Overview of areas and resorts of Krasnaya Polyana, which one to choose

Krasnaya Polyana in Sochi is just three separate resort complexes, plus the very center of the village of Krasnaya Polyana, which is also worthy of the attention of tourists as a place to relax. If you are planning a trip here for the first time in winter or summer, it is difficult to correctly determine which place is more suitable for you to relax. After all, each of these resort areas has its pros and cons, so it is very easy to make a mistake with the choice and spoil your vacation with unjustified expectations.

We visited all these resorts and areas and made a short analysis and comparison. Perhaps it is somewhat subjective, but at least you can push off from our opinion and learn something for yourself. Please note that this is not about comparing ski slopes, prices and working conditions of lifts in winter, since this is a completely different story. We compare only the districts themselves, evaluate their convenience, infrastructure development, transport accessibility, etc.

So, about everything in order:

Krasnaya Polyana Resort

Krasnaya Polyana is the former Gorki Gorod resort, renamed as part of the rebranding in 2019. It is located on two levels in height (540 meters and 960 meters), while the lower level of 540 meters actually occupies part of the village of Estosadok ( "Krasnaya Polyana" on the map). Official website of the resort - https://krasnayapolyanaresort.ru/.

This is the most developed and most convenient place to stay, especially if you are traveling independently (without a tour operator), and even by car. In addition to branded hotels and apartments of the resort "Krasnaya Polyana", which are of high quality and equally high price, here you can inexpensively stay in third-party mini-hotels and private guest houses. At the same time, wherever you settle, you will find yourself within walking distance from the cable car and the tourist center of the resort, which is very convenient. And it is an area with the most developed urban infrastructure, as there are several chain supermarkets (Pyaterochka, magnet, Perekrestok), a large shopping center" Gorki mall", chain Sports stores" Sportmaster" and "Decathlon", a tourist market. There are no such big problems with parking as in other resorts. In the low season (spring, summer, autumn) it is quite possible to find a free parking space in one of the alleys away from the main road.

Rosa Khutor

Rosa Khutor is located further behind Krasnaya Polyana ( "Rosa Khutor" on the map). Here is the terminus of all city buses No. 105, 535 and 163, as well as the final Railway Station "Rosa Khutor". Official website of the resort - https://rosakhutor.com/

This is also an excellent and developed area, but not as developed in terms of urban infrastructure as Krasnaya Polyana. There are several chain supermarkets and shops, but basically all trade and infrastructure are focused exclusively on tourism. Accommodation is expensive, budget options are few. There are big problems with parking: there are simply no free parking spaces, and you will either have to put the car at your own risk under forbidding signs (and tow trucks do not doze here), or at paid hourly or daily parking.

But "Rosa Khutor" can be safely called the most beautiful and well-groomed. Surrounded by majestic mountains, Mzym Square and Mzym promenade will make you think you are somewhere in a European ski resort, and no less. The atmosphere here is very pleasant, you can even just walk around the resort for hours, because most of it is pedestrian paths and sidewalks.

Gazprom

The mountain and tourist complex "Gazprom" is located a little to the side and between "Krasnaya Polyana" and "Rosa Khutor" ( "Gazprom" on the map). You can get here by local buses No. 105, 535, 163, or even walk from neighboring resorts. The nearest railway station "Rosa Khutor" is one and a half kilometers or 25 minutes on foot. Official website of the resort - https://polyanaski.ru/

This is a very small resort, but rather the so-called tourist "reservation", where there is nothing but hotels and tourist entertainment. It is the coolest both in terms of comfort and price, but it is completely unsuitable as a place for budget or independent accommodation. The fact is that there is simply nowhere to settle here, except in branded and very expensive hotels of the complex. At the same time, anyone can visit the complex from the outside without hindrance, which many do with pleasure. Even on foot you can walk here from Krasnaya Polyana and Rosa Khutor to visit the tourist market, the sovarium theme mini-zoo, the Galaktika entertainment center, with an Water Park, an ice rink, a wax museum, etc. Gazprom also has an upper level-the Psekhako plateau at an altitude of more than 1300 meters above sea level, and there are also hotels and entertainment, in particular, Husky Park and Zelenaya Polyana Park. Also, local ski lifts and slopes are open to everyone, you just need to buy a pass for cable cars, however, as everywhere else.

But with parking at Gazprom, trouble! Already at the entrance there is a paid parking barrier and there are no free parking spaces at all even for those living in the resort.

Krasnaya Polyana Settlement

The village of Krasnaya Polyana is not at all the same as the Krasnaya Polyana resort described above, they are even located in different places. The village is located a little away from all the resorts, to the nearest of them 5 kilometers (center of the village on the map). There are also city buses No. 105, 535 and 163, including from Adler, but the nearest railway station "Estosadok" is located from the center almost five kilometers along the road.

Krasnaya Polyana is a residential area and a full-fledged settlement with its own residential areas, shops, and government agencies. There is also a tourist infrastructure: hotels, cafes, restaurants, rental of sports and tourist equipment. But still, the center of the village can be called a full-fledged ski or mountain resort only with a big stretch. There are no cable cars here, there are very few attractions and routes for hiking, there are practically no tourist attractions. So the center of the village as a place to relax, we would recommend only if you can not find a suitable accommodation option for the above mentioned resorts, because the prices here are significantly higher. Just do not forget that having settled here, you will have to travel every day to the cable cars or the beginning of tourist trails and attractions by Transport.

There are no big problems with parking vehicles outside the main streets in the village, you can find free parking spaces in the alleys. But in the peak season in winter, places are sorely lacking even here, so it is better to check in advance when booking in the accommodation about the possibility of parking.

Since there is also confusion with the names of the village and resorts in the search and booking systems of hotels, we recommend searching for accommodation options with several requests at once in Krasnaya Polyana, esto-Sadok, Rosa Khutor, Gorki-Gorod, Gazprom, and even better, use the map with the provisions of hotels and housing. We recommend searching and booking on these trusted sites: