Yalta

The city of Yalta is situated on the Southern coast of Crimea. Originally, the settlement of Yalta was founded by the Ancient Greeks. The very name “Yalta” comes from the Greek word “yalos” which means “coast”. In the Middle Ages the Byzantines and the Genoese had their settlements on the territory of the present-day Yalta. The small settlement of Yalta began growing rapidly with the development of resorts in Crimea. Today, Yalta is the main resort in Crimea. The part of the Southern coastline of Crimea from the settlement of Partenit in the East down to the settlement of Foros in the West is commonly called the Great Yalta. The Great Yalta, besides the above mentioned settlement and the city of Yalta proper, includes such settlements and towns as Simeiz, Massandra, Oreanda, Gaspra, Gurzuf, Nikita and others.

The beaches of Yalta are the main attraction of the region. There are both pebble and sandy beaches in Great Yalta. And those who don’t like crowds and vanity, and prefer quietness and solitude can ascend up to the settlement of Vasilyevka and bathe in the waterfalls of Uchkosh.

On the territory of Great Yalta there are numerous restaurants, hotels, motels, sanatoriums and children camps.
However, beaches are far not the only attraction of Great Yalta. Luxurious palaces were built in the picturesque settlement of Great Yalta, such as the Great Palace in Livadia, the Vorontsov Palace in Alupka, the Golitsyn Palace in Gaspra, the Dyulber Palace in Koreiz, and others. All the palaces of Great Yalta are open for excursions. Among other picturesque places in Great Yalta, there is the settlement of Foros. This wonderful corner of Great Yalta was esteemed by the head of the Soviet State Mikhail Gorbachev who chose it as his summer residence.

In the settlement of Nikita in Great Yalta, there is the famous Nikita Botanical Garden with its one of the biggest in the world collection of plants and flowers. This attraction of Great Yalta is also open for excursions all year round. The Nikita Botanical Garden in Great Yalta is truly a pride of Crimea.

Many writers came to Yalta for inspiration. There are many monuments to these writers in Yalta. The most famous among these writers are Russian writer and playwright Anton Chekhov and Ukrainian writer, poet and playwright Lesya Ukrainka. Anton Chekhov, for example, spent many years in Yalta and Gurzuf. The Yalta City Theater is named after Chekhov. There also is the Chekhov museum in Yalta. And Chekhov himself is buried in the settlement of Gurzuf in Great Yalta.

Such famous wine brands as Massandra and Oreanda are produced in Great Yalta. Wine cellars of Massandra and Oreanda wine factories are always welcoming wine tourists to taste their wines.

To the people who are fond of hanging out in the night clubs, Great Yalta also has much to offer. There are quite many different night clubs at any taste in Great Yalta.

The most common ways of getting to Yalta are by trolleybus, by bus or by car. One can also get to Simferopol by airplane, and then get to Sevastopol by trolleybus or by bus.

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