Sightseeing and Places of Interest in Crimea

Holidays In Crimea will arrange all your Sightseeing Excursions for you to help make your holiday to Crimea even more more enjoyable.

Yalta Places Of Interest

Swallow's Nest

Is a mock-medieval castle near Yalta, in Crimea, Ukraine. It was built between 1911–1912 near Gaspra, on top of 40-meter (130 ft) high Aurora Cliff, to a Neo-Gothic design by the Russian architect Leonid Sherwood. The castle overlooks Ai–Todor cape of the Black Sea and is located near the remnants of the Roman castrum of Charax. Swallow's Nest is one of the most spectacular visitor attractions in Crimea.

Livadia Palace

The summer home of the last of the Russian Tsars, Nikolai II, and in 1945 home to the Yalta Conference, where Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin met to re-draw the map of Europe at the end of the 2nd World War. Livadia Palace is full of history covering the last 150 years.
The palace buildings and extensive gardens overlook the Black Sea and the Bay of Yalta reflects the influence of the original architect, Ippolito Antonovich Monighetti, who was sent from Moscow to Livadia after the Estate was bought for Tsar Alexander II in 1861

Massandra Palace

1775's yield "Heres de la Frontera" is the jewel of the collection. A bottle of this wine was sold at 2001 Sotheby's for $50 thousand.

Wine Tasting At Massandra
Massandra's present collection of selected wines can be compared nothing but a work of art. Robert Parker, world's #1 wine taster was impressed tasting Massandra's 'Muscat' for the first time. The wines have got near 150 awards at international exhibitions and wine-tasting sessions. Curing qualities of Massandra wines 3 to 7 times exceed other world's analogues. 'The White Muscat of the Red Stone' was recognized the real masterpiece of winemaking. Neither wine throughout the world has got so many international awards: 'Super Grand Prix' Award, two 'Grand Prix' Cups, 21 golden medals. Its tender, original bouquet absorbed the aroma of Muscat bunch, honey of flowers, herbs, tea-rose and orange rind and would leave anyone indifferent.

In 1812, Swedish botanist Christian Steven designed Nikitsky Botanical Gardens near the village of Nikita, six kilometers from Yalta.

Designed in landscape style, its picturesque terraces descending to the sea, the Nikitsky Botanical Gardens is considered to be one of the finest in Europe. Its parks are a peculiar open-air museum, which comprises more than 18,000 species of plants from Mediterranean countries, South-East Asia and South America.

Nikita Botanical Gardens is a large scientific-research institute as well as a beautiful tourist attraction.

At 1,234m, Ai-Petri is certainly one of the most spectacular peaks in Crimea, with its sparkling white limestone peaks and its jagged `teeth'. The peak is actually the weathered remains of a huge coral reef formed millions of years ago, when this area was under the sea.
From the village of Miskhor near Alupka Palace, you can take one of the longest cable-car rides in europe (3.5 km - in two legs) to get to the peak. The route takes you over vineyards and then forests, and finally up the steep rocky side of the mountain, with spectacular views of the Black Sea coast as you rise.
Alternatively, you can take a minibus or taxi up the winding forest road that leads to the plateau behind the summit, taking in panoramic glimpses of Yalta and the sea, and then stopping off at the Uchan-Su waterfall (98m) on the way. Or you can do the climb on foot with a guide who knows the safe way up.

It is hard to imagine an architectural monument more romantic than the Alupka Palace of Count M. S. Vorontsov, the former Governor-General of the Novorossiysk Territory. It was built in 1828-1846 to the design of Edward Blore, one of the best English architects. The bold, unusual design and original architecture, as well as marble lion sculptures lend it an inimitable character. The immense park around the palace is one of the finest on the Southern Coast of Crimea. The buildings of the Vorontsov Palace which stand in the park descending like an amphitheatre to the sea have become an integral part of the landscape of the Crimea Souther Coast. The magnificent Palace Grounds have 4 lakes, waterfalls and fountains amongst the beautiful gardens cover 40 hectares.

Due to its military past, most streets in Sevastopol are named after Russian and Soviet military personnel. There are hundreds of monuments and plaques in various parts of Sevastopol commemorating its past.

The harbour at Sevastopol is part of a huge bay forming the mouth of the Chernaya (Black) river. From this quay there are numerous small boat tours around the bay, including close views of the Black Sea Fleet. A very interesting place to visit is the Sevastopol Navy Museum.

At Khersoness point on the outskirts of Sevastopol lies one of the most important archeological site in Crimea. The columns and portico of an early Christian church from the 4th century AD stand next to the sea among the remains of a city which was originally a Greek colony founded around 420 BC. Archeological finds are on display in the museum at the site. Recently restored St Vladimir Cathedral overlooks all the ancient ruins

Diorama
It is a part of museum complex situated on Sapun Hill.

The site is 6 km away from the central part of Sevastopol and there during the 2nd defence of the hero city in 1941-1942, and during the time of liberation of the city in spring 1944 this natural 8-km long obstacle on the way to Sevastopol became the scene of fierce fights.

A museum of Diorama is a semi-circular building containing diorama itself and an exposition devoted to 250-days heroic defence and liberation of Crimean peninsular. 25-mete long and 5 meter in height canvas depict one of the episodes of the battle for the liberation of Sevastopol from the Hitler's troops, which took place on the slopes of Sapun Hill.

The battle was led literally for every meter of Sevastopol land. An object plan of the immense diorama has 83 m2.

Besides the building of Diorama, the Museum complex includes an open air exposition. It is possible to see models of weapons and equipment (tanks, artillery, military naval armaments) and also models of captured German weapons. Behind the building of Diorama there is a memorial complex with the Eternal flame at the Obelisk of Glory.

A Chapel of St. George built in honor of 50-year anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people over fascists Germany is nearby.

The Genoese Fortress

The Genoese and the Venetians competed for a lucrative trade in slaves and spices, taking slaves from eastern europe via Crimea to Egypt and buying spices, silk, linen and aromatic woods there brought in by traders from India and Ceylon. Towers, walls, complex of city gate and other defensive constructions, compose a unique, well-preserved fortification system, which skillfully harmonizes with a natural relief. The basic material of masonry is local dense sandstone the extraction of which was carried out not far away from a city. The masonwork of the walls, merlons and parapets, construction of loop-holes and other architectural elements enable to study the building techniques applied at their creation, tactical methods of defense and also stages of fortifications construction.

Crimean wines, especially grown in the Southern Coast are well-known around the world.

The Museum and Tasting hall of Sparkling Wine (a la Champagne) Plant 'Novy Svet' was founded by L.S. Golitsyn.

At the Paris World Fair in 1900, Golitsyn's 'Novy Svet' won the Grand Prix for champagne.

Taste excellent wines from the Crimean plains and mountainous valleys, savour exquisite champagne wines from the Novy Svet winery which also incorporates a wine makers museum

Foros - The Church on the Rock
Bakhchisarai - The Khan's Palace - Uspensky Cave Monastery - Chufut Kalev Cave City
Koktebel - Kara Drag Mountain Reserve - Voloshin's House - Lissya Bukhta
Feodosia - Aivasovsky Gallery