If you search the Internet for information about what to see in Alushta, you will probably notice this point: all guidebooks will recommend you places located in the vicinity of Alushta, but not in the city itself.

Well, for example, Jur-Jur waterfall , which is a 40-minute drive from Alushta. Or the same mountain that we visited on the way to Alushta (yes, Alushta can be seen from the mountain, and the mountain from Alushta too, but it’s 15 km and the same 30 minutes drive).

So, on our voyage across the Crimea last year, we didn’t even stop by Alushta - we decided that there was nothing interesting in it.

But this time we still became interested - are there really no more or less interesting sights in Alushta itself? It was with this question that we turned off the Yalta Highway onto Gorky Street in Alushta and drove towards the embankment.

First impressions of Alushta

You know what they say: you never get a second chance to make a first impression. So, we drove along the streets of Alushta, looked around and exchanged first impressions. And it was fashionable to express them in one phrase: somehow not very...

Not very elegant. Not very resort-like. Doesn't catch on. Doesn't light up. I beg the residents and fans of this town not to be offended by me now, but still, everything I saw outside the car window reeked of incorrigible provincialism.

Having reached the beginning of the pedestrian zone, we begin to look for a parking space. We were lucky - one of the cars parked along the side of the road just started to drive away. We quickly squeezed into her place. Taking with us only a camera and a camera, we go to explore the surroundings.

Alushta embankment

It is customary to start exploring any seaside resort town from the embankment. The Alushta embankment greets us with such a sea horse.

But, having made a “knight’s move” at the beginning, for the next few hundred meters the Alushta embankment was mired in such shopping stalls and other attributes of the era of underdeveloped capitalism. I walk and think: it’s good that Sochi decided to demolish all this tripe - at least the sea became visible while walking along the embankment!

I'm looking for the beach. And I don’t see it. I see only a concrete embankment, and not too clean. Moreover, with some not quite sober homeless-looking comrades... And it’s only 5 o’clock in the evening - the beginning of the evening promenade... I’m afraid to even take a photo of these individuals, or else they’ll catch up and beat me up.

Unsure of our intentions, we move further along the embankment. The eye is looking for some kind of beauty to cling to. Ok, here's something more or less picturesque:

The so-called Rotunda appeared in the distance. It is a six-column structure with flags installed in holiday season. Why it is called a rotunda is not clear to me.

Well, okay, a rotunda is a rotunda, we take a photo for memory and move on.

Next to the Rotunda is the entrance to the park and water park. We are not interested in the water park as a type of attraction. And we go to the park with interest - at least to see something beautiful.

We walk along a nice alley and come across this building - either a Chinese restaurant, or a Crimean McDonald's.

And here the feeling of hunger makes us forget about sightseeing in Alushta! Of course, after today’s walk to Mount Demerdzhi we have no problems with appetite. Entering this “Chinese pagoda”, I imagine at least a Peking duck... We go inside: an ordinary bistro. You put the plates with the dishes you like on the tray and go to the cashier to pay. While we are standing in line at the checkout, I take videos of the dishes and prices. And I hear right above my ear: “Girl, filming here is prohibited!”

Come on!?! I’m not Elena Letuchaya from the “Revizorro” program, guys! Anyway, don’t film here with a video camera, they admonish me. Ok, we don’t need problems, we would like to eat as soon as possible... But all this is somehow strange. Tourist place After all, crowds of people are scurrying around with photo and video equipment, so what’s secret here? Okay, let's go.

But the food itself in Alushta turned out to be good. Even very much so. And the cafe turned out to be cozy, with a nice green courtyard. So our spoiled first impressions of Alushta are beginning to smooth out a little.

Sights of Alushta that we did not see

We sit, drink coffee after a hearty snack, and read guides to Alushta. For inspection in Alushta itself, the following list of objects is offered:

Aluston Fortress

The ruins of the Aluston fortress are the only historical landmark within the city. Fortresses dating back as far as 16 centuries! It was built in the 6th century by order of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, and subsequently saved him from raids more than once. But in the 10th century the fortress fell under the onslaught of the Pechenegs. It was later restored by the Genoese, who made it even more impregnable. It finally ceased to exist in the 15th century during the invasion of the Turks.

Unfortunately, today almost nothing has survived from the fortress. You can only see one tower, and part of the wall, which became part of residential buildings and courtyards. The fortress is located among the narrow nooks and crannies of the private sector, and, apparently, over many centuries, the stones that made up the fortress formed the basis of many local houses and courtyards. Objectively speaking, before visiting the ruins you should prepare yourself for disappointment

Great. We'll skip the fortress - after Genoese fortress in Feodosia (read) I don’t want another disappointment.

Alushta Museum of History and Local Lore

The first place of all attractions that is worth visiting for curious tourists in Alushta. Moreover, it is located next to the embankment, making it very easy to find. The exhibition tells about the history of the city, from ancient times to the present. Among the exhibits are many archaeological artifacts, models, documents, photographs, and there is a separate exhibition about modern Alushta. The building itself is also an architectural landmark.

Well, well, we can see the museum, we decide. But we’re immediately blown away: the museum’s opening hours are from 10:00 to 18:00. And the time on the clock is 18:10. Overall a bummer.

Shmelev House-Museum

This is the only museum dedicated to the famous writer I.S. Shmelev, who lived in Alushta from 1918 to 1922. The house itself was built by the famous architect A.N. Beketov. The small building is surrounded by greenery, with a work and living environment recreated inside. The exhibition tells about the writer’s work and life, the period of emigration.

Reviews about the museum are different. But in general, this museum is not for a wide range of visitors; it will mainly be of interest to those who are interested in Shmelev’s work. We are clearly not one of them. Well, the opening hours are also until 18:00.

Beketov House-Museum

The house-museum of the architect and academician A.N. Beketov was built by Beketov himself in 1896. The building was built in the Moorish style and is an architectural landmark, but it can be viewed not only from the outside. The museum has a permanent exhibition dedicated to the life of the architect; more than a thousand exhibits are presented.

Opening hours until 18:00. Yes, somehow we have no luck with sightseeing in Alushta... So let’s look further through the guidebooks.

Dolphinarium, aquarium - this won’t surprise us after Sochi...

Park "Crimea in miniature"

So, now this is something more interesting! Reading reviews:

In this park you can see miniature copies of attractions from all over the peninsula. In total there are about 40 copies, including palaces, castles, churches, museums. In the evening, the exhibits are illuminated very beautifully, so that in photographs taken from the right angle, the exhibits are practically indistinguishable from the real ones. You can photograph anything here without restrictions. The only thing bad about this place is the rather high price, which clearly does not meet expectations from visiting the park

500 rubles (from 12 years old) and 300 rubles (up to 12 years old)... Well, after Sochi prices, it’s not terrible... But for this money, it’s really better to go on an excursion to one of the real palaces of Crimea and see the gorgeous interiors, rather than “look for a good angle so that it is indistinguishable from the real thing”... At least there is history in the palace. Our glorious Russian History.

Zoo

At the Alushta Zoo, deer, rabbits, squirrels, foxes, wild boars, mouflons and other animals are kept in spacious enclosures and open-air pens. There are beautiful peacocks and a pond with swans. Some of the animals can be fed, which makes children absolutely delighted. There are several gazebos on the territory. There is also a natural museum containing more than 1,600 exhibits: samples of herbs, flowers, trees, rocks, stuffed animals, birds, snakes, eight dioramas.

Judging by good reviews, it’s worth going to the zoo, especially if you come to Alushta with children. The animals there are very cute, judging by the photos, and the area is beautiful and large. But we have Mount Demerdzhi behind us, and climbing it makes itself felt - our legs are buzzing... And we planned to see the zoo in Yalta, which is called the pearl of Crimea.

Actually, we now have to get to Yalta - that’s where we’ll be staying in a hotel for the next few days

With lazy steps we set out on the way back to the car. And let’s summarize what we saw.

Our summary of Alushta

In general, it turns out that Alushta does not have any significant attractions for which it is worth going here. Yes, there are several museums for everyone. The situation is somewhat better with entertainment for tourists with children: you can visit a dolphinarium, a miniature park, an aquarium and a zoo, and a multi-park. All this can really be seen in one day.

But in the suburbs outside the city there are some really worth visiting places. This includes the Demerdzhi mountain range + the Valley of Ghosts, and the Jur-Jur waterfall, and stone “mushrooms” in the valley of the Sotera River. In general, look carefully at this photo and choose the excursions you like:

All these places can be visited on your own, and you can get to them by local public transport.

And while we were walking to where our car was parked, we continued to photograph its streets in the rays of the setting sun. In general, we can say that this is a nice resort town, not without, like all Crimean cities, signs of a glorious socialist past.

By the way, here is one of these very signs - a city trolleybus. Look how handsome he is! And how this colorful blonde driver famously handles it:

But we met such a character already on the way to the parking lot.

In general, if you look closely, you can find its own tourist highlight in Alushta.

And the beautiful Yalta was waiting for us, about which my next article will be. Subscribe to our new posts here.

Olga went to Alushta with her son (2.5 years old) in July 2017 for a week.

She describes her impressions of the city, the difficulties that arose on vacation, the peculiarities of choosing housing and its cost, attractions and entertainment.

Reasons for choosing a holiday destination:

• Low cost.
• Availability large quantity entertainment for children.
• Clear sea and mountains in close proximity.

Alushta has a lot of varied housing that will please even the most demanding vacationers. Despite the fact that the level of rental housing varies greatly, prices are quite low. There are a lot of high-rise buildings in the city, in which both comfortable rooms and complete apartments are rented. On the territory of Alushta there are many modern hotels and hotels that can offer rooms to suit every taste and budget. Also within the city there are many private and public boarding houses, which have developed infrastructure.

Modern hotels

Alushta is a small city with more than a dozen modern hotels. The main advantages of hotels are the ability to rent a room in advance, as well as the availability of entertainment for children on their premises. There are enough on-site hotels budget options, which will allow tourists to relax in comfort at a reasonable cost.

Boarding houses and sanatoriums

Boarding houses in Alushta have a well-developed infrastructure and always welcome visitors. Most sanatoriums have a treatment program that can alleviate the condition of many diseases. Some boarding houses maintain a rather dull atmosphere and poor quality of food, which is important to consider when purchasing an all-inclusive package.

Guest houses, apartments, private sector

There are a lot of offers from private homeowners in Alushta. Since there are a lot of offers, even during peak season you can find housing within 600-800 rubles per person. Some guest houses are in no way inferior to large hotels, but rent is 1.5 times cheaper. Guest houses and courtyards of high-rise buildings often have comfortable and safe playgrounds for children.

We rented housing in the private sector away from the center. For us, the main criterion was peace and quiet. The cost of renting houses that are located at some distance is quite low and a room for two during the peak season can cost only 1,200 rubles. Despite the fact that we rented accommodation not exactly in the center, we could get to the nearest beach in just 15 minutes.

Food

It’s not always convenient to cook with a small child, so a good solution would be to visit cafes or canteens with a children’s menu. We liked it dining room "Tasty", which is located almost on the embankment. In addition to the children's menu, in the dining room there is a children's area with various entertainment, so parents can eat in peace without catching their child all over the hall.

• Macaroni and cheese - 40 rubles. The cheese was quite tasty and the child devoured the cones on both cheeks.
• Risotto with vegetables - 65 rubles.
• Chicken broth with noodles - 45 rubles.
• Okroshka - 80 rubles. At the distribution they offer different versions of okroshka, but we took the whey version.
• Chicken chop - 120 rubles.
• Pork in French - 140 rubles. The meat is very tender, not dry.
• Summer salad - 75 rubles. The composition includes cucumber, radish and greens. We didn't like the choice of salads, so we tried not to take them.
• Pancakes - 15 rubles. Sometimes in the morning we had time to grab a couple of pancakes. They are very tasty, soft and perfect for breakfast for both children and adults.

We also sometimes cooked ourselves. We did not have any difficulties purchasing any products. We mostly shopped at the central market, but also occasionally visited the PUD supermarket.

Cost of main products:

• Milk - 55-60 rub./liter.
• Bread 15-20 rubles.
• Potatoes, cabbage, beets - 30 rubles/kg.
• Carrots, onions - 25 rub./kg.
• Butter 65-120 rub./pack.
• Chicken 100-250 rub./kg.
• Buckwheat - 70 rub./kg.

Beach

Alushta has a long coastline and there are many beaches on it. Although all the beaches are located within the same city, they have different contents. Some beaches are covered with large pebbles, others with small ones. Alushta also has beaches with a lot of sand.

We didn’t like it on such beaches, since the water in the sea was constantly cloudy and we had to shake out small pebbles and grains of sand from our swimsuit.

Most people rest on central beach And It’s impossible to get a seat there after 10 a.m..

The central beach has all the necessary infrastructure for a comfortable stay. The beach is predominantly pebble, but in some places there are sandy areas. We really enjoyed the children's beach. It is located east of the central beach, but there are much fewer people there and the water is cleaner. It is convenient to build various castles and figures from large pebbles.

Leisure

There are many places in Alushta that are worth going with children. There are two dolphinariums in the city. We visited the Aquarelle Dolphinarium. When choosing seats, it is important to consider which side the sun is on and not sit facing it. You should also refrain from buying tickets in the first rows if you don’t want to swim.

My son really liked the “jumping fish”. The trainers showed upper class and the child calmly watched the entire performance to the end.

Finding a children's playground in Alushta is not a big problem, but it was more interesting for us to walk along the embankment, where there are many different attractions and a train constantly running.

In the evening, on the embankment you can meet musicians, clowns, animators and various magicians.

Also on the embankment you can meet employees of various companies who sell tickets for various excursions.

If you want to just take a walk through the Crimean nature, then you should look into Dendrozoo. There are a lot of squirrels there, which are practically not afraid of people and allow themselves to be fed.

We visited miniature park, but the cost of the entrance ticket (500 rubles) really upset us. The park displays copies of the most famous Crimean buildings, including:

• Swallow's Nest.
• Synagogue of Yeghia-Kapai.
• Genoese fortress.
• Massandra Palace and much more.

Another interesting place in Alushta is Aquarium. There are a lot of fish represented in it. Adults walk around underwater world It will bring a lot of pleasure, but it will be difficult for small children to go around all the halls at once.

It will be interesting to visit for adults and children over 6 years old water park, which is located in the Almond Grove complex. The water park has only 4 adult slides, a pool with children's slides and a wave pool. For those who are going to the water park for the first time or do not want to go to Yalta, the Alushta Water Park will be an excellent solution.

• There are no problems with purchasing in Alushta baby food and diapers.
• Pharmacies have the necessary products for both poisoning and colds.
• Since there are a lot of entertainment facilities for children in Alushta, and many parents still want to visit other places in Crimea, it is worth deciding on the route in advance. Not far from Alushta there are many interesting places, you can read in advance what to see there and make a route - and Swallow's Nest, .
• If you really want to swim on the central beach, then it is better to come to it at 8.00-8.30 in the morning.

Alushta is created for holidays with small children and will give them a lot of positive impressions.

Holidays in Alushta 2019 – prices and attractions, types of beaches, developed hiking trails and adventure for the determined, social participation and solitude - discover the possibilities!

• Alushta is an example of a convenient location of a resort on the mountain coast. The composition of the relaxation essence is as follows:
• eyes enjoy the diverse beauties of nature, a wonderful collection of monuments from the past of Crimea;
• ears - with the sound of the sea surf, conversations of vacationers, revealing new meanings, and the most fascinating stories of guides;
• the body is given rest by sea water and the loving sun; the body can be placed not in a hotel, but in one of the resort’s sanatoriums;
• Walking around the surrounding area and mountain climbing train your muscles.

Surprisingly, this is not a complete list yet.

What to take with you

During the season, you need beach clothes and shoes (the pebbles get very hot), caps with visors and hats, basic safety equipment under the generous sun, umbrellas, comfortable clothes and shoes for traveling to the mountains, and a first aid kit.

How to get there

By train or plane to Simferopol, and then about 40 km by trolleybus or bus.

Alushta on the map:

When is the season

The climate is mostly hot, with mild winters.

Spring refreshes the mountain valley and brings the joy of green decoration. There are rainy days at this time. Alushta residents gratefully accept this care of nature for their gardens, vineyards, and fields.

Tourists often come in summer and early autumn, when there is a lot of sun and not at all stuffy, thanks to the pleasant sea breezes. At night, winds blow from land to sea.

In autumn, the heat ends and cozy warmth sets in - nature is most conducive to communication precisely on September days, and often in the first half of October.

Winter rarely brings frosty days or snow. The warmth of the Black Sea and the southern slopes of the mountains can be felt in winter. It rains more often than in summer.

What's nearby

Tourists call Alushta the city itself and several resort villages nearby. They make your vacation more diverse.

Solnechnogorskoye, Malorechenskoye, Rybachye, Privetnoye go to the east of the city. Tourists find more peace in the small holiday homes, health resorts and boarding houses of these mountain valleys. Green courtyards and parks, mountain landscapes, wide pebble and sandy free beaches, and crystal clear water delight the heart.

There is a regular bus here, minibus. Regarding the question of where to go with your car: car camping is freely organized in this direction. A vacation in 2019 will cost an average of 500 rubles per day (the further from Alushta, the cheaper). Tourists will find shops here, vegetable markets, inexpensive restaurants, cafes, bars.

In the eastern part of Big Alushta there is nature reserve“Kanakskaya Beam”, where the trees of Tall Juniper and Wild Pistachio are protected. For a vacation here you will need a larger amount.

To the west of the Professor's Corner are the prestigious Lazurnoye, Karabakh, Utes, Karasan and Partenit, imbued with the spirit of aristocracy, with evergreen ancient parks, a fabulous ivy forest. Private sector is poorly developed here. Large health resorts operate year-round. July peak prices for daily accommodation start at 2,500 rubles.

Trolleybuses, buses, minibuses and taxis go towards Yalta.

Along with the grandiose mountain amphitheater towards Yalta from the Alushta Valley, the following are noted:

• beech and pine forests Crimean Nature Reserve;
• the slopes of Mount Paragilmen with rock trails, as well as medicinal plants;
• the highest point of Crimea is the peak of Roman-kosh;
• Cape Plaka is a wonderful vantage point with a magnificent view of the
• Bear Mountain.

The city itself

Alushta's favorite tradition is hospitality. The multinational city has 29 thousand inhabitants. During the “finest hour” the population sometimes increases 10-15 times.

• The heart of the city is Fortress Hill. Its slopes are densely built up. Narrow terraces are reinforced with retaining walls.
• The central part of the city is the hospital area, Simferopolskaya Street, the central part of Lenin Street and the lands adjacent to the embankment. Flat terrain mostly with old houses. In the center there are many shops, a hospital, children's and adult clinics, a school, a church, a cinema... (To be continued.)
• Professor's Corner. Today it is a purely resort, quiet and cozy area. There is no usual urban infrastructure here.
• Two districts of nine-story buildings of the 90s, Khrushchev and Brezhnev five-story buildings. They have kindergartens, a school, a culinary school, a large number of shops, a clothing market, and a park with an impressive area and variety of trees.
• Popovskaya beam - Alushta industrial zone: the building of a former toy factory, various warehouses and construction sites. At the end of the beam there is a motocross.
• Microdistrict Mirny. Area of ​​budget new buildings. The infrastructure here is not yet developed.
• Sudakskaya street area. The rather long Sudakskaya Street starts from the entrance to the city from Simferopol. Famous for its cozy courtyards. Here are ours kindergarten and a school, dairy and bakery.
• Cheryomushki district is an area that appeared after the war, with Lenin and Partizanskaya streets. The courtyards here are also cozy and blooming. There is a pharmacy, a shop and a small market with vegetables and fruits here.

Resort guests note the excellent traffic system public transport and the love of Alushta residents for sports and tourism. For sports, the city has long had an Olympic base, Spartak. Tourist clubs have been opened in the city to support tourists.

Where to stay

Choose where it is better to live with your character!

The first zone of hotels, mini-hotels (from 1500-2000 rubles), sanatoriums - of course, the Professor's Corner. It's very good conditions for relaxing with family, .

The second is the central part of the city. For example, the Crimea Hotel here provides rooms starting from 3,500 rubles. Many private houses in the central part have been turned into mini-hotels (the cost of accommodation at the peak of the season is 700 rubles). Adjacent to the Primorsky Park is a large area of ​​the Northern Dvina boarding house.

In the area of ​​Oktyabrskaya Street, in the park there is a military sanatorium of the Ministry of Defense. The cost of living with three meals a day and treatment there in 2019 will be about 6,000 rubles.

The area of ​​Sudakskaya Street is the address of a number of health resorts: the Veteran sanatorium, the Magnolia boarding house, the Zolotoy Kolos sanatorium and others.

Kitchen

There are many cafes, bars and restaurants. There are no specialties on the menu, but everything is quite tasty. The assortment of fish dishes is amazing. The bill will not be catastrophic, but decent.

Caution: where tourists look out of curiosity - residential areas, for example - to establishments catering should be handled with caution. The fact is that you may not like the cuisine here, although for some Alushta residents it is quite acceptable.

Communication in Alushta

As an alternative to the services of domestic operators mobile communications you can choose a SIM card from a leading international operator cellular communications in Russia SIMTRAVEL.

All types of communication at the resort are provided by post offices.

Where to go and what to see

A beach holiday certainly takes a lot of time, but what to do if you feel a little tired from it?

You can go to museums. The material collected here is impressive; it generously adds to travelers' knowledge of the world.

There are four museums in Alushta:

• Shmelev Museum. This is the only museum that presents the entire life of a Russian literary figure. This is where you can attend the International Readings of the writer’s works.
• Museum of Sergeev-Tsensky. The historical memorial building is an architectural monument of the last century. The museum displays 20 thousand items that previously belonged to the writer. His personal library is also located here, which contains about 10 thousand books.
• Museum of Architect Beketov. The building was built at the end of the 19th century. The building is decorated with an openwork veranda. Here you can view the architect's personal belongings. Also in the hall is a collection of paintings by Crimean artists.
• Alushta Museum of History and Local Lore. Today the museum's collection contains thousands of exhibits, including the most interesting archaeological collections.

The first three are located in the Professor's Corner, the last one is at the beginning of Lenin Street.

On Fortress Hill today you can see the Round (located on April 15th Street) and Square (Volodarsky Street, 3) towers. The defensive walls of the Aluston fortress have been partially preserved.

Near the ruins, the mosque and church of Theodore Stratelates have been restored.

There are several Orthodox churches in the city.

Alushta has many of its own heroes; monuments have been erected to them in different areas cities.

Citizens and visitors love to relax in Primorskoe landscape park. It was founded at the end of the 19th century. Nikolai Dmitrievich Stakheev. The former merchant's summer house is hidden in the park.

Two dolphinariums - “Aquarelle” and “Nemo”, opened in 2013, give 3-4 performances per day. They are free for young children! For adults - from 700 rubles (depending on the season). In addition, dolphin therapy sessions are popular here.

In the basements of the round trolleybus ticket office building there is a huge aquarium and a slightly smaller terrarium. Ticket price: 350 rubles for adults and 200 rubles for children.

Tourists can visit the miniature park. This park contains miniatures of attractions. There is a children's corner where kids love to take pictures with their favorite characters.

In the Professor's Corner there is one of the best water parks in Crimea - Almond Grove. Prices for visiting: 1500 rubles for adults, 1100 rubles for children.

City tours will cost around 500 rubles per person.

Local law enforcement agencies and the residents themselves care about the safety of tourists: do not be afraid of unfamiliar streets or night walks.

Excursions from the city

Tourists choose different geographical, thematic destinations, as well as modes of travel. Bus tours, conquest mountain passes on buggies and jeeps, walking and horseback excursions, cruises on ships, yachts, boats, helicopter flights and balloons- all this is possible. The cost of one-day excursions is 1000-2000 rubles.

From Alushta you can go to the sights of both the Alushta Valley, the mountain ranges that converge here, nearby villages, and the entire Crimean Peninsula.

You can easily get acquainted with the offers of guides on web portals, you can contact the city tour bureau and agencies.

Active leisure

Someone needs to release a whole flurry of emotions in order to relax.

For resource assessment unforgettable impressions take into account the tennis courts, specialized sites for paintball, rental of bicycles, jeeps, ATVs, modern kayaks, equipment for SUP surfing, scuba diving, mountaineering, rope jumping, paragliding and a large team of experienced instructors.

Holidays

Alushta has its own traditions and rituals into which it initiates good people.

April 15, Alushta celebrates the Day of Liberation from Nazi invaders in 1944. The festive meeting takes place at the monument to the first government of Taurida.

Tourists planning May holiday 2019 in Alushta, will be able to take part in the celebration of City Day - May 31. The resort city will turn 116 years old. As is tradition, there will be a presentation of the City Chronicle, which will collect the names and events of 2017. Various exhibitions and a concert program are being prepared for this day.

History of Alushta

Alushta was built by conquering warriors of different nations. They all needed her. Over her long life, she filled her soul with an understanding of many human endeavors.

It is no coincidence that Alushta residents are so friendly to tourists and it is no coincidence that Alushta has many sister cities.

B.C

On the slope of Mount Kara-Tau, travelers are stopped by a limestone menhir. Some are trying to estimate its size, others are pondering its purpose. The very locations of megaliths can awaken hidden possibilities in a person. And he can comprehend the message of the ancients. Alushta shows impressed travelers the second megalithic riddle, not erased by time: a cromlech on a growing mound.

The first mention of the Tauri, inhabitants of the southern coast of Crimea, was found in a Greek source. One of the legends about them is to some extent confirmed by the “Tale of Vasilisa the Beautiful,” where Baba Yaga handed her blessed daughter a skull with burning eyes on a stick... In the Alushta Valley, the Tauri left unusual tombs of their relatives. Archaeologists called them "stone boxes." There is an assumption that the chosen ones, who knew something about life after death, were buried in them. Perhaps after the funeral they carried out a task in the next world. The jewels of the Taurians were discovered by archaeologists in a mountain sanctuary in the depths of the Gurzuf Saddle pass. What they saw there made them want to repeat: “If you want to see the whole world, visit Crimea!”

Our era. Aluston Fortress

In the Alushta valley there were at least six settlements at the beginning of our era. In the specific mountain conditions, both warriors who guarded merchant ships from attacks by pirates and cattle breeders of different nations could live. The dead were burned, the ashes were placed in ceramic urns - this is typical for the Slavs, Greeks and Romans, Celts, and Germans.

At this time, the Roman-Byzantines built the Aluston fortress - at the mouth of the mountains (al). And by the end of the 7th century, those warriors left it.

Khazar influence

And the Khazars settled in the east of Crimea. Under them, two new large settlements and six pottery centers appeared in the Alushta Valley. Residents of Alushta and other settlements made wine in large quantities. Crimean amphorae for wines are often found by archaeologists in the distant Volga region on the vast lands of the Khazar Kaganate.

The power of Khazaria ended with the crushing campaign of the Kyiv prince Svyatoslav in 965 for the Kaganate. Svyatoslav “took revenge on the foolish Khazars,” and again the mountainous Crimea fell into the area of ​​Byzantium.

Return of the Romans and their enemies

To strengthen its military power, Byzantium organized mountainous areas Crimea military administrative districts. Byzantine fortresses took on the destructive attacks of the enemies of the Roman Empire.

Wars of conquest exhausted the inhabitants of the Alushta Valley. The surviving communities climbed the steep mountain slopes and built inaccessible fortresses on the peaks. They were waiting for the coming changes. Today those fortresses can be seen on the mountains of South Demerdzhi (formerly Funa), Kastel, Seraus, Ai-Yori.

Medieval Alushta

In the 12th century, a large, beautiful seaside town grew up around Aluston. This is the time of the founding of the Crimean Khanate. By the will of the khan, Alushta became one of shopping centers Genoese merchants. The defensive wall and towers, which partially survive to this day, were assembled by the Genoese in the second half of the 15th century for defense against the Ottomans.

At the same time, the Funa fortress appeared at the foot of Mount Demerdzhi. In it, the Turkish conquerors were opposed by the small but brave squad of Prince Gothia. The Ottomans destroyed the walls of the fortress, but the settlement of Funa existed for several more centuries before the start of major collapses from Mount Demerdzhi.

Alushta in the Ottoman Empire

The entire city burned down in hellfire during the Turkish conquest. The fortress and the main city temple were destroyed and were never restored.

The Ottomans left behind the Genoese colonies and the Principality of Mangup. The Crimean Khanate became a vassal of the Ottoman Porte. The Turks sent their officials to Alushta and strictly collected taxes. But they did not prevent its inhabitants from preserving ancient traditions, rituals, and seeking answers to spiritual questions in Christianity.

Alushta in the Russian Empire

On July 18, 1774, the Turkish army landed on the shore near the village of Alushta. Combat units of the Russian army headed here.

A memorable battle for Alushta residents took place on July 23. Here they met a 7-8 thousand army of Turks and a detachment of 2850 people under the command of General V.P. Musin-Pushkin. The Turks took an excellent position in the gorge, where they strengthened the steep rock cliffs with retrenchments. Russian troops launched an attack with two squares, approached the retrenchments despite the gunfire and repulsed them! The Turks were amazed and fled, leaving their batteries. The Russian battalions, having driven the Turks out of Funa, stopped the pursuit by order.

In that battle, Lieutenant Colonel Golenishchev-Kutuzov, who commanded the grenadier battalion, was wounded. It would seem fatal. It is said that the soldiers washed his wounds with water from a spring. Mikhail Illarionovich woke up and asked for a drink. Later, the great commander visited the spring and planted a poplar tree near it. Today there is a monument “Kutuzov Fountain” here.

According to the peace treaty, the Ottoman Empire had to give up its lands in Crimea to the Crimean Khanate.

The further dance of political thought around the independent Crimea ended with its annexation to Russia.

New perspectives

To develop the southern coast, Russian soldiers by 1827 built a road from Simferopol to Alushta through the Angarsk Pass. There is a monument to soldier-builders at an altitude of 850 m above sea level at a distance of 14 km from Alushta.

By 1837 the Yalta highway was ready. In the same year, the foundation stone of a church took place on Fortress Hill in Alushta. The new temple amazed the Alushta residents with its splendor.

Russian intellectuals settled on the land of Alushta (in the Professor's Corner).

By the end of the century, the village already had a horse-drawn postal station with a spacious main building and a new pier to the delight of buyers of Alushta’s rich harvests and romantics.

Alushta is a resort town

In 1902, the village of Alushta, together with the private properties adjacent to it, received the status of a city without a district.

The number of guests immediately increased. The peak of resort life was during the grape season (August). Doctors prescribed the miraculous varieties Chaush and Chasl to patients. They also treated with kumis. Kefir came into fashion.

Alushta in the First World War

The resort lifestyle that Alushta residents increasingly liked was destroyed by the war. IN new hotel“Yaly-Bakhcha”, instead of resort guests, luxury apartments received wounded soldiers and officers of the Russian army. Infirmaries opened in the city.

By January 18, 1918, Soviet power was established in Alushta.
The transformations became more and more significant. Although the city remembers a number of dramatic episodes from the Civil War...

The organization of the Alushta resort continued. Soon, new thousands of visitors greeted Alushta residents in different languages ​​of the peoples of the USSR. The 1940 season was good, but the next year war broke out.

Alushta in the Great Patriotic War

In July 1941, the 1st battalion of the 37th militia brigade left Alushta. In total, more than 2,000 residents fought from the city and its surroundings at the call of their hearts in the ranks of the Russian army. Alushta partisans set up a camp under the Chamny-Burun peak. The detachment repeatedly demonstrated military valor in the fight against the invaders. Alushta was significantly destroyed during the battles for the city. Before this day, the Nazis managed to shoot 500 Alushta residents, and more than 200 townspeople were forcibly sent to work in Germany.

It was difficult for Alushta residents to understand why the people's commissars of the RSFSR at one time recognized the cultural potential of the Crimean Tatars and Karaites, assigned Crimea the status of an Autonomous Republic, sought to gain the full trust of the indigenous population, and discovered a lack of trust in it by undertaking the deportation of the Crimean Tatars from the liberated Crimea. Several dozen families from Alushta were resettled.

But a large number of collective farmer volunteers came from various regions of Russia and Ukraine.

Post-war years

In 1948, a scientific conference was held to assess the productive forces of the Alushta region; it laid the foundation for many innovations.

We rose from the ruins of the sanatorium building.

A beautiful staircase leading up to the Genoese Tower, a white semi-rotunda, appeared on the reconstructed city embankment.

Alushta in the Russian Federation

At the beginning of 2014, the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol seceded from Ukraine and returned under the protection of Russia.

In 2017, the creation of a multifunctional sports complex for training Russian national teams began on the basis of the aging Spartak sports center.

What to bring from Alushta as a gift

Alushta is not into shopping, but tourists should look in the shops for some local goods that will make wonderful gifts:

• local wines;
• essential oils and preparations based on them;
• cherries and pears;
• the best strawberries from Maly Mayak in Crimea;
• artfully arranged mixtures of honey and nuts or fig jam and nuts in jars.

The weather will most likely not let you down. The sea and the mountains will definitely become your grand hotel. The receptionist is a cheerful professional. These are the conditions for a holiday in Alushta!

A little more about the atmosphere of Alushta - in the video:

On the one hand, Alushta is not a world-famous resort where everyone dreams of coming, on the other hand, you need to relax every year. Children need this almost more than adults; if the family budget does not allow taking children to generally recognized resorts, it is worth bringing them at least to Alushta in the summer.

Crimean city

The description of Alushta should begin with the fact that this small city (with a population of up to 30 thousand people) is located on south coast Crimea, some 30 kilometers from the more famous Yalta - the generally recognized pearl of this tourist region. Here, vacationers will find a convenient location between the sea and the mountains, and the local authorities, understanding the attractiveness of the city for visitors, have done a lot over the past few decades to create the appropriate tourism infrastructure.

The local climate should be called transitional: from temperate, steppe to subtropical. The mountains that protect the sea coast southwest of Alushta have two passes at once, ensuring constant mixing of air masses from central regions Crimea with those that come from the sea. As a result, conditions are created that are quite pleasant for relaxation, since the summers here are hot and dry (with dry air the heat is more easily perceived), and the bulk of precipitation occurs in the winter.

The swimming season here is considered to be from May to October, but for vacationers with children it is better to limit it to the period from June to September, because children, as we know, are more prone to colds.

Of course, Alushta would not have become so famous due to its beaches alone. Numerous attractions located in the surrounding area help it attract tourists. First of all, we are talking about numerous picturesque places in the surrounding mountains, which attract guests almost more than the sea.

The Chatyr-Dag, Demerdzhi and Kastel mountains, as well as the famous Valley of Ghosts, will surely appeal not only to adults, but also to children. Footage of some of these places can be seen, for example, in the well-known “Prisoner of the Caucasus.”

Alushta is ancient city, on the territory of which representatives of the Byzantine Empire and the Khazar Khaganate, the Genoese and Turks with the Tatars intersected. It is not surprising that there are a huge number of historical attractions left here that may be of interest to teenagers who are interested in the history of conquests. For those who love to explore culture, Christian and Muslim religious sites will be interesting.

Alushta also has a lot of museums of various types, some of which might be of interest to teenagers, for example, the Museum of Water Disasters. Alushta Aquarium, Dolphinarium and Crimea in Miniature Park could become great place for a family visit.

The intercity trolleybus, which can be used to get to Yalta, can also be called a peculiar attraction. It is not often possible to find places where the “horned one” would go out into the countryside and travel tens of kilometers through dense mountain forests. Yalta itself, by the way, can help out quite well if Alushta’s attractions for some reason do not arouse the proper interest.

Where to stay: options

The best hotels with meals, a private pool and a beach are located in the very center of the resort, next to the Embankment, which is also a very beautiful place for walks. If you are already inspired and decide to settle in Alushta, you should make an important clarification: you should not settle here at all with children under 3 years old, and in principle, children may not feel comfortable in this city. The fact is that this part of the city is like the most popular place, is characterized by a fairly high level of constant noise, so it should appeal more to young people than to married couples with children.

A significant part of these tourists come to Alushta to stay in a sanatorium or boarding house. Local conditions allow us to consider this city climatic resort, since Botkin also wrote that the climate here is significantly healthier than in Yalta. This is facilitated by the constant circulation of air masses. You need to choose a sanatorium in such a way that it best suits living with children, because the specifics of such institutions presuppose the creation of all the necessary conditions for family living.

At the same time, not all sanatoriums are designed for the arrival of children, so when choosing, you need to familiarize yourself with all the conditions in advance, and if something is not clear, then call the boarding house to ask your question.

Traditionally, rented housing is considered the cheapest, and in Alushta there are more than enough offers to stay with locals. In this case, it is necessary to weigh the pros and cons, for example, the significant cheapness of housing may automatically mean the need to prepare food yourself, which also saves money, but cannot be considered a complete vacation.

You should also choose your housing carefully - it should be located in a quiet area, from where it would be easy to get to the sea. The center and the so-called Professor's Corner are the best places to stay with children.

The outskirts and suburbs offer completely affordable prices, but it can be too quiet and boring there, so you either need to have personal car, or stock up on money for public transport.

Children's camps

If there is no opportunity to go to the sea with your children, you can send them to health camp independently, without parental accompaniment. Alushta is perfect as a place for children's holidays. It is replete with numerous camps, and at least some of them deserve a more detailed consideration.

• "Shore". This children's camp is located in the so-called Big Alushta. It is located far from the city center, so it offers greater privacy. It’s stupid to complain about the location, because, on the one hand, the territory has direct access to small pebble beaches, and on the other hand, the above-mentioned Mount Kastel begins. In addition to the standard set of camp activities and interesting hikes in the mountains, children are also offered catamaran rides.

The administration very carefully monitors safety - the camp staff includes not only swimming instructors, but also rescue sailors.

• "Cypress". Main feature this children's camp– this is its unique location on a sandy cape slightly protruding into the sea, surrounded on all sides by mountains and coniferous forests. The result is a unique atmosphere of sea, mountain and forest air at the same time, which has a very positive effect on the health of vacationing children. Moreover, the recreation center is located within Alushta itself, so getting to it is not difficult.

• "Gull". This children's boarding house was considered an impressive camp back in Soviet times. Then the project, developed and implemented specifically for children's recreation, even received the State Prize for Architecture. The creators of the boarding house placed the buildings right in a subtropical park, so you still need to look for such a beautiful camp as this one.

Recreation involves the all-round development of the child - sports grounds for team sports and a library have been built. Creative kids will also not be left without a stage for performances, because the territory has its own cultural center for 450 spectators, so that all other vacationers can also enjoy art.

Excursions and entertainment

Relaxing on the beach, as a rule, is of more interest to parents than to their children, especially those who have not yet reached adolescence. It is not surprising that visiting tourists have a natural need to recharge themselves with additional emotions by going on an excursion. Since Alushta is a rather small city, and all its described attractions can be seen during hiking, excursions usually involve traveling a considerable distance from the city with visits to other cities on the southern coast of Crimea. There are quite a few such routes, so a trip to each city should be considered separately.

• Yalta. If the kids are bored, you can bring them here to ride a real cable car high on Mount Ai-Petri, from where it opens beautiful view to the city. The smallest children will not be allowed here, but children aged 7 years and older will have a wonderful opportunity to enjoy tea and sweets upstairs, but adults will not be disappointed.

You should not expect that the procedure will go quickly - first you will have to stand in line for a long time, since the attraction is very popular.