Probably every Russian knows where Kerch is. It was here that a unique construction site was unfolded - a bridge between the Crimean peninsula and the mainland of the country with a length of 19 km.
With the beginning of the ferry crossing, Kerch became the “gateway” to the Crimea.
Where is Kerch located on the map of Russia?
On a map of Russia, you must first find the Crimea peninsula, which is washed by the Black Sea. Where Kerch is located is easy to determine - on the eastern tip of the Crimea.
GPS coordinates of the city 45.36N, 36.33.
Kerch is located on the coast of two seas at once - the Black and Azov. The extreme point is Cape Lantern, which offers a beautiful panorama of the strait.
Kerch - an ancient city
Korchev, Kerch, Kerch - surprisingly, but the name of the city remained virtually unchanged for centuries. This is one of the oldest cities in the world, along with Rome and Athens, and archaeologists still find primitive people in the vicinity of the city.
Where the Kerch is located, the ancient Greeks knew, who founded several metropolitan cities here, united in the Bosporus kingdom. The kingdom was rich, successfully being at the crossroads of the trade routes of the civilized world. Then the Byzantine Empire, the Khazar Kaganate, the Principality of Tmutarakan, the Genoese possessions, the Ottoman Empire and, finally, the Tauride region of the Russian Empire - the whole history of the world left its mark on the Kerch lands.
Kerch attractions
There are a lot of preserved sights in Kerch, and the merit of people who sincerely loved this land is a considerable merit. To see Kerch antiquities with your own eyes, it is worth visiting:
- Historical and Archaeological Museum. It was founded at the beginning of the 19th century; some of the exhibits are in the Hermitage.
- Lapidarium is one of the richest in the world by the number of ancient Greek inscriptions on the stone.
- The royal mound is the tomb of the Bosporus kings.
- Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, built in the VIII century and from old age gone into the ground at 1-1.5 m;
- Excavations of the ancient Greek settlement Panticapaeum.
But Kerch was not only traded, its convenient location on the strait made the city an excellent strategic military point. Well preserved turrets of the Yeni-Kale fortress, built by the Turks. Interesting tours are held in the fortress of Kerch, the creation of engineer Totleben. The unique memorial is located in the settlement of Adzhimushkay - Adzhimushkay quarries, in which the city defenders hid during the Great Patriotic War.
Natural wonders of Kerch
Where Kerch is located, nature does not indulge in an incredible variety, as, for example, on the southern coast of Crimea. But in the steppes of the Kerch peninsula there are charms and interesting places.
It is interesting to look at the valley of mud volcanoes near Bondarenkovo. The steppe in this area is similar to the Martian surface.
The salt lake Chokrak with a snow-white crust of salt on the surface, the Opuksky reserve with pink lakes and fields covered in spring with a carpet of tulips - this is Kerch, amazing and varied.
Kerch - resort city
Kerch is one of the best resorts in Crimea. There are no such beaches anywhere - pure sandy beaches, they stretch for many kilometers along the coast of the Sea of Azov.
However, only in Kerch you can swim in one day at once in two seas, in the Black and Azov.
Inexpensive accommodation in numerous hotels, boarding houses, hotels and recreation centers, an abundance of fruits and vegetables, the proximity of the ferry crossing - all this increases the rating of Kerch among other resorts in Russia.
What is Kerch today?
Kerch today is a cozy city where tourists first get after the ferry crossing. The charm of antiquity is preserved in the central part of the city. From the main city square, a long staircase leads to the top of Mount Mithridates. You will have to climb 432 steps, but it’s worth it - from the top of the mountain you can enjoy stunning views of the sea and surroundings. There is no better observation deck in the city.
On the slope of the mountain are the ruins of the Greek city of Panticapaeum, an eternal flame burns in memory of those who died during the Great Patriotic War.
Modern Kerch is, above all, an industrial city. Shipbuilding, fish canning and metallurgical plants, an iron ore enterprise, a sewing plant, a large port - all this forms the basis of the Kerch economy. A domestic waste recycling plant and a cement plant are under construction, and a liquefied gas terminal has recently been created.
How to get to Kerch from Krasnodar?
You can get from Krasnodar to Kerch by intercity bus or car. While there is no bridge, part of the journey will have to be done by ferry. The ferry to Kerch follows from the port "Caucasus", which is located in the Temryuk region, in the village of Kosa Chushka.
You can get to the ferry crossing via the A-290 highway. Near the village Ilyich there are ticket offices and the so-called "sedimentation tank" for those who travel by their own car. It is here that ferry tickets are purchased and a queue of cars is formed.
Buses go further, and their passengers buy tickets directly near the ferry.
The Kerch-Caucasus ferry crosses the Kerch Strait in half an hour, arriving in the village. Zhukovka (Kerch), where the passenger port is located.
From Kerch, on the E-97 highway, transport goes further along the Crimean peninsula.
How to get to Kerch from Simferopol?
If you happened to arrive in Crimea by plane, then from Simferopol, where the airport is located, you can take a bus to Kerch. The distance between cities is small - only 214 km.
The journey will take 4-5 hours depending on the route.
From the airport you will need to get to the Central bus station of Simferopol (Kievskaya St., 4), from where buses to Kerch leave at half an hour intervals. The first flight leaves at 04:55, the last at 19:50. Ticket prices start at 460 rubles.
The construction of the modern Tavrida highway, which will pass through Kerch, Feodosia, Simferopol and will end in Sevastopol, is nearing completion. With the end of a grandiose construction time on the road from Simferopol to Kerch will be reduced to 2 hours.