Park "Arboretum" is perhaps the most visited Sochi attraction. This interesting place, located on Kurortny Prospect, attracts tourists, first of all, with a rich collection of exotic plants of various species, collected from all over the world. Here you can not only look at the bamboo thickets or visit the palm grove, but also admire the swans and pelicans, or even ride the cable car.
A bit of history
The Arboretum park (Sochi) was founded in the year before last, was born in Ryazan province by lawyer S. N. Khudyakov. At the end of the XIX century. the tsarist government announced the sale of land on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus at preferential prices. This decision was made so that Russia could gain a foothold in this region in the postwar period.
One of such preferential sites, located a couple of kilometers from the center of Sochi, was looked after by S. N. Khudyakov. In 1890, the new owner of a large territory on the slope of Lysaya Mountain began work on the layout of an exotic park. About two years later, several hundred different tropical plants appeared on this place. The layout of the planting and small architectural forms was carried out by the landlord himself in collaboration with the famous German gardener Langau. Thus, the year of foundation of the Sochi Arboretum Park is considered to be 1892.
S. N. Khudyakov prescribed plants for his park mainly from the countries of the Mediterranean and Crimea. Some copies were also acquired by him in a nursery located in Gagra, in the castle of the Prince of Oldenburg, as well as in exotic gardens of Europe.
How to get to the park
Where exactly is the Arboretum park located in Sochi? How to get to this famous place, many guests would probably like to know. Finding an Arboretum in Sochi is not difficult at all. It is located almost in the very center of the city. From the Marine Station to the park can be reached on foot. From other parts of the city, you should first get to Kutuzovsky Prospekt, and then take any minibus that goes to the Dendropark stop.
In general, this attraction is quite convenient. The Arboretum park in Sochi, whose address is not difficult to remember, is located on 74 Kutuzovsky Prospekt. All necessary information can be obtained by calling the help desk at 8 (862) 262–16–46.
Arboretum Park (Sochi): reviews of vacationers
Opinion about this wonderful place was good for all vacationers without exception. Sochi guests and its residents believe that spending time in the Arboretum park can be really interesting. Most advise you to buy a tour of this place at the entrance or when boarding the cable car trailers . But you can take a walk in the park on your own, having previously bought a card. All interesting exhibits have signs.
Tourists consider the opening hours of the Arboretum park in Sochi convenient for visiting. However, in general, vacationers respond to the service in this popular place as not too thought out. For example, there are very few places where you could eat in the park. The dry closets in the Arboretum (especially in its lower part) are not too clean.
Layout
Sochi "Arboretum" consists of two parts - the upper park and the lower. A cable car stretches over its entire territory. In the upper part of the park, mainly rare species of plants and shrubs are collected. At the bottom are exotic birds and animals. The upper part of the park can be reached through the main entrance from Kutuzovsky Prospekt. Cash desks are also located here. The lower part of the park is on the other side of Kutuzovsky Prospekt. You can get here through the underpass.
Top part
To date, more than 2000 species of a wide variety of exotic plants have been collected in the Sochi Arboretum Park. Being in its upper part, you should definitely inspect:
- the cottage of S. N. Khudyakov and planting around her;
- a collection of pines, oaks and palm trees;
- Moorish arbor;
- Aviary with African ostriches.
Cottage "Hope"
It was around this building that the Arboretum park in Sochi once crashed. Memory photos taken at this place will most likely be the most spectacular. S. N. Khudyakov built this magnificent building for his wife, N. A. Strakhova. It is this cottage and the plantings located around it that are the central axis of the composition of the entire park as a whole.
Nationalized "Hope", like the "Arboretum" itself, was in 1921. Subsequently, the National Library, the coast guard headquarters, a hospital, a sanatorium, and an experimental forest station were located here in different years. At the moment, work is underway to organize a museum in this building.
Palm trees of rare varieties are planted on the upper terrace near the summer house. To the right is a Mexican corner with a large collection of cacti and agaves. Gorgeous palm trees of Washingtonia are planted along the terrace . On both sides of the main staircase, tall cypress trees and oleander bushes grow.
The best plant collections
A huge number of picturesque places is what the Arboretum park is famous for. Sochi is a southern city and the climate is relatively mild. Therefore, even heat-loving subtropical plants feel almost at home in the park.
One of the most interesting places in the upper part of the Arboretum is a site planted with a rich collection of pines, considered one of the best in Europe. In total, the park has more than 80 species of such trees. At the same time, only 100 pine species grow in the wild.
The collection of oaks collected in the park recites 60 different species. There are both ordinary and valuable varieties of these trees. The most interesting specimen is cork oak. This Mediterranean giant can reach the age of 200 years and a height of 20 m.
The collection of palm trees of the Arboretum park is also extremely interesting. In nature, there are more than 3000 varieties of this plant. The park collected 1% of all available on the planet species of Palm. The most interesting specimens of this collection are Chilean ubeys (elephant palms) with a trunk diameter of up to 50 cm, and Washington, reaching a height of 20 m.
Moorish arbor
The Arboretum park (Sochi) was planned by S. N. Khudyakov in a regular Franco-Italian terrace style. It was such a landscape design that was in vogue in Russia at the end of the 19th century. Beautiful sculptures are placed throughout the park, grottoes are equipped, and places for relaxation are equipped. One of the most interesting architectural attractions of the park is the Moorish arbor. This structure was built on a sunlit grass meadow. An arbor in the Arabic style. At the entrance to it are two sculptures of lions. In this beautiful place, many feature films were filmed. For example, such as “The Life of Klim Samghin”, “Dead Season”, “The Adventures of Prince Florizel”.
Lower part of the park
Until the 30s of the last century, the Sochi Arboretum was a single territory. However, with the development of the city and the growth of its population, the need arose to lay a new road - the Batumi highway, which crossed the park. Later, this transport artery was called Kutuzovsky Prospekt.
The lower part of the Sochi arboretum is a very calm and comfortable place. Here there are, including planting a variety of exotic plants. However, tropical birds and animals are of most interest in this part of the park. In the lower "Arboretum", if desired, you can admire the swans, geese, ducks, pelicans and even marsh beavers. Of the plants in this park, you should definitely examine the bamboo and Chinese wisteria vine . The latter is the best copy in Russia. This vine has been growing in the same place for over 120 years.
The famous cable car park "Arboretum" (Sochi)
You can ride over this wonderful exotic place by buying tickets at the ticket office located about 50 meters from the main entrance (5 minutes walk) towards the city center. Experienced tourists advise beginners to buy a ticket for the cable car first thing. The Arboretum park is located on the side of the mountain. Therefore, it is better to go upstairs in the trailer, and down the park already go down on foot.
The trailer arrives at a specially equipped platform on the slope. Many tourists advise not to go down immediately upon arrival, but to go up two floors. There is a large observation deck from where magnificent views of the Arboretum Park, Sochi and the sea open.
Ticket price
A visit to the Sochi Arboretum park is too expensive for tourists. The price of a ticket for admission to its territory for adults is about 250 rubles. For a child under 7 years old, you do not need to pay at all. Tickets for children from 7 to 14 years are about 120 p. If desired, an excursion can be purchased at the entrance to the park. Its cost is approximately 200 p. for adults and 100 r. for teens.
If desired, as already mentioned, the park can be viewed from above - from the cable car. The fare in the trailer costs 400 p. on both sides for adults and 200 r. for teens. Many tourists pay for a trip by cable car at the same time as a sightseeing tour. In this case, the cost of space in the trailer will be about 430 and 220 r. respectively.
Thus, it is not necessary to spend too much in order to explore the Arboretum (Sochi) park. Its working time is also very convenient for tourists. In summer, you can come here from 8 am to 9 pm. From November 1 to March 1, the park is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.