On the Mediterranean south coast of the Crimean peninsula in southern Ukraine, dreamy beaches and the pleasant climate attract thousands of guests to the cosy, dreamy Crimean resorts every year.
With its wonderful mountain air and Mediterranean climate, the Crimean peninsula on the Black Sea in southern Ukraine was already chosen as the perfect recreational destination by the Russian tsar's family and other high nobility in the 19th century.
At the time of the Soviet Union, the southern coast of Crimea developed into a veritable Eldorado for spa and convalescent stays and recorded up to 10 million guests in the summer months. In numerous sanatoriums and spas, mainly respiratory and nervous diseases are still treated and alleviated today.
The beautiful landscape and the picturesque sand and pebble beaches naturally attract not only spa guests to the Black Sea. Numerous tourists in search of relaxation flock to the idyllic bays of the Crimean coast every summer and populate the warm sea of the Crimean spas.
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Yevpatoriya
The widely known spa town on the Crimean peninsula is one of the most beautiful and warmest towns in the whole of Ukraine. Yevpatoriya attracts its guests with 2,440 hours of sunshine per year (for comparison: the Greek island of Corfu can boast about 2,500 hours of sunshine).
The picturesque beach promenade and the secluded parks near the Black Sea invite you to relax and unwind in fantastic weather. The Russian Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas and the Juma-Jami Mosque, built by none other than the Turkish master builder Sinan, whose works include the magnificent Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, Turkey, and the mighty al-Haram Mos que in Mecca, are particularly worth seeing.
Foros
Nestled in a beautiful landscape, Foros is the southernmost town on the Crimean peninsula and is best known for Forossky Park. With its exotic plants from all over the world, the wonderfully flowering beds and the picturesque bridges, it even rivals the Nikita Botanical Garden near Yalta. The second highlight of Foros and symbol of the city is the Church of the Assumption of Christ, visible from afar, which - similar to the famous Swallow's Nest Castle - towers over Foros on the prominent Red Rock.
Alupka
The many pine trees in and around Alupka make the air in this Crimean spa particularly pleasant. But the gentle climate is not the only thing that attracts visitors to Alupka. Alupka lies at the foot of the Ai-Petri, probably the best-known mountain in the Crimean Mountains, which boasts a cable car, hiking trails, ski slopes and fantastic views. Also in Alupka is the magnificent Vorontsov Castle with its magnificent English Garden.
Yalta
The Ukrainian city of Yalta is the most popular holiday destination on the southern coast of the Crimean peninsula on the Black Sea. Its pleasant climate, which can be compared to the Côte d'Azur in France or the beaches of Croatia, makes Yalta a lively holiday resort, especially in the summer months. The first-class sanatoriums also attract many spa guests to the "Pearl of Crimea". In addition to its buildings worth seeing, Yalta also offers the perfect starting point to some of the most important sights of the Crimean peninsula, such as the Livadiya Palace, the Swallow's Nest Castle or the botanical garden in Nikita.
Hursuf
Hursuf (or Gursuf) is the oldest settlement on the Crimean peninsula. The Gursuwita fortress dates back to the 6th century and was built by the Byzantines. The popular health resort on the Black Sea coast still belongs to Yalta in administrative terms and can boast some famous guests. For example, the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin spent three weeks in Hursuf in 1821, and Anton Chekhov, the Russian writer, also settled here. His house is now part of the Chekhov Museum in Yalta.
Alushta
Alushta is one of the largest and best-known health resorts on the Crimean peninsula and is visited every summer by thousands of guests seeking relaxation in Alushta's healing climate. Respiratory and nervous diseases are treated in numerous sanatoriums. The "greenest town in Krim" offers numerous parks, gravel beaches by the warm sea, a lively waterfront promenade with cosy cafés and the ruins of a Genoese fortress from the late 14th century. Another fortress can be visited at the foot of Demerdzhy Mountain nearby, which is one of the most beautiful mountains in Crimea. Cave enthusiasts will find what they are looking for at the Chatyr-Dag mountain massif.
Sudak
In Sudak, conviviality takes precedence, perhaps due to the fact that Sudak is the wine centre of Krim. The "Tschjornyj Doktor" (The Black Doctor) and the "Tschjornyj Polkownik" (The Black Colonel) are among the most famous Krim wines. The pure mountain air, the excellent drop and the soft beaches of quartz sand create the ideal conditions for rest, relaxation and convalescence. Sudak's historical highlight is the 18th century Genoese fortress that secured Sudak's former position on the famous Silk Road. Knights' games are held every summer under the 14 towers of the fortress, which covers almost 30 hectares.
A little further west of the fortress lies the small settlement of Novyi Svit ("New World") in a truly breathtaking landscape.
Feodosija
The cosy Feodosiya, one of the oldest settlements in Crimea, is already located in the south-east of the peninsula and is the best-known spa town in Crimea with its healing moors and mineral water springs. Here, too, a historic Genoese fortress with Turkish baths and several churches and a citadel watch over the town on the Black Sea. Another greeting from the Middle Ages is the magnificent Armenian church of St. Sergiy, where the Russian painter Ivan Aivazovsky was baptised. Today, one of the oldest painting galleries in Ukraine can be found in his residence.
