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Crimea

Alexander Griboedov once said: “Crimea is an amazing treasury, a natural museum that keeps the secrets of millennia.”

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Peninsula of

Incredible Beauty

Crimea is a picturesque peninsula jutting into the Black Sea. Since ancient times, when its history starts, the peninsula has always attracted people with its beauty and originality: excavations of ancient cities, ancient palaces of Russian aristocrats and Tatar rulers, house-museums of writers and artists, mountains and waterfalls.

It starts its history in ancient times, 50-40 b.c. Different nations have left here their traces, from the Scythians to the Greeks, from the Mongols to the Turks, and finally Slavs.

short region information

LOCAL TIME	UTC+3
CLIMATE	Mild
POPULATION	2,5 million people
HOW TO GET	2,5 hours by plane from Moscow
SPECIAL POINT OF ENTRY	Sea port
HIGHLIGHT	Chersonesus, Livadia Palace, Massandra Winery, Black Sea

types of tourism

Excursion

Religious

Active

Eco

theme

Culinary

Between two seas

So Small but So

Different and Fascinating

The peninsula is situated in the South of Russia washed by the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Crimea is connected with the mainland of Russia by the Crimean Bridge.

Crimea’s nature is diverse and unique. From the first acquaintance, you even wonder how majestic mountains, endless steppes, and lakes can be located on such a relatively small piece of land. Every inch of the peninsula is admirable.

Not highest but among most beautiful

Crimea Mountains

The height of the Crimean Mountains cannot be compared to the Caucasian or Altai mountains, but they have no equal in beauty. The most famous hills are Chatyr-Dag, Demerdzhi and Ai-Petri. Each of them is special.

For example, Chatyr-Dag is famous for its caves, and Demerdzhi is famous for the Valley of Ghosts. The mountains of Crimea are the dream of every climber.

Four parts of the whole

Crimea’s Division

Geographically Crimea is divided into four zones: eastern, western, central, and southern. Eastern Crimea includes the heroic Kerch, one of the largest cities of the peninsula and the steppe areas adjacent to it.

Western Crimea is the Black Sea coast and the steppe part of the peninsula. There are many salt lakes and estuaries in this region, where resorts with mud therapy are situated. The hero city of Sevastopol situated in the western part of the peninsula remembers two legendary defenses: in the Crimean War and in the Great Patriotic War; many memorable places were left after these events.

A bunch of black grapes on a vine in a vineyard

Monument in the middle of the sea consisting of a granite rock base, a column and an eagle on the top of it facing the sea

A waterfall in mountains surrounded with trees

A cave town looking like some windows and doors carved in a rock

A couple wearing white clothes on the shore of a white lake. A woman is wearing a straw hat

The central part of the Crimean Peninsula is different from the point of view of relief and types of activity. Here you find steppes where agriculture is developed: vineyards and fruit gardens. The zone is full of low mountains with caves and cave cities, rocks and waterfalls on short but stormy rivers.

Southern Crimea is a special area of the peninsula. Everything is different here. The climate is subtropical, the mountains are high & the sea is deep. The southern coast is the main resort area of the peninsula. Its length is 180 km. The main cities are Yalta, Sudak, Alupka & Alushta.

Religious importance

Chersonesus

In Crimea wonderful monuments of nature compete with the creations of human hands. The museum complex on the ruins of the ancient settlement of Chersonesos is one of the oldest structures of the peninsula, a real preserve of history.

Chersonesus is considered a place where Prince Vladimir was baptized in 988 A.D. and then brought Christianity to the Kievan Rus.

An orthodox cathedral in Neo-Byzantine style with a golden dome with a cross, ancient ruins in front of the cathedral.

Orthodox cathedral’s dome inside decorated with frescoes and a massive ceiling chandelier

Crimea’s landmark

Swallow’s Nest

Swallow’s Nest is the first image that comes to the minds of millions of people thinking of the Crimean peninsula. The romantic palace, nestled on the very edge of the steep cliff of Aurora, resembles a snow-white palace in miniature and literally hovers over the sea.

From the observation point of the Swallow’s Nest you can enjoy a magnificent view.

Tasting nectar

Massandra Palace & Winery

Massandra Palace charms everyone with the elegance of exterior and cozy interior design. It was built in the 19th century by a famous French architect. The first owner of the palace was knyaz Vorontsov. And later Massandra Palace became the villa of Russian Emperor Alexander III.

Near the palace there is Massandra winery. It was once part of the enormous estate of Tsar Nicholas II and supplied exceptional wines to His Majesty’s Imperial Court. Since then for more than 110 years it has been producing wines, which quality enjoys international fame and acknowledgment.

Visit to the wine cellars of Massandra is a great chance to taste local versions of Madeiras, Sherries, Ports and especially astonishing Muscats and the other dessert wines.

The place where destiny of Europe was decided

Livadia Palace

For more than 50 years (1861–1917), the Livadian estate was the southern residence of three families of Russian tsars. An Italian-style palace complex is surrounded by a magnificent park with colonnades, fountains and unique plants.

The interiors of the Romanov era have been preserved in the palace. The rooms of the ground floor tell the story of Yalta Conference 1945, which brought together three leaders: Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt. This is the venue of Yalta Conference 1945 where the destiny of Europe was decided.

Poets’ and writers’ inspiration

Literary Crimea

Due to the enchanting beauty of nature, Crimea has always been a source of inspiration for many people in culture, art and literature. Some of them had to stay here for several months, others preferred to remain with their muse much longer and stayed here for several years.

You can visit the house-museum of the Tsvetaev sisters in the city of Feodosia, house-museum of the artist and poet Voloshin in the village Koktebel, house-museum of Chekhov and his theater in Yalta.

An entrance to a house built of stone painted in white

A room with a lot of books, ancient sculptures, a table and a staircase. Room is in red, white and brown colours.

Crimea’s gifts

Worth Seeing With Your Own Eyes

All this splendor and diversity are combined and kept for centuries by the mysterious and vibrant Crimean peninsula. It combines picturesque views, indescribable nature, and the antiquity of ancient traces of our ancestors’ life. As one glance is worth a thousand words, Crimea is worth it so that each person can discover for himself this mysterious peninsula and enjoy its gifts.