Top 25 attractions of Yalta, Russia

Yalta is considered the recognized resort capital of Crimea. The city is located on the South Coast - the most picturesque place of the peninsula. Here the largest number of sunny days in a year, the most beautiful natural landscapes and the most salubrious air on the entire coast.

Big Yalta has the unique charm of the noble era of the XIX century. From all sides it is surrounded by palaces, classical mansions with columns lined up along the embankment, city streets are buried in the unique coniferous aroma of cypress alleys.

During Soviet times, Yalta was the most prestigious resort in Crimea, and now the city is confidently regaining this title. Tourists are waiting for comfortable beaches and lively promenades, romantic summer verandas and modern comfortable hotels.

What to see and where to go in Yalta?

The most interesting and beautiful places for walking. Photos and a short description.

bird home

A stylized "knight's" castle on the edge of the sheer Avrorinskaya cliff. It is a long-rooted symbol of Crimea, its advertising postcard and calling card. The Swallow's Nest was built by order of Baron von Stegel at the beginning of the 20th century. He wanted his new home to look like German castles. But the events of the Revolution of 1917, as well as the earthquake of 1927, played their role - the castle was used for other purposes for a long time, and then it was abandoned. In 2015, the building received the status of a federal monument.

Livadia Palace

The white marble palace of the early 20th century, which served as the summer residence of the royal family. The building is surrounded by a landscaped park, from where the famous Tsar's Path begins. The imperial residence was located here in the middle of the 19th century, but the building of the Livadia Palace appeared after the trip of Nicholas II to Italy. The king, inspired by Italian villas, wished to have something similar in his homeland.

Dulber Palace

A magnificent palace complex in the Moorish style, in perfect harmony with the surroundings. "Dulber" in Arabic means "beautiful". The palace belonged to Grand Duke Peter Romanov. It was built according to the design of the architect N. Krasnov, who also worked on the Livadia Palace and on the restoration project of the Bakhchisarai Palace. After the revolution, Dulber was used as a prison for members of the royal family.

Palace (cottage) Kichkine

The former estate of Velikov, Prince Dmitry Romanov, the grandson of Emperor Nicholas I. The building was erected according to the project of the Tarasov brothers (one of the brothers at that time was listed as the architect of Yalta). As a private estate, Kichkine lasted only a few years, after 1917 the entire area was nationalized by the Bolsheviks. In Soviet times, a sanatorium was located on the territory of the palace.

Gaspra Palace

One of the most beautiful palaces on the Southern Coast of Crimea, built in the style of European romanticism with Gothic elements. Until the second half of the 19th century, these lands with the estate belonged to the princely family of the Golitsyns, later the right of ownership passed to Countess Sofya Panina. She came to grips with the restructuring and expansion of the palace. After the restoration, the estate was rented out as a summer residence.

Massandra Palace

A French-style palace from the era of Louis XIII, originally owned by Count Vorontsov. But the Field Marshal General did not live to see the completion of construction. The building remained unfinished until the moment when Emperor Alexander III paid attention to it. By the will of the ruler, the palace was completed according to the original plan with minor additions made by the architect M. Messmacher.

Yusupov Palace

Crimean residence of Prince F. Yusupov. The building was built at the beginning of the 20th century. After the nationalization of the property of aristocratic families in the 20s. this place became quite closed - the chief Chekist Felix Dzerzhinsky and other representatives of the ruling elite of the USSR rested here. After the collapse of the Union, the palace was transferred to the administration of the President of Ukraine, and after March 2014 - to the administration of the Russian President.

Vorontsov Palace

It is located near the village of Alupka at the foot of the Ai-Petri peak. The palace served as the main residence of the Governor-General Count M. Vorontsov. The English architect Blore, who had a hand in the construction of London's Buckingham Palace, worked on the project. Blore has never been to the Crimea and worked on the plan remotely, but his creation fits very well into the Crimean landscape.

Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky

The main Orthodox church in Yalta, one of the main city attractions. It opened at the beginning of the 20th century and became a real decoration of the summer capital of the Russian Empire (as Yalta was called in those days). The cathedral is named after Prince Alexander Nevsky and is dedicated to the memory of the murdered Emperor Alexander III. Inside the temple is painted in the Byzantine style, the outer facade is made in the traditional "Moscow" temple style of the XVII-XVIII centuries.

Foros Church

The temple, standing on the edge of the sheer Red Rock near the village of Foros. It was built in honor of the miraculous rescue of Alexander III and his family during a train wreck. After the Bolsheviks came to power, the church was closed, and all more or less valuable property was removed from there. Until 1969, a restaurant operated on the territory. Over the next 30 years, the building was empty and destroyed, only in 1992 the Ukrainian government took up its restoration.

Armenian church

The temple of the Armenian Church of the early XX century, built according to the project of G. Ter-Mikelyan at the expense of magnate P. Ter-Ghukasyan. He managed to avoid the unrest of the post-revolutionary period, but still the facade suffered during the Second World War of 1941-1945. Despite the fact that churches throughout the country continued to collapse and close, a complete reconstruction was carried out here. The temple was restored by 1988.

Baths of Roffe

Historical monument of the XIX century on the Yalta embankment. Previously, the hotel "France" was located here and the baths were part of it. A. Chekhov, I. Bunin, F. Chaliapin were regular visitors to the baths. In front of the building there is a sculptural group "Chekhov and the Lady with a Dog" of 2004. A modern monument dedicated to the writer, very harmoniously fit into the overall ensemble of the Yalta embankment.

Chekhov House Museum

A.P. Chekhov lived in Yalta since 1898. He purchased a plot of land, and literally in a year a house was built for the writer, which was called "White". Here he created many of his famous works. Among them - "The Cherry Orchard", "Three Sisters", "Lady with a Dog". After the death of the writer, the house was almost immediately open to the public. In 1927, the building was badly damaged by an earthquake.

Museum "Glade of Fairy Tales"

The museum where the heroes of cartoons and fairy tales "live". The main part of the exposition was created in the 70-80s. gg. XX century, but there are modern characters. The territory is divided into several zones: fairy tales of Russia and Ukraine, Pushkin's glade, fairy tales of Europe and America, fairy forest, Slavic settlement. It is best to come to this place with children - little tourists will be delighted with their favorite characters.

Yalta Zoo "Fairy Tale"

Private zoo, which was founded in the 90s. XX century. Despite such a young age, he is very popular with guests of the Crimea and its inhabitants. Bears, lions, tigers and leopards, panthers, camels, ostriches, peacocks and other animal species live here. Domestic goats, sheep, pygmy pigs and ponies live in a separate area called "Grandma's Yard".

Yalta crocodilarium

The place where the largest population of crocodiles in Russia and Ukraine is kept. The crocodilarium arose due to the fact that in 2009 several dozen Nile crocodiles were born in the Alushta Zoo, and there was nowhere to put them. Then the idea arose to create a separate zoo for them. Several species of crocodiles live in the Yalta crocodile garden: African, Cuban, Pacific crocodiles, as well as smooth-fronted caimans.

Winery "Massandra"

The company was founded at the end of the 19th century by Prince Lev Golitsyn, who remained in history as the main Crimean winemaker. "Massandra" was the first Russian winery. Several hundred thousand bottles are stored in its cellars. The winery has its own vineyards and three factories that produce high-quality varieties of grape drink. Under the Massandra brand, dry, dessert, semi-sweet and strong wines are produced.

Mount Ai-Petri

During the reign of the Greeks in the Crimea, on the top of Ai-Petri was the monastery of St. Peter. This is where the name of the mountain comes from. Ai-Petri is the most picturesque and most visited mountain in Crimea, from the village of Miskhor a cable car about 3 km long leads to the peak. It was launched in 1988. The cable car ride is a popular tourist attraction. In the high season, long queues line up at the entrance of those wishing to climb Ai-Petri.

Cableway "Yalta - Gorka"

The old Yalta cable car with a length of about 600 meters. The journey along it takes no more than 12 minutes. From the cabins of this cable car you can look at Yalta from above. At the end station there is an observation deck and a cafe. The path runs between narrow city streets, so it seems that some windows can be reached by hand. The cableway "Yalta-Gorka" has been operating for several decades.

Seaside Park. Gagarin

Landscape park of the middle of the XX century. It occupies a very picturesque area on the coastal slopes of Yalta. The park houses hotels, former and existing sanatoriums, and a medical resort. The natural diversity of the park is about 100 species of trees and shrubs. Here you can walk among cypress alleys and pine groves. Fragrant roses bloom on the lawns of the park until the first winter frosts.

Embankment of Yalta

Equipped coastal area with a length of about 1000 meters. There are restaurants, summer verandas, shops, attractions, there are pleasure boats on the pier. As in any southern city, the embankment is the center and core of resort life. In the summer months, traffic here does not stop for a minute - tourists are walking slowly, music sounds from the cafe, guides advertise their services and invite guests to boat trips.

Nikitinsky Botanical Garden

The garden was founded at the beginning of the 19th century; it is one of the oldest scientific centers in Russia for the study of flora. A rich plant gene pool is stored and reproduced here - several thousand species of fruit trees, ornamental shrubs, herbs, flowers. This diversity has been preserved as a result of the painstaking work of the scientists of the Nikitinsky Botanical Garden for two centuries.

Royal (Solar) path

Hiking path with a length of 6.7 km., which runs from the Livadia Palace to Cape Ai-Todor in the village of Gaspra. It is a wide path along the rocky coast among pine groves. There are several observation platforms on the trail, from where a beautiful view of the Black Sea opens. The royal path was equipped at the very beginning of the 20th century. The imperial family used it for walking. Nicholas II often walked here, thinking about the fate of Russia.

Waterfall Wuchang-Su

From the Crimean Tatar language "Uchan-Su" is translated as "flying water". The waterfall is located in the vicinity of Yalta. The height of the fall of water jets is about 100 meters. Wuchang-Su is a rather powerful water stream that rumbles with such force that it can be heard for hundreds of meters around, all other sounds are drowned in the roar of rapids. In the spring months, after the snow melts or after heavy rains, the waterfall gains its maximum strength.

Yalta lighthouse

The lighthouse was built in the 19th century on the site of a former signal tower. The construction has always played an important role for navigation, as it was a guide for ships. The lighthouse still greets ships with signal lights, preventing them from colliding with each other or crashing against the concrete ledges of the embankment. Nowadays, the lighthouse tower is classified as a historical monument.