Crimea can be safely called one of the most interesting places in the world. The unique nature, rich history, sights, museums, monuments at almost every step - this is only a small part of what is on the peninsula. Inspect at least a small part of all this even for a long vacation just does not work, but there is a solution. Check out the list of the most unusual places in Crimea, in the first place to pay attention to them.
In fact, a trip to the Crimea is a great opportunity not only to enjoy and admire the beauties of the peninsula, but also to spend an excellent, and most importantly, memorable vacation. Surely many have a question, they say, what kind of places are these unusual in the Crimea? Let's talk about the wonders of the peninsula. Many are not written on the front pages of the guidebooks, and some are not mentioned at all.
Description of unusual places of Crimea
A small introduction. One could make something like a top of the most unusual places in Crimea with a photo, but this would not be entirely fair, because each is unique in its own way, has its own characteristics, its own history. A comparative analysis would be wrong. Therefore, do not take this article as a rating. We will try to mention only some wonderful corners.
Cape Meganom
Cape Meganom can be considered one of the most beautiful and unusual places in Crimea. Its history began in ancient centuries, when the Greeks lived here, but specifically in this place there has never been a single residential building or structure. This is explained as follows: according to history, the ancient Greeks believed that the River Styx flows here, along which Charon transports the souls of dead people to the kingdom of the dead, where Hades rules.
However, time does not stand still, and now there is practically nothing left of the river, only a wide gorge reminds of what it was. Also, according to legends and traditions, it was in this place, near Mount Megan, that Odysseus made his journey to the kingdom of the dead.
Where is the cape and how to get to it
The cape itself is located in the vicinity of the city of Sudak, between Alchak Mountain and the Bugaz Valley. The eastern part of the cape is mountainous and goes into the sea, and the western lower one has various ravines, hills and many terraces.
There are two ways to get here: by private car and by bus. Roadside signs will help you stay on track. By car, before reaching Sudak, you should turn towards the military town, and from there there is only one road - to the lighthouse.
As for the bus, you need to buy a ticket at the bus station to Sunny Valley. You should leave at the Meganom stop, after which you will have to travel 5 km on foot to the coveted cape.
Shuldan Cave Monastery
The monastery can be safely called one of the most interesting and unusual places in Crimea. It is located near Sevastopol in a cliff above the Shulskaya valley. The chapel of the monastery is visible to the naked eye, especially along the road towards the village of Ternovka. From the Tatar language, the name of the monastery can be translated as "Giving echo."
According to history, the monastery was founded around the VIII-IX centuries by fugitive Byzantine monks, at a time when the iconoclasts came to power. At the beginning of the XI century, Shuldan was expanded and a new baptistery appeared in it.
Today, hermit monks live here who have chosen to shield themselves from the harmful temptations and temptations. Pilgrims and tourists are also allowed here. If necessary, the monks are always ready to provide the traveler with an overnight stay in one of the cells.
As for the chapel, which rises at the top, it was erected relatively recently. Drug and alcohol-dependent people took part in the construction, the treatment of which the monks themselves were engaged in.
How to get there
There are two ways to rise to the monastery: through the Shulsky valley or from the medieval cave city of Eski-Kermen, where, by the way, the film "9 Company" was filmed.
This place is able to impress anyone, not only with its beauty, but also with many other things. Here you can calmly think about your past, present and future, communicate with people who have been living in this place for more than 10 years, improve your spiritual level and, possibly, rethink some of your life positions.
By the way, due to the fact that the monastery is located on a hill, the sounds from its belfry "hang" in the air for a very long time, filling the entire valley, so the name "Giving Echo" is fully justified.
Ghost valley
Another unusual place and attraction in the Crimea is the Valley of Ghosts. It is located in Alushta district, near the village of Luchistoe. The reference point is Mount Demerdzhi. From its foot to the village about 1 km. In any case, the stone pillars, so to speak, are immediately visible, and it simply does not work to pass the valley.
The valley of ghosts is notable for the fact that the wind always blows here, and as a result of resonance you can hear amazing sounds. There have been cases when people with a weak psyche and an unstable nervous system have a detrimental effect, so this is worth considering.
As for the "pillars" themselves, they were formed thousands of years ago in a natural way. At first it was ordinary blocks of stone, but the constant winds did their job and continued to give the desired shape. The final result was not entirely ambiguous, and among people who have been here there is an opinion that nature decided to just play a joke.
The location is unique. Particularly surprising is how the pines that have been growing here for a very long time were able to take root on the tops of some rocks. Photos are striking in beauty.
Mountain bear
The next unusual and reserved place in the Crimea is Ayu-Dag Mountain, or, as it is also called, Bear Mountain. The definition of "reserve" is not just mentioned, because the mountain is indeed the Crimean nature reserve, whose area is 4 km 2 .
They say a lot about Ayu-Dag. Some argue that the mountain constantly attracts the attention of UFOs, while others - that this place has a bad reputation and it is highly not recommended to stay there for the night. Well, there is a grain of truth on both sides.
UFO
Today you can find a lot of articles, videos and comments from people who describe in detail how UFOs were seen in these parts. Especially often you can meet flying saucers in the summer. This information is also confirmed by local residents, who themselves have repeatedly seen strange phenomena in the sky above the mountain.
Many people believe that this strange interest is explained by the fact that under the mountain there is a secret passage through which alien ships enter their base located inside Ayu-Dag. No one has yet been able to confirm or deny this information, but attempts to dive downhill continue to this day.
Abnormal places
In addition to UFOs, there are abnormal places on the mountain, where, as they say, local residents pass faults in the crust and energy flows from there. In such places, health can be treated. There are a lot of reviews from people who, having got on Bear Mountain, began to feel much better, and all the pain present from various injuries almost instantly disappeared.
But there are other stories about abnormal places. They are associated with spending the night on the mountain. There are repeated reports that tourists are dumped at night from cliffs. No one can say what this is connected with. Fortunately, such cases are not common, but even those who spend the night 1 time on the mountain prefer not to stay here on the second night.
By the way, not everyone knows that Ayu-Dag is a failed volcano. The mountain consists entirely of igneous rock and is of great interest to scientists.
There are just a huge number of plants, and with many varieties. You can also easily find those that are listed in the Red Book and are of great value. As for animals, here they are also enough, so do not be surprised if a hare, badger or fox runs past.
Path to the mountain
You can get to Ayu-Dag either from the side of Yalta, or from the side of Alushta. An ideal stop is a turn towards the Artek camp, but not every driver stops there. In any other case, you have to get off at the “Cemetery” stop, immediately after Gurzuf, if you are coming from Yalta, or at the “Lavrovoye” stop, if the path lies from Alushta. In both cases, you have to walk about 800 meters to that very turn.
Temple of the sun
The next unusual place that is worth visiting in the Crimea is the Temple of the Sun, or Crimean Stonehenge. It is located next to Laspi Bay, which can be reached either by private car or by bus. Further from the stop you need to go along the path going down. Then there will be a fork in the road, but you can go along any road, because all the roads lead to the temple, only the travel time is different. The shortest path is marked with a blue pointer. Also, if you follow it, then it will be possible to replenish water supplies in the local source of Yalyn-Chur.
The exact date of the formation of the Temple of the Sun is unknown, but it appeared as a result of the collapse of the peak of Mount Ilyas Kaya. Seven huge blocks of stone collapsed down and accidentally formed the shape of a flower. From here, another name comes to the temple - "Stone Flower".
Places similar to the temple of the Sun are commonly called places of power, since they are directly related to the energy of the cosmos. True or not, no one knows, but the fact that the Crimean Stonehenge is an unusual place is a fact. Strong energy is also explained by the fact that here, more precisely on the top of Mount Ilyas-Kaya, the Greeks built the Orthodox Church of St. Elijah, so this is a place prayed from antiquity.
Mostly people come here to find answers to their questions, make a wish, heal their body and soul. Indeed, there are many reviews that, after visiting the temple of the Sun, a person was cured of a particular illness or his dreams came true.
You need to ask for something correctly. First of all, you should clear your mind of all bad thoughts and clearly concentrate on what you want. It is very important that the request does not harm anyone, because everything can turn against the one who asks. And the last - do not rush anywhere.
Many legends go about the temple. Here, for example, is one of them. In Soviet times, secret and classified studies on the topic of abnormal activity were carried out here. The results for a long time were kept in the strictest confidence, but after the collapse of the data were published. It follows from them that the experiments did not bring any results, however, there are references to two groups that disappeared without a trace, which were present there.
Mangup
In the Middle Ages it was a real cave city and at the same time a fortress. This is all near the village of Zalesnoye. From Sevastopol to go here about 35-40 minutes. For many years Mangup has been one of the most unusual places in the Crimea and for good reason, because there is definitely something to see here.
The first thing that catches your eye is the fortress that has been preserved to this day, located on the top of the mountain at an altitude of 583 m. Inside you can find springs, of which there are only 15, two of which are male and female, which serve as places for pilgrims.
As for history, the first mention of the settlement of this place appears already in the III-IV centuries of our era. Since then, the fortress has been constantly expanding and due to its location was considered impregnable. In the VII century, Mangup became part of the Khazar Kaganate, but was later recaptured. From XI-XIV the fortress was called Theodoro and was the capital of the Byzantine principality. This period is considered the best in the history of Mangup, but at the same time there is very little information about it.
One of the most interesting places on Mangup is the Holy Annunciation Monastery, which is located at an altitude of 400 meters above sea level. People have been living here for a very long time, there is a small economy. The ascent to the monastery is not too difficult. Along the way, you can drink water from a local holy spring.
There is a cross at the very top of the monastery, and the views that open from there are simply magnificent. The photos that you see in our article are beautiful, but they are not able to convey all those feelings and emotions that overwhelm the person who is there.
Another popular destination on Mangup is Lake Maiden. Mostly people come here to relax, have a picnic or grill kebabs. For these purposes, the coast is equipped with special arbors. There are several points with local dishes. During the period of drought, you can see how part of the altar of the ancient temple that was flooded is shown from the lake. Also on the lake you can ride a boat or catamaran.
Not without mysticism here. Local residents, pilgrims from the monastery and some tourists claim that there are some white balls on Mangup that appear absolutely suddenly. In most cases, they do not do any harm and practically do not react to a person. It is also impossible to catch them, so the mystery of the balls remains a mystery to this day.
Conclusion
Our story about the most unusual places in Crimea comes to an end, although in fact there are much more. The entire peninsula is one big attraction that falls in love with any tourist. When planning a trip to the Crimea, be sure to visit its beautiful corners.