Sights of Balaklava, Crimea

Balaklava is a small picturesque town, located 15 km from Sevastopol and being its administrative part, located on the south-western coast of Crimea. The city is located between high hills that hide the bay of the same name with the city, connected to the Black Sea. The name of the city is translated as “fish bag” – in Turkish or “fish weather” – in Tatar. Thanks to the mountains and the sea surrounding the city, in the bay where Balaklava is located, a unique, close to the subtropics climate. Balaclava is an amazing special place with beaches of sand or pebbles, with good infrastructure and a favorable warm climate. Here you can enjoy the gentle sun and warm sea, as well as learn a lot of interesting things by visiting the historical sights of this city. Balaclava is not only the beauty of nature and a rich history, but also a breathtaking modernity with restaurants, yacht clubs, hotels, cafes and other attributes of today. This southern resort invites tourists to relax brightly, interestingly, richly.

Chembalo Fortress

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The most famous symbol of Balaklava is located on Mount Serfnaya, was built by the Genoese. The fortress was a security and strategic object, protected the nearest settlements and important routes of maritime trade. During its history, the fortress has received serious destruction many times. Therefore, today only ruins remain from the grandeur of the impregnable fortress of Cembalo. These stones of antiquity keep the memory of the former, arousing the interest of historians and archaeologists, as well as ordinary tourists. From the fragments of the fortress walls on a steep cliff is simply breathtaking, and even from the cliff there is a beautiful view of the bay and the mountains. And the dilapidated towers of the Chembalo fortress, towering over the city and visible from everywhere, give the area a unique image.

 

https://youtu.be/3iptvlFMtkU

 

Balaklava Bay

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It is an adornment of the city, located between high mountains, has a narrow winding strait, making the harbor invisible. The bay is unique in its natural parameters, already in ancient times it was considered a wonderful natural creation. It is also called the “Secret Bay”, apparently because it was convenient for ships to hide here. Balaklava Bay was formed due to a tectonic fault. The bay is just perfect for yachting, because there is a calm current and always calm. The winding Balaklava Bay is a fantastic place, there is always a gentle quiet sea and stunning views of the mountains and the sea distance.

 

 

Nazukin Embankment

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The famous and beautiful embankment with a cobblestone pavement is an interesting city landmark. At first, the embankment was called English, then it was renamed after the hero of one of the wars, and it became known as the Nazukin Embankment. The appearance of architectural buildings of the turn of the XIX-XX centuries give it a ceremonial look. Directly from the promenade you can go to the sea along the bay for a boat trip, as there is a yacht club and a diving center. There is also a cinema, cafes, restaurants, bars, a museum of the history of Balaklava, souvenir shops and much more.

 

 

Diorama “Assault on Sapun Mountain on May 7, 1944”

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Built 6 km from Sevastopol, being part of the memorial complex “Sapun-Gora”, forms a strict ensemble of architecture with the Eternal Flame, a monument to heroes and memorial walls. The center of the diorama is a canvas, which is located in a semicircle on the observation deck. Human figures and objects are made in real size, this gives realism and authenticity to the events depicted. Next to the diorama is an exposition of military equipment in the open air. Here you can see the equipment of the Second World War – anti-aircraft and artillery installations, tanks, machine guns and other military equipment.

 

 

Cape Fiolent

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Today the cape is located within the city, and once it was a wild secluded place, which was considered and is now considered one of the most beautiful places in the south-west of the Crimea. From here begins the main ridge of the Crimean Mountains. On the coast near the cape there are popular picturesque beaches. Fiolent is translated as “Fresy” in Italian, “Tiger” in Turkish. The cape was formed because of an ancient volcano millions of years ago, fossilized lava flows are visible on the cape, there are inclusions of various minerals, on the shore you can even find semi-precious stones (chalcedony, jaspe, carnelian). The endless sea surface, steep cliffs, the energy of nature beckon like a magnet.

 

 

Beaches of Fiolenta

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The most popular beach of Fiolenta is Jasme Beach, located next to the cape, has a good infrastructure. The staircase of 800 steps, which leads to the sea, is built serpentine among shady trees. The water here is very clear, in the summer a pleasure boat runs here. Just west of Jasym Beach is King’s Beach. There is also a cozy beach of pebbles, which is called Caravel beach. Here in the morning you can observe dolphins. The beach “Breeze” and the beaches near the Lighthouse also belong to the beaches of the Fiolenta area. These “wild” beaches have difficult descents to the sea, which is a good sports workout that is good for health.

 

 

Diana’s Grotto

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It is located on Cape Lermontov (the namesake of the Russian poet). The cape is a narrow volcanic rock with cliffs, which protrudes above the sea element and has in the center a grotto located at sea level. According to legend, an ancient sanctuary of the goddess was located here. The grotto is very beautiful, you can see it through only from the beach “Karavella”. Despite the fact that it is impossible to get to the grotto of Diana by land, since from above there are only impregnable steep rocks, and at the bottom the grotto is completely surrounded by the sea, there is no shortage of people who want to visit it. Here you can dive, watch the underwater world, admire the coastal rocks.

 

 

Chorgun Aqueduct Bridge

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Built across the Black River in the XIX century at the suggestion of Admiral M.P. Lazarev. This bridge was part of a gravity water pipeline. The bridge with a length of 12 m consists of three arched spans, imitates in its style of antiquity. This beautiful engineering monument of architecture was built without a foundation. The bridge stands at the bottom of the river, and at the same time it is not only perfectly preserved, but can still perform its function of supplying water. There are no excursions past the aqueduct bridge, but the unusual beauty of the rough stones from which the bridge is built is worth seeing. The Chorgun Aqueduct Bridge will give an unforgettable impression.

 

 

Kadykovsky Quarry (Quarry Lake)

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Previously, limestone was mined here, then the quarry was abandoned, and its pit was filled with water. The lake is called Quarry, because it was formed in the quarry, and the name of the quarry itself sounds the same as the nearby settlement. The quarry itself looks like a scenery for some fantastic film, and the main detail, of course, is the lake, which was formed thanks to groundwater and springs. The lake is unique, it is located below sea level (-14 m), and at the same time it is quite deep. The water in the lake is unusual, it is a bright color, depending on the weather and altitude, looks blue, blue or turquoise. The quarry and its lake is not a tourist area, but there are still many curious people. Despite the fact that the landscape in the quarry looks dead, there is life here. The water surface of the lake is liked by seagulls and cormorants, and tourists say that they saw fox burrows here.

 

 

Naval Museum Complex “Balaklava” (or object 825GTS)

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This museum was created on an old secret base for strategic purposes. It was built in 1957-1961 and is intended for shelter during the parking and repair of submarines, and ammunition was stored here. In 2003, a museum was opened on the territory of the facility, which shows the milestones of the history of Balaklava and the development of naval forces representing both the submarine and surface fleet. Also in the exposition of the museum you can see a thematic exhibition of weapons of those years. The museum is located in a through tunnel, which is hollowed out into the rock. Such an unusual location makes it unique, so this object is very popular.

 

 

South and North Forts

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Unique masterpieces of fortification defensive objects in the military history of the early XX century. These defensive fortifications are among the tallest coastal structures for protection in Europe. The forts are carved into the rock, in some places concreted with irregular outlines for the effect of merging with the terrain. Here you can see moats, roads, casemates, fence walls with arched windows, destroyed engineering networks, balconies over cliffs, places for storing ammunition, firing points. It is worth paying attention to the underground object “Pigeon”, from there they were associated with submarines on the Black Sea. At times, the North Fort is reconstructed from battles. The structures of the forts are so thoughtful that they inspire respect, so large-scale that they allow us to assess the power and obvious significance of these objects.

 

 

Golden Beach

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The largest beach, which stretches for 800 meters along the sea coast. Its name does not justify itself, the beach is covered with pebbles, not sand of golden color. But, despite this, the area is very picturesque, washed by the open sea, the water is clear and colder than in the bay. The beach is well-maintained and well-maintained, there are good conditions for recreation and swimming brings joy and pleasure.

 

 

Kokiya Kiya Rock (“Blue Rock”)

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This is the highest point of Cape Aya, located in the south of the Crimea on the territory of a landscape reserve in which rare plants grow and animals listed in the Red Book live. The climate here is very similar to the Mediterranean. The rock has a height of 558.5 m, known for the fact that it contains the ruins of the ancient castle of Kokia-Isar of the X-XIII centuries. The Blue Rock and other rocks of Cape Aya were used by the Navy to shoot guns. The place with impregnable rocks covered with rare plants is very picturesque and does not leave indifferent.

Mini-hotel «Rybatskaya Sloboda»

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Small but modern cosy hotel with a great location. The embankment, transport stops are very close. From the balconies of the hotel there is a beautiful view of the bay and the fortresses of Cembalo, located on the mountain. Rooms with good comfortable furniture, TV, have everything you need for a comfortable stay. The hotel has a restaurant and a bar where you can eat Dishes from the Black Sea fish and taste other seafood delicacies. There is a cafeteria next to the hotel. Good service and cozy interior make your stay at the hotel pleasant and comfortable.

 

 

Shaitan Beach

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The road to the beach takes 15 minutes and passes along a mountain winding, sometimes steep path to a 10-meter staircase, which will have to be lowered to the sea. Locals call this beach affectionately – “Shaitanka”. The beach is located on a wild and isolated stretch of coast and is squeezed by rocks from everywhere. The beach is very small – just a strip of land with pebbles under the rock. Hence its natural feature – the sun begins to warm up here much later and hides among the rocks a little earlier. There is absolutely no infrastructure at Shaitan. But you can relax in solitation, listening to the splash of the waves and the cries of seagulls. This compensates for all the inconvenience.

 

 

Object 100 (former Utyos missile system)

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A secret base of the 1950s, located underground, intended to hit targets at sea. Over time, the object was abandoned and looted, but even in this state it arouses keen interest among tourists. Object 100 is an unusual and interesting attraction of the Crimea, somewhat reminiscent of the levels of the game “Stalker”. The extensive structure of dungeons, structures on the surface and tunnels that go into the bowels of the mountains, cause the most unusual impressions among visitors to the object. In addition to exploring the secret base, here you can enjoy the beauty of nature, because the object 100 is located in the picturesque places of the mountain slope.

Hunting lodge of Prince Yusupov

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It is located on the Tauride Embankment in the west of the Balaklava Bay. This is not a house at all, but rather a mansion, but completely destroyed and requiring restoration. Once this building, like other buildings on the shore, was used for the needs of a military base and was rebuilt more than once. Today the building is in terrible condition, but still attracts tourists who consider it a landmark of Balaklava architecture. Now it is private property, perhaps the owner will breathe new life into the old building.

 

 

Tasting room “House of the Grape Grower”

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Crimean wines are very old, the beginning of winemaking was laid by the Greeks who settled on these shores. Then the winemaking of the Crimea fell into decay during the Ottoman Empire, and at the end of the XIX century. thanks to Prince Golitsyn, it was revived again. Balaklava sparkling champagne became a popular drink at royal receptions. Today, the territory where vineyards were located in the XIX century belongs to the agricultural firm “Golden Beam”. Its products – Balaklava wines have earned many awards at various exhibitions for high quality and European standards. In Balaklava there is a “House of the Grape Grower”, where you can taste sparkling wines, as well as listen to an interesting lecture about the history of the winery, about the products that it produces, walk through the basement, where sparkling wine is stored.

Hotel «Dionysus»

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Comfortable hotel with excellent living conditions. There is an outdoor swimming pool, sauna, barbecue area, parking. The rooms are bright and cozy with the necessary and various additional amenities. The hotel restaurant offers breakfast daily, there is also a bar, and you can also order delicious European dishes. The hotel has its own garden and a conference room where you can hold a business meeting or negotiations.

 

 

City beaches

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Three so-called “internal” beaches are located next to the Central Embankment of Balaklava, the rest of the beaches must be reached by sea or through the mountains. The beaches of the city are located in the bay. The city beach is the closest, but not interesting. In addition, you need to go down the steps to the water, which is not convenient for young children. A little further from the city center there are two more beaches, which are called “Marble” and “Matrossky”. Their infrastructure is much better than the “City”. For a holiday with kids, the “Marble” is most suitable, as it is a pebble-sandy beach with a good gentle descent to the sea. The beaches of Balaklava are its main attractions, attracting tourists.

 

 

Attractions Balaclava on map