Before traveling to this beautiful southern city, you should flip through the tourist guide and choose for yourself the sights and interesting places of Yalta and the surrounding area on a map with photos, descriptions and addresses that you want to visit first, because there is plenty to choose from. The ancient settlement, which traces its history back to the mysterious Tauri people, managed to be ruled by the Turks, Genoese, Byzantines and Greeks. Yalta owes its flourishing and transformation into a resort to the energy and enthusiasm of Count M.S. Vorontsov, governor-general of the Novorossiysk region in the middle of the 19th century. The buildings built at that time managed to become objects of cultural and historical heritage, and therefore attract a flow of tourists to this day.
Geography and climate
Yalta is located on the shore of the Black Sea bay of the same name in the south of the Crimean Peninsula. The city is located in the valleys of two small rivers Derekoyka and Uchan-Su on the hills surrounded by the Crimean mountains. In the north-west stretches the Yalta yayla with the peak of Kemal-Egerek (1530 m), and in the south there is the picturesque Ai-Petri (1234 m).
Yalta has a warm Mediterranean climate and is located at the same latitude as Italian Genoa. The resort climate is characterized by hot summers, mild winters, and long and warm autumns. At the height of summer, the water temperature in Yalta warms up to 26 - 28 °C. The resort is also famous for its many natural parks and green areas with introduced plant species, among which the Vorontsovsky and Livadia parks stand out.
Yalta
Beautiful places in Yalta for a photo shoot
Colorful photographs remain as souvenirs of the trip. It is important to choose the brightest and most spectacular landscapes, of which there are many in the vicinity of the city.
Taking photos of the city and the beach in Yalta, choosing attractions and entertainment is very easy if you decide on your desires in advance.
Mount Ai-Petri
The most popular place among city guests. Located near Alupka and the village of Koreiz. From the top there is a stunning panorama of the South Coast. History buffs can find the ruins of an ancient monastery, while romantics can wait for the breathtaking sunset.
Cost: free visit, cable car ticket 400 rubles, children half price.
Address: pos. Koreiz.
Wuchang-Su Waterfall
The height of the fall is 98 m, the name translates as “flying water.” To see this beauty, you will have to climb the mountain slope, crossing the mark of 390 meters above sea level. The best time to visit is spring; in summer the water stream almost dries up. According to legend, a girl turned into a waterfall, trying to give her fellow villagers water during a drought. To overcome the blockage of stones built by the evil spirit, she threw herself from a height, breaking her way.
Cost: 50 rubles, free for children.
Location: Bakhchisarai highway.
Cave "Geophysical"
The karst base of the mountains contributed to the formation of numerous caves on the peninsula. Some of them have become popular tourist attractions; they are included in the list of attractions of Greater Yalta, and photos with descriptions and prices of excursion programs are posted in tourist brochures. The geophysical cave was opened to the public relatively recently and consists of several interconnected halls. Its peculiarity is the fluorescence effect and a huge number of stalactites, because of which the cavity is called the palace of the underground king.
Working hours: from 9.00 to 18.00.
Cost: 200 rub.
Location: Mount Ai-Petri.
Beaches of Yalta
- Primorsky beach is the central beach of Yalta, small pebbles. It is short in length (about 500 meters). Equipped with all necessary infrastructure.
- Massandra Beach is another famous beach in the center of Yalta, approximately 500 m long. It is divided into several zones and has a “Blue Flag” (a blue flag is an international award indicating that a beach meets high standards).
- The beach near the Intourist hotel is a good pebble beach with a Blue Flag. Paid for vacationers who are not guests of the hotel of the same name.
- Golden Beach, located 8 km from Yalta near the Kurpaty sanatorium.
- Nikitsky Beach is a small secluded beach 7 km from the city center.
- Dolphin Beach is a free beach in the village of Livadia, 3 km from the center of Yalta.
Where to stay for vacation?
For tourists who choose a holiday in Crimea, Yalta will offer many accommodation opportunities. You will be welcome in numerous hotels and boarding houses.
The private sector also provides a variety of accommodation options in cottages, houses and apartments, and sometimes it is easy to save money by negotiating directly with the owner - without intermediaries. Hostels deserve special attention; the best of them, “Nest,” is ready to inexpensively accommodate holidaymakers.
The Mriya Resort & Spa hotel will provide visitors with the highest level of hotel comfort. Staying there is pleasant and extremely comfortable. The 422 rooms can accommodate individuals or the whole family, with children staying for free. There is everything here - from fairly inexpensive economy class rooms to luxurious multi-room apartments. There are also several luxury villas on site. The establishment offers a variety of outdoor activities - from football and tennis to water aerobics. Four restaurants provide meals for guests. There is a nightclub and a cinema.
The Bristol Hotel always welcomes visitors and is ready to accommodate them in 108 rooms of varying degrees of comfort. They are all beautifully decorated and cozy,
equipped with climate control systems and supplied with necessary household appliances. The doors of the restaurant are open to guests, where live music is played and an entertainment program is held in the evenings. Within the walls of the hotel complex there is an indoor swimming pool, a sauna, Turkish and Russian baths, and a massage room, which is not uncommon for Crimea and Yalta. A holiday here is quite affordable.
Eco-hotel Levant offers tourists inexpensive accommodation. Its 56 apartments provide three levels of accommodation comfort. They are equipped with air conditioning, household appliances, and minibars. Meals are served in the restaurant. The hotel has a spa and gym. It has its own beach, which experienced holidaymakers often call the best in Yalta. There are many other guest houses, mini-boarding houses and private hotels here, as well as many sanatoriums that offer professional treatment.
Story
The environs of Yalta were inhabited in ancient times by the Tauri, the indigenous people of Crimea. It is believed that the first settlement here was founded by the Greeks in Antiquity. The modern name of the city most likely comes from the Greek "Yalita", which means "coastal".
The founding date of Yalta is considered to be 1154, when in the Middle Ages a settlement was founded here by merchants from Venice, who were then replaced by the Genoese. In the second half of the 15th century, Yalta was captured by the Turks and included in the Ottoman Empire. Then the settlement was part of the Crimean Khanate.
Yachts. Yalta
In 1783, Crimea was annexed to the Russian Empire. Yalta was a small fishing village. Everything changed under Governor-General Vorontsov, who distributed land here, on which the nobles began to build luxurious estates. In 1838, Yalta received city status. After the Crimean War, Yalta became one of the most popular resorts in the Russian Empire.
At the end of the 19th century, an embankment, water supply and sewerage were built here. After the Civil War, most of the Yalta palaces were in disrepair. From 1941 to 1944, Yalta was under German occupation. In February 1945, the Yalta Allied Conference was held at the Livadia Palace. After the end of the war, Yalta began to be considered the main resort of Crimea, maintaining this status to this day.
Attractions
Swallow's Nest
Swallow's Nest is one of the symbols of Crimea, a decorative neo-Gothic castle rising on a picturesque cliff above the sea. This building was built in 1912. During Soviet times, the reading room of a nearby sanatorium was located here for some time. Then the structure was practically abandoned due to its disrepair. Now this bright attraction is again available for visiting.
Livadia Palace
Livadia Palace is one of the most famous attractions of Yalta and the summer residence of Russian emperors. The palace was built at the end of the 19th century by order of Emperor Alexander III. This is a beautiful building in the Italian Renaissance style with a park in which ancient gazebos, fountains and sculptures have been preserved.
Massandra Palace
Massandra Palace is a beautiful building in the French style with an English park. The palace was built in the 19th century by Count Vorontsov in the style of a knight's castle. Then the building was taken over by Emperor Alexander III, by whose order the palace was rebuilt in the style of the era of Louis XII.
Embankment
The embankment is one of the most favorite places for walks for residents and guests of the city. The promenade is 1.7 km long and begins at the Primorsky Park, which is actually its continuation. The Yalta embankment begins its history at the end of the 19th century and has recently undergone a large-scale reconstruction. The promenade has two levels: the lower one, which runs by the sea, and the upper one with shops, restaurants and historical buildings.
Interesting sights of the Yalta embankment:
- Hotel Oreanda is an elegant building from the early 20th century.
- The Roffe Baths are a historic building built at the end of the 19th century in the Moorish style. Nearby there is a bronze sculpture “Ladies with a Dog” and a fountain.
- The ship "Argo" is a stylization of an ancient Greek ship.
- Hotel "Tavrida" is one of the oldest in Crimea
Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky
Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky is the main church of Yalta, which was built from 1891 to 1902. This is a beautiful building in traditional Russian style with a belfry.
Armenian Church
The Armenian Church is a striking example of early 20th century Armenian architecture with expressive frescoes under the dome.
Church of John Chrysostom
The Church of St. John Chrysostom is the oldest church in Yalta, built in the first half of the 19th century. The original historical building was destroyed in 1942 and restored in the 90s of the 20th century.
Roman Catholic Church
The Roman Catholic Church was built in the early 20th century in the Gothic Revival style.
Palace of the Emir of Bukhara
The Palace of the Emir of Bukhara is a beautiful building in the Moorish style, built in 1911.
Vorontsov Palace
Vorontsov Palace is a unique palace complex of the mid-19th century in the Moorish style, built by order of Count Vorontsov. It is famous for the fact that the interiors and furniture of that period have been preserved here.
Golitsyn Palace
Golitsyn Palace (Gaspra) is an architectural ensemble of the 19th century in the medieval Gothic style.
Dulber
Dulber is a 19th century palace complex built for a member of the Romanov dynasty. Considered a masterpiece of neo-Moorish architecture. The building has beautiful arched windows with oriental-style ornaments and walls decorated with multi-colored mosaics.
Yusupov Palace
The Yusupov Palace was built at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and is an excellent example of Italian neo-Renaissance architecture.
Other interesting places in Yalta:
- Chekhov's house-museum, where the great writer spent the last years of his life.
- Cable car opened in 1967.
- Oceanarium - the largest in Crimea
- Nikitsky Botanical Garden, founded in 1811.
Ai-Petri
Ai-Petri is one of the most picturesque peaks of the Crimean mountains with a height of 1234 meters. The name of the mountain is of Greek origin and is translated as “Saint Peter”. Ai-Petri is famous for its fogs and beautiful views. This mountain is located near the city of Alupka.
Yalta: interesting architectural places and monuments
A turbulent history with repeated transitions from one people to another led to an original mixture of styles and the appearance of unique buildings.
Palace of the Emir of Bukhara
The bright features of the Moorish style are visible in the slight asymmetry, intricate floral patterns, balconies and galleries surrounding the perimeter of the building and skillful stone carvings reminiscent of lace.
Thin graceful columns support the ceilings above the transitions; the color palette is dominated by soft green, blue and muted red. You can only admire it from a distance; the building belongs to a sanatorium and only guests and employees can go inside.
Website: https://vs-yalta.ru
Telephone.
Address: st. Sevastopolskaya, 12/43.
Roffe Baths
The symbol of resort charm appeared in the city in 1897. Public baths were a novelty that attracted increased interest. The construction was ordered by the merchant guild that owned the Hotel France. Since then, little has changed; the baths are still available only to guests of the hotel, which is now called Villa Sofia.
Website: https://villasofia-yalta.com
Telephone.
Address: Embankment named after. Lenina, 31.
Monument to A.S. Pushkin
The sculpture to the great poet was installed in 2010 on the street named after him. The author was V. Gordeev. He depicted Pushkin relaxing on the railing in his favorite coat and hat in hand.
Seaside Park
It's hard to imagine the city without him. Conceived in the Soviet period as a vacation spot for working people, it remains a favorite for many residents today. The park is listed as an important attraction of the city of Yalta, which is worth a visit, and the navigator or any of the townspeople will tell you how to get there. The park is free and open 24 hours a day.
Address: st. Kommunarov 2A.
Mansion of A. Spendiarov
On Ekaterininskaya Street in the 19th century, elegant dachas of famous and rich people were lined up. Many considered it a matter of prestige to have a mansion in Yalta, even if they came to the coast only for recreation.
