Crimea

Crimea is a wonderful place to have a rest in any season of year. Crimea peninsula is one of the best places in the world often called “World in miniature” or an open air museum. And it is true. A unique combination of different relief types and climate conditions on the small territory gives Crimea its own special charm. The Northern part of the peninsula is occupied with steeps. The best place for hiking - Crimean Mountains are located in Southern part of the peninsula. Crimea peninsula is surrounded with Black Sea in the West and South and with the Sea of Azov in the East.
Climate of the Crimea. Crimea has two seasons - the warm season, which lasts from May to October, and the cool season - from November to April. During the warm season the temperature varies form +25ºC to +38 ºC and the average sea temperature in summer is 23ºC. The South Coast of the Crimea is shielded from the north winds by the mountains, and as a result usually has mild winters. The average cool season temperatures are around 7ºC and it is rare for the weather to drop below freezing except in the mountains, where there is usually snow in winter.
 Crimea is the best place for any kind of tourism, no exaggerations. In different seasons Crimea Mountains attracted travelers and climbers with its beauty and greatness. There are a lot of good places for camping. The most popular places for tourists in Crimea are Cave Cites, Great Canyon, Uchansu waterfall, Ai-Petri Mountain, Cheterdag and other beautiful mountains and places. Climate of the Crimea is favorable for rock-climbing in any season. All Crimean hiking routs correspond to European standards. It’s unusual and exciting to explore natural beauty of the Crimea by bike. Well developed structure roads and mountain paths, unique views, numerous sights attracts cyclists from all over the county.  
Tourists are welcomed to visit four caves well equipped for visitors. Even children can visit these caves with their parents and see the fabulous beauty of the underground world. The number of diving centers in Crimea also grows. After a brief instruction, you can take a dive in a rented wetsuit, accompanied by an instructor. The instruction, a half-hour dive and services of an instructor will cost you 30 dollars.
Among the most popular resorts of the Crimea are Yalta, Sevastopol, Feodosia, Sudak, Novy Svit, Alushta, Alupka, Gurzuf, Partenit, Yevpatoriya and many others. The most well known sights are Livadia Palace, Vorontsov’s Palace, Nikitsky Botanic Garden, Massandra Palace, Swallow’s Nest, Chersonese and many others.
Crimea beaches with a warm and clear water are the best place to have a rest from work. We can propose you  good hotels near the sea and there are a lot of restaurants and cafes at the seashore, so you can spend time in the best way.
 More and more tourists visit Crimea every year: for the last 70 years the stream of visitors increased in 100 times! The natural reserve fund of Crimea has the special value and scientific-ecological interest in these conditions. The reserve fund plays the essential role in saving the creatures of life and lifeless nature, stabilizes the ecological situation on the peninsula. There are formed 33 State natural wildlife reserves (the total square is 51.7% of the total Reserve Fund of the peninsula).
It is supposed to organize the Natural National Park “Tavrida” in the mountain Crimea, which will locate the phenomena of nature of peninsula. It will occupy about 300 thousands ha and allow to save natural complexes, which have the special ecological, historical and esthetic value, and to use it in recreational, learning, scientific and cultural purposes.

 

 

Swallow’s Nest. The castle of love in Crimea

Swallow’s Nest is a small castle located in Crimea near Yalta. It stands on Avrorianska rock over the sea abyss. Swallow’s Nest in its present form was built in 1912 according to the project of A. Shervud the sun of well known architect V.Shervud the author of Historical Museum on the Red Square in Moskow.
But the legend of Swallow’s Nest goes to the medieval times. Once the famous Russian general brought a beautiful captive from war. In honor of his last the most romantic love he built the unusual castle over sea abyss for the girl. It is unknown, if the girl loved the general, but once, when the famous warrior returned from the battle bleeding, wounded, but alive, he did not find his beloved there. Maybe she escaped with Turkish smugglers or jumped to the sea abyss, having not awaited her general, who knows?
This legend is told to the curious tourists by Crimeans. We do not know, if it is true. However, in the oldest Crimean guide it is said that at the end of the 19th century the house for general seriously wounded during Russian-Turkish campaign was really built on the edge of Avrorianska rock. It was a wooden building with veranda over the sea. Local residents called it "Generalif" or "Castle of Love". Brave and romantic castle "Generalif" was immortalized on the pictures of marine painter Aivazovskyi, artists Lagorio and Bogoliubov.
There are actually a lot of swallows and white-winged seagulls near the Castle of Love. If you bend over the balcony and look down, it seems that you also turn into the bird, who flies to the blue height, to red sun on the morning horizon having touched water with its wing. Probably due to this the name "Swallow’s Nest" caught on the medieval castle on Avrorianska rock of Ai-Todor cape, which has become the brightest emblem of Crimea.
Since than every visitor of Crimea come here in order to feel himself a swallow flying to read morning sun having bend over the balcony.

 

Marble Cave in Crimea

Swallow’s Nest is a small castle located in Crimea near Yalta. It stands on Avrorianska rock over the sea abyss. Swallow’s Nest in its present form was built in 1912 according to the project of A. Shervud the sun of well known architect V.Shervud the author of Historical Museum on the Red Square in Moskow.
But the legend of Swallow’s Nest goes to the medieval times. Once the famous Russian general brought a beautiful captive from war. In honor of his last the most romantic love he built the unusual castle over sea abyss for the girl. It is unknown, if the girl loved the general, but once, when the famous warrior returned from the battle bleeding, wounded, but alive, he did not find his beloved there. Maybe she escaped with Turkish smugglers or jumped to the sea abyss, having not awaited her general, who knows?
This legend is told to the curious tourists by Crimeans. We do not know, if it is true. However, in the oldest Crimean guide it is said that at the end of the 19th century the house for general seriously wounded during Russian-Turkish campaign was really built on the edge of Avrorianska rock. It was a wooden building with veranda over the sea. Local residents called it "Generalif" or "Castle of Love". Brave and romantic castle "Generalif" was immortalized on the pictures of marine painter Aivazovskyi, artists Lagorio and Bogoliubov.
There are actually a lot of swallows and white-winged seagulls near the Castle of Love. If you bend over the balcony and look down, it seems that you also turn into the bird, who flies to the blue height, to red sun on the morning horizon having touched water with its wing. Probably due to this the name "Swallow’s Nest" caught on the medieval castle on Avrorianska rock of Ai-Todor cape, which has become the brightest emblem of Crimea.
Since than every visitor of Crimea come here in order to feel himself a swallow flying to read morning sun having bend over the balcony.

 

The Main Wines of the Crimea

The main indicator for the wine tourism is the uniqueness of the local wine. In this sense, the Crimea has much to attract tourists, and prices of Crimean wines, like the French ones, already take into account the uniqueness of places of production and indigenous varieties. The basis for setting prices on the world market are four categories of wine: table wine – the cheapest wine, which is produced of the raw material of different vineyards; local wine - examples of these wines can be port "Crimea", muscat "Taurida"; regional wine (vin de qualite produit dans une region determinee, VQPRD) - a narrow region of growing grapes with the guarantee of the stable quality. Examples are port "Livadia", muscat "Yuzhnoberezhnyi" (of the southern coast), CNO (AOC) (controlled name of origin - appellation d’origine controlee). Appellation means the name of the small area with the unique properties of grapes. In Crimea these are Solnechnaia Dolina (Sun Valley), Kachinskaia Dolina, Krasnyi Kamen (Red Stone) etc.
The name of Varieties of grapes from which wine is made, may be listed on back label. The strength must be indicated on the label with accurate figures. The major groups are: dry (sec), semi-dry (demi-sec), semi-sweet (moelleux, which literally means “smooth” or simply demi-doux), sweet (doux).
 The group of natural dry wines (white, pink and red) has no specific differences between the world and the Soviet classifications. Nevertheless, medical and dietary properties have only red wines and most of all – “Ruby Magaracha”.
Semi-dry wines today are very popular. A good example is a white semi-dry "Inkerman".
The group of semi-sweet wines is quite complex to manufacture and excels with instability. Cheap semi-sweet wine is obviously unnatural product. The wine "Ancient Chersonese" production plant "Inkerman" excels among the Crimean wines of this group.
The group of strengthen wines is produced with the addition of alcohol, it has very sophisticated technological methods. The group combines Madeira, sherry and port wines.
In the Russian wine lexicon, the word "madeira" first appeared in 1892 in Crimea. It is believed that Madeira -the wine, which was born by accident. The legend tells that a Portuguese merchant sent a barrel of wine from the island of Madeira in the Atlantic Ocean to India. The consignee just was not there, so that the product went way back. The merchant, having received the goods, was about to end his life, but before his death decided to slug from the barrel. The taste of wine not only brought him back to life, but also made it clear that he got quite unusual and expensive goods. Returning from sunny cruise, wine became a new character and played a golden hue. "Twice-born by sun" - so say about Madeira.
Sherry is just as strong and as easy-to-production. The name of this type of wine comes from the Spanish city of Jerez de la Frontier. Hundreds of years ago from a local winemaker had an unattended to half-empty barrel of white wine. On its surface developed shaggy light-gray pellicle. A strong and healthy aroma persuaded him to try wine, so thus the special de Jerez taste was discovered.
Port (wines) have the most significant in popularity place in the group of strengthen wines. The word is English and German, literally means “wine from Porto”, a city in Portugal. Origin of the port is also associated with sea travel, but not long one. The Crimean port wines were produced originally for the aristocracy and their quality improved throughout the 19th century. Crimean port wines concentrate the gentle sun. One of the most popular port-wine is red port wine "Crimea".
 In the group of strengthen wines one moves from the strong ones to the dessert wines, and then to the liqueur. The world and national classification match here. Exceptions are only the Cahors wine. Cahor is a natural dry wine from the French city of Caor. Crimean Cahors are entirely the creation of Russian winemakers. There was developed a special technology of sweet and thick wine for Orthodox worship, followed by randomly derogatory term Cahors.
Vermouth belongs to the so-called flavored wines. This wine is infused at various odorous materials of vegetable origin. It appeared in Turin in 1786. In large doses it is harmful, because vermouth is not the natural wine.