About tour: During the day, we will drive along perhaps the most picturesque seaside road of the Southern Coast of Crimea — from Alushta to Sudak and further, if you wish, to Sun Valley and Novyi Svet (or in the opposite direction, depending on place of your accommodation). Our tour will begin with a car and walking excursion around the city of Alushta which is one of the most known Crimean resorts. Here you will learn about the history of the foundation and development of the resort, which became popular among the Russian creative intellectuals at the end of the 19th century. They had been building summer cottages (“dachas”) here, in the area that later received the corresponding name — Professorskiy Ugolok (“Professors’ Place”). We will walk to the Golubka (“Dove”) Dacha of General Golubov, that witnessed the meeting of the Grand Duke, heir to the throne Nikolai Alexandrovich with his bride Princess Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt in 1894. Then will take a look at the temples with unusual architectural solutions, walk up the stairs, which Nina was running down in famous Soviet comedy movie “Caucasus Prisoner Girl” directed by Leonid Gaidai.
On the winding serpentine Alushta—Sudak road we will admire the coastal gullies and mountain peaks, take good photos on a couple of viewing points. We will stop at the Church of St. Nicholas in Malorechenskoye, 25 km east of Alushta — a unique lighthouse church that has been functioning since 2007, standing right above the sea and being the highest church in Crimea. If you wish, we will drive to a couple of villages to see the features of the old Crimean Tatar buildings, winding streets, lots of vineyards and sprawling fruit trees.
In Sudak, we will visit the Genoese Fortress — the largest among all the Genoese fortresses in Crimea, moreover, partially restored and reconstructed.
Further, if you wish, we will move to the Sun Valley, where in the village of Solnechnaya Dolina (“Sun Valley”, historical name — Koz) we will see the oldest of all presently functioning churches of Crimea — the Temple of Elijah the Prophet (9th century), visit the ancient cellars of the Sun Valley Winery (one of the oldest Crimean wineries, founded in 1888 here, at the Arhaderesse Estate by one of the founders of Russian winemaking — the Prince Lev Golitsin), taste wines produced here and cheeses of the nearby small private cheese factory. Or we will drive to the settlement of Novyi Svet (“New World”, in past — “Paradise”) — one of the most picturesque seaside towns in Crimea, also created due to Golitsin’s efforts. Here you can walk along the Golitsin Trail, passing through the relict groves of juniper and endemic Stankevich Pine on the territory of the Novyi Svet Natural Reserve over Zelenaya, Sinyaya and Golubaya (“Green”, “Blue”, “Light Blue”) Bays. Or go to excursion and wine tasting ceremony at the Novyi Svet Sparkling Wines Plant — one of the most famous wine brands of Crimea, where sparkling wines have always been produced exactly according to centuries-old classical technologies and recipes.
Timing: from 09:00 to 19:00, other time agreed with the customer.
