10 places in Crimea that you must see

10 Attractions in Crimea

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The Crimean Peninsula is a unique historical and cultural reserve. For centuries, the cultures of various peoples who lived in this area have intertwined. The history of the confrontation between the civilizations of the East and the West is particularly evident in Crimea — this is the history of Greek colonizers and nomads from the Golden Horde, the first Christians and Muslims who built churches and mosques here.

But Crimea is not just a point on the map rich in historical events. It is also home to stunning diverse nature, once considered the best place for recreation and tourism in the USSR, where Crimea was rightly called the "All-Union Health Resort." In those times, more than 8 million people vacationed annually in over a hundred sanatoriums in Crimea. To see all the attractions of the Crimean Peninsula would take more than a month, but we present to your attention ten places that you must visit first.

1. Swallow's Nest

This ominously looking Gothic castle, located on a cliff, was actually built not in the dark Middle Ages, but just a century ago — in 1912. This layout was commissioned by the German industrialist Baron von Stengel, who wished for his "dacha" to remind him of his homeland. At the beginning of World War I, the baron urgently sold the castle, and after reconstruction, the building turned into an open restaurant.

2. Submarine Base in Balaklava

Ten kilometers from Sevastopol, in the resort town of Balaklava, there is a super-secret submarine base. For security reasons, even during the construction phase, which began in 1957, the secret facility was given the name City Telephone Station No. 825, or GTS 825. This enormous underground structure has a total area of over 5 thousand square kilometers. In 1994, the station was closed, and after Crimea's annexation, a museum dedicated to this base was opened here.

3. Mount Ai-Petri

One of the most popular tourist spots on the map of the Crimean Peninsula. Once there was a Greek temple of Saint Peter (Ai-Petri in Greek), the ruins of which remain to this day. You can reach the top of the mountain by a cable car, which is recognized as the longest in Europe. From the highest point of the mountain called Roca (1346 meters), there is a stunning view of the Yalta Mountain Forest Reserve and the coastline of the Crimean Peninsula.

4. Karadag Nature Reserve

One of the most mysterious places on the southern coast of Crimea. The unique landscape of Karadag is formed by solidified lava flows from the last eruption of the Karadag volcano (Black Mountain) over 150 million years ago. In 1979, a reserve was established here to preserve the unique flora and fauna of this place, many species of which are included in the Red Book.

5. Chersonesus Taurica

This was the name of the city founded by the Greeks more than two and a half thousand years ago. It was here, in a city that once housed a large number of monasteries and Orthodox churches, that Prince Vladimir was baptized. Today, the ruins of Chersonesus, or "Russian Pompeii," attract researchers and tourists from all over the world. In 1892, an archaeological museum was opened here, which collected many valuable artifacts from the ancient city. Later, a state reserve was established.

6. Wind Pavilion

At the top of Shagan-Kaya, at an altitude of 1450 meters, there is a stone gazebo built in 1956. The mosaic on its floor depicts a rose of winds, which is how the gazebo got its name. From here, there is a breathtaking view of Mount Ayu-Dag, Gurzuf, Partenit, and the Black Sea, which can be seen for 150 kilometers on a clear day. Near the gazebo is a cave where winter reigns and snow lies even in the hottest weather.

7. Kerch Fortress (Fort Totleben)

The fortress on the shore of the Kerch Strait was decided to be built to bypass the Paris Peace Treaty, which prohibited Russia from having a fleet and military ports on the Black Sea. The central fort of this grand structure is named after the general who led the construction of the fortifications. To this day, the Kerch fortress remains a splendid example of the impregnable fortifications built in the mid-19th century. Currently, excursions are conducted in Kerch, and specialists study it — some of the extensive underground passages beneath it have yet to be properly explored.

8. Mount Demerdzhi

Demerdzhi — which translates from Tatar as "blacksmith" — is a beautiful mountain resembling a medieval castle in the northern part of the Alushta Valley. On its western slope lies the so-called Valley of Ghosts. Here, near the ruins of the fortress, there are more than a hundred stone figures that resemble the shapes of people and animals. And if you climb to the top of the mountain, a picturesque view of the surroundings opens up from an altitude of over 1200 meters.

9. Tarkhankut

Until the end of the 18th century, the population of the Tarkhankut Peninsula was small, with only a few hundred residents engaged mainly in agriculture. Changes began after part of the land was transferred to Major General V.S. Popov in 1784, who improved the economy of the area. The cape located on the peninsula attracts many divers, archaeologists, and tourists. Underwater archaeologists find priceless artifacts from the ancient era when Scythians and Greeks lived here.

10. Genoese Fortress in Sudak

In those days, when the coast of Crimea from the Bosporus to Chersonesus belonged to merchants from Genoa and Venice, Sudak was chosen by them as a military base. It was then, in 1371, that the construction of the famous Genoese fortress began. Today, the fortress is a unique historical monument. Scientific research and restoration work is conducted on its territory, and excursions take place.