Sights of New Athos and what to see

New Athos is one of the main centers of concentration of attractions in Abkhazia along with the Ritsinsky National Reserve. But if in the Ritsinsky reserve you can see mainly natural beauty, then in New Athos and its surroundings there are many historical and cultural attractions, including The New Athos monastery, the temple and grotto of Simon the Canaanite, the ancient anakopian fortress, the museum-dacha of Stalin. There are also natural attractions here, in particular, the most beautiful new Athos cave in the country, natural pools of three boilers, healing hydrogen sulfide Springs.

You can visit the sights of New Athos with an excursion from anywhere in Abkhazia. Tours are offered only to The New Athos cave (from 300 rubles without tickets), and complex with visits to Caves, Monastery, temple and other places from 500 rubles (without tickets). But if you are staying in the city itself, it will not be difficult to visit everything yourself, because almost all the attractions are within walking distance from any place in the city, but closest to the center. Therefore, if you settle on the outskirts in a residential area, you will have to get to the center on foot 2 kilometers, or by taxi for 50-100 rubles.

In addition to well-known and popular attractions, from New Athos you can visit several more interesting places that will be of interest to adventurers and little-trodden routes. So, you can go on a hiking trip along the trails to the surrounding hills and villages, during which you can see an old steam locomotive on a mountain on a section of an abandoned railway; look at the city and the coast from one of the many natural viewing platforms on the hills; the ruins of a 6th-century temple on the way to the village of Akuacha; waterfalls on the Mysra River. In general,if you want not to sit still and see something, the sights in New Athos and the surrounding area will last for 5 days or even more.

And when you see everything, you can easily go on excursions to other attractions of the country. They are sold in hotels or at distributors on the streets, prices start from 500 rubles. You can get to Sukhum, Gagra and other cities during the day by yourself on buses running along the main E60 Highway.

And now a selection of must-visit attractions of New Athos with an indication of the cost of visiting, opening hours and ways to get to them yourself:

New Athos cave

This is the most famous of the tourist caves in Abkhazia. It is filled with bizarre stalactites and stalagmites, Lakes, very spacious, equipped with Bridges for easy movement and beautiful colorful lighting. Six halls out of nine are available for tourists to visit, one of which hosts a conditional musical performance demonstrating unique acoustic properties. Visiting is possible only as part of excursion groups, which are formed when buying tickets. Excursions are formed and sent as tourists arrive, and in high season (summer) this happens very quickly. The tour time is one and a half hours. To visit, it is best to dress warmer, because inside it is always cool – no more than 14 degrees. Also, before starting, do not forget to go to the toilet (it is paid, 10 USD). Learn more about Novoafonskaya cave here.

New Athos Simon-Cananite monastery

This is the largest and most famous temple complex in Abkhazia. There are six temples at once, forming a courtyard and central buildings. In the very center is the Panteleimon Cathedral – the largest in Abkhazia, very spacious and bright, and remarkable for frescoes on the walls and ceiling. Founded in 1875, construction was completed in 1900.

For tourists it is interesting as one of the most important architectural and religious sights of Abkhazia. The complex, although not ancient, looks very attractive and unusual, as it is surrounded by palm trees. You can freely walk around the territory, take pictures, including you can see the Panteleimon cathedral inside, the main thing is not to disturb the faithful. Learn more about the New Athos Simon-Cananite monastery here.

Anacopian fortress

The ruins of the fortress of the ancient city of Anakopia rise above New Athos on the Iveron mountain at an altitude of 344 m. It was originally built in the VII century with the participation of the Byzantines, although according to some sources the first fortress appeared here in the III century. The ruins are perfectly preserved, the main tower has been completely restored. On the territory you can walk freely, go inside the tower and climb to the observation deck at the top, which offers a beautiful panoramic view of the city and the coast. Also on the territory there is a functioning Chapel and an artificial source of drinking water. Learn more about the anakopiya fortress here.

Temple Of Simon The Canaanite

The temple of Simon the Canaanite (Zealot) is one of the most important religious sights of New Athos and Abkhazia as a whole. It is believed that it was built on the site where one of the 12 closest disciples of Jesus Christ, Simon the Canaanite, was buried. Sometimes you can hear that the ashes of the Saint rest in the temple itself, but this is incorrect, since the temple was built almost ten centuries after his death, namely, during the heyday of the Abkhazian Kingdom in the IX-X centuries.today it is an active temple, and it is undergoing a protracted restoration, because of which you can not get inside, but you can After the tour, you should continue along the tourist route to the cave / grotto of Simon Cananita. Read more about the temple of Simon the Kananite here.

Grotto of St. Apostle Simon the Canaanite

This is a place of religious pilgrimage and veneration, in which, as it is believed, the cell of one of the twelve closest disciples of Jesus Christ was located for two years. For tourists, there is a whole hiking trail along the gorge of the Psyrtskha River (this is the territory of the Psyrtskha Reserve), which leads to the cave past the holy spring and the stone with the imprint of the Saint's foot. To visit, tourists need to pay an entrance fee for entering the trail, and then follow the scheme. At the entrance there is a map with pointers to individual attractions along the route. The path is simple, the road is well equipped, but the entrance to the cell is on a steep cliff, where you have to climb the steps carved in stone. Read more about the grotto of Simon Kananita here.

Museum of the Abkhazian Kingdom

This is a small museum dedicated to the history of states on the territory of modern Abkhazia, from the Stone Age to the present day, as well as the peculiarities of life, economic structure and characteristic features of the Abkhazians. The exposition is modest, but generally informative: archaeological finds, household items, photographs, documents, maps, etc. are presented. Separately and in detail it is told about the history of the New Athos monastery. It was then that the acquaintance of the Russian empire with the culture of Abkhazia began. Learn more about the Museum of the Abkhazian Kingdom here.

Novoafonsky artificial waterfall

Novoafonsky artificial waterfall appeared in 1882. through the efforts of the monks of the Simon-Cananite monastery. To protect against floods, they built a dam on their own, and a side effect was the formation of a waterfall. Then the power of water began to be used to power the mill, and at the beginning of the 20th century a hydroelectric power station was equipped here. From the waterfall there is a road to the Old Railway Station Psyrtskha, and a little further to the tourist route to the grotto of Simon Kananita. Learn more about Novoafonsky artificial waterfall here.

Museum-dacha of Stalin in New Athos

Stalin's dacha in New Athos as a museum was opened quite recently, but it looks like a very old landmark: everything is dilapidated and unkempt. Nevertheless, if you are interested in the history of the Soviet period, or just have nothing to do during your vacation in New Athos, you should visit it, especially with excursion accompaniment. But without the guide's story about the history and features of this place, the visit will not be so interesting.

In addition to the building of the museum-dacha, the territory of the complex is also interesting. There are many tropical plants growing here, there are paths and benches for recreation (though very old). And be sure to go up to the observation deck, which offers a breathtaking view of the coast. Read more about the museum-dacha of Stalin in New Athos here.

Three boilers

These are shallow wells formed by water in Hard Rock, which the deck in the riverbed for millions of years washed in stone, forming a number of three reservoirs-pools with a diameter of about 5 meters and a depth of no more than a meter each. The river is no longer there, it has dried up, but the pools are filled with cool water flowing down from the mountains, and you can swim in them. In the absence of rain, the streams dry up, and it is not possible to swim, so before buying tickets, check whether there is water in the boilers. Learn more about the three boilers here.

Seaside Park

It is one of the most beautiful and well maintained places in Abkhazia, and a great walking spot for those staying in New Athos. Especially to go to the park as a tourist attraction from other resorts is not worth it.

In the park there are paths; shops; several ponds with swans, on the largest of which you can even go for a boat ride; fast food shops. There are also simple entertainment for children: rental of electric cars, trampoline, shooting gallery, pony riding.

Museum of Military Glory

This museum-memorial was opened on September 30, 2002 and is dedicated to those who died during the 1992-1993 war with Georgia. The exposition mainly consists of photographs of the dead and their awards, among which are not only Abkhazians, but also volunteers from Russia. A belfry is installed on top of the memorial.

Hydrogen sulfide sources "Ccuara" in Primorsky

Often these sources are also called Gudauta or New Athos, although in fact they are located in the village of Primorskoye somewhere in the middle between them. Like other hot springs, the hydrogen sulfide spring in Primorskoye combines the healing effect of underground springs saturated with minerals and hydrogen sulfide with therapeutic mud. There is also mineral healing water, massage is offered,there is a cafe.

You can swim in the springs in one of the two pools, or in the showers. After taking baths, it is suggested to smear blue clay, which has more cosmetic effect than therapeutic. Learn more about the hot springs of Tskuara in Primorskiy here.