Massandra Palace in Yalta is one of the most wonderful sightseeing places of Crimea. The palace impresses with its architectural unusualness, graceful grace and royal sophistication. The story, hidden behind the majestic walls, attracts the attention of many tourists around the world, intriguing with its unusual and entertaining.
Let us virtually visit this pearl of Russian history with you and try to understand why it is so attractive and beautiful.
What is remarkable about the museum?
The Massandra Palace in Yalta is a compact and cozy castle built in the late nineteenth century. It was once the magnificent residence of emperors. Then it was provided for use by ordinary people. A little later, it was considered the state cottage of prominent Soviet politicians.
Possessing such a rich and controversial history, the Massandra Palace in Yalta managed to retain its originality and exoticism, originality and uniqueness, which allows it to still have a huge number of visitors and sightseers.
Where is the castle located?
The charming imperial residence is located in the shade of a dense forest, among a beautiful park, not far from the bottomless expanses of the Black Sea.
Here is a specific address: Massandra Palace (Yalta), Crimea Peninsula, urban-type settlement Massandra, 2 Naberezhnaya Street.
Although the building is territorially assigned to the village, it is practically fenced off from the village by a beautiful dense forest.
What is the best way to get to this magnificent architectural monument?
Route Options
The most optimal way is to get to the Massandra Palace from Yalta. How to do this in the best way - read below.
Here are some ways:
- By bus. Suitable routes are number 29 (departing from the city center) and any other routes going in the direction of Alushta, Gurzuf, Simferopol (the departure point is the bus station). Cost: fifteen to twenty rubles.
- By trolleybus. In this case, all route numbers will work, but most often trolleybus number 2 runs. The ticket price is about ten rubles, and the duration of the trip is no more than fifteen minutes.
- Minibus taxi number 74 (runs only in summer).
Choosing one plan or another, how to get to the Massandra Palace from Yalta, it should be remembered that public transport will not take you to the castle itself, but to the Upper Massandra Park stop, from which you will have to go up for about half an hour along an asphalt road. Therefore, it may be convenient for you to use the services of private taxi drivers who drive their passengers as close to the sights as possible.
You can get to the Massandra Palace (Yalta) from Alushta. To do this, use the shuttle bus Alushta - Simferopol or a trolleybus, following in the same direction. The journey will take about forty minutes by bus and a little more than an hour by trolley. The fare is fifty and twenty rubles, respectively.
There are other ways. For example, you can go to the Massandra Palace through the forest. The path between the trees is well trodden and comfortable. You will have to go no more than a kilometer, and this walk will surely bring you pleasure: forest coolness, pleasant shade, picturesque landscapes ...
In order to take a walk, you need to take a bus with route number 3, 44 or 100 (which go from the center of Yalta or the bus station) and get to the stop “st. Stakhanovskaya. ” This method of travel is not as expensive as the previous ones (about fifteen rubles), not as long (only twenty minutes in transport) and more comfortable.
What is the history of the Massandra Palace (Yalta) and how is it remarkable?
Royal history of the building
The erection of the Massandra Palace in Yalta took place in several stages.
The first stage of construction ended in 1882, when, on the orders of the landowner Prince Vorontsov, a pretty beautiful house was built, made in the strict style of a knight's castle. The project was developed by the French architect Etienne Bouchard.
A few years after the death of the owner, the house was purchased for the current emperor Alexander Alexandrovich and rebuilt according to the drawings of the German architect Maximilian Egorovich Mesmacher. The second phase of construction began in 1892 and lasted about ten years.
According to the new project, the third floor was added, and the building itself was richly decorated and decorated, turning into a magnificent tower from a fairy tale.
Since then, the palace became the residence of the Romanov emperors. True, Nicholas II rarely stayed in it and almost never slept.
Soviet history of construction
After the revolution, the building was used as a hospital for tuberculosis patients for twelve years. Unfortunately, during this period the palace underwent many negative changes: some decors and sculptures were destroyed.
After World War II, the building served the Soviet citizens for several years as an institute of winemaking. But soon it attracted the attention of the Leader of the peoples and was slightly refitted in accordance with the wishes of Joseph Vissarionovich. For several decades, the Massandra Palace was the state suburban cottage of the first secretaries of the CPSU Central Committee.
The modern history of the castle
In 1992, the imperial residence was awarded the title of State Ukrainian Museum.
And since 2014, the palace has been a Russian museum under the authority of the President of the Russian Federation.
Palace Description
Although the building changed owners several times and underwent some changes, it nevertheless preserved the incredible atmosphere of magnificence and solemnity of the era of Russian emperors.
One of the main exhibits of the museum are the chambers of the Romanovs, which include:
- bedroom and living room;
- the chambers of the empress;
- the dining room.
The interior and decoration of the rooms testify to the luxury and taste of their first owners.
Also in the palace there are exhibits dedicated to the Soviet period, where photographs, paintings, sculptures and other things are presented that carry a reflection of the era of the USSR.
An interesting place for excursions is not only the building itself, but also the palace and park composition, which you can visit both yourself and with the guide. Massandra Park is one of the best in Europe, built in the English style, with exotic fruit trees and beautiful majestic conifers. In the forest there are alleys and paths decorated with flower beds.
Pricing policy visits
How much finance is needed to visit the Massandra Palace (Yalta)? The prices for the main excursions and expositions are quite pleasant: three hundred rubles per person, one hundred and fifty rubles - for students, young people sixteen to eighteen years old, pensioners, seventy rubles - beneficiaries and children seven to sixteen years old, children under seven years old - free of charge.
There are other exhibitions, the price of which varies from seventy to two hundred rubles.
Museum Schedule
The best place to visit the Massandra Palace is all day. This will give you the opportunity to get acquainted in detail with the building itself and its history, consider the decoration of rooms and exhibits, take a walk in a beautiful park and admire the Crimean landscapes.
The museum’s working hours are very convenient:
- On weekdays from 9-00 to 18-00.
- On weekends from 9-00 to 20-00.
Without days off and a break.
Enjoy your rest and interesting excursions!