Embankment of Lenin Dacha (Summerhouse) of Chekhov Polyana (glade) of fairy tales Uchan-Su waterfall

Old City Nikitskiy Botanical Garden Botkin's Path

Perched on the southern coast of Crimea, Yalta passed through many hands over the centuries until Russia took control in the late 18th century. The city became the Black Sea's classiest resort when Tsar Alexander II made nearby Livadia his summer residence. Before the Russian Revolution the coast was peppered with aristocratic estates, and though many of the palaces were briefly workers' sanitoriums after the revolution, most reverted to dachas for the party elite.

The city centre stretches back from the eastern end of Yalta Bay, straddling the Bystra River. Everyone gravitates to the Embankment of Lenin, a vehicle-free waterfront promenade with jetties, palms, pebble beaches, snack bars and art markets. Some of Yalta's best beaches lie along Yalta Bay west of the mouth of the Bystra. Half way down the bay and just back from the embankment is a chair lift that deposits riders at Darsan, a temple-like lookout on the hill above the bay. Just north-west of the lift is the Alexandr Nevsky Cathedral, a beautifully composed piece of neo-Byzantine architecture built at the turn of the century. Fans of Anton Chekov will want to visit the Chekov House-Museum, where the great Russian playwright spent the last five years of his life. The house features numerous editions of Chekov's works, memorabilia like his pens and medical kit, and a garden.

Embankment of Lenin

The embankment and adjacent square of Lenin is the center of the city. The embankment is a kind of boardwalk of the city as well as the center of city’s nightlife. People are attracted are attracted by a quite and warm sea, fresh air, a lot of outside cafes where you can drink a cup of tea enjoying the sunrise.

Dacha (Summerhouse) of Chekhov

Chekhov spent more than five years in Yalta. Due to his weak health he was recommended to live in the south. He built a cozy country house in the suburb of the city. The white house was built in 1899 by Yalta’s architect L.N. Shapovalov. While the house were constructing Chekhov was planting flowers and trees in the garden. Nowadays the garden is lost in green. In spite of poor health Chekhov wrote many of his world famous novel on that dacha. The combination of magic nature of Crimea and fairy heroes leaves unforgettable impression.

Polyana (glade) of fairy tales

If you ascend to the bottom of the Stavri-Kaya mountain you’ll get to the amazing world of fairy tales – the Polyana (glade) of fairy tales. This is the name of an open air exhibition of more than 200 sculptures of fairy tales heroes made form wood and stone by local sculptors.

Uchan-Su waterfall

In 6 k.m. from the city small mountain river falls from 98 meter’s high creating waterfall Uchan-Su (volatile water). Though it doesn't make an impression in the summer when it's not so much water, it looks amazing in spring when the snow melt in mountains, or in fall and winter after huge rains. You can get to the waterfall by Botkin’s path which is also called “Health Path”. 3 k.m. further it’s situated picturesque mountain lake Karagol.

Old City

The north-east part is the oldest and the most charming part of the city. It covers Polikurovski hill with the net of very narrow and crooked streets. The fishermen, dockers and seasonal workers inhabited the neighborhood. “Masandrovskaya slaboda” ( neighborhood of Massandra) always attracted writers and poets. It’s hardly changed through the years, it’s still picturesque and typically seaside. There is a lot of old weathered stairs and nooks, fences made of savage stones and small yards.

Over the hill the upper Masandra is situated. In it’s east side in a small pine forest stands graceful Masandrovski Palace (ex-hunting house of Alexander III)

Nikitskiy Botanical Garden

Nikitskiy Botanical Garden is a green pantry of Crimea. It’s one of outstanding sights of the South Coast. There you can get to a Lebanese cedar forest or to a box-tree’s bruchwood in Caucasia, or to a bamboo plantations of Vietnam. You can find yourself on an Italian landscape and few steps more in the forest of the Himalayas. There are very few places in the world were the Asia joins South America, and Indian lilac growths on European plants background. The Garden was founded in autumn of 1812.

Botkin's Path

The Botkin’s Path was formed in the second part of the 19th century by famous Russian physician S.P. Botkin. The path dodges between rivers Yazluar and Uchan-Su and lays among mountain ridges Yograf, Stavri-Kaya and Taraktash. It goes in a very colorful forest where you can meet unique plants of south coast. Extension of the path is about 12 km and the high of Stavri-Kaya pass is 650 m. above the sea level.