The entry was published on February 17, 2022 by the author Daria Savelyeva in the category Finds for tourists with the tags Alushta, Crimea, travel, attractions, excursions, where to go.
Alushta, according to housing booking statistics on TVIL.RU, is among the top 5 best resorts where it is best to relax in Crimea and inexpensively. Accommodation in Alushta will cost tourists less than even in Feodosia, Evpatoria and Sudak. A hotel room or apartment in the private sector of Alushta can be booked for an average of 1,182 ₽ per day for the summer of 2021.
The popular resort on the southern coast of Crimea is located 47 kilometers from Simferopol airport. Alushta is the first major route point for travelers traveling from the airport along the E105 highway. Travel time is about an hour to the “resort of scientists”.
Photo: fr.sputniknews.com
The editors of the TVIL.RU service blog explored several dozen Alushta attractions that are worth visiting. Demerdzhi, Jur-Jur waterfall, Mount Kastel, lighthouse temple, Cheese Rock and others are located outside the city, but you can explore Alushta itself in one day.
We recommend leaving your acquaintance with the city museums to bad weather, because, you see, it’s much more pleasant to go to the museum with your children in the rain, visit the Aquarelle Dolphinarium and the Alushta Aquarium with crocodiles, and join a tour of Gagarina’s palace, Stakheev’s villa and Beketov’s house. And you can walk along the Alushta embankment every evening before going to bed, especially since this time of day is the most interesting and lively at the resort. We suggest, while the weather is sunny and dry, to go on excursions to the surrounding area on your own and see all the sights of Alushta.
In this review you will find out where to go from Alushta on your own to take beautiful pictures. We will also tell you what interesting attractions and entertainment Alushta has prepared for vacationers.
Beautiful sights of Alushta that are worth visiting
Mount Castel.
Photo: photo-kwi.ru We conducted a survey on social networks and determined where you can go from Alushta on your own. Tourists participating in the survey voted for the most beautiful sights of Alushta. The top 10 included:
- Crimean Nature Reserve, 20%
- Temple-lighthouse of St. Nicholas of Myra and the museum of underwater disasters, 17.14%
- Jur-Jur waterfall, 14.29%
- Demerdzhi (Valley of Ghosts), 11.43%
- Mount Chatyr-Dag, 8.57%
- Turquoise Lake, 8.57%
- Cheese Rock, 8.57%
- Mount Castel, 5.71%
- Villa “Otrada”, 2.86%
- Cosmo-Damianovsky Monastery, 2.86%
House of merchant Stakheev
One of the most beautiful buildings in Alushta, an architectural monument of the 19th century, is the house of the merchant Stakheev. Nikolai Dmitrievich Stakheev was not only one of the richest people in the city, but also a famous philanthropist. Thanks to his charitable activities, Alushta was transformed. An embankment, a pier, a city park and much more appeared here.
To build his dacha, which Stakheev later called “Otrada,” Nikolai Dmitrievich invited his friend, the talented architect Nikolai Petrovich Krasnov. Within 3 years (1879 - 1882), a two-story mansion was erected in the classicist style with modern elements. A magnificent park was laid out around the snow-white building with massive columns and semicircular arches, in which trees several tens and even hundreds of years old have been preserved to this day.
How to get to the Crimean Nature Reserve on your own
“The first place on the pedestal” in the ranking of the most beautiful sights of Alushta was taken by the Crimean Nature Reserve. 20% of tourists, while vacationing in Alushta, go to explore numerous caves, holy springs, gorges and other corners of the “Crimean Wildlife Museum”. It is worth noting that the territory of the protected area stretches from Alushta to Yalta over 44,000 hectares. A popular route among travelers runs along the picturesque Romanovskoye Highway. Previously, the road was called Tsarskaya and was intended for travel by the Romanov couple. The road continued for more than 70 km through the Chuchelsky and Nikitsky passes at an altitude of 1450 meters.
Gazebo of the winds. Photo: way2day.com
Sights of Alushta that are worth visiting in the Crimean Nature Reserve:
- Trout farm on the left bank of the Alma.
- Kosmo-Damianovsky Monastery. By the way, it was also included in the top 10 most beautiful sights of Alushta, which 3% of travelers recommend visiting on their own.
- Source Savlukh-Su at an altitude of 700 meters above sea level.
- The Royal Gate and the Gazebo of the Winds.
- Dendrozoo and Museum of Nature
Source Savlukh-Su.
Photo: yaltaguide.ru Since this is a protected area, you will need a pass. The pass can be obtained from the administration of the reserve at Partizanskaya, 42. The cost of issuing a pass is 1,400 ₽ if you go along the route to “Red Stone”. The route to the burial grounds in the forest is a little more expensive - 1600 ₽ per person. The first route takes about five hours, the second – eight. Therefore, if you want to drive a large circle around the reserve, arrive at 8 am, otherwise you will not make it before dusk.
Important! Passes are checked at every checkpoint along the road; forest rangers also patrol the territory of the reserve and may ask you to present your pass. So, take care of the permit document in advance.
Temple-lighthouse of St. Nicholas of Myra. Photo: Sweetagram.com
Dolphinarium "Nemo"
At the end of Primorsky Park near Revkomovsky Lane there is the Nemo Dolphinarium.
Here a ticket to the show costs 500 rubles. in the 1st row and 800 rub. in rows 2-6. The show is held every day at 12.00, 15.00 and 18.00. You probably already guessed why the first row is cheaper. You will be wet from splashing water.
Two in one: both a temple and a museum
17% of respondents voted for the lighthouse temple of St. Nicholas of Mirliki in the village of Malorechenskoye. The lighthouse temple is located 26 km from the resort, about 36 minutes by car. Tourists from other cities of Crimea come to see this landmark of Alushta. In fact, this is not only a temple, but also a museum of underwater disasters, which is located in the basement. The interior of the museum is designed in the style of a sunken ship. More than 500 exhibits of the museum, 10 documentary videos tell about the tragic pages of navigation in the Pacific Ocean. Tickets to the museum cost 200 rubles per adult and 100 rubles per child. Vacationers in Alushta recommend admiring the panorama of Mount Ayu-Dag and the lighthouse temple from the observation deck located next to the museum of underwater disasters. You will not pass by the temple, as it rises 60 meters above the sea.
Jur-Jur waterfall. Photo: waterfal.ru
Alushtinskaya Embankment
For those who have not yet found a place to stay in Alushta with children during their vacation, we have a selection of the best hotels and boarding houses for a family vacation.
The long, calm embankment attracts tourists with its views: on the one hand, the grandeur of the mountains and the freshness of the forests envelop the city streets, and on the other hand, the beauty of the endless sea and beaches inspires. Walking along the embankment you can reach the main attraction - the Rotunda. This is a kind of sculpture of several columns with the symbolic inscription “Alushta-resort”. In the evening, the embankment is filled with other colors: more people appear, entertainment venues, restaurants and cafes are open.
Jur-Jur. Don't forget your swimsuits
The Jur-Jur waterfall is in no way inferior in beauty to the lighthouse temple and the Crimean nature reserve. The waterfall is located within the boundaries of the village of Generalskoye, by car it takes about 45 minutes from Alushta along a mountain serpentine road of 32 km. You gradually ascend to a height of 468 meters into the Hap Phap Gorge. In the village of Generalskoye you can leave your car in the parking lot and continue on foot to Dzhur-Dzhur. The second option is to rent a UAZ from the locals for about 1,500 rubles, which drives through the off-road mountains.
We recommend that travelers in good physical condition walk 1 km to the waterfall. Along the way, you will admire the wide trunks of beech trees, meet hornbeams, dogwoods, oaks, and see wooden sculptures, bridges, and stairs that were featured in popular Soviet films.
Photo: Uzmost.info
A pleasant reward for a tired traveler will be swimming in the “murmuring waters” of Jur-Jur. The water temperature is about 11°C. The water flow is very strong, so be careful when going under the waterfall. By the way, if you have time, you can walk further from Jur-Jura along the gorge and reach beautiful cascades that form comfortable baths for swimming. Curious tourists, who are not satisfied with the waterfall and cascades themselves, go even further - to the Jur-Jur cave. The depth of the cave is 22 m, the length is 770 meters.
The closest way to get to the waterfall is from the village of Malorechenskoye. You can stay for a holiday in one of the hotels by booking a room from 450 ₽ per day.
Aluston Fortress
In the center of the city of Alushta, on a high hill, the remains of an ancient fortress called Aluston have been preserved. It is from him that the modern name of the city comes from. A Byzantine fortress dating back to the 6th century. AD, was at that time a powerful fortification to protect the northeastern borders of the empire. Strong 10-meter walls reached a width of 2 - 3 meters. Three towers, about 16 meters high, were built on the curtain walls.
At different periods, the fortress was owned by the Byzantines, Khazars, and Genoese, so the structures were periodically rebuilt. By the end of the 14th century, Lusta (as Aluston was called at that time) had become a rich and prosperous city. In 1457, the Ottoman Turks attacked the fortress. The defenders and residents of the settlement bravely withstood the siege, and then the enraged enemies decided to burn the unconquered bastion. Since then, the fortress has remained in ruins.
Only the partially surviving round tower of Ashaga-Kule and fragments of the fortress walls have survived to this day.
In the summer of 2022, on the site of the medieval building, the open-air museum “Aluston Fortress” was opened, where you can see the fortress recreated in miniature, get acquainted with its history, get close to the surviving parts of the towers and walls and look at the finds of archaeologists.
Alushta: what to see and where to go on your own
Crimean Sphinx on Demerdzhi.
Photo: photocentra.ru We continue to travel and talk about Alushta, what to see and where to go on our own. It is not for nothing that the best scientists, writers, artists and other representatives of the Russian intelligentsia chose the resort for relaxation and work. 11% of travelers who come on vacation to the southern coast of Crimea often add Mount Demerdzhi to their list of attractions in Alushta. The entrance ticket to the reserve is 100 rubles per adult and 60 rubles per child if you want to follow the official routes through the South Gate. At the administration you can hire a local guide for 1,500 ₽, who will take you on a tour and tell you about the legends of Demerdzhi-yayla.
Mount Chatyr-Dag. Photo: vkrym.su
The beautiful Chatyr-Dag mountain range is in the top 5 attractions where you can go from Alushta on your own. The nearest settlement to Chatyr-Dag is the village of Mramornoe. You pass the turn to the village when driving from Simferopol airport to Alushta. Further 14 km and you are on the Lower Chatyr-Dag plateau. The mountain range has been known since the 19th century. 9% of tourists come to Chatyr-Dag for the cart caves. More than 200 caves are hidden on the Lower Plateau, which is home to many beech forests. The upper plateau is deserted and rocky. The most popular caves of Chatyr-Dag are Mramornaya, Emine-Bair-Khosar and Emine-Bair-Koba. The average temperature inside the caves is +13°C.
On the shore of Turquoise Lake. Photo: jptur.ru
“Photographers” set up their cameras in focus at Turquoise Lake, Cheese Rock and Mount Kastel. The sights and entertainment of Alushta mainly attract vacationers who are romantically inclined to relax in pristine “living” nature. If you are one of them, then consider the village of Partenit as a holiday destination. Here, 7.7 km away is the village of Zaprudnoye, from here in 10 minutes by car you will cover 2.6 km and get to Turquoise Lake.
There is an interesting legend about Blue Lake. Many romantically minded travelers specially come to these places so that the life-giving power of the lake will wash away the “crown of celibacy” and find family happiness. There are few people here. And if you decide to come to the lake, it is better to do it in the spring or early summer. During the high season, the reservoir becomes shallow.
Cheese rock. Photo: KartuNova
Another attraction where you can go in Alushta on your own is in the village of Malorechenskoye. We are talking about Cheese Rock. Many tourists’ Instagram accounts are full of photographs taken against the backdrop of “holes” in the rock. Cheese Rock is popular not only among photography lovers: people come here to go rock climbing and jump from 15 meters into the water. Tuzlukh, as the Crimean Tatars call the Cheese Rocks, are located on Parkovaya Street, look for the house at number 16. From the central beach of Malorechenskoye you walk along the shore in the opposite direction from the lighthouse temple (we talked about it above), then 250 meters you will notice the beautiful Cheese Rocks rocks.
Photo: kraevedenie.net
The sights of Alushta are not limited to natural objects. We left the Otrada villa on Perekopskaya street, building 1, for the case when the weather in Alushta worsens and it would be more pleasant to go on an excursion. The villa belonged to local philanthropist Nikolai Stakheev. At the end of the 19th century, Stakheev acquired land and built himself a dacha on the seashore. Ivan Shishkin once rested here. The architectural project was designed by the chief architect of Yalta, Nikolai Petrovich Krasnov. Today, Villa “Otrada” is equipped as a Children’s Creativity House. Vacationers often come to Perekopskaya Street to walk in the park among the plane trees planted back in Stakheev’s time.
Historical city center
By the way, if you doubt that you will be able to see all of the following on your own, many of the main historical attractions of Alushta can be visited with a tour guide for a symbolic price.
Alushta has a centuries-old history, each episode of which is consecrated in monuments, museums and ancient buildings. A walk along the central streets of Alushta (Naberezhnaya St., Parkovaya St., Lenin St. and Gorky St.) provides an opportunity to plunge into the history of the city. Here you can see the ancient Byzantine tower-fortress “Aluston” (15th April St., 1a), and the Church of All Saints, made in the Gothic style of the 19th century (Khromykh St., 14), and the Yukara Jami Mosque (Verkhnyaya St. , 9), as well as many other interesting beautiful places. Alushta is also famous for its rare buildings of dachas and estates, which over time turned into museums. Here are the most popular ones:
Alushta Museum of History and Local Lore
Since 1923, the museum has operated on the basis of the historical Modern mansion, built at the beginning of the 20th century. The museum's exhibition includes more than 4,000 exhibits, rare items and documents. The museum presents the history of the Alushta region from ancient times to the present day.
Opening hours: from 10:00 to 18:00, closed on Tuesday.
Price for visiting: 100 rubles for adults / 30 rubles for children (from 5 to 16 years old); excursion service – from 100 rubles.
Address: st. Lenina, 8
House-Museum of Ivan Shmelev
The famous Russian writer lived in Alushta during the Civil War, and since 199 a museum was organized here in his honor. The exhibitions contain household and interior items, as well as personal belongings and documents related to the life and work of the writer.
Opening hours: 9:00 – 18:00, closed Sunday and Monday
Entrance fee: 100 rubles; schoolchildren, students – 50 rubles; pensioners – 80 rub. Excursion service – 50 rubles
Website: https://shmelyov.at.ua/
Museum-estate of A. Beketov
The unique mansion was built in 1896 according to a special design by Beketov, as a house for a family vacation. At the moment, a museum has been organized in honor of the landscape painter and architect, where his paintings, furniture and personal belongings are located.
Opening hours: 9:00 – 18:00, closed Sunday and Monday
Entrance fee: 100 rubles; schoolchildren, students – 50 rubles; pensioners – 80 rub. Excursion service – 50 rubles
Address: st. Komsomolskaya, 4
House-Museum of S.N. Sergeev-Tsensky
The museum's exposition is entirely dedicated to the life and work of the Russian writer, who lived in Alushta for many years. The museum stores his personal belongings, manuscripts, and interior items.
Opening hours: 9:00 – 18:00, closed Sunday and Monday
Entrance fee: 100 rubles; schoolchildren, students – 50 rubles; pensioners – 80 rub. Excursion service – 50 rubles
Address: st. Sergeeva-Tsensky, 5
Palace of Princess Gagarina
The princess's palace, built according to foreign designs, amazes with its exterior and elegance. It is known that materials for construction were brought from abroad. Now the building is the building of the Utes sanatorium.
Admission is free, sightseeing tour.
Address: st. Gagarina, 5
Dacha Golubka
The building became famous for hosting a meeting between Tsarevich Nicholas and his future wife. During the Civil War, the building was used to detain rioters. Now there is a library here.
Opening hours: daily from 9:00 to 18:00.
Free admission.
Address: Lenin street, 20
Karasan Palace
The magnificent palace and park ensemble was built in the Moorish style in 1820. Its founder A. Borozdin is a famous Tauride governor. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the famous sanatorium of the same name has been located here.
Opening hours: from 9:00 to 17:00
Address: sanatorium “Karasan”, Utes village.
Telephone.
Professor's Corner
After the fortress, you need to go to the trolleybus station and go out again to the monument in the form of a seahorse, only this time turn right, pass the Riviera Sunrise hotel and go out to the Professor’s Corner embankment. This is the most beautiful promenade in the city and the best beaches. There are ordinary beaches, and there are themed ones, for example, in the form of thatched huts.
There are many shops, cafes and good hotels along the Professor's Corner embankment. This is the best area to rent a hotel in Alushta.
Here you can walk, swim and relax. By the way, if you don’t want to walk with your feet, there are electric cars running along the embankment that will take you to any point on the beach for 100 rubles.
1.3 km from the beginning of the Alushta embankment there is the Professor's Corner bus station on Kosmomolskaya Street. On the right side there are two museums - the house-museum of A. Beketov and the house-museum of I.S. Shmeleva.
The best excursions - prices and reviews
Guided walking tour
A 2.5-hour walk through the resort of Alushta is an excellent opportunity to discover the city from a new side and learn interesting facts from its colorful, centuries-old history.
- The cost of the tour is 3000₽ . The maximum number of participants is 10 people.
Full hike of moderate difficulty
An individual excursion involves climbing the mountains and visiting the most beautiful locations of Southern Demerdzhi - from the mysterious Valley of Ghosts to the Sunny Glade.
- The cost of the tour for groups of up to 10 people is 7800 RUR . The duration of the excursion is 8 hours.
Private jeep tour
As part of the 2.5-hour excursion program, tourists will go to the foot of South Demerdzhi , visit the Valley of Ghosts and the places where the famous films “Hearts of Three”, “Sportloto 82” and “Prisoner of the Caucasus” were filmed.
- The cost of the tour for groups of up to 6 people is 4000₽ .
Outgoing group excursion
The program of the 11-hour bus trip to the resort of Sudak and the village of New World includes an acquaintance with the most striking sights : the Genoese fortress, the Golitsyn trail, the Golitsyn grotto, etc.
- The cost of the tour is 1700₽ per person. Additional expenses: visit to the fortress – 200/350 RUR (child/adult).
Story
The foundation of Alushta is considered to be the 6th century, when the Byzantine Emperor Justinian ordered the construction of the Aluston fortress here. After Byzantine rule, the settlement was part of the Khazar Khaganate and the small principality of Theodoro. In the late Middle Ages, the Genoese settled here.
Alushta
Then Alushta, like the entire southern coast of Crimea, was conquered by the Ottomans. At the end of the 18th century, the Crimean peninsula was annexed to the Russian Empire, and Alushta became the center of the volost. At the end of the 19th century, the settlement began to develop as a resort. In 1902, Alushta received city status.
Waterpark "Almond Grove"
Website: aquaparkhotel.ru/akvapark Address: Alushta, st. Embankment, 4a
Water park "Almond Grove" is one of the largest open water parks in Crimea, located on the Black Sea coast.
In addition to the water slides and pools themselves, there are many other entertainments: a gaming complex - tennis, bowling, gym, sauna, as well as cafes and bars. The water park is equipped with showers, toilets and storage rooms.
