This beautiful, well-kept resort town awaits guests all year round. If you want to get in one place swimming in the sea, and walks in magnificent surroundings, and active (or even extreme relaxation), and many interesting fun activities for the whole family - it’s worth going to Sochi. Where to go, what to see in this city, is described further.
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What to see in the city of Sochi?
Usually, tourists who visited Sochi, first of all go to the local Arboretum. This park has been amazingly beautiful for over 100 years. In it you can admire all kinds of exotic plants, "get acquainted" with ostriches, peacocks or ride a cable car. The park is very well maintained. Every year new entertainments for tourists appear in it. This place also boasts several copies of the metasequoia tree. Until recently, it was considered extinct over 50 million years ago. Now everyone can touch it.
Art lovers will certainly be interested in the Sochi Art Museum. It presents an interesting collection of paintings and other works of artists and sculptors from ancient times to the present day. The museum is modern with excellent facilities. It even has interactive exhibits.
Recently, more and more attention of tourists has been attracted to objects designed for the Olympic Games. Among them, the Bolshoi Ice Palace stands out. In the world there are no analogues of such a structure. Everyone can, for example, go ice skating, or simply admire the unique structure from the side.
Many guests of the city are also interested in the Byzantine temple of the 9th century. This is the main confirmation of the long rich history of the city.It is interesting that the external cladding of the temple, whose age is centuries old, has been preserved in excellent condition to this day. Everyone can visit the oldest church.
The main attractions of the surroundings
An interest among tourists in the vicinity of Sochi is the Three Sophia ostrich farm. Here you can see unique birds - golden pheasants, Ondus and Emu ostriches, as well as ride a pony or watch a decorative boar. Excursions around the farm are conducted by experienced guides who are happy to answer all questions from visitors.
Stunning views open from Mount Big Akhun. Here, guests will enjoy the beautiful nature and amazing Agursky waterfalls. An observation tower about 30 meters high was built on the mountain over 80 years ago. It is believed that the best panorama of the entire Black Sea coast opens from it. It is convenient to get here by sightseeing bus.
Near the mountain Big Akhun there are many iconic places. For example, Prometheus Rock with a statue of a hero, the Devil's Hole cave and others. By the way, in this area you can find about 30 caves suitable for speleotourism.
On the mountain is another interesting object that you will not find in ordinary guidebooks. This is an abandoned restaurant surrounded by many legends. An institution was created for high-ranking guests of the city, but once the restaurant burned down. It is believed that the ghosts of people who could not get out of the building, still roam the surrounding area.
The flow of tourists to Krasnaya Polyana never stops. From the sea to it is about 41 km. And what to see in Krasnaya Polyana for guests of these places? Of particular interest to visitors are, of course, ski resorts. There are several at once - for every taste. There are options for beginners. Krasnaya Polyana is generally a tourist destination, so there are many restaurants, cafes, bars, a social and cultural center, a fortress, souvenir shops and other interesting objects.
Among all the museums in Sochi and its environs, Stalin's dacha is especially popular. This is an unusual place. Inside the building you can only go with an excursion group. The house has few historical exhibits, but the building itself and the landscapes around it are really impressive.
Arriving in Sochi, you should definitely get out into the yew-boxwood grove and go to the Devil's Gate canyon. The first place is a pedestrian eco-path that allows tourists to get into a real fairy tale. The route passes through places of stunning beauty with caves, rocks, ruins of fortresses. The canyon turned out to be very unusual. This is a natural pool with boxwood trees, vines, stone grottoes. To take a walk here, you need to bring comfortable, durable shoes and sportswear with you.
Where can I go and what to see with the children?
When thinking about where to go with children to Sochi, of course, first of all, you need to remember about the amusement park, which turned out to be no worse than Disneyland. This is Sochi Park with lots of entertainment. In addition to extreme slides, it has carousels for the youngest visitors. Therefore, it will be interesting for children of all ages.
The park has an experimental workshop with thematic shows and a dolphinarium. Restaurants and cafes are located on site. By the way, this place was one of the leaders in the ranking of the best amusement parks in the country. You can buy a single ticket for the whole day and freely use any attractions.
If you want to ride a merry-go-round at the same time and save a little, then it is better to choose a park, for example, the Riviera. This is a park of culture and rest, in the territory of which there is immediately an aquarium and a dolphinarium. There are also a lot of attractions, cafes, restaurants and other places for entertainment.
Together with the children, you can go to SkyPark, located in the Akhshtyrsky Gorge.This is an exciting attraction for fans of bungee jumping. Of course, such entertainment for children is dangerous, but while adults enjoy the adrenaline rush, children can visit the Mowgli rope park and take a walk along the longest suspended pedestrian crossing on the planet. This place offers stunning views of the mountains and the sea.
Young tourists will definitely enjoy visiting the oceanarium, which is located in the vicinity of Sochi. The large-scale building houses 30 aquariums with amazing inhabitants: piranhas, sharks, jellyfish, turtles, bright tropical fish. There is a separate room, stylized as a tropical park with ponds in which large koi carps swim. You can even touch them. There is also an aquarium tunnel in the oceanarium with a length of more than 40 meters. There are also daily exciting shows organized. For example, feeding sharks and carps, diving with an instructor, as well as many others.
Sochi circus can hardly be called a special attraction, but the children will surely like it. Touring troupes come to this place, so the audience is always offered a variety of programs. This is the same circus from childhood with folding chairs, acrobats, jugglers and trained animals.
Sights of Sochi in the winter
If the holiday fell in the winter months, do not get upset. Sights of Sochi can be appreciated in the cold season. Moreover, even at the height of winter on a sunny day, the air temperature here often warms up to +20 degrees.
Of course, lovers of snowboarding and skiing are primarily sent to Krasnaya Polyana with its many ski resorts. Here you can find tracks of any difficulty level, cable cars, as well as equipment rental points.
Do not forget that the city under discussion is a popular year-round medical resort. You can come to Sochi to improve your health both in summer and in winter. All the most popular rehabilitation and wellness centers, as well as motels and clinics work year-round.
The list of attractions in Sochi, which can be viewed in the winter, also includes unusual monuments. For example, the Horse in the Coat is very popular. It is located in the very center of the city. The monument is an imposingly collapsed horse with a pipe and a glass of wine.
The sculpture "Golden Fleece" is constantly guarded. She is a golden skin of a ram and a dragon, which guards her. Real protection of the monument is required because the fleece is covered with gilding.
In addition, there is a monument to the father of many children on the streets of Sochi, a composition on the theme of the film “Diamond Hand”, a bench for lovers and for reconciliation, a monument to a market merchant and many other similar interesting objects.
Together with children in the winter it is worth visiting the aviary complex of the Caucasian Reserve, located in the vicinity of Sochi. Many interesting animals live in it: sika deer, lynx, roe deer, wild boars, foxes, mountain bisons and others. These are young adults without parents, as well as wounded and sick representatives of the local fauna, which are cared for by the staff of the complex.
What can you see on your own?
The new attraction of the city was the Olympic Park, built by 2014 on the seashore. Here you can walk and see all the buildings with your own eyes at any time of the year. Many Olympic venues work, and if you wish, you can go inside.
It is easy to get to the Marine Station on your own. The order to begin construction of the port was given by Stalin, but at the same time the ruler did not manage to finish it. This place is considered the hallmark of the city.
In Sochi, without an excursion group, you can have fun in the Aquatoria Dolphinarium.Almost every day fascinating performances are organized here that will interest both children and adults. In front of the audience, white whales and dolphins will work real miracles. For example, paint a picture with paints.
On the Platanova Alley of the city is a singing fountain. True, you can admire him exclusively in the summer. Beautiful bright lighting and music is turned on in the evening.
A very unusual museum is located in the very center of Sochi. It has the name "Tree of Friendship." Such a tree is really located on the territory of the garden museum. This is a wild lemon, in the crown of which more than 40 varieties of different citrus fruits were grafted at once.
If a tourist has an interest in the history of the country, then he must visit the place “My Russia”. This is a unique ethnographic park, analogues of which to this day do not exist. It is a mini copy of Russia with all regions of the country. Each sector of the park is stylized for the architecture of a particular area.
Most popular excursions
Sochi organizes a huge number of excursions every day, among which each tourist can find interesting visits for himself.
The most popular among them are the following:
"Tea houses."
The tour also includes a tasting of tea from a samovar and traditional Russian treats. The complex has several thematic houses at once. Tourists will learn the story of growing tea on the land here, as well as try different varieties of it.
Hike to 33 waterfalls.
This is a beautiful place where you can admire waterfalls and a mountain river, as well as get acquainted with the life of local residents and try a traditional dinner.
Tour to Mount Akhun and the Argun Gorge.
These places have already been discussed earlier. The guide will tell you a lot of interesting facts about them. The duration of such an excursion is about 4 hours.
Tour to the Vorontsov cave.
This is a mysterious mysterious place. "Walk" will surely captivate children. To get into this cave without an excursion is almost impossible. And with an experienced guide, wandering around it is much more interesting and safer.
Travel to Abkhazia.
When all the attractions of Sochi have already been studied, it is worth going all day to neighboring Abkhazia. This place is absolutely unique with incomparable surrounding nature. You should definitely try the real Caucasian cuisine, see the Blue Lake, Gegsky Falls, visit the sandy beaches of Pitsunda.
