What to see in Krasnaya Polyana on your own

Directly in the village of Krasnaya Polyana and in the related resorts "Rosa Khutor", "Gazprom" and "Krasnaya Polyana" there are few attractions, mostly interesting places are in their vicinity. These are waterfalls, mountain lakes, hiking ecotropics, historical ruins. Here is what, in our opinion, you can see on your own in Krasnaya Polyana without much experience of hiking and in the presence of an average physical form:

• Ride on one of the cable cars of Krasnaya Polyana to viewpoints or attractions in the mountains.
• Walk to ruins of Achipse fortress and observation deck.
• Go through the easy eco-health trail to waterfall "High".
• See ancient megaliths dolmens of Krasnaya Polyana.
• View animals in the aviary complex "Laura".
• Walk or drive to polovodny cave falls.
• Make a one-day ascent to the highest polykarya falls.
• Go on a multi-day track with an overnight stay or take a cable car up to the chic mendelich falls complex.
• Chat with owls in Sovarium.
• Visit one of the museums: "MY Russia", archaeology or House Museum of A. H. Tammsaare

Most of these places can be visited by reaching them on foot or using local public transport or taxi. If you plan to visit Krasnaya Polyana and its resorts in the form of a day trip from Adler, Sirius and other beach resorts of Sochi, we advise you to first read the detailed instructions "How to get to Krasnaya Polyana from Sochi and Adler on your own...".

We tell you what you can see in Krasnaya Polyana yourself with an indication of the cost, opening hours of attractions and how to get to them:

Krasnaya Polyana cable cars

The first thing most tourists hear about Krasnaya Polyana is, of course, cable cars. In winter, they are used for ascents to ski slopes, and in summer they work to deliver tourists to observation decks and to attractions in the mountains. And, of course, this is the first thing that every guest of the resort should try. To climb the cable car, it is not necessary to buy excursions. You can just come here, buy a ticket at the box office, vending machines or on the website of the resorts, and you can go upstairs.

Walking tickets are offered with access to observation decks with mountain views, and there are also complex tickets with Entertainment and visits to individual attractions at the top (usually waterfalls and hiking trails) or at the bottom (museums). Most of the ascent takes place in closed cabins (gandols), but the highest and farthest points are accessible with transfers between cable cars and sometimes with a change of cabin to a chairlift. We advise you to dress warmer, because upstairs is 8-12 degrees colder. Learn more about which cable car to choose and how to buy tickets - learn more about Krasnaya Polyana cable cars here.

Achipse Fortress

The ruins of the Achipsin fortress of the early Middle Ages (VII-X centuries) are the only historical attraction in Krasnaya Polyana and at the same time one of the easiest walking routes. Only a couple of crumbling walls of several buildings remained from the fortress, so lovers of antiquities and archeology will not see anything special here. But it will be interesting to walk through the forest to the hill with the fortress and visit the observation deck along the route, which offers views of the river valleys and resort complexes. No skills or equipment are needed to complete this route, and some even walk in slippers (which is not recommended). The unhurried passage will take 1-2 hours. Learn more about Achipsa fortress here.

Health trail and waterfall "High"

This is the easiest ecological trail in the area of Krasnaya Polyana, consists of three rings (routes): small (310 meters / 15 minutes), medium (1630 meters / one and a half hours), large (1920 meters / 2 hours). All three options are laid on the mountainside through the forest near the Mzymta River from the Rosa Khutor Resort, equipped with stairs and railings in difficult places, but in general you have to walk on the ground and stones, so sports or trekking shoes are highly recommended. On the small ring you will see almost nothing except the forest, but on the middle and large you will visit a waterfall, an observation deck, yoga Glades, a font, two springs, etc.to make it easier to pass the route yourself, there is a detailed diagram in front of the entrance.

Dolmens Of Krasnaya Polyana

If you have not yet seen these mysterious megalithic structures, characteristic of the entire coast of the Black Sea and the Caucasus, then you should definitely go on your own to this easy walking route on the outskirts of the village of Krasnaya Polyana. Please note that this complex of dolmens is located on the outskirts of the village, and not the resort "Krasnaya Polyana" (former "Gorki Gorod"). However, it is not difficult to get to it yourself from any of the three resorts by bus or taxi. So, this is a whole complex of dolmens, equipped for visiting in the form of a walking tourist route in the territory of the Sochi National Park, respectively, the entrance to it is paid. There are at least 7 dolmens, several mounds and stone labyrinths and ritual stones. The route is simple, equipped with signs and places to relax, and has a length of just over two kilometers. You can pass it in 1-2 hours.

Laura aviary complex

The Laura aviary complex is a zoo where animals are kept not in cages, but in spacious enclosures. It works at the Caucasian National Reserve, and its inhabitants are traditional animals for this area: bison, Caucasian deer, Caucasian Tur, chamois, roe deer, spotted deer, Wolf, wild boar, Jackal, Lynx, birds. If you or your children love animals, then this is one of the must - see places to visit on your own in Krasnaya Polyana.

Cave Falls

Cave waterfall or cave is one of the most easily accessible on foot and spectacular waterfalls in the Krasnaya Polyana area, but do not think that a very easy walking trail leads to it. In fact, there are two options to get to it: go completely on foot, and this is a labor-intensive and difficult path for unprepared tourists; get to the ticket office to the waterfall by car, and from there walk the rest of the way for only 20-30 minutes. Learn more about Keiva waterfall here.

Polikara Waterfall

Polikar waterfall is the highest waterfall in the whole of Sochi, its height according to various estimates is from 60 to 80 meters, and this is the height of an 18-26 storey building. Traditionally, it is reached by the Krasnaya Polyana/ Gornaya Carousel cable car, which is not cheap. But if you like hiking in the mountains and are ready to overcome the ascent on foot more than 900 meters, which is quite realistic to do during the day, then you can visit it yourself and completely free of charge. Moreover, you can go back down on the cable car, which will greatly facilitate your difficult fate. Learn more about Polikarya waterfall and how to visit it yourself and for FREE here.

Waterfalls "Mendelikha"

Complex "Mendelikha" of 7 waterfalls and 10 viewing platforms. But to get to it, you will first have to get to the beginning of a simple walking route by cable car from Rosa Khutor. On foot, unfortunately, ordinary tourists can not get to it on their own, the height difference is too great, which is overcome only during hikes with one or two nights in tents in the mountains. But if you are ready to spend money on buying tickets for a cable car, visiting it will be a pleasant gift for yourself during your vacation. Learn more about mendelikha waterfalls and how to visit them here.

Sovarium at Gazprom resort

If you love animals and birds, especially owls, you can walk yourself to the theme zoo "Sovarium" on the territory of the resort "Gazprom". In the "Sovarium" in good conditions and in clean cages live about two dozen individuals from the order of owls, among which there are, for example, an eared owl, a house owl, a steppe eagle, a vulture and others. The ticket price includes a story Tour, during which they introduce all the inhabitants, talk about habits and features. For an additional fee, you can hold an owl in your arms and take a photo with it. Learn more about Sovarium here.

My Russia Museum

This is an open-air Ethnographic Museum, which recreates the architectural traditions and customs of different regions and cities of Russia. It consists of several pavilions made in architectural styles inherent in the Caucasus, Suzdal, Moscow, central Russia, Kazan, the Urals, Siberia and Buryatia. An exhibition and sale of souvenirs and Folk Crafts is organized in each of the pavilions. In addition, master classes and excursions, festive events and festivals are held. On site there are cafes and boutique hotels in pavilions.

Museum Of Archaeology

This is a modern interactive museum of archaeological finds and history discovered and obtained during the construction of Olympic facilities in 2010-2014. The exhibition is small and there are not very many real archaeological artifacts, and the basis of the exhibition is Multimedia Information and interactive exhibits. Therefore, in our opinion, this place is not very similar to a classical museum and will not be particularly interesting for children. But if you are even a little interested in history and archaeology, then you will definitely like it here.

To make the visit more exciting, it is better to install the "Museum of Archaeology" application on your smartphone in advance (link in Google Play and AppStore), and then you can fully experience the interactivity of the museum in the form of augmented reality. If the application could not be installed in advance, you can rent a tablet on the spot for 300 rubles.

House Museum of A. H. Tammsaare

A. H. Tammsaare is an Estonian writer of the XIX-XX centuries, whose life and work is associated with the village of esto-Sadok in Krasnaya Polyana. The fact is that the village was founded in 1886 by families from Estonia, originally called Estonian. In 1911, the writer was diagnosed with tuberculosis, and he decided to go for treatment in Sochi, namely in Estosadok, where he spent time from 1912 to 1913. The museum is organized in the original house where the author lived, and tells not only about the life of the writer, but also about the life and culture of this settlement at that time. The exhibition includes household items and crafts, tools and clothing of settlers; books, photographs and personal belongings of Tammsaare.

The presented list of attractions of Krasnaya Polyana is far from complete, and there are still many interesting places and entertainment that are worth visiting. See full list of Krasnaya Polyana attractions here.