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The eastern gate of Crimea - Kerch - has stood guard between two seas for more than two thousand years. During this time, a multifaceted history developed from the Neolithic and Bronze Age tribes to the capital of the Black Sea Kingdom; the city was in battle many times, was destroyed and rebuilt. That is why a tourist in Kerch will have enough to look at not only for one day, but also for more.
Monuments of ancient times exist harmoniously on its territory - the ruins of ancient settlements, of which there are more than a dozen, and war memorials of recent years. Industrial enterprises are adjacent to the sea and a few resort facilities.
For an easy walk, go to the center, to Mount Mithridates: many attractions are located there, you can only smoothly move from one to another. If you have free time, other interesting places await you that reveal its originality.
Useful information about Kerch is also on its page.
Mithridatic staircase Photo: © acvazul-v2010
Sights of Kerch
This southern city has a lot to offer. There are numerous travel agencies in Kerch where you can contact and book an excursion. Tourists are taken on sightseeing tours around the city, and are also offered to visit specific places. It is definitely worth visiting such tourist sites as:
- Kerch Fortress;
- Great Mithridates Staircase;
- Tsarsky Kurgan.
There are also many parks and green areas for a relaxing family holiday.
Adzhimushkay quarries
The quarries are a unique historical monument of the Great Patriotic War. Then fierce battles broke out between the Nazis and the Russians. In total, more than 13,000 people died in the stone catacombs.
Now there is a defense museum here (address: Brothers Malchenko St., 34-36). The guide will talk about how people survived underground and show artifacts preserved here from those memorable times. Individual visits are prohibited, as you can easily get lost in the Adzhimushkai quarries. You should take a flashlight with you.
Mount Mithridates
The Obelisk of Glory on Mount Mithridates is one of the most popular places for tourists to visit and take photographs in Kerch. The height of the mountain is more than 90 meters. If you climb to its top, a wonderful view of the surrounding area will open up.
Mithridates is located in the historical center. People lived here in ancient times. Previously, there was a Greek city called Panticapaeum. Under the mountain there are a large number of underground passages, in which, according to legend, there are ancient burials in the form of crypts.
The mountain got its name from the Pontic king, who once ruled in this area. You can get to Mount Mithridates, one of the main attractions of Kerch, by any public transport.
Great Mithridatic Staircase
A huge staircase is located in the main square of the city and leads to the top of Mount Mithridates. This staircase is often depicted on commemorative postcards and magnets, eagerly purchased by tourists. It took seven whole years to build this unique structure.
The staircase was restored several times after the Crimean War of the 19th century and the Great Patriotic War. In the 1960s, the original sculptures of griffins were recreated on the observation deck. The Mithridates Staircase is a majestic architectural structure; it is clearly visible from different points of the city.
Kyz-Aul lighthouse
One of the oldest lighthouses in the city, it is located among extensive sandy beaches and looks very picturesque. The lighthouse was built 143 years ago. The octagonal black and white tower is visible from afar and is one of the main architectural dominants of Kerch, its landmark.
The architectural ensemble includes a glacier, an underground room for storing food supplies and a house in which the keeper of the Kyz-Aul lighthouse used to live. Nearby is the flooded floating dock of a Soviet ship that sank during the Great Patriotic War.
Yenikalsky lighthouse
Located in a village called Podmayachny, it is the eastern cape of the Crimean peninsula. Back in 350, the first landmark for sailors was built here, but only in 1820 the lighthouse received its modern name.
The original architectural structure was destroyed during the war, when the Nazis fired at Kerch from the sea. In 1953, a new complex was built here. The Yenikalsky lighthouse is active, you can get here with an organized excursion.
Yenikale Fortress
This fortress was built by the Turks in the 18th century in order to protect their state from the Russian fleet. Yenikale is located at the narrowest point of the Kerch Strait. In the 19th century, it housed a hospital for soldiers wounded during the Crimean War.
During the Great Patriotic War, the architectural complex was partially destroyed. Now the ensemble includes fortress walls, entrance gates, and a semi-bastion. The gate is located in a massif of rocks, from here you can see the entire fortress and take beautiful panoramic photographs.
Kerch Fortress
There is a unique fortress in Kerch, which used to be of strategic importance and was used to protect the city from attacks by hostile neighbors. Now the fortress is just a historical monument, but it has retained its former power and will certainly impress tourists.
This fortification is located on Cape Ak-Burun; the fortress project was developed by the famous Russian architect Totleben, obeying the instructions of the Russian Emperor Alexander II. The Kerch fortress represents a powerful defense of the city from the south and covers an area of 420 hectares.
This is a specially protected site of federal significance and one of the best-preserved fortresses of Tsarist Russia. You can visit the Kerch attraction on your own or with an organized excursion.
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