Hello friends!
The summer season is approaching, and many of you are already actively looking for vacation options. In this article I want to tell you about one amazing city, which is easy to get to, pleasant to relax, and simply impossible to forget. This is Yalta. It’s not for nothing that it is called the pearl of Crimea. This city became a real discovery for me. It clearly stands out from other Crimean cities.
And today I want to tell you why this city is worth coming to if you want to see all the most interesting sights of Crimea in a short time.
Listen to organ music
How long have you listened to Bach's music in a good organ hall? But rain is an ideal time for this; go to an organ concert at the Livadia organ music center. In inclement weather, this music, coupled with the magnificent decoration of the hall, gives special pleasure:
The current concert poster and contact information can be found on the page of the organ hall. In Yalta, you can also listen to organ music in the Roman Catholic Church on Pushkinskaya Street.
What to bring from Yalta as a gift
Countless stalls with souvenirs are scattered everywhere here. There are a lot of them on the city embankment and at every tourist site, so you don’t have to worry about finding souvenirs. But what to choose from this variety of shells and trinkets is a big question. They bring to Yalta a typical “Crimean souvenir”: magnets, bracelets, headbands, crafts from shells, made not by Crimean, but rather by Chinese craftsmen. Therefore, other gifts from Crimea deserve attention.
These are wood products: pine needles, fir, cedar, from which they make jewelry, rosaries, and small figurines. These could be essential oils or natural Crimean cosmetics produced by a local enterprise. And also a traditional local “souvenir” - blue Yalta onion, which is usually braided and sold in such an interesting form.
Take a wine tasting tour
Bad weather is a great reason to visit the factory of the legendary Massandra wines. Here you will be told how and thanks to whom winemaking was born in Crimea, you will be shown the huge adits in the rock in which world-famous wine is produced and stored, and you will also have a wine tasting under the guidance of an experienced specialist. In conclusion, here you can purchase your favorite samples for yourself and friends.
By the way, if you settled in Alupka or Koreiz, keep in mind that the Massandra winery has a tasting room not far from the Vorontsov Palace
Visit Chekhov's "White Dacha"
in the House-Museum of A.P. Chekhov with his mother and sister. After Chekhov's death, the dacha passed to his sister Maria, who preserved the original furnishings of those times in the living rooms.
In the halls you will see Chekhov’s personal belongings and interior items from the early 20th century, and if you join the tour, you will learn the stories associated with this house. For example, they will tell you about the landscape of Levitan’s work, which helped the writer cope with longing for northern nature, and about other objects dear to him. After the tour, take a stroll through the garden, where trees were planted by Chekhov himself more than a hundred years ago.
"White Dacha" Photo: @chekhov__yalta
Visit museums
Let's be honest. The vast majority of Yalta's guests know only its resort side: hotels and sanatoriums, beaches and parks, canteens and cafes, bars and restaurants, the swallow's nest, Mount Ai-Petri and, perhaps, palaces. But Yalta has a rich and interesting cultural and historical background!
Our editorial team, whenever possible, takes part in popularizing the nature, history and culture of the South Coast, but still, nothing better than a well-equipped museum with real exhibits and trained guides has yet been invented.
We recommend: the Chekhov House-Museum, the Historical and Literary Museum, the Lesya Ukrainka Museum in a beautiful mansion not far from the embankment, the Pushkin Museum in Gurzuf, the Museum of Vintage Cars (at the same time, take a ride on the Yalta-Gorka cable car) and the Museum of Paleontology in Livadia.
Rest assured, museums are not boring!
Wheels won't hurt
The easiest way is to book a tour - Crimean travel agencies offer a great variety of 1-day trips to Yalta. Then you won’t need to waste time moving around the city on your own and you’ll be able to see more. And professional explanations from the guide will not be superfluous.
The disadvantage of such a program is money. But there is an option - to use your own or rented car when visiting Yalta. Then it will be possible to capture not only the center itself, but also the nearest villages.
The best option is to visit the Livadia and Massandra palaces (they are impressive from the outside, but it will take a little time to explore), see the Chekhov Museum or the Dolphinarium, and then go for a walk along the embankment (Massandra beach, historical buildings, monument to Pugovkin). You can do the opposite - start from the promenade, and then go to the museum complex, the Skazka zoo or the dolphinarium.
Some reviews claim that it is possible to include the Nikitsky Botanical Garden in a one-day excursion on wheels. It’s hard to agree with this - it’s not far to get to it, but the visit will turn out to be too superficial. The fabulous plant kingdom deserves a separate visit.
Try Black Sea oysters
Bad weather is an ideal reason to treat yourself to delicious and healthy gifts from the Black Sea with a bottle of sparkling wine! We have already talked in detail about the places on the South Coast with the freshest oysters, mussels and sea fish.
helpful information
Where to go in Yalta with children
Tips for tourists
5 years have passed since the referendum on Crimea took place, as a result of which an agreement was signed between the peninsula and Russia. It has become the source of significant controversy between Russia, Ukraine and the West, with many embassies warning against travel to the peninsula. As a result of economic sanctions imposed in connection with the referendum, traveling in Crimea has become difficult: virtually no international airlines operate here, and tourists must carry a handful of cash. Bank and credit cards are not accepted anywhere, although you can change foreign currency in banks.
Cultural leisure
To receive aesthetic and cultural pleasures, it is not at all necessary to limit yourself to concert halls, theaters and art galleries in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In Yalta, the cultural life is also quite good. For example, on the territory of the Villa Elena hotel there is an art gallery “Art-Boulevard”, in the Primorsky Park there is a gallery of Crimean painting “Art-South”, and in Gurzuf there is a gallery of contemporary art “White gallery”. You can view (and, if you wish, buy) the works you like.
In addition to art galleries, Yalta hosts year-round productions at the Chekhov Theater, and during the holiday season, concerts by stars of various sizes are held in the Yubileiny Concert Hall.
from the editor
How to spend an evening in Yalta
Visit the Yalta palaces
3 km from Yalta is the southern residence of the Romanov dynasty - Livadia Palace , which the royal family owned since 1861. On excursions around the White Palace they talk about both the fates of the emperors and the Yalta Conference, which took place within its walls in 1945. And if you go around the main building on the left, you will find a field for playing giant chess.
Livadia Palace. Photo: @ruslanrichi
Today, the Livadia sanatorium is opened on the territory of the palace and park ensemble. Solar Path , a 7-kilometer path for vacationers in Yalta sanatoriums, begins from Livadia Park Walking along it is suitable both for those who are relaxing at a climatic resort, and for everyone who wants to walk along a shady path with sculptures and benches.
The Massandra Palace of Alexander III is also located in the vicinity of Yalta. Since Livadia remained the main royal residence, the romantic castle in the eclectic style was used as the emperor’s hunting lodge. The museum is worth visiting if you are attracted to classic palace interiors or Ukrainian art of the mid-20th century. In good weather, it is worth taking a walk through the landscaped park with sculptures. When you come here in the summer, you can take a photo with the castle in the lavender fields in the background.
Massandra Palace. Photo: @gorbatikovaa
I want it to feel like home!
If for some reason you are not satisfied with the options that we proposed above, in Yalta there is always the opportunity to wait out the bad weather in the usual ways. For example, go shopping and have fun at the Confetti shopping center (where, in addition to shops and boutiques, there is an ice arena, bowling, a playground for children, a fitness club and much more), go to a movie with IMAX technology, look at crocodiles, turtles and lizards at the Crocodile Farm, meet the inhabitants of the deep sea at the Oceanarium, or roll some balls in the billiard room.
By the way, have you seen our ideas on how to spend a birthday in Yalta?
Do you like to smoke hookah? In Yalta there are good options for this type of leisure, pay attention to the hookah bars “Pushka” and the hookah bar “SuperBar” on Ignatenko Street, “Hookah Place” on Krasnova Street, “Mint Lounge” in Pionersky Park or “Surf Hookah” near the sea terminal .
And a damp rainy evening can be spent in a good restaurant overlooking the sea, for example, in the Ai-Petri restaurant on the roof of the Yalta-Intourist hotel, the panoramic Chaika restaurant on the embankment, in the Verdi restaurant at the Opera apart-hotel Prima" or the beach cafe "Van Gogh" on Massandra beach.
Holidays in Yalta: who is this resort suitable for?
I would like to immediately appeal to lovers of economical beach holidays: guys, look for another resort for yourself. If you just want to lie on a sandy beach for 2 weeks, choose Sudak or Evpatoria. It will cost you much less. In Yalta you can and should enjoy other things.
Despite the fact that this city cannot boast of ancient and medieval antiquities, like Feodosia and Sevastopol, in the 19th century it was Yalta that became the center of resort life in Crimea. Its excellent climatic conditions and picturesque nature attracted many aristocrats and simply influential people here, who in a short period of time built an entire ensemble of cultural heritage sites on the Yalta coast, and thereby left their mark on the history of not only the city, but also the peninsula as a whole.
By the way, a few words should be said separately about the history of the city.
History of Yalta: from brands to a lady with a dog
It is believed that the name of the city comes from the Greek word "Yalos", which means "coast, coastal". An ancient legend says:
Many centuries ago, the Greeks set off in search of new lands. The Black Sea greeted them unkindly, with storms and fogs (that’s why they called it the Black Sea, again according to legend). The sailors wandered for many days, not knowing where they were sailing. The ship ran out of fresh water and food. The team lost heart and meekly awaited death. But one morning the fog cleared, and people saw the long-awaited coast and green-purple mountains.
- Yialos! Gialos! - they shouted. Here, on fertile land, the Greeks founded a new settlement.
But archaeologists have not yet been able to find traces of a Greek settlement dating back to antiquity. Tauri settlements were discovered . It was the Taurians who were the most ancient inhabitants of the Yalta Valley. Perhaps they were the indigenous inhabitants of Crimea, or perhaps they were representatives of tribes that retreated to Crimea from the Northern Black Sea region or from the Caucasus under the onslaught of the Scythians. However, the word “tauri” itself is Greek and was originally the name of a mountain range in Asia Minor, the continuation of which the Greeks considered both the Caucasus and Crimean mountains. Then the tribes there were also named by the same word. The Greeks called Crimea itself the “Taurian peninsula” - Tauris.
Then on these shores the Romans, Byzantines, Venetians, Genoese appear and disappear, replacing each other... In 1475, the Turks became the masters of the southern coast of Crimea. Yalta was part of a province that was in the personal possession of the Turkish Sultan.
In 1771, the first Russian troops arrived in Crimea under the command of A.V. Suvorov. They built a military fort in Yalta. By the time of the annexation of Crimea to Russia, Yalta was a tiny fishing settlement of 13 houses with a church and a mosque (just like that, 13 houses have both a church and a mosque!)
In 1823, Count M.S. Vorontsov became governor-general of the Novorossiysk region, which then included Crimea. In Yalta, he distributed 200 acres of land on the condition that the new owners would plant gardens and vineyards and actively engage in construction. An enterprising tsarist official, Vorontsov, created industrial wineries in Alupka and Massandra. At the direction of M.S. Vorontsov, roads were laid connecting the Southern Coast with Simferopol and through the Baydar Gate with Sevastopol, a seaport and a pier were built.
In 1838, Yalta received city status. However, over the next four decades, Yalta still remains a provincial backwater. All that the surrounding areas of Yalta consisted of in those days were tobacco and grape plantations.
Everything changed dramatically in 1866, when, on the advice of Professor Botkin, who was the first to appreciate the outstanding climatic features of the place, not far from Yalta, in Livadia, Empress Maria Alexandrovna began to rest in the autumn months. In the 70s of the 19th century, rapid construction began in the city. This was facilitated by the fact that the royal family acquired neighboring Livadia. In 1873, the construction of the railway connecting Crimea with both capitals of the empire was finally completed. After Livadia became the royal residence, Yalta quickly began to transform. Following the titled persons, wealthy industrialists and merchants rushed to Crimea. Yalta is becoming a fashionable resort with fashionable hotels, shops, restaurants, hospitals and dachas.
This is exactly how Yalta appears to us in A.P. Chekhov’s story “The Lady with the Dog.” Here, in Yalta, the last five years of A.P. Chekhov’s life passed. Consumption did not allow him to live in a damp and cold climate. According to the design of the architect L.N. Shapovalov, he built a two-story house with a mezzanine, which was called “Belaya Dacha.” The artist I. Levitan and the writer Bunin visited here, and the entire troupe of the Moscow Art Theater headed by Stanislavsky and V. Nemirovich-Danchenko came here. In Yalta, Chekhov wrote nine stories and two plays: Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard.
Around Yalta, the new owners of the lands erected luxurious palaces, villas, mansions, laid out industrial gardens and vineyards, magnificent parks that still adorn the Crimean coast today: Massandra, Alupkinsky, Gurzufsky, Livadia and others.
In general, from this historical excursion, attentive readers have already understood: there is something to see in Yalta!
Crimea is not only Yalta
If the leisure options we have listed do not interest you for some reason, we will simply remind you that it is not at all necessary to wait out bad weather in Yalta. On the contrary, this is a great reason to see the rest of Crimea!
Look at our TOP routes where you can travel by car from Yalta in one day.
Any point in Crimea, even the most distant from Yalta, is a couple of hours away by car, which, if necessary, can be rented without leaving home:
Well, now rain in Yalta is not a problem for you and you know how to make good use of cloudy days here. Look at our poster so as not to miss interesting events and book a hotel in advance if you are just going to the city of happiness. See you!
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Go to the botanical garden
A walk through the Nikitsky Botanical Garden can take a whole day, but if time is short, you can devote a few hours to it. The garden area is divided into Upper and Lower parks. It is especially good to walk around the landscape park during flowering: in April the “Tulip Parade” is held, in May-June - the “Iris Carnival”, from May to December - the “Pink Waltz”, and in October and November - the “Chrysanthemum Ball” with all kinds of their varieties.
Nikitsky Botanical Garden. Photo: @sh_s_crimea
At any time of the year, you can try to find a way out of the Green Maze and walk through the Cactus Greenhouse. The Paradise Garden is designed in such a way that no matter what season you come, you can always admire flowering plants of all kinds. In the Lower Park, be sure to go to the round pond with lotuses and stroll through the grove of Lebanese cedars. Among the plants you will find turtles and frogs, and in the pond you can feed koi carp. In summer, you can even swim - just go down to the sea, where Nikita beach .
Tip: from the Yalta bus station you can easily get to the village of Nikita on the legendary trolleybus No. 52 - it follows the longest trolleybus route in the world from Yalta to Simferopol; From the NBS stop to the garden, walk about 1.5 km. For those who want to save time, it is better to choose bus No. 29 or 29A.
