Interesting places in the resort town of Gelendzhik. Short description

The resort town of Gelendzhik is located in the Krasnodar Territory and is located on the Black Sea coast. The history of this city begins from the 6th century BC. This is one of the first resort towns located on the Black Sea. It is not a very big city, but has been recognized as one of the best for a very long time. Today Gelendzhik is very popular among tourists. Here you can see the most beautiful places and attractions. This city is also famous for its waterfalls.

Description

Gelendzhik translated into Russian means white bride. Behind the settlement with such a romantic name are the Caucasus Mountains. Gelendzhik embankment is considered the longest embankment in the world and one of the most beautiful and convenient places for walking on the Black Sea coast. It originates in the area of ​​the thin Cape and ends only on the thick cape, and this is the opposite shore. You can walk along the embankment along the entire bay.

It is especially interesting and fun to walk here:

• At the beginning of summer;
• During the traditional carnival;
• In honor of the opening of the beach season.

A description of a city like Gelendzhik can be given endlessly. It's better to see once than to hear 100 times.

Gelendzhik received city status in 1915, 50% of the population were intelligentsia

The founding of the Gelendzhik village took place in 1864. In 1870 the village was transformed into the village of Gelendzhikskoye.

By 1912, the population of Gelendzhik was 5,000 people, of which 50% were intellectuals. The Gelendzhik intelligentsia founded a society whose funds were used to improve the resort. The intellectual influence is still felt in Gelendzhik.

The village had a village administration, a postal and telegraph office, a hospital with an outpatient clinic, a pharmacy, a reading room, a school, many stores with household goods and an information desk for finding apartments. It was possible to rent a room for modest means - 10 - 15 rubles per month. The cab drivers' fee was also modest - 40 - 50 kopecks per hour.

In 1915, by decision of the Council of Ministers of the Russian Empire, the transformation of the village of Gelendzhik into an urban settlement was approved.

Gelendzhik Museum of History and Local Lore

Waterpark Golden Bay

People who come to relax in the city of Gelendzhik should definitely visit the water park. For example, Golden Bay is the largest outdoor water park in Russia. This also speaks to the significance of such a facility for the resort of Gelendzhik. There are 44 slides and 67 descents. A specially trained lifeguard is on duty near each slide, instructing visitors before the descent. However, the rule of behavior on the slides is to be attentive and cheerful.

Ottoman times

By the end of the 15th century, these lands were captured by the Turks. It was during those times that the settlement acquired its modern name. There are several options that explain how the city received this name. One of them is the word “Khuulyzhiy” in the Natukhaev dialect meaning “small pasture or land.”

Perhaps the Turks borrowed this word and called it “Kelendzhik”, and some scientists, translating from Turkic, gave it the meaning “Daughter-in-Law.” As a result, gradually this name, slightly transformed, took root.

Borders of the Ottoman Empire. Photo: https://cont.ws/uploads/pic/2015/12/shop8401-1%5B1%5D%5B1%5D.jpg

Gelendzhik became a large trading center for the highlanders, who did not have their own internal market. In the city there was an enormous exchange of goods with Turkish merchants. Türkiye dictated its policy here for about three centuries.

Safari Park

The Safari Park managed to become the best object of the tour show. And this says a lot. The safari park has a simply huge territory. First of all, caring for the animals is important here, that is, how they will live. And not how to make money from them.

The safari park does not have any:

• Confined spaces;
• Cells;
• The bars are only used to fence the enclosure to protect either people from animals or animals from people.

All animals are kept in conditions as close to nature as possible, and human intervention is only necessary for feeding and cleaning the enclosure. There is also a breeding area in the safari park. Here you can look at baby foxes, wolf cubs and other young wild animals. Most of them were born here.

By the way, there is a Black Sea Museum in the safari park. Exhibits from different times are collected here, but all of them are somehow connected with the Black Sea.

Some were:

• Raised from the bottom;
• Others helped in the exploration of the sea;
• Still others saved us from the sea from the enemy during the war.

It will be interesting for everyone to visit such a museum.

Where is

Gelendzhik is part of the Krasnodar Territory , the regional capital is located 180 km away. The nearest city - Novorossiysk - is 25 km away, the distance to Sochi is 250 km, to Kerch - 200 km.

Gelendzhik is located around the bay of the same name in the foothills of the Caucasus, the exit from it is limited by the northern Cape Tonkiy and the steep southern Cape Tolstoy. The distance between capes is 1 nautical mile (1862 m).

Gelendzhik is attractive to tourists because getting to this resort is not difficult:

1. There are airports in Gelendzhik and neighboring cities (Krasnodar, Anapa). The airport in Gelendzhik was opened in 2010 and receives flights from different regions; in the summer the number of direct destinations increases. Having arrived at the airports of Anapa or Krasnodar, you will need to use public transport or a taxi (the journey will cost 2200-6700 rubles).
2. The nearest railway station is in Novorossiysk, you can get to the resort by taxi (average fare 750 rubles), the journey will take 40 minutes.
3. The car route passes through the city of Krasnodar, and then you can choose to travel along the M-4 or E-115 highways.

Gelendzhik coordinates 44°33′39″ N. latitude, 38°04′36″ e. d.

Cable car

The cable car to the Markotkh ridge (Markotkh - the name of the ridge comes from the word “marko” - blackberry and “tkhy” - ridge.) operates almost around the clock. One ascent and descent costs about 350 rubles, but what views open up from above. It's worth a look. At this height, approximately 500 meters, you can clearly see how the city goes around the bay. Far below, the Black Sea spreads out in a light haze. On the Markotkhsky ridge there is an inscription Gelendzhik one hundred meters long (longer than the Hollywood inscription). Several years ago it was created by local residents.

Conquest of lands by Russia

Russia and Turkey shared these lands for a long time. As a result, the next war between the Turks and the Russians brought dividends for the latter - in 1829, according to the Treaty of Adrianople, the territory of Russia expanded with additional lands - starting from the place where the Kuban flows into the Sea of ​​Azov and ending with the port of St. Nicholas on the territory of modern Georgia. After this event, the history of Gelendzhik begins to be made under the flag of the Russian Empire.

Fortifications begin to be built along the entire coast:

1831 – Gelendzhik fortification.

1836 – Alexandria (Kabardia),

1837 - Novotroitskoye (Krinitsa), in the same year Mikhailovskoye (Arkhipo-Osipovka).

Gelendzhik fortification. Photo: https://images.myshared.ru/6/537921/slide_23.jpg

As a result, at the end of the thirties of the 19th century, the coastal fortification was completely rebuilt, and its main role was to annex the western part of the Caucasus. But this never happened, so at the beginning of the 2nd half of the 19th century it ceased to function.

Jeeping

Extreme vacation in Gelendzhik is traditional Jeeping. However, you will not encounter a single familiar jeep, in the usual sense of the word. But the UAZ will be a faithful iron horse.

Walking in UAZ:

• Extreme;
• Excursion.

Extreme ones are designed for young people - these are puddles, the UAZ skids, but with all this it is safe, there are no cliffs.

Excursion trips are designed for families with children and the elderly. In UAZ cars you can get to the ancient dolmens, which, as they say, heal the soul. Here you can improve your physical health. More recently, Chinese dates began to be grown in Gelendzhik, which contain twice as much vitamin C as citrus fruits.

Possessions of Byzantium

Our era comes, and already in the 3rd century, an increasing number of settlements of the Bosporan kingdom were destroyed from constant attacks by the Goths, Huns and other barbarian tribes. By the way, it is the Huns who deal the most serious blow to the Bosporan possessions. Consequently, not a trace remains of the state, and it ceases to exist.

In the second half of the first millennium AD, Byzantium entered the arena, which step by step became one of the most powerful powers. If we believe the chroniclers of the early Middle Ages, then the harbor of EPTALA appears on the site of the former TORIK.

Somewhat later, Genoese colonies gradually began to appear near the Crimean and Black Sea coasts (according to some sources, there were 39 such settlements). Historical finds also indicate that Zikh tribes existed in the same territory; later they were replaced by their descendants - Adyghe tribes - Adygs and Shapsugs.

Arkhipo-Osipovka

The resort village of Arkhipo-Osipovka is located fifty kilometers from the city of Gelendzhik. It makes sense to get there by car if you are not bothered by passes and serpentine roads. If all this is not to your liking, the alternative is sea transport and this way you will immediately get to the bay, along the shores of which there is a beautiful beach. It's a pleasure to relax here, because... There are fewer people in Arkhipo-Osipovka than in Gelendzhik, but there are enough sanatoriums and recreation centers.

Gelendzhik

History of Gelendzhik

Stone dolmens of Gelendzhik The oldest buildings in the vicinity of Gelendzhik are stone dolmens, mysterious structures made of multi-ton roughly hewn slabs.
There are legends about their origin, but no one knows for sure what kind of unknown people created dolmens, what their true purpose is. Scientists agree on only one opinion: the dolmens were erected at least 5 thousand years ago. It is interesting that similar structures are found on the Mediterranean coast of Europe, and there are several hundred of them on the French coast of the Atlantic. The history of Gelendzhik known to us dates back to the 6th century BC. e. Greek sailors arriving from neighboring Asia Minor built a city and port in the lagoon on the northern cape of the bay, which provided an excellent natural harbor. This polis is mentioned in ancient sources under the name Torikos. In 1971, archaeologists discovered the remains of its structures on Tonky Cape.

In the second half of the 1st millennium BC. e. The Greek city-states that dotted the southern coast of Crimea and the opposite shores of the Black and Azov Seas entered into an alliance, uniting into the Bosporan Empire, centered in Panticapaeum (today Kerch). Rome fought with this kingdom. In 63 BC. e. Roman legions reached the modern Gelendzhik Bay, and the fortified port city of Pagry was founded here. The Bosporan kings managed to oust their enemies from the North Caucasus, but in the 3rd century the warlike Goths came here. In the next century, the kingdom fell under the onslaught of a horde of Huns, pouring in from the east. Subsequently, these lands were transferred to the possessions of Constantinople. For about a thousand years, the Byzantines called the city in Gelendzhik Bay Eptala, which means “Seven Lagoons.”

Gelendzhik acquired its modern name at the end of the 15th century, when this seaside city, which belonged to Byzantium defeated by the Turks, became part of the Ottoman Empire. They say that at that time ships with captive Circassian beauties, destined for the harems of Istanbul, departed from here. In Turkish, the word "Gelin" means "bride", and the suffix "cik" gives it an affectionate, diminutive connotation.

Gelendzhik at the beginning of the 20th century

The lands of the North Caucasus were included in the Russian Empire in 1829 under a treaty that ended the Russo-Turkish War. A Cossack village was formed in Gelendzhik. In 1837, the exiled poet Mikhail Lermontov visited here. For a long time the city vegetated as a military fort. The Russian writer Vladimir Korolenko, who traveled along the Black Sea coast of the North Caucasus in the second half of the 19th century, described Gelendzhik as a provincial fishing village with a nondescript inn.

The first vacationers appeared on local beaches at the beginning of the last century, health resorts grew on the coast of the bay, hotels for visitors were built, and already in 1915 Gelendzhik acquired the status of a resort town. In the 1930s, dozens of departmental holiday homes appeared here, which were built by various ministries and enterprises in many regions of the Soviet Union. During the Great Patriotic War, Gelendzhik was not occupied, but was heavily destroyed by German air raids.

In the 60-90s, hospitable Gelendzhik, with its wonderful climate and warm sea, actively developed its infrastructure. The local resort complex was included in the prestigious list of All-Union health resorts. The city still has the status of a health and tourism center today. Tourists from all over Russia come to the resorts of Gelendzhik to relax. In 2022 alone, 3,907,000 tourists spent their holidays here.

Gelendzhik during the USSR

Geography and climate

Gelendzhik is located on the southeastern coast of the Black Sea, in the Krasnodar Territory. In a straight line, the city is 88 km away from the regional center, but the Krasnodar-Gelendzhik highway is built to bypass the Caucasian foothills, which lengthens the route to 186 km. From Moscow to the resort city – 1522 km along the highway.

Lighthouse on a cliff

Pleasure motor-sailing schooner "Corsair"

The city seems to embrace with its streets a bay convenient for navigation, which juts deep into the foothills of the Caucasus. Gelendzhik Bay is well protected from storms; its outline resembles a wide vessel with a narrow neck facing the open sea. The exit from the natural harbor is marked by two capes, called “Thick” (in the south) and “Thin” (in the north). Interestingly, nature placed them at a distance of 1862 meters, which is exactly one nautical mile. On the land side, the city is surrounded by spurs of the Markotkh mountain range, densely covered with deciduous and pine forests. Stormy rivers flow from the mountains into the sea; there are several picturesque waterfalls on the territory of Greater Gelendzhik.

The climate in Gelendzhik is comfortable and mild. The proximity of the warm sea and the Caucasus Mountains, which protect the region from northern air currents, allows us to define it by all indicators as a subtropical Mediterranean. Even on the coldest days of January and February, the thermometer here does not drop below +2 °C during the day, and fluctuates around 0 °C at night. The record temperature recorded here in January was +19 °C. Subtropical plants are comfortable here; persimmons, pomegranates, peaches, and kiwis are grown in the gardens, and bamboo and laurel bushes are planted as hedges in suburban dachas.

Winter in Gelendzhik

In December-January the weather is usually stormy, with a cold and strong north-east wind rising, causing storms at sea. Locals call it "bora". Stormy weather lasts up to 45 days, and piercing winds reach speeds of 60 m/s.

Spring comes to the city early, in February-March the air warms up to +7...+10 °C during the day, and in April-May - up to +15...+20 °C. The swimming season in Gelendzhik begins in mid-May and ends in late September, and often lasts until the end of October. At this time, the sea in Gelendzhik Bay is rarely stormy. The temperature of coastal waters in summer is comfortable for swimmers, its values ​​fluctuate between +21...+24 °C, while the daily air temperature averages +23...+25 °C, and in July-August it often rises to +27 …+30 °C. Night indicators: +15…+18 °С.

It is not for nothing that the coat of arms of Gelendzhik is crowned with an image of the sun: from May to October the daytime here is mostly clear. According to meteorological observations, the bulk of precipitation falls from November to February in the form of rain; snow is very rare here.

Sights of Gelendzhik

The main tourist “lure” of the resort town is the numerous beaches of Gelendzhik Bay, beautiful mountain landscapes, well-groomed parks and virgin forests climbing the Markotkhsky ridge.

Gelendzhik at sunset

Part of the city embankment is called Lermontovsky Boulevard. There is a monument to the poet who visited Gelendzhik in 1837. On the seaside boulevard there is one of the oldest buildings in the city - a beacon built in 1897. Since then and to this day, the lighthouse has continuously served sailors; at night its light is visible to the skippers of approaching ships 16 kilometers away. The design of the lighthouse is so successful and reliable that in its entire history, only one small reconstruction of the equipment was carried out - in 1927, the kerosene lamp was replaced with a powerful electric light source.

Gelendzhik lighthouse

Lermontov Square White Bride

Recently, the streets and embankments of Gelendzhik are annually decorated with interesting sculptures. In front of the building of the Gate Lighthouse, the bronze Old Lighthouse peers out into the sea, holding a kerosene signal lantern high in its hand. On the streets you will meet Pushkin's Scientist Cat in the robe of a university master and with a book in his paws; A tourist looking for an object to photograph; joyful Assol meeting a brigantine with scarlet sails; a barefoot flute player casually sitting down on the lawn under a tree. The new symbol of the resort is the beautiful White Bride, hinting at the Turkish name of the city. The two-meter statue, clearly visible from the sea, was installed on the embankment in 2010. Next to it there is a city beach, an oceanarium with three exhibition areas, an aquarium filled with water from the Mediterranean Sea, and a mini zoo.

Brigantine with scarlet sails

Old Mayachnik Cat Scientist Barefoot Flutist Lady with a dog

The history of the region from ancient times to the present day is presented in the exhibits of the Gelendzhik Museum of Local Lore. It is located a stone's throw from the embankment, on Ostrovsky Street, 1. In the summer, the exhibition is open from 10:00 to 22:00. The entrance ticket to the museum costs 150 rubles; for the right to take photographs you need to pay an additional 50 rubles. Children's tickets are sold for 70 rubles. The museum has a fascinating interactive exhibition especially for children, and the spectacular “Night at the Museum” shows are organized for adults.

Gelendzhik Museum of History and Local Lore

Curious travelers should definitely visit other branches of the museum with their man-made and natural attractions outside the city. The closest of them is located east of Gelendzhik, 5 km from the village of Kabardinka. Here, on the rocky seashore, are the concrete bunkers of the legendary artillery battery of Captain Zubkov. These fortified positions from the Great Patriotic War have been landscaped for viewing and turned into an open-air museum. The cannons removed from the ships that defended Tsemes Bay and the approaches to Novorossiysk from the German fleet are installed here. There is a monument and a mass grave of the battery soldiers here. Entrance to the memorial is 100 rubles.

Artillery battery of captain Zubkov Skala Parus

In the village of Praskoveevka, 17 km southeast of Gelendzhik, admire the amazing natural sculpture - the Parus rock. At its foot there is a wild pebble beach where you can swim and have a picnic. Pleasure boats go to the Parus rock from Gelendzhik. The cost of the excursion is 800 rubles, a ticket for a child 4-11 years old will cost half as much. The cruise takes 4 hours, of which two hours are reserved for swimming at the rock and lunch with barbecue.

A cascade of 10-meter waterfalls, called “Emerald”, seethes along the Zhane River. Near the village of Teshebs, 6 km east of the resort village of Arkhipo-Osipovka, next to the highway, the picturesque Gebius Falls delight the eye - a wonderful object for memorable photos.

Emerald Waterfall Gebius Falls

Mysterious stone structures – dolmens – will give travelers vivid impressions. One of the closest locations to Gelendzhik, where you can see several of these buildings, is located 20 km from the city, on the right bank of the Pshada River, near the seaside village of Krinitsa. The dolmens are located on a private territory rented by a farm. Entry fee is 150 rubles. Here you can have a delicious lunch in a home cafe, buy wonderful honey and exclusive cosmetics made from beekeeping products from the hostess. Nearby there is a small museum with a collection of butterflies.

Dolmens of Gelendzhik

Beaches

In Gelendzhik Bay, sandy and pebble beaches are located right within the city, they stretch in an endless line. Many beaches are well equipped, but lovers of private swimming will also find “wild” areas here. Several such secluded places can be found to the west of the center of Gelendzhik, heading around the bay towards Thin Cape. The coast there is rocky, in many places it is impossible to drive to the sea by car; vehicles will have to be left at least half a kilometer from the surf line. The local airport runway is located nearby. There are also combined swimming locations with an uncomfortable rocky shore, but a pleasant sandy bottom. Further, behind the cape, the coast turns sharply to the northwest, and a line of pebble beaches stretches from the Vzlyot sanatorium to the neighboring Blue Bay. In the Tonky Cape microdistrict there is a Wild Lagoon with a sparsely populated and unequipped beach; as a bonus, clean, clear water awaits you. Nearby is the newly developed Breeze Beach. An embankment has been built here, stairs lead down to the water, there are cafes, and sun loungers are provided. A little further you will find a well-equipped Laguna beach with attractions and slides.

Pebble beach

In the 1970s, on the stone-strewn shore of Gelendzhik, a one and a half kilometer city beach was created from sand washed ashore from the bottom of the bay. The resort's city embankment was built along the sea above the sandy strip. This beach begins in the area of ​​the Primorye Hotel, stretches to the piers of the Marine Station and further, from the city center towards Tolstoy Cape, to the Brigantine Hotel. Its width ranges from 5 to 80 meters. The entrance to the water along the entire length of the city beach is gentle and convenient for families with children, but the sandy suspension raised from the bottom by swimmers noticeably clouds the sea by lunchtime.

Beach "Gardens of the Seas"

In the Parus microdistrict, on Tolstoy Cape, at the intersection of Revolyutsionnaya and Krymskaya streets, there is a well-equipped pebble beach “Gardens of the Seas”. The entrance is free. You can get sunbeds here for 150 rubles, two sunbeds under the “fungus” - 300 rubles. On the beach there are cafes offering snacks and kebabs, drinks, and delicious cocktails. There are toilets, changing rooms, showers, a massage room, several trampolines, and inflatable slides for children installed near the surf line. The water is clean, the entrance to the sea is gentle.

5 km southeast of Tolstoy Cape, in a pine forest close to the water’s edge, there is the Sosnovka tent camping site and the wild beach of the same name. You can get there by taxi or private car. The campsite has a grocery store and a kiosk selling beach items. A dirt road leads to the beach through the forest, then a steep rocky descent, with metal railings and steps installed here and there. Sports shoes will come in handy here. There is no infrastructure on the beach, but there are few vacationers. The entrance to the sea is along large stones slippery from algae, the bottom goes steeply into the depths. This is a good location for snorkeling - fish are clearly visible in the clear water, crabs crawl among the rocks along the bottom, and dolphins swim close to the shore.

Beach and camping "Sosnovka"

Active recreation in Gelendzhik

Yacht in Gelendzhik Bay
For those who like to fish, morning sailing trips are organized in Gelendzhik. Yachts depart at 08:00, fishing and swimming last 4 hours. Fishing rods and tackle are provided on board; you can take masks and fins. The cost of the tour is 800 rubles.

During the day, holidaymakers go on boat trips. The departure schedule for pleasure boats is posted on the pier near the embankment. The estimated cost of a ticket for a mini-cruise is 500 rubles. Renting a sailing yacht capable of taking on board a company of up to 10 people will cost from 3,500 rubles. On the beaches of Gelendzhik, you can rent jet skis, motor boats and yachts, inflatable “buns” and “bananas” - in short, the entire range of active entertainment at the seaside resort.

To practice diving on your own, you need to travel outside the city, to the rocky coasts, since the water in the bay with an alluvial sandy bottom is muddy. Local diving centers offer diving trips in interesting locations. Among them are sites with a battleship that sank in 1918, the wreckage of aircraft shot down over the sea during the Great Patriotic War, and labyrinths of reefs in the area of ​​​​the village of Dzhanhot. A four-day training course for beginner scuba divers will cost from 17,000 rubles, a two-hour boat trip to the sea with diving - from 1,200 rubles.

In Gelendzhik, you will have to navigate a host of other tempting seasonal offers, inviting tourists to rafting, jeep safaris on mountain roads, horseback riding in the surrounding area, and bicycle tours to natural attractions.

Jeep Safari Seaplane Takeoff

You can fly over the sea on a parachute attached to a boat. Flight altitude – up to 150 meters. The cost of this pleasure is 1500 rubles. The suspended parachute swing can accommodate two people, but you will have to pay twice as much. For tourists who are not limited in spending, a romantic hot air balloon flight is offered for 20,000 rubles for two.

Among the most exotic activities in Gelendzhik are trips through mountainous off-road terrain on eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers that have served their purpose in the army, and flights over the bay and surrounding areas on a seaplane. The excursion to the mountains on an open and conveniently converted army all-terrain vehicle lasts 6 hours. You will find swimming in the river, viewing platforms on the pass, lunch with tasting of local wines in a mountain cafe. The cost of the tour is 2500 rubles.

Entertainment

Gelendzhik's nightclubs are concentrated in the embankment area, many of them go directly to the beaches. Night discos, which are held on board the pleasure ships "Corsair" and "Gloria", converted into "pirate" sailboats, invite you to have a good time and dance under the stars. The ships depart from the pier opposite the Gelendzhik shopping center at 22:00, cross the bay and go out into the open sea. There is a cafe on board, the menu includes hot dishes, snacks, and drinks. Ticket price: 650 rubles.

Motor ships "Calypso" and "Corsair" Shopping and entertainment center "Gelendzhik" Square near the city administration

In the area of ​​Revolutionary Street, the Central Park is open from 10:00 to 23:00, where 35 attractions operate. There is also a cinema, several cafes and eateries. There is a quaddrome ring track nearby. If you want to ride an ATV in the mountains, go to the village of Divnomorskoye. From there there are two-hour trips along the mountain river Mezyb to Lake Tserkovnoe. Travelers can swim at the picturesque Demerdzhi rock. The cost of the tour is 2000 rubles. Groups accompanied by instructors depart from 09:00 to 18:00.

On the terraces of the mountain slope above Gelendzhik there is a magnificent Safari Park, where there is also a cable car. On the vast territory of the park, in spacious enclosures among the trees, hundreds of animals and birds, reptiles and reptiles live, representing the fauna of all continents: elephants and tigers, lions and bears, zebras, monkeys, turtles, pelicans and peacocks, and many other cute animals. You can feed some of the zoo's inhabitants. In the cable car pavilion and at the entrance to the zoo, bags of animal food are sold for 100 rubles.

Safari Park Animals

Safari Park is open from 09:00 to 20:00. The entrance ticket costs 1,200 rubles; it is possible to pay for the ticket by credit card, in which case the price is reduced to 1,050 rubles.

Cable car in Gelendzhik

From the seat of the 1600-meter cable car you can see the entire park and the sea coast. The lift takes passengers to the top of the Markotkh ridge in 20 minutes. From there, from a height of 640 meters above the sea, a panorama of Gelendzhik Bay opens in the southwest, and in the northeast in the distance you can see the outlines of the mountain range that forms the beginning of the Greater Caucasus Range. The cost of a lift ticket is 600 rubles, when paying by card – 510 rubles. A child under 5 years old is allowed to carry free of charge. The cable car operates for ascent from 10:00 to 20:00, for descent – ​​until 20:30. The ticket office is open from 09:00 to 19:00. If desired, you can climb to the upper terrace of the park on foot. In the park there are souvenir shops, cafes, kiosks with snacks and drinks, playgrounds, and toilets.

A small petting zoo and several attractions are located in Olympus Park. There is another cable car with a length of 1150 m. The entrance ticket will cost 900 rubles, for a child under 11 years old you need to pay 500 rubles. The price includes a 15-minute ascent/descent in a cable car chair and the opportunity to ride in a Ferris wheel cabin, built at the top station of the lift at an altitude of 640 m above the sea. You can ride a pony or ATV along the alleys; visitors are entertained by animators.

Olympus ParkRopeway

The park has a concert venue built on the mountainside in the form of an open amphitheater with a stage. Seats for 3,500 spectators offer sea views. During the holiday season, festivals are held here and famous pop artists perform.

From June to September, beer parties are organized for holidaymakers in the park at the top of the Markotkh ridge. The fun is in full swing here every day from 20:00 to 23:00, discos, shows, competitions, and games are held. Participants in competitive programs are given Heineken beer as a prize. The grill bar sells kebabs and snacks, as well as cocktails, juices and other drinks.

Olympus Park is open from 10:00 to 00:00 daily. The cable car also operates in the same mode. The Ferris wheel is available until 23:00.

Dolphinarium in Gelendzhik

At Lunacharsky Street, 130, there is the Gelendzhik Dolphinarium. Performances with the participation of dolphins and seals, walruses and fur seals are held here. The ticket price is 900 rubles, guests take VIP seats for 1,200 rubles. For 2,500 rubles you can swim in the pool with dolphins. Children under 5 years of age are admitted to the audience free of charge, but parents sit children on their laps. Diving “artists” are guaranteed to splash the first rows of spectators with splashes of water, so light plastic raincoats are sold at the entrance for 100 rubles. Forty-minute performances begin at 10:00 and end at 20:00. The Dolphinarium is open all year round, the day off is Monday.

The Gelendzhik resorts have several water amusement parks. The Golden Bay water park with a vast territory and many attractions is located in the center of Gelendzhik, on Turisticheskaya Street, 23. During the season, there is an influx of vacationers, and long queues form at the water slides. Tourists note the meager selection and unreasonably high prices in local eateries. For example, in the summer of the 2019 season, you had to pay from 150 to 220 rubles for a serving of ice cream, the cheapest hamburger cost 150 rubles, the price tag for a chicken cutlet with a piece of bread required you to pay 190 rubles, for a glass of beer - 120 rubles, and a half-liter bottle of mineral water cost 60 rubles.

Water park "Golden Bay"

The Golden Bay water park is open from 09:00 to 19:00 daily. The entrance ticket for adults costs 1,700 rubles, for children up to 145 cm tall - 900 rubles.

The resort has another popular water park, Begemot, located on Lunacharsky Street, 159. There are noticeably fewer vacationers here, there are practically no queues for the slides, and the recently installed attractions are in excellent condition. There is a cafe and a pizzeria with reasonable prices on site, and there is a cozy pool bar. There is a convenient payment system here. There is no need to carry money with you; the cost of food and drinks is transferred to a chip in the client’s bracelet, and payment is made at the cash desk upon exit. You can pay in cash or by credit card.

Hippo Water Park"

The Begemot water park welcomes guests from 10:00 to 19:00. Entrance ticket for the whole day costs 1300 rubles, for a child under 140 cm tall you need to pay 750 rubles. When purchasing tickets through the website - a 10% discount. Holidaymakers are transported to this amusement park remote from the center by free shuttle buses. One stop is located on the corner of Khersonskaya and Kirov streets, near the Belagio Mangal Tun cafe. From here buses to Begemot leave every half hour from 10:00 to 16:00. You will find the second stop at the Gardens of the Seas beach, on the corner of Krymskaya Street and Central Embankment. From there, shuttles run hourly from 1:15 pm to 4:15 pm. City minibuses also go to the park.

4 km from the city center, on the Sukhumi highway, at the turn to the village of Divnomorskoye, a Roman military camp, fortified according to all the rules, was erected, full of legionnaires in combat gear, led by a centurion. Here, in a pine forest near a stream, the Roman Empire show park is located, and the spectacles that take place here transport tourists two thousand years ago. Outside the camp, a barbarian village has been built, where travelers can learn pottery skills, watch the ritual spells of a shaman, go to a working water mill, or hit a target with a bow at a shooting range (5 shots - 200 rubles). At the entrance to the legionnaires' fort, a mini-fortress with manholes and ladders, turrets, bridges and slides was erected for the youngest tourists. Nearby is a children's gladiator school where they teach fencing. Real gladiator battles take place in the arena.

Show Park "Roman Empire"

Trade is in full swing in the bustling Roman market. Souvenir weapons, ceramics, amulets, amulets, and jewelry are sold here. For hungry park guests, there is a tavern that serves delicious and original dishes. Try gladiator food there - barley porridge with stewed beef in sauce and vegetables roasted over charcoal. This authentic recipe is drawn from ancient chronicles. The cost of the treat is 200 rubles.

Hydroaviation salon

Shows are held hourly, the cost of an entrance ticket is 1000 rubles, a child ticket (6-12 years old) is 700 rubles. Free buses depart to the Roman Empire Park every hour from 10:00 to 16:00 from the Blue Wave stop on Thin Cape. Another bus transports those wishing to watch the show from the final stop “Yuzhmorgeologiya” on Tolstoy Cape. On their way through the city center, these buses pick up tourists at public transport stops, where their schedules are posted.

Once every two years, in the first ten days of September, Gelendzhik hosts the Hydroaviation Show. During these days of the velvet season, there are especially many guests in the city. The spectacular air show is held in the bay, where planes take off from the water and, after demonstrating their capabilities in the sky, splash down among the waves.

Purchases

Souvenir market
There are many souvenir shops in the city; memorabilia are sold in entertainment centers and on the beaches. Inexpensive crafts made from seashells, magnets depicting landmarks, and funny toys are in demand. A good selection is offered by the souvenir shop on Revolutsionnaya Street, 13-B, near the Central Amusement Park. The street souvenir market is located next to the Primorye Hotel, on Sadovaya, 1. You can buy an inexpensive gift in the glass pyramid of the shopping center on Lenina Street, 28. They sell original swimsuits, branded resort towels, caps and charming women's hats, T-shirts with naughty inscriptions , cosmetics for protection against sunburn, aromatic sea salt.

Artists positioned their easels on the Gelendzhik embankment paint portraits of tourists. Good paintings depicting seaside landscapes and local attractions are also sold here.

The Central Market (Gorky Street, 6) offers fresh fruits and vegetables, and meat for barbecue. The market is famous for its fish stalls. Seafood is sold salted, smoked, and dried. Owners of apartments with kitchens buy fresh fish, herbs and spices here.

Central market of Gelendzhik

Glass pyramid

Cafes and restaurants

After a beach holiday, stop by the atmospheric restaurant “Cossack’s Hut” on seaside Revolyutnaya Street, 14. Guests are greeted by a gallant Cossack in combat uniform and offered a welcome glass of grape chacha. Here they cook according to old recipes of Southern Russian cuisine. For the first course, rich borscht, fish and meat solyanka, cold beetroot soup and okroshka are served. Be sure to try the homemade kvass and excellent jellied meat here. The cost of main courses is 500-900 rubles. A hearty dinner with beer will cost around 2,500 rubles.

Restaurant "Cossack's Hut"

Lunch can be arranged at the Varenichya Khata restaurant, located on the observation deck in the Olympus mountain amusement park, where delicious dishes of Russian, Ukrainian and Caucasian cuisine are prepared. On the lower platform on the shore of the lake you will find the Golden Fish Cafe. The highlight of the establishment is the pools with trout. Here you are invited to go fishing, and the caught fish will be cooked for you right away. Guests of the park can enjoy tables in a bistro, a kebab shop, and a beer bar.

Restaurant "Varenichya Khata"

Cafe "Golden Fish"

Japanese cuisine is presented in the Banzai restaurant (Kurzalnaya Street, 20). Price range - from 760 to 1520 rubles. You can have an inexpensive meal in the “USSR Dining Room” with appropriately decorated interiors. Main courses are offered for 190-440 rubles. You will find the most delicious fast food in Gelendzhik in the Powerful Shawarma cafe. A popular dish served in thin lavash is prepared from juicy fresh meat, accompanied by farm vegetables, several types of sauces, french fries, juices, tea and excellent lemonade.

Restaurant "Banzai"

Powerful shawarma

Those with a sweet tooth praise the Lady Marmalade dessert bar on Krymskaya Street, 3. The atmosphere of cozy charm reigns here, with vases of flowers on the tables. Sweets are served with wines and cocktails. The gourmet delicacies here are delicious and expensive; a cup of coffee and a slice of cake will cost 500 rubles. The price range for desserts is 318-508 rubles.

Lady Marmalade

Where to stay

More than 1,100 hotels, guest houses, tourist centers, and campsites are presented on the tourist portals of Greater Gelendzhik. The rating of the best hotels in the city is headed by the new world-class hotel Kempinski Grand Hotel Gelendzhik 5*, located on Tolstoy Cape (Revolutionary Street, 53). The hotel buildings are built among relict pine trees. On an area of ​​5 hectares there are also small bungalows for those who like privacy. It has all the attributes of a five-star holiday: chic interiors, a restaurant, bars, three swimming pools, a sauna, a jacuzzi, a spa, and a private beach. For children you can invite a nanny. Guests benefit from a shuttle service to and from the airport. The cost of living is from 13,750 rubles per room.

Kempinski Grand Hotel Gelendzhik

You can stay cheaper in the cozy 4* Europe Hotel. There is a pool here, but you have to walk a few blocks to the beach. The room will cost 6,600 rubles per day.

Hotel Europe

In the 3*+ category, the chain hotel Orchestra Horizont Gelendzhik Resort (Turisticheskaya Street, 4) stands out. This is one of the few hotels in Gelendzhik that operates on an all-inclusive basis. The cost of living is from 4275 rubles per day, breakfast included. In ordinary three-star hotels in the high season you can stay by paying from 1000 to 2500 rubles; in a guest house a room will cost from 500 to 1500 rubles.

Orchestra Horizont Gelendzhik Resort

During the summer season, many townspeople rent out rooms and apartments to tourists. The estimated daily cost of renting a small room in the private sector of Gelendzhik is 400-600 rubles, a one-room apartment is 1,600 rubles, a three-room apartment is 2,800 rubles. Prices vary depending on the proximity of the property to the sea.

Booking.com

Transport

Passenger transportation in Gelendzhik is provided by city buses, minibuses and taxis. Within the city, the cost of a bus ticket is 23 rubles. Municipal transport leaves on routes by 06:00 and departs back to the parks at 22:00. On Kirova Street there is a stop for free buses that take tourists to entertainment centers. Large hotels also provide such transport services to guests.

Cable car

Taxi fares range from 15 to 20 rubles per kilometer; on average, a trip around the city will cost about 350 rubles. Country trips cost 25-30 rubles/km. You need to inquire about prices before getting into the car.

The cost of renting a small budget car during the season is 1500-1700 rubles per day; you can get the keys to an SUV for 4000-4500 rubles per day. To rent a good bicycle for a day, rental shops ask for 400-500 rubles.

There are two cable cars leading to the nearby mountains, where amusement parks, restaurants and observation decks are located. In the summer season, passenger ships and boats run to the piers of numerous resort villages and natural attractions on the Black Sea coast.

How to get there

You can get to Gelendzhik by all types of passenger transport - by plane or train, bus or private car.

Gelendzhik has its own airport, located within the city, on Thin Cape. Tourists from Moscow are delivered there by airlines, Aeroflot, and Ural Airlines. The flight lasts 2 hours 20 minutes. Check out the cost of tickets and flight schedules on the website Aviasales.ru.

At Gelendzhik airport

During the holiday season, buses depart from Moscow to Gelendzhik from Novoyasenevskaya, Krasnogvardeyskaya, and Komsomolskaya bus stations. The ticket price starts from 2,750 rubles, travel time is about a day. In the summer season, direct bus services from Rostov-on-Don, Taganrog, and Elista open to Gelendzhik.

Long-distance buses arrive at the bus station, located on the outskirts of the resort town, on the bypass road at the foot of Mount Markoth. From there, minibuses and taxis deliver passengers to the center of Gelendzhik and other areas. There is another bus station in the city, located closer to the center. It is intended for buses on local routes.

The railway has not yet reached Gelendzhik, although such plans have been incubated for several decades. The nearest railway station is 43 km, it is located in Novorossiysk. Buses and minibuses run from the station to Gelendzhik, the fare is 70 rubles, the travel time is about an hour. A taxi ride will cost approximately 1,500 rubles. Current information about train schedules is updated daily on the Tutu.ru website.

A car trip to Gelendzhik from Moscow runs along the M4 highway through Lipetsk, Voronezh, Rostov-on-Don and Krasnodar. The distance to the southern seaside resort of 1522 kilometers can be covered in 18-20 hours.

Calendar of low prices for air tickets

Bike rides

If you are a fan of cycling, then Gelendzhik is an almost ideal place for you to go for a bike ride. Paths with a length of almost 12 km extend across the entire embankment.

If you are still not one of those who like to pedal, then you can use the services of electric vehicles for travel. Although even in a fashionable electric taxi you would hardly want to drive along the entire embankment without stopping.

Here at every step:

• Bizarre figures of literary heroes;
• Amazing fountains;
• And of course, the most popular attractions of the embankment are the local squirrels.

All you have to do is knock on the house with a nut and the animal is right there. But the main delicacy for squirrels, contrary to popular belief, is not nuts at all, but ordinary seeds. For their sake, the animal can come down into your arms and let itself be stroked. So tourists spend no less time near the trees than at the fountains. In addition to squirrels, peacocks are also found in the resort areas.

In Gelendzhik there is the only glass gallery on the Black Sea coast. Here, under the supervision of a master, your child can make a glass craft himself and take it home. The product is baked for 12 hours and can then be picked up.

The beautiful places of Gelendzhik have something to surprise even an experienced traveler. Of course, there is lush southern nature and a gentle blue sea.

Walking route through the city center

Whatever time of year you come to Gelendzhik, be sure to choose a day to just stroll around the city. Its central promenade, the magnificent Embankment, will provide you with as much as 14 km of travel. Along the way you will meet almost all the city’s “business cards”.

Gelendzhik embankment

© Elena Ramus

It is convenient to start your walk from the Central City Beach . There is an excellent observation deck here, and if you get hungry, there are restaurants serving all the cuisines of the world, it seems.

A stone's throw from the entrance to the beach is another city attraction, the Oceanarium . The inhabitants of the deep sea can be seen without diving into the sea with scuba gear.

Coral reefs, exotic fish of warm seas, piranhas and lobsters - if you want to make a sea “around the world”, then this is the place for you.

All couples in love should take a walk to the “Lovers” fountain . The young man and the girl, hugging each other, froze on the globe, which floats above the streams of water. The sculpture was installed near the local registry office and is popular with newlyweds.

From here you can already see the city's Cathedral and the Church of the Holy Ascension . Its history began in the middle of the 19th century, with a small wooden church. Later, Gelendzhik received the status of a city, and it needed a solid stone temple. The consecration of the new cathedral took place in 1909, and much later, after decades of oblivion, the temple again opened its doors to parishioners. You can come here every day and see beautiful icons and brightly painted ceilings.

Sculpture White Bride

© Elena Ramus

It is impossible to miss the symbol of the city - the sculpture White Bride . A slender girl in a wedding dress personifies Gelendzhik; loosely translated from ancient Turkic, its name sounds like “white bride.” Since 2010, the beauty has been smiling at local residents and guests of the resort; if you want to take a photo with her, most likely you will have to stand in line.

We are approaching Lermontovsky Boulevard . The beautiful pedestrian area is marked by a monument to the poet and an elegant snow-white arch. You need to come back here in the evening, when the fountain's music and lights turn on. Guests will be treated to a vibrant musical show.

Walking further along Lermontovsky Boulevard, you will come across the sculpture Old Lighthouse . Nearby there is another unusual landmark of the city, the beacon lighthouse . It has been lighting the way for ships in Gelendzhik Bay since the end of the 19th century. In the 30s of the last century it was repaired and updated, the kerosene lamp was replaced with an electric one. Nowadays it is not only a lighthouse, but also an architectural monument.

This concludes your walk through the city's attractions. An excellent end to the day will be a ride up the Olympus cable car to the observation deck at +640 meters above sea level. Olympus Park is located at the foot of the Markhot ridge, as well as on the second, “high” level.

Fact 8. Pine under protection

Gelendzhik is a uniquely beautiful evergreen city. According to local residents, the air there is so clean that you want to breathe it in again and again! The reason for such an amazing atmosphere is the Pitsunda pine forest, located near the city and under the protection of UNESCO.

These trees have a bizarre appearance: a spreading, unusually shaped crown with very long needles, reaching a length of 18 cm. The pine is affectionately called “Chernomorochka” for its unique growing region.

It differs from its relatives in that it releases six times more phytoncides into the environment. The combination of pine needles and refreshing sea air is very useful for people with breathing problems, and therefore the resort is visited annually by thousands of people who want to receive treatment. And for children this is simply a unique source of health.

• Family holidays in Russia

Banks and ATMs

There are no problems with ATMs and banks in Gelendzhik. Vacationers can withdraw the required amount of money at any convenient time. Most bank branches are open from 10:00 to 22:00, ATMs are open 24 hours a day.

Sovcombank - in Gelendzhik

The resort offers the following banks:

1. VTB Bank. The branches are located at the following addresses: st. Khalturina, 30; st. Solntsedarskaya, 10; st. Lenina, 10; st. Lunacharskogo, 6. There are also ATMs where you can deposit and withdraw money.
2. Bank opening. Located at st. Kirova, 51. In addition, the resort has about 6 ATMs from this bank. Otkritie - bank in Gelendzhik
3. Sberbank. There are a total of 4 bank branches in Gelendzhik. They are open from Monday to Friday, from 08:30 to 18:00. Office on the street Lenina, 23 is also open on Saturday (from 09:00 to 16:00).

   
   Sberbank - in Gelendzhik

4. Bank Uralsib. Located on the street. Kirova, 51. Open on weekdays, from 09:00 to 18:00.
5. Home Credit. The bank's head office is located on the street. Gorky, 23. It is available for visiting from Monday to Friday, from 09:00 to 19:00.

Alfa Bank ATMs in Gelendzhik are located at st. Kirova, 130 and st. Ostrovsky, 6. Tinkoff Bank ATM is located on the street. Revolutionary, 11.

Addresses of Sberbank ATMs in Gelendzhik:

• st. Mostovaya, 1;
• st. Telmana, no. 135;
• st. Kirova, 134;
• st. Sovetskaya, 71;
• st. Turisticheskaya, 23;
• st. Gvardeiskaya, 38;
• st. Khalturina, 30;
• st. Pogranichnaya, 1;
• st. Kirova, 125;
• st. Revolutionary, 21.

Post Bank - in Gelendzhik