On the southern coast of Taurida is the resort town of Alushta – one of the pearls in the crown of the Crimean peninsula. The name of the city comes from the ancient Greek word Alusta, which means chain.

From what to see in Alushta in 1 day, you have to choose the sights that suit the most preferred individual tastes of travelers. You need to start from the waterfront of the resort, visit the rotunda, visit the Sea side Park.

You can continue your independent tour by visiting an Orthodox church and visiting the local mosque. Below is a brief description of the significant places that you can visit and see during the day.

Embankment and rotunda

The promenade is the center of attraction for the guests of the resort. It is considered the longest and most beautiful coastal promenade in the Crimea. Until the 50s of the last century, the device on the banks of the boulevard was impossible.

The absence of breakwaters affected the constant destructive effects of the waves of the stormy sea on the coastal strip. And only with the advent of protective structures, the city turned a segment of the old road to Simferopol into the main beautiful sight.

The end of the embankment is crowned with the symbol of the resort – its calling card. The sacred building appeared on the embankment in 1951.

Despite the difficult post-war years, the city authorities approved the construction of a rotunda designed by engineer Alexander Griso. It took three years to collect materials and funds for the construction of the colonnade. Various enterprises took an active part in the construction of the cultural facility.

Workers were assigned, the necessary materials were supplied: cement, sand, brick, lime, etc. Today, not a single vacationer will take away memorable photos against the backdrop of an arch with six columns. In the evening, entertainment events are constantly held here: concerts, competitions, etc.

Park “Crimea in miniature”

The art object is an open-air exhibition. Almost the most significant sights of Crimea are collected here, embodied in copies on a scale of 1:25, 1:50 and 1:100. The park was opened in 2012. There are more than 50 models of legendary buildings and structures on its territory. In the evening, the miniatures take on a fabulous look under the rays of a beautiful backlight.

Every year the exposition is replenished with new layouts. Near each exhibit there is a sign with minimal information about the object. You can become a member of the tour, which lasts 1 hour. The guide will give interesting facts from the history of each palace, fortress and religious buildings.

The park consists of two zones. The first part of the territory is occupied by miniatures, and the second section is reserved for figures of heroes of domestic and American cartoons. Nearby there are mini attractions. Parents with children have a great time here. Entrance to the park is paid, but the time spent in it is not limited.

seaside park

The public garden next to the embankment is a favorite place for recreation for residents of the city and its guests. Seaside Park is located between Lenin Street and the Demerdzhi River, separated from the sea by a beach strip. In summer, all entertainment complexes are open until 23:00 seven days a week. The park is a public place and admission is free.

The central attraction of the park is Villa Otrada, the former cottage of the merchant Stakheev. Now the house belongs to the Center for Children‘s Creativity.

An architectural monument of the 19th century embodied several styles of architecture at once. The snow-white facade is decorated with portals with beautiful columns. The corner tower is crowned with a dome. The whole appearance of the building evokes a feeling of lightness, airiness and creates a festive mood.

The central alley divides the territory of the park into two equal parts, at the beginning of which there is an obelisk – a monument to the first Bolshevik government of Taurida. Around the alley you can see rare plants, several species of oaks, plane trees, chestnuts and cypresses. The square is equipped with seating areas with comfortable benches.

Church of the Crimean Saints and Theodore Stratilates

The temple was built in the first half of the 19th century. The religious building was built by order of the Governor-General of Crimea, Count Vorontsov, who led the campaign for the construction of Orthodox churches on the southern coast. New churches were needed because medieval buildings could no longer accommodate all Orthodox believers.

Church of All Crimean Saints and Theodory Stratilat is located at st. Khromykh, 14. The construction of the temple was led by the Odessa architect Toricelli. The new architectural style of the building was defined as pseudo-Gothic. The entrance is decorated with wooden doors with unique carvings. The walls are covered with frescoes with traditional religious scenes.

On the south side of the temple there is an icon with the face of one of the most revered saints in the Crimea, Theodosius of Surozh. The church was not active for a long time due to the expanded theomachic campaign of N.S. Khrushchev in the 1960s.

It was only in the 1980s that the temple resumed services. At the same time, the previously demolished three-tiered bell tower was restored.

Yukhara-Jami Mosque

This mosque is the only religious complex of Muslim buildings in the city. Yukhara-Jami was built in the 19th century on the highest point of the city – Fortress Hill. From a height of 40 meters, a magnificent panorama of the resort opens. Yukhary-Jami translated from the Crimean Tatar language means the Upper Mosque. In the century before last, there was also the Lower Mosque, which was completely destroyed later.

The Upper Mosque experienced partial destruction and desolation during the years of Soviet power. Ornamental wall paintings, wood carvings and stained glass windows were damaged. During this time, the premises were occupied by various organizations.

Only in 1994 the temple was returned to the community of the Spiritual Administration of the Crimean Muslims. Currently, restoration work is being carried out here to restore the interior decor of the decoration.

On Fridays, prayers are performed here.

The mosque is open to everyone, but we must not forget that you cannot visit it in shoes (shoes are removed before entering) and open clothes. Women must be covered with a head covering.

House-Museum of Academician A.N. Beketova

The outstanding architect's dacha is located in Professorsky Lane. The building was erected in 1896 using motifs of Moorish architecture.

The author of the project was the academician himself, who was the founder of the Kharkov architectural school at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. For many years of living in Alushta, the scientist enriched the resorts of the peninsula with buildings, whose appearance is still a worthy decoration of the cities of Crimea.

The house-museum has been operating since November 1987. The exposition consists of many drawings, significant documents, photographic cards. Here you can see works of painting and graphics, personal belongings of Beketov, household items.

The furniture has been kept in excellent condition. The building was placed at the disposal of the city executive committee by the relatives of the academician – his daughter and grandson.

The house-museum has a creative living room where meetings of famous artists: artists, poets, writers and musicians are held.

Museum of the writer I.S. Shmeleva

The house where he spent four years of his life (1918 – 1922) is located next to the house-museum of Academician Beketov. The tragic fate of Ivan Sergeevich Shmelev forced the writer to spend the rest of his life in exile in France. His famous works still excite the minds of different generations. Most of his life in the tragic days of the history of the motherland.

The events of that time formed the basis of the storylines of his works. These are the stories Grapes (1913), Under the Mountains (1907).

Already in exile, the writer finished writing the novel “The Sun of the Dead” about the terrible famine in the Crimea in 1921. The exposition reflects the history of the creation of the novel, the main stages of the writer's life. Particular attention is paid to the years of Shmelev's stay in Alushta.

Furniture, paintings, household items, books with photographs – all this creates an image of the writer's unfulfilled dream. The museum is located at the address: Professor's Corner, Naberezhnaya Street, 2.

Fortress Aluston

The attraction is a few surviving remnants of the once large city of the ancient era. These are three fragments of an ancient fortress, lost in a residential area of the private sector. The first tower is visible from the road next to the square.

The remains of the second tower are located next to the house number 25 on 15 April Street. It will be very difficult to find them without the help of a guide. Between the towers are the ruins of the fortress wall.

The fortress was built on top of a 45-meter hill in the middle of the 6th century. Over time, a settlement was formed around the defensive complex, which later turned into a city, which later became known as Alushta. According to ancient legend, the fortress was built by order of the Byzantine emperor Justian I and was inhabited by the Goths.

Crimean nature reserve

The Crimean nature reserve is the largest protected area on the peninsula. The reserve occupies 34,500 hectares of mountainous woodlands, 52 hectares of Lebyazhy Islands and 9,500 hectares of Karkinitsky Bay. More than 80% of the territory is oak, beech and pine forests, which is 10% of all Crimean forests. 1165 species of flora grow here, 39 species of mammals live.

In the open spaces of the reserve you can see 160 species of birds. According to the latest revision, about 550 deer, 300 wild boars, 200 roe deer and 80 mouflons live in the protected area. The reserve occupies a vast territory, and it is simply physically impossible to see even a large part of it in 1 day.

Excursions are conducted, during which tourists will visit a trout farm on the Alma River, examine the Kosmo-Domianovsky Monastery, and drink crystal water from the Savlykh-Su spring.

Then the group will pass the Chuchelsky pass, from where they will admire the grandiose panorama of the peaks of Roman-Kosh, Demir-Kapu and Kemal-Yegerek. Then the travelers will visit the “Pavilion of the Winds”, visit the camp of the Crimean partisans “Red Stone” and pass through the Uch-Kosh gorge.

Dolphinarium “Watercolor”

Near the trolleybus station at a distance of 250 meters from the sea, in 2013, the Akvarel dolphinarium was built and put into operation. The entertainment center is open all year round.

The demonstration hall is a pool with a diameter of 20 meters and a depth of 5 meters, the bowl of which holds 1.5 thousand tons of water. The water arena is surrounded by 3 sectors with 700 seats. An oval transparent polymer roof hangs over the visual places. This makes it possible to hold performances in any weather.

Canopies can change their width. The dome in the central part remains open. Show programs are held three times daily at 12:00, 15:00 and 18:00 except Mondays. For a fee, viewers are allowed to have their own photo session, and a professional photographer always works here.

Additional services include swimming with marine animals, you can play ball with dolphins and ride on their backs.

The dolphinarium uses a unique method of rehabilitation for both children and adults. Dolphin therapy includes a set of programs that take into account the characteristics of patients' diseases. Dolphin is trained to work with each patient.

Aquapark “Almond Grove”

In the area of the Professor's Corner there is a grandiose resort and entertainment center “Almond Grove” with a water entertainment complex of the same name. It represents the perfection of modern landscape design.

The water park covers an area of 2 hectares, where numerous attractions are surrounded by huge rocks with comfortable paths, lush crowns of trees and tropical plants.

A festive atmosphere of comfortable rest and active entertainment always reigns here, attracting a large number of adults and children every day. The water park has 6 swimming pools, 4 platforms with slides for descent and a VIP area. In addition, visitors can swim under waterfalls, soak in the jacuzzi, enjoy drinks from the studio bar, curb their appetite in fast food and accompany their offspring to the children's cafe.

The water center “Almond Grove” is open seven days a week throughout the season from 10 am to 5 pm. Tickets can be purchased both for the whole day and from 13:00 to 17:00 and from 15:00 to 17:00.

Palace of Princess Gagarina

On the western side of the resort there is a sanatorium settlement “Cliff”. It is famous for one of the most beautiful castles – the Palace of Princess Gagarina. The building is made in the Art Nouveau style with the use of Gothic elements. The facades of the castle evoke romantic moods associated with childhood memories of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen and Charles Perrault.

The history of the palace is very interesting. Already at an advanced age, Prince Alexander Gagarin, on behalf of Count Vorontsov, acted as governor in the city of Kutaisi, where he met a young beauty – Princess Tasso of the ancient Georgian family of Orbeliani.

Soon she married the prince. The marriage turned out to be unexpectedly short-lived. The unfortunate widow leaves her native places and settles forever in the Crimea.

At the end of her life, the 77-year-old princess in 1902 organized the construction of a castle designed by the architect Krasnov. Five years later, a three-story handsome palace appears on Cape Plaka. Since then, numerous tourists have come here to admire one of the most beautiful buildings on the peninsula.

Unfortunately, viewing the castle from the inside is impossible due to the location of the administration of the Utyos sanatorium in it.

After getting acquainted with the sights of the resort, there is still time left, then you can spend it visiting places such as the Dzhur-Dzhur waterfall, the Ghost Valley and the Sotera Valley.

Waterfall Dzhur-Dzhur

The waterfall is located at a height of 468 meters above sea level of the Ulu-Uzen riverbed near the village of Generalskoye, Alushta region. The name Dzhur-Dzhur is associated with the phonetics of the sound of murmuring water. You can go to the waterfall by leaving the vehicle in a convenient parking lot. But the path in a straight line will be 1 km, which not everyone will be able to do.

However, you can use the services of jeep drivers who will overcome the steep bends of the mountain road, which will provide an adrenaline rush to travelers. The five-kilometer detour is good because along the way you can stop and take a photo session against the backdrop of cascades and admire the natural Bath of Youth.

We recommend the excursion: Alone with nature: Dzhur-Dzhur waterfall – swim in healing baths and feel the power of nature next to the powerful waterfall

Ghost Valley

The fabulous-looking rock figures are the result of the weathering of volcanic formations on the southwestern slope of the Demerdzhi ridge. The conglomerates of the Upper Jurassic period are the most ancient rocks that have come to the surface of the Crimean land, the age of which, according to geologists, is from 800 million to 1 billion years.

Demerdzhi height, which is 1240 meters above sea level, is a mountain of a jagged profile, located north of Alushta and east of the Angarsk pass. The mountain range consists of Northern and Southern parts, separated by a saddle. In 1894, the southern Demerdzhi massif collapsed. As a result, the Tatar settlement suffered, the inhabitants of which subsequently left it.

In 1966 there was another collapse. This happened again in 1992. Accumulations of rock fragments formed at the disaster site.

Large fragments of rock fragments turn into fantastic images of fairy-tale creatures with the power of imagination of travelers, which gave rise to the name of the area the Valley of Ghosts.

Sotera Valley

Rock mushrooms are one of the amazing sights of the peninsula. It is these formations that fill the Sotera valley. This phenomenon of nature is the result of the work of winds and water. The cap of the mushroom consists of several layers of hard rock, and its leg is a clay pillar “reinforced” with rock fragments.

In the process of geological shifts in this place, stone mushrooms with a trunk up to 2.5 meters in diameter and 3.5 to 6 meters high began to “grow” out of the ground. At one time there were three mushrooms. In 1983, one of them collapsed. Currently, geologists have noticed the appearance of three “mushrooms” at once, the height of which is insignificant – 30-40 cm.

The Valley of Stone Mushrooms attracts a large number of visitors every tourist season. The Sotera Valley is remarkable not only for its “mushrooms”, but also for its three most beautiful waterfalls.