Sochi Olympic Park: is it worth going?

The main Olympic village of Sochi (coastal village “Usadba”) is located in the Imeretinskaya lowland of the Adler region. During the Olympic and Paralympic Games of the 2014 Olympics, the majority of international delegates and athletes participating in the Olympics (in a number of disciplines) were accommodated in a specially built coastal complex.

Near the Sochi Olympic Village there are:

complex of sports facilities Olympic Park;
amusement park Sochi Park;
race track Sochi Autodrom.

Olympic venues

The Olympic Park was built for the 2014 Winter Olympics; construction lasted for 5 years. It was necessary to build not only sports facilities, but also housing for athletes, parking, and a railway station. Despite the fact that the Olympics are long over, the park still often hosts various sporting events. The main Olympic venues include :

Great Ice Palace
Ice Arena "Shaiba"
Adler Arena
Sports Palace Sochi
Fisht Stadium

In general, all the objects are spread over 200 hectares of land; this picture looks especially cool from the air, for example from an airplane window.

Fisht, by the way, is located almost near the sea, across the road from the Imeretinskaya embankment, and looks very impressive from there. This is the largest building where all the ceremonies took place. The stadium's capacity is more than forty thousand people. It also hosted FIFA World Cup games later in 2022.

The large ice palace was built for hockey matches and successfully completed its task. It is already much more modest in size and is designed for only twelve thousand fans. The puck is a small ice palace, designed for 7 thousand and really resembles a hockey puck in shape.

The Iceberg Sports Palace really stands out in appearance and resembles a block of ice. Blue glass panels reflect light and create the effect of movement (especially in the evening). Iceberg hosted not only figure skating competitions, but also short track speed skating.

What else is there in Olympic park: a museum, a curling center, karting, rental of all kinds of sports equipment and even a singing fountain! But more on that a little later.

So, the opening hours are from 8 am to midnight, entry to the territory is free. What can you do there?

A few facts about Adler

Adler is located on the Black Sea coast, at the mouth of the Mzymta River, between Abkhazia and the Sochi-Khosta region.
Translated from Abkhazian, Adler means “pier,” which is explained by the original function of the settlement: according to one version, there used to be a port here, which was important for trade relations with Turkey.
Numerous caves with artifacts, archaeological finds and dolmens in the Adler region confirm that man appeared here about 350 thousand years ago.
In the 19th century, the settlement played the role of a fortress. Political criminals (including the Decembrists) and cultural figures disliked by the government were exiled here. The climatic conditions of the Imereti Valley (or “Valley of Death”), with its high humidity and heat, contributed to the spread of malaria. At the same time, since 1866, the territory was inhabited by Russians, Ukrainians, and Moldovans and was actively used for farming and agriculture.
Gradually, from a small village, Adler turned into a large port and trade center, and since 1961, after annexation with Sochi and a series of sanitary measures against malaria, a tourist destination has been actively developing here.
Now Adler is a comfortable resort with a developed network of hotels, sanatoriums, recreation and entertainment areas, large-scale sports and interesting cultural facilities.
The population of Adler is more than 100 thousand people.
The distance from Adler to Krasnodar is 320 km, to Novorossiysk – 300 km.

Entertainment in the park

The most basic entertainment for tourists and everyone else is to ride around the territory on something. for rent here! Hoverboards, electric scooters, electric cars, electric bikes, just bicycles, ATVs, children's cars, etc. There are single, double and family transport. In short, I have never seen such a variety of transport equipment in one place in my life. The average price is 500 rubles per half hour, but depends on the vehicle. Regular bicycles are cheaper, of course.

Rentals are in demand, since driving over such a large area makes much more sense than walking. There are no cars there , so driving is a pleasure. We chose a two-seater electric car and set off to explore the area. First, I advise you to take a ride around the center. In the center there is a fountain stella, you can ride around and take a photo with the Olympic venues in the background. Most often they are photographed with the Olympic rings .

After this, I recommend leaving the center and heading towards Rainbow Hills. This is a bridge made of several multi-colored paths. It’s much more interesting to ride there, you can race. A bonus will be a view of the Sochi Amusement Park. Even screams from particularly extreme ones can be heard.

What else to do? You can go ice skating - next to the Iceberg there is a training skating rink "Ledinka". But the most expensive entertainment here is karting and the Formula 1 track , where you can drive a car that costs twenty thousand rubles per hour! No, of course there are cheaper cars, or you can simply ride with an experienced driver as a passenger, the cost of such entertainment is around 3 thousand.

If you are too lazy to come up with something, you can just take a tour of the park in an electric car. They will take you on a ride and tell you a lot of interesting facts about the Olympics and its facilities.

Adler lighthouse

The 11-meter lighthouse in Adler, built in 1898, is still operational. This is the southernmost lighthouse in Russia, it is a strategic object and is protected by the Ministry of Defense, so direct access to it is closed for tourists. Visible from afar thanks to its white and red coloring, it can send radio signals over a distance of up to 21 km.

Singing fountain

If there are not many people in the park during the day, then in the evening people become more active. From 18:30 to 19:30 there is a singing fountain located in the center, on Medal Plaza. If you are planning to go specifically for it, it is better to go to the official website and check the operating schedule of the singing fountain because... it changes depending on the season and different events.

What is the fountain singing about? The fountain has a very original shape, which has been compared to a swan, an Olympic torch, and so on. Who has enough imagination for anything? According to the official version, this is the figure of a firebird. As musical accompaniment you will hear Russian classics: Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Khachaturian. Excerpts from such famous works as the ballet Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, etc. will be performed.

The show lasts one hour and is accompanied by light and music. Worth a look, very beautiful and spectacular.

Observation deck on Rosa Plateau

There are many observation points on Rosa Plateau, the most popular and with voluminous picturesque views of which is the observation deck located near the rodelbahn and the lower reaches of the Plateau route.

Park museums

other museums you can visit in the park :

Sochi Automuseum
Tesla Museum (electrical museum)
Leonardo Museum (mechanical museum)
USSR Museum (rare items + history)

In the Tesla and Leonardo museums they put on shows, show experiments, the program is built interactively, so you won’t be bored. I highly recommend visiting these museums with children . Entrance 250-350 rubles.

There is also a planetarium , it is located next to the Fisht stadium. In terms of dome size, it ranks fifth in the world and second in Europe (not bad, right?). A ticket to the planetarium costs 550 rubles.

Before your trip, look at the poster for your dates, as this place often hosts concerts and sporting events; sometimes they bring exhibitions and even a zoo. In general, the Olympic Park is a great place for a family holiday.

What to see

Olympic Village is a cozy neighborhood consisting of cute cottages with red tiled roofs.

Attractions are located nearby and can be easily reached on foot.

And the residential area itself is perfect for leisurely walks, contemplating the sea coast and enjoying the fresh breeze.

In the morning, you can leisurely drink coffee on the balcony and go for a short jog along the embankment, where world champions recently trained.

In the evening, it’s nice to taste local cuisine and admire the magical southern sunset.

You won’t have to look long for attractions in the vicinity of the Olympic Village in Sochi.

Here are just a few of them:

Fisht Stadium , where the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics took place.
Fountain "Olympic Flame Bowl". In the evenings, there are light and sound shows with multi-colored jets of water thrown to a height of up to 60 meters.
Sochi Park with a huge variety of attractions. Entrance cost – 1,250 rubles. for adults and 1,000 for children, there are also benefits.
Sochi Autodrom , which served as a track during Formula 1 racing.

If you still can’t see these unique objects in person, look on the Internet. Thanks to the web cameras installed in the Olympic village, live broadcasts are broadcast from here from morning to evening.

View of the sights in the vicinity of the Olympic Village.

How to get to the Olympic Park

Getting to the Olympic Park is not difficult. From the center of Sochi you can take the train - this will be the easiest way. By bus you will travel longer, by taxi it will be quick, but not very affordable.

By train: get on at any station and go to the final stop “Imereti Resort”. From there it's a 15-minute walk (at a walking pace). Travel time: about an hour. Ticket is about 170 rubles.
The bus ride takes a long time, and it all depends on where you are initially, because... transfers are possible. Buses No. 124C and 125 go to the park.
By taxi: from the center of Sochi the price of a trip will be at least 1000 rubles.

still wins , but please note that the train schedule may be inconvenient. Sometimes the last train leaves for the city just as the singing fountain show begins. By the way, the railway station here is large and luxurious, with a beautiful cascading fountain at the entrance.

Trinity-St. George Convent

Adler's religious attractions are few. Among them, the most famous are the Holy Trinity Church and the Trinity-George Convent. The latter is interesting for its location, history and relics.

The monastery is located in the village of Lesnoye near Adler and is a complex of heterogeneous buildings of the early 21st century, erected on the site of the Holy Trinity Monastery according to the design of the architect F. I. Afuksenidi. The monastery includes the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Quiet My Sorrows”, the Cathedral of the Icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir, the Holy Trinity Church and others, as well as a well with water saturated with hydrogen sulfide, a belfry, and residential buildings for nuns.

Work schedule

The park is open from 8 to 24 hours.

The fountain operates depending on the onset of darkness at different times of the year:

winter:
18 - 19 h
autumn-spring: 19-20 hours
summer: 20:30-21:30 h

A visit to the Olympic Park can be combined with a visit to Sochi Park, which is located nearby. Or take a walk along the new Imeretinskaya embankment.

Life in Olimpic park is in full swing, despite the fact that the Olympics ended a long time ago. A variety of events are held here, and not just sports. The large ice palace hosts tours of the Cirque du Soleil, and often hosts concerts and various festivals. But naturally the most popular are sporting events. Every year there are football matches, figure skating, hockey, etc.

Excursions

Iconic places of the 2014 Olympics

The excursion begins with a ride on the ski lift to Rosa Peak, then a walk through the Olympic Village (in the summer you can ride a bicycle or horse). Then you can taste natural natural water on. In Skypark you will walk along the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the world over the Akhshtyr Gorge. You will see a glass blowing show and taste delicious Caucasian cuisine. More details ->>>

Krasnaya Polyana, or in the footsteps of the Olympics

A great opportunity to admire the mountains while riding a cable car; get acquainted with the famous ski resort Rosa Khutor. More details ->>>

Wonders of the Mzymta River Valley

You will visit the Akhshtyrskaya cave, a mineral spring, the Maiden's Tears waterfall, a monastery, an apiary and a trout farm. Finally, you can feel like Indiana Jones or Lara Croft by walking across the suspension bridge over the gorge in Skypark. More details ->>>

View all excursions in Sochi and Adler

Olimpic village

A few words should be said about the Olympic Village. Now this is a prestigious microdistrict where you can rent housing. Cozy streets with identical cottages are perfect for walking. The area is divided into several blocks; during the Olympics, athletes and members of the International Olympic Committee lived here. The houses are located on the first line by the sea, these are two streets: Golubaya and Parusnaya.

Next to the Olympic Village is the Ornithological Park. It is interesting that earlier in these places of the Imereti Lowland there was a swampy area where migratory birds spent the winter. Now there are significantly fewer places for this; birds fly to the Ornithological Park. And after work to drain the swamps, soil shrinkage still continues.

Previously, no one could have imagined how this area would change, where there are now many hotels and rental apartments for tourists. Housing prices here are decent, but it's worth it. There are two parks nearby, a beautiful promenade and beaches, many restaurants and shops. Also nearby is a children's educational science park.

As for the beaches, in Imeretinka they are truly some of the best. At least we liked the sea here the most; impressions of the beaches can be read here: BEST BEACHES OF SOCHI.

Where is

The Olympic Village, which is an elite resort area of the Imereti Lowland, is located along Parusnaya and Golubaya streets, west of the Olympic Park.

Geographically it belongs to the Adler region. The distance from the center of Sochi is 40 km.

Attraction address: Krasnodar region, Sochi, Adler microdistrict.

Olympic symbol.

Location on the map

Many tourists travel around the outskirts of Sochi in their own car or rent a car at Adler airport.

In this case, the coordinates for the navigator will be useful:

43.24472399 latitude;
39.57360791 longitude.

To get to your destination faster, plot your route on the map in advance.

Olympic village layout

Object diagram.

Psaho Canyons

In addition to the Akhshtyrskaya Cave, the natural attractions of Adler are represented by the Wet and Dry canyons of the small mountain river Psakho, a left tributary of the Kudepsta, which are part of the Sochi National Park.

The names of the canyons are associated with the river flowing along their bottom or its traces. It is believed that these natural formations are the result of an ancient fault in the earth's crust.

Along the banks of the 3-kilometer Wet Canyon, endemic boxwood grows and there are waterfalls. The Dry Canyon located above, which consists of limestone layers, is interesting for its grottoes and caves.

Oceanarium Sochi Discovery World Aquarium

Website: www.sochiaquarium.ru Address: Adler, st. Lenina, 219 A/4. Opening hours: from 10.00 to 18.00, closed on Monday and Tuesday. Ticket price: 800 rubles, children from 4 to 11 years old - 500 rubles, under 4 years old free. Excursion ticket - 50 rubles.

Adler's attractions include entertainment and educational facilities that will interest both children and adults. Among them is the largest southern aquarium, Sochi Discovery World Aquarium, a real museum of wildlife with an area of more than 6 km², opened in 2009.

Here you can see 30 aquariums with more than 4 thousand inhabitants of reservoirs: both salty and fresh. The most impressive sight is the 44-meter underwater tunnel, which allows you to observe sea predators at arm's length.

As an additional service, tourists are offered diving with underwater video filming, photo sessions and excursions. Every day there are fabulous shows with the participation of Mermaids; you can feed the fish by buying food from the vending machine. There is an arcade and gift shop.

Apery

Founded in 1927, the nursery is the oldest in Russia. It is located in the village of Veseloye in close proximity to Adler. The area is about 1 km², the number of individuals (including rare species) is 4 thousand.

Being a major research center, the nursery has made a significant contribution to the development of astronautics and medicine. Now it is open to visitors who want to get acquainted with the characteristics of monkeys, communicate with them, and also listen to interesting lectures about the history of the nursery and different types of primates.

Medal Plaza - award ceremony area

During the Olympics in Sochi, the award ceremony for the winners took place in this square of the Olympic Park.

In a circle from the Olympic torch there are not only stadiums, but also flags of all participating countries in alphabetical order of the Cyrillic alphabet.

Main Olympic rings.

To avoid getting tired ahead of time

Actually, the park area is huge! It’s not so easy to walk around 200 hectares! Therefore, in the vicinity of Olympus Park there are about 20 bicycle rental points. At the Sochi bike rental you can rent bicycles for both adults and children of various brands and sizes. This is a very popular way of transportation here.

I want to give you one piece of advice - the prices for renting bicycles are higher the closer you are to the Olympic Park. Therefore, if you have such an opportunity, rent a bike, for example, in Adler.

The whole journey will take about 20 minutes, but, firstly, you will be able to significantly save on rent for your wallet, and secondly, you will have the opportunity to drive along the embankment with a breeze and admire the surrounding landscapes.

There are 7 rental points in the Olympians Park itself. Here you can rent, in addition to bicycles, also roller skates and, for example, electric cars. The price for renting an electric car is 600 rubles per hour of driving. But in general, there is a lot of things here: scooters, Segways and other vehicles are waiting for their temporary owners!

In the Park you can take part in an excursion in electric cars; it costs 200 rubles per person. If you take a ticket for such an excursion, you will not only be taken everywhere, shown everything and told about everything, but also given a discount on entry to all museums located in the park.

It seems like a small thing, the money is small, but there are a lot of museums here, and the amount accumulates is quite decent. So consider taking advantage of this offer. And the driver-tour guide will then receive his commission interest. After all, his last name will be indicated on each discount ticket. This is such an unusual affiliate program.

At the beginning of May, there were very few people willing to take part in the excursion program around the park, and the driver agreed to take me for a ride alone. We agreed on a cost of 500 rubles. Considering that later I received a discount on entry to almost all museums of 50 rubles, then this excursion cost me only 200 rubles.