Emperor's Paradise – Novy Svet

But it wasn't just its unique nature that made Novy Svet famous: its most famous inhabitant, Prince Lev Golitsyn, founded the factory of sparkling wines here, Emperor Nicholas II visited him with his family, and the legendary Chaliapin sang in the wine grotto at his invitation.

Today, Novy Svet is a small resort town with a population of 1,200 people for those who enjoy tranquility, long walks and great food.

Name

In ancient times, the settlement located here was called Paradisio, which means "garden" or "paradise" in ancient Greek. The village of Paradise (Paradixi de lo Cheder) is mentioned in a document of the Genoa administration from 1449.

The Record of Populated Places in the Russian Empire of 1864 lists the village of Novy Svet on the seashore in the Feodosia District with one household and one resident. It was probably an estate manager or even a caretaker. This record calls into question the most common version in Crimea that the village received a new name in 1912 after the Emperor visited Lev Golitsyn's estate. The prince presented his estate to the tsar, along with the winery and his wine collection. According to legend, Nicholas II renamed Paradise to Novy Svet.

Geography and climate

The climate in Novy Svet is subtropical, with hot and dry summers.

The warmest month is July, with an average temperature of 23.2˚C. The coldest month is January (1.6˚C). The average daytime temperature in July and August is about 24˚C, and the water in the sea is between 22˚and 23˚C.

The pleasant weather is largely due to the presence of a mountain range, which serves to protect the town from cold winds. One of its benefits is that the spring starts earlier than in the neighbouring Sudak, and the summer lasts longer.

The swimming season starts in mid-May and goes on until the beginning of October. The water temperature varies from 21˚ to 25°C.

Things to see

The main attraction is Golitsyn's Novy Svet factory of sparkling wines, around which the town was built. You can start your tour from the prince's museum house, then go to the factory to see how sparkling wine is made, and finish up by tasting wine in the cellar.

You can enjoy the beauty of the bay on the Golitsyn Trail, a route along the cliffs created by the famous winemaker. At the very beginning of the journey, travellers visit the famous Chaliapin grotto, whose walls remember the voice of the Russian opera singer. The walk ends on Cape Kapchik, with a view of the Sinyaya Bay, also known as Tsar's Bay. You can get to the wild beach facing this bay and swim in crystal clear azure water if you go down from the cape on foot or by boat from the central pier in Novy Svet.

Due to their unique seabed, the water in the bays around Novy Svet has an incredible colour, which gives them their names: Sinyaya (Dark Blue), Golubaya (Light Blue) and Zelyonaya (Green). They are perfect for diving training. Confident divers can join extreme tours to Crimea's unique and only underwater Fidel cave and the overland Brazhnik cave with a salt lake inside.

The juniper grove in Novy Svet is well known far beyond Crimea. The relict tract is part of the Novy Svet Biosphere Reserve. A daily walk there is good for your health and hugely enjoyable. The healthy environment normalises blood pressure, improves metabolism and immunity, and treats diseases of the upper respiratory tract.

Hotels and more

Novy Svet is different from other small resort towns in Crimea in that it has several high-end hotels. Boutique hotels with gourmet restaurants are located here side by side with modest guest houses, but set the tone and the atmosphere. Most cafes serving local and European cuisine are located on the waterfront. But the choice of beaches is limited beaches: there are several equipped beaches in the town and wild beaches in the neighbouring bays.

How to get there

Year-round buses run from Sudak to Novy Svet (7 km). It takes just 10-15 minutes to get there. Please check the timetable for additional buses that are usually introduced during the summer (link to the Krymavtotrans site).

The distance from the Crimean Bridge is 170 km.