There are many embankments in Crimea, beautiful and various. And since there are restrictions today under the current epidemiological situation, outdoor recreation is in great demand, so we shall talk about the beautiful comfortable promenades of the peninsula, where you can walk without fuss, relax and get real aesthetic pleasure.
Yalta Lenin promenade
Yalta promenade is the main pearl of the resort capital of Crimea. Compared to the many Crimean landmarks, it is quite young. It's hard to believe that even at the end of the 19th century, fishermen used to gather here − until 1886 it was an ordinary sea shore. But Yalta gradually grew and developed, and the seaside zone was changing all the time. And today the resort capital welcomes guests with a beautiful and modern embankment: with green palm trees, fountains and millions of street lights.
The length of the walking area is more than a kilometer. You can indulge leisure here at any time of the year − stylish restaurants, various cafés and boutiques will not let you get bored. And you can just walk, breathe the marine air and listen to the sound of the surf. Enjoy peace and tranquility. All this is about Yalta. While walking along the shore, pay attention to the nearby attractions:
- Roffe Baths. An architectural landmark of 1897, once there were warm sea water baths with general strengthening and healing effect. Writers Anton Chekhov and Ivan Bunin, opera singer Fyodor Chaliapin and other famous people recreated there.
- New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia Synod Chapel consecrated in 2009 and now it is an adornment of the city embankment.
- Tavrida Hotel with its 145-year history, where the rich and famous used to stay. So, in 1876, poet Nikolai Nekrasov, when seriously ill, lived there for about two months, working on the Who Lives Well in Russia poem.
- The Yubileiniy Cinema and Concert Hall, where leading Russian and world singers and musicians perform.
- Anton Chekhov and the Lady with a Doggie sculpture group.
Sevastopol promenade
Sevastopol, a city of valor and glory, abounds with monuments of war time, interesting landmarks and several beautiful promenades. Each of them attracts guests with the sea views and the opportunity to breathe marine air, but perhaps the most popular and interesting is the central city promenade.
The central promenade in Sevastopol is named after Vice Admiral Vladimir Kornilov. It has an amazing layout, literally repeating the coast line. There are no sharp turns, only smooth rounded lines along the bends of the bays.
Its distinctive feature is a wide and large walking area. There are fountains, coffee bars, restaurants, and souvenir shops − in a word, everything for a pleasant repose. This is the famous Primorsky (seaside) Boulevard, one of the most popular holiday destinations among Sevastopol residents and tourists. It is also a real complex of monuments and landmarks that reflect memorial events since the founding of the hero city. Recommended for viewing:
- Monument to the Scuttled Ships. This is the most famous landmark in Sevastopol, immortalized on its coat of arms. The monument was erected in 1905 in memory of the ships that had to be sacrificed to block the bay and save the city from attacks from the sea.
- Memorial sign to the sailors of the Black Sea Fleet. Dedicated to the navy unit, which during the Great Patriotic War took an active part in the defense of Sevastopol, Odessa, in the battles for Kerch and Novorossiysk.
- Shell summer-time stage in the open, where maestros used to perform in past years, and now, in summer time, local groups please the audience with their performances.
- A.V. Lunacharsky Sevastopol Academic Repertoire Russian Drama Theater.
- Vadim Elizarov Academic Dance Theater.
- Grafskaya pier. The main pier in the city, from where the naval parade for the Day of the Navy traditionally starts. During the first defense of Sevastopol, all the bastions were supplied with ammunition and food from the northern side of the bay via this pier.
Evpatoria Gorky Promenade
The pride and hallmark of Eupatoria is the promenade named after writer Maxim Gorky. Since this is not the only seaside walking area in the city, it is often called the central promenade. The length of the promenade is about a kilometer.
The Gorky prmenade acquired its present look after a large-scale renovation in 2003, carried out to celebrate the 2500th anniversary of Eupatoria. Today it is a beautiful walking area with three viewing platforms decorated in the ancient Greek style. They are all different, do not repeat each other, and have a beautiful view of the wide sandy beaches. Another decoration of this recreation area is the bronze Hercules, sunbathing under the gentle sun. According to legend, it was here, in Kerkinitis (Eupatoria in ancient times − ed.), where Hercules recreated between his legendary exploits. In addition to it, snow-white fountains were installed on the promenade and cozy cafés and restaurants open everywhere. During a walk in winter you can see:
- Monument to the writer Maxim Gorky, after whom the promenade was named.
- Eupatoria aquarium. It is stylized in the form of a grotto, and the entrance is made in the form of the mouth of a huge monster fish. There is a large collection of marine life from the Atlantic, the Pacific Ocean, the Black and Japanese Seas, and the coast of Mexico.
- Aqualand near Lukomoryeh water park is one of the most modern in Crimea. And even if it does not work in winter, it is still worth looking around. It is decorated in the style of a fairyland, ther is a huge head of a medieval warrior.
- Crimea in Miniature park. This is an open-air museum, where Crimean palaces and other cultural and architectural sights of Crimea are reproduced on a scale of 1:25.
Alushta promrnade
In fact, in Alushta the coastline is divided into three parts − eastern, central and western. Each of them is interesting and attractive in its own way, but today we will tell you about the most popular among guests − the Central promenade and the promenade of the Professor's Corner.
The central promenade is the main place for walks for Alushta residents and guests of the town all year round. In the summer season, the center of the resort life is concentrated here: music, entertainment, attractions for adults and children, cafes for every taste are everywhere. And in the off-season it is a great place for walking, pleasant meetings and a cozy repose.
The main decoration of the embankment is the famous Rotunda, erected in 1952. However, it is worth noting that it was repeatedly repaired after storms, which damaged it and the embankment. The last renovation was made to celebrate the anniversary of the resort town in 2012. As a result, the Rotunda, the pedestrian zone and the beach infrastructure have been significantly renewed. Today it is a well-maintained promenade with many benches under coniferous trees, fountains and cafés.
Over a small hillock, it smoothly turns into the Professorsky Corner promenade, which stretches for 3.5 km and is the longest in Crimea. It was completely renovated two years ago and today it is a beautiful walking area with repose areas, bike paths, cafés and restaurants with live music all year round. In the coastal zone of Alushta there are:
- House-museums of prominent cultural workers. In particular, the House-Museum of the Soviet architect Alexei Beketov, as well as the museums of the writers Ivan Shmelev and Sergei Sergeev-Tsensky. All of them preserve the memory of their famous owners and tell you about the Crimean part of their life.
- Alushta aquarium with the largest collection of fish in Russia.
- Primorskiy Park. The greenest part of the town, where the bird feeders hang on the trees everywhere, there are a lot of squirrels and there is an architectural landmark of the 19th century − Stakheyev's Dacha. Today it is the Children's Creativity Center.
- Almond Grove water park. It is open during the holiday season and is a huge complex of water sports.
- Fisherman fountain and Seahorse sculpture.
Sudak promenade
The Sudak promenade runs along the coast of the bay: from the Krepostnaya mountain, where the main attraction is − the Sudak fortress, to the nature reserve cape Alchak. Its length is about two kilometers.
The embankment is relatively new. The first infrastructure appeared here in the 30s of the last century, then it was modified and transformed, and received its present appearance for the 1800th anniversary of the town. The promenade was paved with tiles, the lanterns and benches were replaced. And besides the cafés, restaurants and shops traditional for such places, many playgrounds have appeared here. In Sudak sea excursions are also popular, so you can see a variety of boats and yachts at the berths all year round. Near the embankment there are:
- Cypress alley. The most famous street in Sudak, where there are many cafés and restaurants, nightclubs and souvenir shops. It leads from the town to the promenade.
- Color and music fountain is on a small square, where the Cypress alley and the promenade meet.
- Sudak fortress. It is a well-preserved medieval stronghold of the Genoese in the northern Black Sea region. It is the most popular tourist attraction in the town.
- Cape Alchak. This is a coral reef 152 meters above sea level, a nature reserve area. The mountain is encircled by a trail allowed for tourists, which either rises above the sea, or descends directly to the bays. There is also Aeolian Harp grotto.
- The Twelve Apostles Temple. It is a part of the complex of the medieval fortress, though it is outside the fortress walls, at the base of Mount Palvani-Oba. The temple, built by Armenian architects for the Greek community of medieval Sudak, is attributed by historians to the 13th-15th centuries.
As you can see, there are promenades in Crimea for every taste. In addition to the above, they decorate every resort town and village. So wherever you are recreating in winter, you will definitely find a place for walking, reflecting, meditating, healing the soul and healing the body.