Sightseeing

Massandra Palace

The Massandra Palace stands in beautiful parkland on the outskirts of Yalta . It was designed by French architect Bouchart to emulate the style of some of the castles of the Loire valley. Originally built for Prince C.M.Vorontsov, it was acquired by Tsar Alexander III as his summer palace in 1889.

After the 1917 revolution it was used as a holiday residence by high-ranking members of the Politburo - Stalin, Khrushchev and Brezhnev all stayed here at one time or another.

In the early nineties the palace was designated a museum and opened to the public. The interior has now been beautifully restored. It contains a significant collection of fine art and period furniture in rooms set out to reflect the grandeur of its original nineteenth century owners.

Livadia Palace

The summer home of the last of the Russian Tsars, Nikolai II, and in 1945 home to the Yalta Conference, where Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin met to re-draw the map of europe at the end of the war - the Livadia Palace breathes the history of the last 150 years.

The palace buildings and extensive gardens overlooking the sea and the bay of Yalta reflect the influence of the original architect, Ippolito Antonovich Monighetti, who was sent from Moscow to Livadia after the estate was bought for Tsar Alexander II in 1861.

Ai-Petri Mountain

Ai-Petri is not the highest mountain in Crimea - that honor belongs to Roman Kosh (1,545m) between Gursuf and Alushta, north-east of Yalta . But it's certainly one of the most spectacular, with its sparkling white limestone peak.

Alternatively, you can take a minibus or taxi or a cable-car up the winding forest road that leads to the plateau behind the summit of Ai-Petri, taking in panoramic glimpses of Yalta and the sea, and then stopping off at the Uchan-Su waterfall (98m) on the way. Or you can do the climb on foot with a guide who knows the safe way up.

Churches

The Ioann Zlatoust church and Bell tower

The first sight attracting attention in Yalta is the Ioann Zlatoust church bell tower situated on Polikurov hill. The church and the tower were built in 1832 – 1837. it was the first stone building in the city. During the war years the church was destroyed badly, it was only the tall bell tower which kept safe. Now the church is rehabilitated. You can reach the tower through streets Rousvelt, Ignatenko of Tolstoy if going from the embankment. A marvelous city panorama opens from the viewing point on the tower

Address: Tolstoy str., 10 Tel.: (0654) 32-89-75 Open .10.00 - 17.00.  

St. Nina Church

St.Nina Church was a part of architecture complex of residential area of Grand Prince Georgiy Romanov situated on the west side of the cape Aj-Todor . The laying of the house church was on the 14 of January 1906. The church was built in 1908 in the spirit of cultural architecture of Transcaucasia by motives of ancient Georgian and Armenian churches.

Address: village Gaspra,

Tel.: (0654) 24-28-67

St. Maria church

Evangelical-Lutheran church. Earlier there was a hall church here, which belonged to the German commune of the city.

Address: Chekhov str., 10

Tel.: (0654) 32-64-00

Catholic Church

Majestic grandeur, harmony of the ensemble, open-work lace of the stone carving attract numerous admirers of architecture heritage to this unique monument of Crimea . 100 steps of the wide parade stairs in the setting of slender pyramidal cypresses lead you to the chief south facade. And it seems that accords of the organ die down in the stone, producing divine sounds of the Komitas melody. The joy of meeting with perfect creative work of Armenian architects, whose skills placed this Crimean pearl in the row of the most remarkable cultural monuments.

Address: Zagorodnaya str.,3

Tel.: (0654) 32-3075