Crimea - welcome to feel the wind of time.

Following the Golden Fleece if you have your heart set on relaxing at the seaside, you should go to Crimea. This picturesque peninsula in the south of Ukraine is surrounded and cleansed by the waters of the both the Black and Azov Seas. Europeans have known the Crimea since ancient times. Crimea virtually reflects the history of mankind. The fates of the Scythians and Hellenes, Romans and Genoese, Turks and Tatars, Russians and Ukrainians and other nationalities have their footprints here. If you take a closer look at the history of this area, you may even find a part of your country's history embedded here. The streets of Ancient Khersoness and the ruins of Panticapeum in Kerch tell one about a once mighty Greek settlement. Numerous fortresses on the Black Sea coast remind one of the Genoese. Additionally, there are lots of monuments of Muslim Crimea - don't miss the Khansky Palace in Bakhchysarai having a special role as an example of Islamite East in Southern Europe. So-called cave-cities are a special glimpse in the history of Crimea. Crimea's unforgettable places and museums welcome you.

National reserve "Khersoness Tavrychny"

Sevastopol, 1 Drevnya St.
The Greeks founded the town of Khersoness situated on Crimean peninsular in the 5th century B.C. One can enjoy the opportunity to walk along the streets of this ancient town, examining the collection of amphorae and coins, and take in the ancient theater built within the temple of Melpomene.

Architectural-historical reserve Genoese Fortress in Sudak In terms of its importance and preservation the Genoese Fortress in Sudak is the most famous in the world and is second best only to those of Italian heritage. The fortress was built in 1371-1469 on the fortress hill. Every consul taking up his duties in the town considered it a great honor to leave memories by means of building some construction. This was the way the fortress had been built for centuries. If you look at the fortress walls and towers, a mosque and a consul's castle, you will learn about the Italian coat-of-arms.

State historical-cultural reserve in the town of Bakhchysarai

Bakhchysarai, 133 Richna St.
One of the most prominent places in the reserve is the Khansky Palace (16-18 century) built by Italian, Iranian, Turkish, Ukrainian and Russian masters. Mighty Crimean khans once ruled from this palace. Cave-cities Mangoop-Kale (6-15 centuries), Chufoot-Kale (5-19 centuries) and also the complex of Uspensky (dominion) Cave Monastery (13-15 centuries) are also parts of the reserve.

State historical-cultural reserve in the town of Kerch Kerch, 5 Aivazovsky St. The ancient town of Pantikapeum, is also the site of the ancient settlement of Nimpheus, Mirmeky, Tiritaka, the stone crypt of Demetra, which is included on the UNESCO list and also Melek-Chesmensky and Tsarsky Kurgan (Grave Mount) are within the territory of this reserve. The treasures of the mighty Bosporan state are exhibited inside the Hermitage and the British Museum, but here you will have a better idea of the era with two new expositions called "The Gold of the Bosporus" and "Original Weapons", were opened in 2003.

The museum of gliding

Koktebel village, 12 Kuibyshev St.
There are only two museums of gliding in the world. One of them is in the USA and the other one is in Crimea, in the village of Koktebel. Koktebel is the cradle of gliding, aviation engineering and space explorations. Such famous Russian and Ukrainian aircraft designers as Antonov, Yakovlev, Ilyushin and Korolev originated from the local school of gliding. And it was in Koktebel where the first glider with a jet engine was launched. The exposition tells the history of gliding and aviation and also about prominent figures in aeronautics.

Crimea - welcome to visit palaces of Russian czars

The first state person to visit Crimea was the Catherine the Great. This trip in 1787 became the most expensive one in the history of Crimea. It cost the Russian treasury 15 million of rubles. Together with the empress British, Austrian and French envoys went to Crimea. There is information that the Austrian Emperor Joseph II accompanied Catherine, albeit incognito. But the purpose of the journey was far from educational, so later Crimea becomes a resort of Russian aristocracy, so Russian Czars and elite started building their summer residences here. You can travel the genuine "Path of the Czar" which begins near Livadiysky Palace and connects the estates of both the Czar and the prince's. Along this very path walked the members of the Imperial family during their stays in this royal hideaway! Now the palaces are open for visitors and anyone can study the life of Russian aristocracy.

Livadiysky Palace

Yalta, Livadia
The palace was built in Renaissance style in 1910-1911 according to the designs of M. Krasnov. In the complex the master combined the mysterious Byzantine and Arabic motifs with more traditional Gothic ones. When in the palace, you will see the study of Nicholas II, the last Russian emperor. Now there is an exposition dedicated to the life of the Czar's family in Crimea, but Livadiysky Palace is known because of another event. In 1945 it hosted the historic summit between the three most powerful men in the alliance fighting Nazi Germany, Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Visitors can sit at the round table used for the actual negotiations and in the armchair where members of the 3-member coalition sat to discuss the future of a post Hitler Europe.

Vorontsovsky Palace

Alupka, 10 Palatsove Shose
The palace was erected according to the designs of E. Blor in 1828-1848 for count Vorontsov. The master of his time was George IV and Queen Victoria's court architect. He was the author of the design of the Westminster Abbey and a part of a front of the Buckingham Palace. There you will learn how one can combine such seemingly incompatible things such as British Gothic and oriental coloring in one building. From the mountains the palace reminds one of an impregnable British castle and from the sea - of an oriental temple. Architect Edward Blor was a friend of Walter Scott, so they say that the northern front of the palace illustrates the works of the famous novelist. Today the palace houses a museum.

Masandrivsky Palace Yalta, Upper Masandra The palace, designed by French architect Buchar, was built in 1892-1902 for Emperor Alexander III. In the course of its history Masandrivsky Palace was a place for rest during walking and hunting and also a VIP residence. Now the palace is open for visitors.

Lastivchyne Hnizdo (the Swallow's nest) This castle designed by L. Sherwood in 1911-1912 for baron Sneigel is a so-called emblem of the Southern coast of Crimea. Situated on a steep rock of Ai-Thodor Cape it reminds of a miniature knight's castle. There is a restaurant and a viewing area for visitors.