Sightseeing in Hurzuf - what to see. Complete travel guide

Gurzuf - one of the popular Crimean resorts, where every summer thousands of tourists come. The average annual air temperature here is exactly the same as in Nice, but precipitation falls, on the contrary, lesser than on the Cote d'Azur. The name of the village comes from the Latin word "Urzus", which means "bear". This is one of the most charming villages of the Crimean coast, which was literally created for a serene leisure.

The resort is famous for its unique nature; in the heart of Gurzuf there is the Genoese rock and the Chaliapin rock, and in the bay waters the mysterious cliffs of Adalara rise. The first settlements on the territory of the modern city appeared more than 40 thousand years ago. On the Genoese rock, the ruins of the fortress of Gorzuvita, which was built during the reign of the Byzantine emperor Justinian, were preserved till our times. It is here that the most famous children's camp of the former Soviet Union "Artek", which was founded in 1925, is located.

Semi-ring mountains, towering 1.5 kilometers above sea level, protect Gurzuf from cold northern winds, and from the east the village is protected by Bear Mountain. On this territory in certain periods of history lived Taurians and Goths, a large ancient settlement was located here, and even a slab with an inscription in the ancient Greek language was preserved. In the 12th century, Gurzuf, then called Gorura, was a quite large and well fortified trade city. A significant part of the fortification was built when the Genoese were in control of it. In 1475, the Crimean Khanate, in whose territory the settlement was located, fell into a vassal dependence on Turkey, and the Ottomans marked out their military garrison here. After the end of the Russian-Turkish war, these lands were relegated to the Russian Empire. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The very first aristocrat seriously interested in these lands was Governor General Richelieu, who bought a piece of land and built a house with office buildings on it. After 10 years, it was bought by Governor General Vorontsov, but Gurzuf became a real benefactor of a large industrialist, Gubonin. It was he who revived the city, built several hotels, restaurants, electricity and landscaped park. At the end of the XIX century Gurzuf was one of the most comfortable resorts of the coast. Now Gurzuf is a modern resort with developed infrastructure, a wonderful coastline and quality clinics. It is with pleasure that tourists who want to visit the places that once attracted Pushkin, Chekhov and Mayakovsky, come here to relax.

The guests of the resort will have an opportunity to combine their favorite beach entertainments with an exciting tour program. In the city, there are many preserved beautiful historical constructions, including the fascinating Suuk Su Palace. It was built in the early 20th century. The initiators of its construction were the engineer Berezin and his wife. Under their guidance, a lot of beautiful architectural complexes, gardens and parks appeared on the territory of the resort. Now, the palace is located on the territory of one of the wonderful parks and considered as a vivid example of the Renaissance style.

In 2007, the Assumption Cathedral was built. The first church at its site was built several hundred years ago. In 1935, it was completely destroyed. The military sanatorium was constructed at its site. Not so long ago, the city government decided to restore this old church. It was rebuilt in accordance with all the traditions of the Russian and Byzantium style. Near the temple, there is the beautiful park where you can walk along branched acacias and cypresses.

The interesting culture center is the House of the famous Russian writer A. Chekhov. At the beginning of the 20th century, he bought a small cottage in Gurzuf. It is a miracle that the building was preserved in a period of the Second World War. In 1963, it came under the Union of Artists. In the historical building, the museum dedicated to the writers’ work was opened. Its collection includes Chekhov’s writings, his personal belongings, pieces of antique furniture, and pieces of art.

Another interesting place is the old cottage of the famous artist K. Korovin. Now, this historic building serves as a themed museum dedicated to life and art of the former famous owner. In his cottage, the artist often held soirees that a lot of eminent people attended. I. Repin, F. Shalyapin, and A. Gorky often visited this house. The present collection of the museum is presented in 14 spacious rooms. The museum is surrounded by the big garden where you can admire not only exotic plants, but also old sculptures.