It's no secret that Abkhazia is a unique country. It is full of interesting places, friendly people and delicious fruits. For those who have already traveled the entire south of our country, the ideal vacation option is a trip to Abkhazia. Sights of such cities as Gagra, Sukhum, Pitsunda, New Athos, amaze tourists with their beauty, and therefore invariably attract tourists here. What to see in this country, what sights should never be missed? We’ll talk about this today!
Ritsa Lake
One of the most popular and picturesque sights of Abkhazia is the mountain lake Ritsa. It attracts guests throughout the year. An interesting fact: depending on the time of year, the pond changes color - in autumn and winter it is blue-blue, and in spring and summer the water turns yellow. The length of the lake is 2 kilometers, and the depth is about 150 meters. Vacationers note - the water here is so clear that the waters are visible for ten meters. The lake is located in the north-west of the country, in the territory of a magnificent national park. Previously, Lake Ritsa was the hallmark of Abkhazia. On the shores of it stood the dachas of Stalin and Brezhnev.
How to get to the lake
The most convenient way to get to this attraction of Abkhazia is by car. You need to move along the main road of the country - the Black Sea Highway. Then, at the bridge over the river called Bzyb, you should turn inland. Travelers who have visited these places note that the road here is not very good. Another option is a trip from Gagra on a sightseeing bus. On the way, the guide will tell you about all the interesting places. By the way, you can also come by taxi, however, in this case you have to fork out - the thing is that taxi drivers not only bring vacationers to the lake, but also wait for them to take them back.
New Athos Cave
Among the attractions of New Athos in Abkhazia, it is worth highlighting the New Athos cave. This is one of the largest caves in the country! She gained wide popularity recently - just half a century ago. Then an Abkhazian artist named Givi Smyr discovered a strange entrance on Iverskaya Mountain . Together with a group of activists, Givi went down to a depth of 135 meters! They opened the Anacopia Hall, but later it became known that there are other halls in this cave! Since 1975, excursion trains run here.
Tourists call the New Athos cave a real miracle of nature. It can cause delight even among those who, it would seem, are not surprised by anything. Long transitions that branch out, sparsely illuminated underground halls, mysterious galleries take visitors to the most hidden depths of the Iverskaya Mountain. The underground world of the cave is very rich - there are stone ramparts, and delightful emerald lakes, and even stalactite palaces! A tour of the sights of Abkhazia begins with a short walk on a small electric train that can accommodate 90 passengers. By the way, initially for the transportation of people used mining trolleys, which were converted for this. The route is 1.3 km long; only three stations are provided on it:
- "Anacopia Hall";
- "Entrance gate";
- "Hall of Apsny."
Route
In total, there are 11 rooms in the New Athos Cave that have already been investigated. Only a part is available to tourists. Usually the traditional route for the sights of Abkhazia consists of viewing the following halls:
- Anacopia, where the magnificent cave waterfall is located.
- Mahadzhirov, which is the largest hall of the New Athos cave.
- Nartaa, which tourists call the most “lively” hall because of the trius beetles living here.
- Speleologists, the highest in the cave - in places the floor and ceiling are divided by a height of 50 meters.
- The Giva Smyr Hall, the floor of which is covered with waves of frozen limestone. There is also a stone jellyfish.
- Ayuhaa, where there are hundreds of stalagmites from calcite - red and orange.
- Apkhartsa, where vacationers can enjoy Abkhazian music.
- Apsny, distinguished from others by high humidity.
Helpful information
Please note - visiting this natural attraction is possible only as part of the excursion group. It usually takes about an hour and a half. Such excursions are held during the tourist season: they begin in May and end only in early November. When planning a trip here, do not forget to bring warm clothes with you, because the temperature in the halls of the cave does not rise above 14 degrees!
New Athos Monastery
Another attraction of Athos (Abkhazia) is the New Athos Monastery. It was built near the temple of Simon Kananit, where the holy relics are located today, and from the cave, where he secluded himself to talk with God. The history of the monastery began in 1874. Then the monks of the Panteleimon Monastery, which is located on the Greek Athos, received from the government the territory of modern New Athos. Another royal gift was a large sum - for the construction of a new monastery complex. Why was this place chosen? According to legend, here in the first century BC, Kananit, the apostle who preached Christianity in the territory of the Western Caucasus, died at the hands of Roman legionnaires.
The construction went on long and hard - it was extremely difficult to ensure the delivery of building materials to a height of 75 meters above sea level. During the Russo-Turkish war, the monastery was looted. In 1880, the restoration of the shrine began. But the trials that fell to this sights of Abkhazia did not end there. So, in the days of the USSR, the monastery was turned into a recreation center, later it became a museum of local lore. During the Georgian-Abkhaz war, the New Athos monastery became a military hospital. Only in 1994 did services finally resume here. Today the monastery is open to visitors.
It's important to know!
To get to this monastery, you need to get to the city of Adler, cross the border post "Psou". After passing through customs and passport control, we recommend taking a regular bus, which in three hours will take you to the city of New Athos, where the monastery is located. Please note that women in the New Athos Monastery are allowed only in long-sex clothes and with a covered head!
Waterfall "Men's Tears"
The history of the appearance of sights on the territory of Abkhazia (pictured) under the name “Men's Tears” is shrouded in countless legends, the authenticity of which cannot be verified today.
According to the most popular version, the beautiful girl Amra lived in Abkhazia. She was engaged in the fact that goats grazed on the river bank. With her gentle voice, Amra sang songs that reached the ears of her beloved Adgur, who lived in the mountains. To the trouble of this couple, a mermaid lived in the waters of the river, who envied the beauty and her voice, and therefore decided to kill her. Once, while Amra was grazing goats, the mermaid wanted to push her into the water, but the God of Water saved the girl, and turned the mermaid into stone. At this time, Adgur's heart felt something was amiss, but he could not do anything. Because of powerlessness, the young man cried, his tears fell to the ground, in the place where they fell, a waterfall appeared.
How to get to the waterfall
"Men's tears" are located on the Ritsinsky highway, the waterfall is clearly visible. In addition, it is part of various excursions from Gagra, Sukhum or the resort towns of the Kuban. You can get here by your own car, however, you must consider that the road here is mountainous - winding and steep. Therefore, during the trip you need to be as careful as possible and pay attention to the weather forecast.
"Girl's tears"
Twenty kilometers from the Men's Tears Waterfall is a waterfall called Maiden Tears. The legend of its origin is suspiciously similar to the legend of "Male Tears": a beautiful girl, born in a family of shepherds, once lived in this place. Once, while a girl was grazing goats, a mountain spirit saw her. Between them, feelings immediately flared up. But they were envied by the evil and incredibly jealous sorceress who lived nearby. She decided to kill the beautiful girl: she tracked her down, lifted her over the rocks to throw her down. No matter how the girl called her lover, the spirit did not hear her, because he was too far away. Then the beauty sobbed and cried all her tears before death, so that they flowed from the rocks for thousands of years and did not give rest to the evil and envious heart of the sorceress.
How to get to the sights
This waterfall near the highway can be seen from afar: tourists constantly tie colored ribbons to the plants located around it. It is believed that this helps to find love and preserve it for many years. By the way, a similar tradition is observed at the first waterfall.
This attraction of Abkhazia (pictured above) is separated from Gagra by 40 kilometers. Most of the tourists visit the "Girl's Tears" during a trip to Lake Ritsa. The public transport route does not pass here, but you can always find suitable excursions or go here by taxi. In addition, you can get to the waterfall by car.
Colonnade
The construction of this landmark of Abkhazia (pictured) in Gagra began in the difficult post-war years. There were not enough resources, and there were few workers to build a colonnade. But, despite all these circumstances, they built it in just two years. She immediately became the hallmark of Abkhazia.
The grand opening of the Gagra Colonnade took place in 1956. What is this attraction? This is a multi-arched composition, the length of which is more than 60 meters. It was built in the Moorish style. Consisting of eight arches, arcades connect four white towers. The colonnade is located around the square, which in the Soviet years was called the Constitution Square. In the center of it is an elegant fountain with a sculpture in the form of a dove, which is a symbol of peace on earth. By the way, on this square there are other interesting objects, for example, a cinema and a mosaic fountain. The attraction gained particular popularity after it “lit up” in a well-known film called “Winter Evening in Gagra”.
Where is the colonnade located?
Do you want to visit this attraction of Abkhazia on your own? Easy peasy! It is located in the very center of the city, near the Seaside Park. In front of the colonnade, in the square, there are numerous souvenir shops, tents with magnets and other trinkets. Various travel agencies are also located here, where you can pick up interesting excursions to the sights of Abkhazia in Pitsunda, Gagra, New Athos, Sukhum.
Apery
What place can the whole family visit? Of course, the monkey nursery! It was opened in 1927 on the site where the dacha of the Russian scientist Ostroumov was formerly located. The nursery is located near the Sukhumi Botanical Garden. Today, there are about 300 monkeys that can be watched for hours on end! Cute and friendly primates can be treated to fruit. However, one should be careful - cunning monkeys can steal jewelry from their hands. In addition, they usually do not want to part with their prey.
Pitsunda Beach
Speaking about the sights and entertainments of Abkhazia, one cannot but say about Pitsunda beach. Why is it so popular among visitors to the country and local residents? The fact is that there are practically no strong currents here, the sea in these places is crystal clear, and the air is fresh and pleasant! In addition, a pine forest begins right behind this beach, where you can hide from the sun during particularly hot hours. A significant part of the beach is covered with medium-sized pebbles, but you can go a little further and find a sand and pebble area.
Prince Oldenburg Castle
One of the most beautiful buildings in Abkhazia, made in the Art Nouveau style, tourists call the castle of Prince Oldenburg. We bring to your attention a photo of this attraction of Abkhazia, a description and reviews of visitors!
The castle was built in 1902. Then Prince Alexander of Oldenburg first visited this amazing country. It is not surprising that he fell in love with Abkhazia, and therefore decided that there should appear a magnificent resort that could compete with Nice. Initially, he decided to create a park here. To do this, swamps were drained and trees and shrubs were planted. After the prince built the castle for himself, and then decided to build a telegraph and hospital in Gagra. However, it was not possible to carry out the plan: the war intervened in his plans, but even those parts that Alexander Oldenburgsky managed to erect are worthy of attention. When the Bolsheviks came to power, the castle was turned into a boarding house "The Seagull". After the collapse of the USSR, the building fell into complete decline, survived the raids of marauders and the fire. Now the castle is leased to a private person. The plans - a complete restoration of the object.
Vacationers note the convenient location of the castle - it stands at the last stop of the city minibuses. You can get here on foot or by cable car from Seaside Park. Access to the castle is temporarily limited, but it can be visited as part of an excursion that is held for visitors to another attraction - the Gagripsh restaurant.