The southern coast of Crimea is very rich in interesting remarkable places, but the resort city of Alushta is especially abundant in them. Therefore, if you are going to visit this town, you should pre-outline a plan for visiting interesting sights of Alushta, choosing them from the mass of interesting places in this city, so that you do not regret any missed opportunities.
Amazing mountains of Alushta
The real decoration of both the Crimea and Alushta itself are the mountains. One of them can be seen immediately during trips to the city beach. One has only to look to the left on the Black Sea, where Ayu-Dag Mountain will be noticeable there, which in outline will be very similar to a bear lying down to rest, for which it was called Bear Mountain.
Judging by the photo of the sights of Alushta, the no less impressive mountain located in the eastern part of the Alushta Bay, which rises 1240 meters above sea level, is Mount Demerdzhi, which in Turkish means Kuznets-Gora. And it is called so because in its ancient times there lived one cruel blacksmith who, at his whim, ruined the young and innocent beauty Mary. By the way, if you go to the foot of this mountain, you can admire the famous Ghost Valley and the ruins of the Smoky Fortress.
And, of course, one cannot fail to mention the famous Mount Kastel, whose height is 439 meters. It is located in the south of Alushta and is famous for the fact that on its eastern slope there is now a real blocky chaos, which reigned due to the many stone fragments reaching about five meters in section.
Famous valleys around Alushta
Recalling the various sights of Alushta that are worth visiting, one cannot but mention its two famous valleys. One of them is the famous Ghost Valley. It is interesting in that it consists of a mass of blocks and fragments of rock of various shapes and sizes, in which you can see familiar figures and portraits of great people created by nature itself. It is because of these bizarre rocks that the valley got its name. The main thing is, if you have already decided to visit the valley, then you should climb to the top of the block, where there is a viewing platform with a fantastic view.
Judging by the photo and description of the sights of Alushta, even more impressive than the Valley of Ghosts, tourists are made by the Sotere Valley, which is also called the "Stone Mushrooms" Valley. True, it is located not in Alushta itself, but 18 km from the city, but a trip there certainly will not be in vain. After all, here you will see about a hundred huge mushrooms that were created by nature itself due to erosion and weathering. Their legs were formed from loose stone deposits, and the hats were made from strong conglomerate plates. The height of such mushrooms is from half a meter to 7 meters, so when they see the valley for the first time, many feel real spiritual awe, and then try to perpetuate what they see in the photographs.
Jur-jur waterfall
While relaxing in Alushta, you should definitely allocate three hours to visit the famous Dzhur-Dzhur waterfall, located near the city in the vicinity of General Village. This waterfall is one of the main attractions of Alushta, which attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. And this is not surprising, because it is the most picturesque and powerful waterfall in the Crimea! This full-flowing three-cascade waterfall especially attracts people because it consists of several baths with speaking names. There are baths of Youth, Health, Love, Joy and Happiness. And it is worth swimming in each of them, as you will be forever young, all diseases will disappear, and life will be full of happiness, joy and love. Of course, this is just a beautiful legend, but if you believe it with all your heart, then everything will come true.
Water park and aquarium of Alushta
In the pearl of the Crimea - Alushta - there are so many attractions and entertainments that a whole month is not enough to cover them all. But visiting the water park and the aquarium is definitely not to be missed, especially if you come with your children.
The aquarium will simply conquer you by the fact that it looks like a mysterious grotto or cave, consisting of four rooms with huge aquariums, behind the glasses of which live about 250 species of fish of various shapes and sizes, 8 types of beautiful slow-moving turtles and 5 types of crabs. Only here you can see unusual seals, dogs and horses, feel the thrill of giant crocodiles and arapaima, as well as admire the sea urchins and stars, beautiful shells and beautiful corals that were brought here not only from all underwater corners of the Azov and Black Seas, but and from the Red Sea, as well as the Pacific and Indian oceans.
And after visiting the aquarium, you can head straight to the next attraction of Alushta - the Almond Grove water park, which is open from June to September and allows both children and adults to have fun. Here you can visit a bathhouse or a sauna, slide off one or all sixteen slides of varying degrees of giddiness, splash around in one of the six pools, enjoy the bubbles in the jacuzzi, have fun on the rides and sunbathe in the solarium. Well, tired and hungry after such a rest, you can go to a snack in a snack bar, studio bar or bar for children.
Alushta Dolphinarium
Another attraction of the city of Alushta is the city watercolor dolphinarium, which works every day, except Mondays, allowing adults and children to get a lot of pleasant emotions and impressions from acquaintance with the most intelligent, kind and sensitive mammals on Earth - dolphins. Here you can swim with them, look at their funny performance, take a picture and undergo a course of dolphin therapy, which allows even hopeless patients to recover. Well, as a keepsake, you can buy the most charming and unusual souvenir here - a picture painted by dolphins, which can be purchased at auction.
The famous park "Crimea in miniature"
Reading descriptions of the sights of Alushta, one can not help but pay attention to the unusual park "Crimea in Miniature", which allows you to learn about all the remarkable places of the Crimean Peninsula at a time without leaving the city, which were scaled down 1:25. Here, right under the open sky, you can see the main attractions of Yalta, Yevpatoriya, Bakhchisarai, Sevastopol, Feodosiya, Sudak and, of course, Alushta itself. All the most interesting temples for tourists, churches, monuments and palaces of the Crimean peninsula can now be seen with their own eyes in just an hour and a half. And if you come to this park in the evening, you can get twice as much pleasure, since in the dark all exhibits are beautifully illuminated.
Temples and Monasteries
Of course, in the resort city of Crimea, Alushta, there are so many attractions that simply can not be counted. And one of the most striking among them are three churches, a visit to which leaves the most indelible impressions, allowing you to relax not only with your body, but also with your soul.
- The snow-white temple of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, which rises above the sea and illuminates the way for sailors at night. Tourists here can not only admire the architecture of the building, but also enjoy stunning views from the observation deck located next to the temple.
- The temple of all Crimean saints impresses with its architecture, combining the elements of Gothic and romantic eclecticism. It is still visible from afar with its black spiers on the roof, and it looks incredible nearby.
- Although the Cosmo-Damian Monastery is not located in Alushta itself, it is definitely worth visiting, especially since it is located on the territory of the picturesque Crimean reserve.
Fortresses of Alushta
Also, visiting various sights of Alushta, one cannot ignore the fortresses located on the territory of this city and its environs. The most prominent among them are the Aluston and Dymnaya fortresses , which are also called the Funa fortress. Everyone who enters Alushta will be able to see Aluston, but it is better to come closer to her to independently appreciate the grandeur of these ruins of a fortification, in the territory of which there is also a restored Jami Yukhara mosque.
A visit to the Funa fortress, included in the list of monuments of historical and cultural heritage, cannot be missed at all, because it occupies 0.52 hectares and allows you to plunge headlong into the military history of Crimea, full of dangers, bloody battles, defeats and victories.
Alushta museums
An important place among exploring interesting places and sights of Alushta is visiting city museums. Especially stand out among them:
- The Museum of Water Disasters is located in the basement of St. Nicholas Cathedral and allows you to get acquainted with five hundred exhibits related to a particular disaster that happened to sailors, travelers or fishermen who became victims of the water element.
- The Brownies House Museum is one of a kind throughout the world. It gives you the opportunity to learn more about brownies, look at 200 exhibits of homemade made of wood, and even buy yourself one statuette of the defender of the home.
- The local history museum was originally opened in 1923, then it was closed and opened several more times, and now it has been working on a permanent basis since 1971. Here you can find out the full history of Alushta and Crimea from ancient times to this day.
- The Sergeyevsky Tsensky literary and memorial house-museum is located in that one-story small house where the writer lived and worked in 1906-1958, and allows you to see firsthand how creative people lived in those distant times.
The best palaces and estates
Lovers of beauty, among all the sights of Alushta, will especially like some palaces and estates, which are interesting both for their architecture and the interior decoration of buildings.
- The palace of Princess Gagarina is made in the Romanesque style and already from afar attracts tourists with its unusual architecture and bright orange walls. And even though the building is now part of the sanatorium, you should visit this place in order to admire the narrow windows, towers crowned with sharp spiers, the coat of arms of the Gagarins and a beautifully twined vine on the eastern wall of the palace.
- Cottage "Dove" will allow you to learn more about the history of the city and the life of retired General Golubev. Stalin once stayed here while traveling to the Yalta Conference in 1945, here in the cellars were members of the Alushta Revolutionary Committee in 1918, and finally, it was here that the heir to the Russian throne, Nikolai Alexandrovich, met Princess Alyssia of Darmstadt, who became his wife.
- The Karasan Palace is simply impossible to ignore - its appearance is so gorgeous, because the architects combined the architectural styles of several countries and eras at once. But no less than an elegant palace, tourists will be attracted by the landscape park that surrounds it, where about 220 species of plants from several continents are collected.
Resort complex "Almond Grove"
Choosing what other attractions and entertainments in Alushta deserve your attention, you should pay your attention to the Almond Grove complex, where you can spend the whole day indulging in fun and outdoor activities. Not only is there the same water park that promises a lot of positive feedback to its visitors, but there is something to do besides it. Here you can take a good steam bath and get a range of services in the massage room. Here you can play bowling or billiards with friends. Here you can just find yourself everything that the soul desires in the entertainment complex. And, tired, visit the eponymous restaurant, where there is the opportunity to eat very tasty. But the main thing: there are two hotels in the complex, so if you want to get a lot of positive emotions every day, you can just stay in it on arrival in the city.
Multipark for children
Also, looking at photos of Alushta sights, many pay attention to those of them, which depict various cartoon characters and fairy tales that return even the most cynical adults to their childhood. Here, right before your eyes, Snow White and the seven dwarfs come to life on a fantasy journey, Kid and Carlson, Crocodile Gena and Cheburashka, Cat Matroskin and Postman Pechkin. But there you can still see the characters of the Corporation of Monsters beloved by modern children, Shrek with his friends and Fiona, Masha with the Bear, Three Heroes ... All the fairy-tale heroes that adults and children will encounter on their way can not be listed. You need to go there and see everything with your own eyes.
Alushta festivals
But, despite the abundance of attractions, the resort town is famous for its two festivals, so if you want to get even more pleasure from your vacation, you can make your trip so as to visit them.
So, in late June and early July, the Pearl of Crimea festival takes place in Alushta, where children from several countries compete in vocals, choreography, circus arts, fashion shows and instrumental genres. And in late May and early June, the Dawns of Alushta festival is held directly in the open air, where adults and children show the audience a real festive show, in which both professional and novice artists participate.