Ball.
Second day: Crimean palaces
Nextday of our trip we went to see some of the most beautiful sights of the peninsula: Vorontsovsky, Livadia and Massandra palaces.
Vorontsov Palace is located in Alupka – you can get here by minibuses No. 32 and No. 27. It differs from the snow-white and elegant castles of Yalta in its severity, monumentality and luxurious, but somewhat unusual color scheme. It’s all about the stone that was used for construction – diabase – a local greenish-gray mineral, which is compared in strength to basalt.
Entrance to the territory of a rather large and picturesque park around the palace is free. Inside the building there is a museum and various exhibitions. The cost of a single ticket to all halls is 1100 rubles*.
Livadia Palace harmoniously combines rich history and modernism. It is lined with Inkerman limestone of light fawn color. The interior decoration is not inferior in sophistication to the exterior. The palace complex, which served as the summer residence of Emperor Nicholas II, includes a magnificent park and several buildings. True, only a small part of them is now open to visitors, with recreated settings from different historical periods. Entrance ticket for adults with a sightseeing tour – 400 rubles*.
The Massandra Palace is surrounded by a beautiful English park with old trees and flower beds, smoothly turning into the forest. By the way, it is located at an altitude of 365 meters above sea level.
Nearby in the village of Massandra there is a winery of the same name – one of the oldest in the country. Tours are organized around the enterprise, telling tourists about all stages of production and showing how noble drinks are aged in centuries-old oak barrels. Cost with tasting – from 1200 rubles*.
On this day we also planned to visit the botanical garden, which is recommended by many tourists, but, unfortunately, we did not have time.
Third day: climb to Ai-Petri
It’s hard to imagine a trip to Crimea without the sea and mountains. In May, the water turned out to be still cool for us, but we were ready to conquer the peak in any weather. I think all guests of Yalta or even Crimea climb Mount Ai-Petri. This adventure was the most exciting of our trip.
There are two ways to get to the top: take the funicular (the price of an adult ticket is 400 rubles, a child ticket is 250 rubles*) or drive along the mountain road by car – we chose the second option, which in the end we were very happy about .
On the way we visited the Wuchang-Su waterfall, which turned out to be not as powerful as in many photographs that we saw. Locals said that beautiful pictures can be taken from winter until mid-April – while there is snow in the mountains and melt waters fill the waterfalls. Then we were greeted by turtles in the lake of the same name, who love to pose for the camera, and the “Silver Gazebo” stop is one of the best viewing points in Crimea.
We reached the parking lot, from which we made the last push on foot through the mountainous rocky terrain. At the top, an incredible view awaited us from Mount Ai-Petri, which was worth all the effort. At such a height, the sea practically merges with the sky, and the city seems tiny – you want to sit and admire this beauty for hours.
There are also excellent attractions for those who love thrills: a suspension bridge (700 rubles for entry*) and trolleys, on which you can go down 900 meters straight to the parking lot – and you don’t have to go back. Cost – 1500 rubles*.
I can say that these days turned out to be as eventful as possible. We even managed to sunbathe a little. Finally, an important tip for guests of Yalta: remember that there is roaming in Crimea, and do not forget to take your bank card with you – Apple Pay does not work on the peninsula.
*Prices valid at time of publication
