Sightseeing in Alushta - what to see. Complete travel guide

One of the most ancient and charming cities of the Southern Coast of Crimea, Alushta strikes with its extraordinary beauty, compact size and amazing nature. Once, there was a very ordinary small village. It was at the intersection of several important trade routes, and therefore developed very rapidly. Until now, scientists and archaeologists exploring this settlement of ancient Taurus cannot come to an unequivocal opinion regarding the emergence of roads from multi-ton stone slabs, which were not afraid of dirt, slush, or other weather phenomena.

In the 6th century AD, the area where Alushta is now located, like the entire Southern Coast of Crimea, was under the rule of the mighty Byzantine Empire - the great heiress of Ancient Rome. It was at that time that the stone fortress Aluston was built near the sea shore, which was supposed to protect the land from sea robbers. In modern Alushta you can see the ruins of the ancient tower of Ashagi-kul, an important historical site.

For a long time, Alushta was under the rule of the Byzantines, after - the Genoese, and also the Crimean Tatars, but the most intense and interesting part of its history begins after the annexation of Crimea to the Russian Empire. At that time, the population of Alushta was about 250 people who were engaged in manual labor - cattle breeding, farming and fishing. The construction of a road from Simferopol to Alushta had very strong impact on the development of the city. Already at the end of the XIX century Alushta became a popular resort village. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

In the time of Tsarist Russia, many noblemen built mansions here. Wealthy people, representatives of nobility and bohemians preferred to come to rest in Alushta. The public resort of Alushta already was in the Soviet era; it was during this period that most sanatoriums, boarding houses and health resorts were built here. Here ordinary people could rest, and a unique trolleybus route was built from Simferopol to Alushta. Now, it is an attractive modern resort with developed infrastructure, lots of parks, entertainment, attractive sea and air. People who come here to rest come from all parts of the former Soviet Union. Alushta provides an opportunity to organize a vacation at any affordable price.

One of the most visited places in Alushta is the local Aquarium opened in 2003. Initially, it was quite small but, within just a few years, the collection of sea dwellers was so enlarged that it has become the largest on the coast of Crimea. Today, there are 4 spacious halls where you can see aquariums with exotic fish and other dwellers of the sea depths. Some of the representatives of the marine fauna are very rare.

At the resort, there is the interesting Park of Miniatures. It offers its visitors to look at the small copies of the famous attractions of the region. Crimea in Miniature includes copies of such famous attractions, as the Vorontsov Palace, the Swallow’s Nest fortress, Funa, etc. This unusual outdoor museum was built on the territory of the beautiful park. All its extraordinary constructions are hidden by exotic plants.

The important religious attraction at the resort is the Church of All Crimean Saints built in the middle of the 19th century. The architecture of this temple is very different from other churches built in the same period. To construct it, a famous architect from Odessa was invited. He decided to implement his project in the style of English rural churches. If taking into account that the Gothic style came back into “architecture fashion” again, the exterior of the church gained quite unusual features.

In the vicinity of the resort, there is the amazing Crimean Natural Reserve. It is famous for its natural beauties and attractions. On its territory, there are several dozens of hiking routes stretching along the fabulous mountainous areas. In the reserve, there are a lot of rare trees, some of which are aged over a hundred years.

There are also many interesting historical attractions, including the Monastery of Kosma and Damian. It was founded in 1856. In the period of the Great Patriotic War, the monastery was destroyed almost completely. It started being restored only in 1994. Nowadays, you can take excursions around the entire territory of the monastery and learn about its fascinating history.