The city of Sevastopol is rightfully considered a hero city, also called the city of glory of the Russian fleet. This is a unique place on the Crimean peninsula with a mass of priceless cultural monuments, expressive coastal landscapes and crystal clear sea water. The holiday season begins in May and ends in September-October; you can swim from the middle of the last spring month. But first of all, everyone is attracted not by a beach holiday in Crimea in Sevastopol, but by cultural recreation and acquaintance with the military-historical heritage, important sights and historical monuments for the city, and natural sites.
Geography and climate
Sevastopol is located on the Black Sea coast in the southwestern part of Crimea. The city is surrounded by natural reserves and the three deepest rivers of Crimea flow through its territory: Belbek, Chernaya and Kacha. Sevastopol Bay is unique. The winding, rocky shores stretch more than eight kilometers into the peninsula.
View of the bay in Sevastopol
Sevastopol is located in two climatic subzones. In the foothills there is a temperate continental climate, and on the east coast it is subtropical (Mediterranean).
Where to go with children?
A child will receive a huge amount of positive emotions from visiting the Zurbagan water park. On the territory of this complex there are several swimming pools of varying depths and a large number of water attractions. Some of them are intended only for children. However, parents won’t be bored either. There are several extreme slides especially for adults.
It’s definitely worth going with the whole family to the Lukomorye eco-park. There are many playgrounds designed for children of different ages. In addition to entertainment on various attractions, in the park area you can admire sculptures of your favorite cartoon characters. Interesting impressions will remain from visiting the small museums “History of Ice Cream” and “Soviet Childhood”. There is also a zoo corner in the park. By the way, a full-fledged private zoo recently opened on Biryuleva.
Story
In the 5th century BC. e. The Greeks founded the city of Chersonese Tauride here, which was part of the Roman Empire and then Byzantium. In 1399, Chersonesus was completely destroyed by the troops of the Golden Horde. For some time, these lands were under the control of the Principality of Theodoro, then the Genoese, the Crimean Khanate and the Ottoman Empire.
In 1783, Crimea was annexed to Russia (by the manifesto of Catherine II), and Sevastopol Bay was chosen as a base for the ships of the future Black Sea Fleet. In the same year, the city of Sevastopol was founded by Rear Admiral Foma Fomich Mekenzi. The original name of the settlement was Akhtiar, but in 1784, by order of Catherine II, Potemkin built a large fortress “Sevastopol” on this site. The city was renamed two more times, but in 1826 the name Sevastopol was returned, which has survived to this day. In 1804, the city was declared the main military port of the Black Sea of the Russian Empire. The city was almost completely military. In 1827, archaeological excavations of Chersonesus began here. In 1832, rapid growth and development of the city began. Under Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev, a fleet production base was being built: the Admiralty with ship repair and shipbuilding enterprises on the shores of Korabelnaya and Yuzhnaya bays. The city itself is being reconstructed, the population is growing.
In 1853, the Crimean War began, in which Sevastopol played a key role. The heroic defense of the city lasted 349 days, during which it was practically destroyed. Subsequently, Sevastopol lost its strategic importance, but became a major tourism center. The revival of the Russian Black Sea Fleet occurred during the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878.
During the Great Patriotic War, the defense of Sevastopol lasted 250 days. But nevertheless, the city was captured by German troops and liberated on May 9, 1944. Afterwards there were many years of restoration of the city. Until the 70s of the 20th century, Sevastopol was a closed city.
Where can you eat in Sevastopol?
Balaklava is rightfully considered the best fish restaurant in the city. It has several rooms with individual interiors, decorated with marine-themed attributes. The menu will truly delight a gourmet, with all kinds of fish dishes on it. The food is very tasty and the level of service is very high. The wine list is varied.
Read - TOP 5 inexpensive cafes in Sevastopol
You can have a wonderful dinner at the Ostrov restaurant, whose menu includes dishes of Mediterranean and traditional European cuisine. It varies depending on the season and
consists of excellent dishes. You can order a real work of culinary art directly from the chef and taste the taste of the signature wine.
Attractions
Monument to Sunken Ships
The monument is a symbol of the city. It was erected in 1905 for the 50th anniversary of the First Defense of Sevastopol. In 1854, Russian sailing ships were scuttled at this place in order to block the entrance of enemy ships to the bay and thereby save Sevastopol.
Sevastopol Military Historical Museum-Reserve
The Sevastopol Military Historical Museum-Reserve is a museum of Russian military history, here you can get acquainted with the history of the city of Sevastopol from the founding of 1783 to the present.
Panorama "Defense of Sevastopol"
The greatest monument of artistic art depicts a scene of the defense of the city of Sevastopol during the Crimean War in June 1855. The panorama is located on the Bastion Hill of the Historical Boulevard.
Chersonese Tauride
Chersonese Tauride is an ancient Greek city that existed for 2 thousand years, and now it is an open-air museum. Here you can walk along ancient streets and ruins, immerse yourself in the atmosphere of those times. There is also a museum with archaeological collections that were found during excavations.
St. Vladimir's Cathedral. Tomb of the Admirals
The current temple in the city of Sevastopol is located on Suvorov Street. The construction of St. Vladimir's Cathedral was completed in 1888. This is one domed structure, the height of which is more than thirty meters. On the lower level of the temple lie Admiral Nakhimov, Istomin, Lazarev and other heroes of the Crimean War.
Intercession Cathedral Sevastopol
One of the most beautiful churches in Crimea, located on Bolshaya Morskaya Street, 36. A five-domed structure built in the form of a basilica, the cornices are decorated with stucco, and crescents are depicted on the crosses, which is not typical. The interior of the cathedral is fascinating and impressive.
Aquarium in Sevastopol
The Aquarium (Museum Institute of Biology of the South Seas) is the largest aquarium in Crimea, home to more than 1000 species of sea creatures. Also on the territory of the aquarium there is a small museum of rare animals and fish. Located at: Nakhimova Ave., 2 on Primorsky Boulevard. Opening hours of the Aquarium in Sevastopol: from 10-00 to 20-00 without breaks, seven days a week in the summer; from 10-00 to 18-00 in winter, closed on Mondays.
Malakhov Kurgan
A strategic point of defense of Sevastopol, its height is 97 meters above sea level. From here you have a beautiful view of the city. The trees that grow on the mound were planted by pilots and cosmonauts, Soviet rulers and heads of various states. But only one of these trees witnessed both defenses of the city of Sevastopol. This almond tree stands in the center of a small fence and attracts the attention of tourists with its beauty.
Here is a mass grave of soldiers killed during the defense of the city. In memory of the heroes, a white marble structure was erected. Cast iron cannons represent the Crimean War - the occupation of 1854-55. The defensive tower is a monument to the Great Patriotic and Crimean War; currently it is a museum; it contains military awards, images of weapons, various documents and soldiers’ uniforms.
Where to stay for vacation?
Tourists are increasingly choosing Crimea for their holidays. In Sevastopol they will definitely not have any problems with resettlement. You can rent housing in the private sector, without intermediaries, or stay in one of the comfortable hotels. Guests often choose Sevastopol hostels for an overnight stay.
For guests who demand comfort, the doors of the Aquamarine Hotel are open, always ready to welcome new guests in its wonderful apartments. It is located literally a five-minute walk from the sea and the beach of the same name. The comfortable rooms, each with a balcony and equipped with a small kitchen, have everything you need for a good rest. The Sevastopol hotel also has an excellent restaurant and a tennis court.
Not far from the city beach there is a modern hotel "Panderosa". Its rooms are equipped with air conditioning, and the showers have a hydromassage function. The rooms are equipped with a set of high quality household appliances and furnished with excellent furniture. There is a café and bar, and private parking is available. The prices are quite high, but the quality of service and the level of amenities provided compensate for the material costs.
By staying at the Kler Cottage guest house, you can not only enjoy a comfortable stay in cozy, well-furnished rooms equipped with the necessary household appliances, but also go diving or windsurfing at the nearby yacht club. You can cook here in the mini-kitchen, which is located in every room.
A good review of inexpensive guest houses in Sevastopol is done here.
The largest cities of Crimea by area
Crimean cities cannot be called large - there is not a single million-plus population. The most densely populated is Sevastopol, but less than half a million people live here, or more precisely 443,119. However, its area is 8 times larger than its nearest neighbor in the ranking and amounts to 863.6 km²: the territory is only three times smaller than Moscow.
I would also like to mention the Crimean pearl: the most popular resort of the Yalta Peninsula. It was not included in the list of the largest settlements in terms of size, since its area is only 18,202 km², which puts the picturesque seaside town only in 11th place. At the same time, everyone knows the concept of Big Yalta: this is the name given to the lands located in the vicinity of the resort. This includes everyone’s favorite and no less popular resort villages of Foros, Gaspra, Livadia, Massandra, Simeiz, Koreiz and others - a total of 32 names, including Yalta itself and Alupka - a small town with an abundance of attractions. The size of this territorial entity is 282.9 km², making it one of the largest agglomerations on the peninsula.
The largest cities of Crimea include (value in km²):
- Sevastopol - 863.6.
- Kerch - 108.
- Simferopol - 107.41.
- Bakhchisarai - 55.0989.
- Feodosia - 39.9624.
- Shchelkino - 34.2.
- Saki - 28,736.
- Dzhankoy - 26.
- Sudak - 23,477.
- Krasnoperekopsk - 22.4198.
Nature
In the vicinity of Sevastopol you can find vegetation characteristic of the foothills - hornbeams and downy oaks. The abundance of thorny bushes of rosehip, hawthorn, and dwarf trees turns them into impenetrable thickets - shiblyaks. The mountain forests growing on the slopes of the Main Ridge are composed of oaks of various types, beech, hornbeam, Scots pine, and Crimean pine. To the south they are supplemented by different types of juniper, small-fruited strawberry, Pontian butcher's broom and Crimean cistus.
In the mountains you can find the “Crimean edelweiss” - Bieberstein's wood and the endemic Stankevich pine. Raccoons, deer, foxes, wild boars, and roe deer have long lived in the forests. Imported animals acclimatized perfectly: mouflons, teleut squirrels, rabbits, wild goats and pheasants. Nature here is protected in the Maksimova Dacha natural park, 5 landscape reserves and 1 zoological reserve. 7 protected natural monuments have been identified.
Sevastopol parks
Sevastopol is located in a rocky area. It is quite difficult to grow flowers and trees here. Nevertheless, it is a beautiful southern city, covered in the shade of numerous parks and squares that offer a wonderful relaxation. Such, for example, is the children's park with the fabulous name “Lukomorye”. All the other parks are also beautiful: Komsomolsky and Victory Park, Monastyrsky on Fiolent, Akhmatova and the relatively new one in Uchkuevka.
How to get to Nakhimov Square - public transport
There are two public transport stops in the area of the square - “House of Fleet Officers” and “Nakhimov Square”. If you exit on the first one, you will need to go forward, and if on the second, you will need to go back. Nevertheless, I recommend getting off at the Fleet Officers' House. List of routes on which you can get to Nakhimov Square from the bus station (or train station):
- buses No. 109, 110;
- minibuses No. 1, 4, 71, 84, 109, 112;
- trolleybuses No. 3, 4, 7.
If you are by car, then the parking coordinates on Nakhimov are 44.616464, 33.525664. But again, finding free space there is not easy.
