Yalta sights - what to see on your own

The main attraction and entertainment in Yalta, of course, are the local beaches. All of them are completely free, and access is not limited anywhere except for rare therapeutic beaches of sanatoriums. But when you get tired of sunbathing and swimming, you can visit several interesting places for tourists in Yalta. We have prepared for you the Top places in Yalta that are available for free visits during the holidays, indicating the time of their work and how to get there:

Yalta embankment

Lenin Embankment or simply Yalta embankment is the main place for walking around the city and the most hangout place. It is here that all the tourist fun takes place, and it is here that the spirit of the resort capital of Crimea is felt like nowhere else. Both in the afternoon and in the evening something happens here, but especially a lot of things in the evening: attractions work; rental of children's bicycle and electric cars, bicycles, roller skates and gyroscuters; offer to take pictures in the embrace of full-length dolls; local artists exhibit their works and street performers give performances. Learn more about Yalta embankment here.

Pump room in the Seaside Park

Not everyone knows that Yalta is not only a beach resort and entertainment center of the Crimea, but also a therapeutic balneological and climatic resort. You can improve your health in one of the local sanatoriums, but it is very difficult to get into them: prices for accommodation and treatment are high, and vouchers are distributed through trade unions and enterprises. But it doesn't matter, because if you wish, you can perform health-enhancing procedures for free with water from a public and free source of mineral water in the Seaside Park. Water comes from a depth of 50 meters, so it is saturated with useful trace elements – chloride and sulfate salts of potassium, sodium, magnesium and calcium. Water has an unpleasant odor due to the presence of hydrogen sulfide in it, which is useful for the body in small doses. Read more about the pump room here.

Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky

The Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky is the largest temple in Yalta and one of the oldest places of worship. His appearance was associated with the Russian Emperor Alexander II, who died as a result of a terrorist attack organized by the revolutionary movement "Narodnaya Volya" in 1881. The decision to build the temple was made 9 years after the death of the emperor. During the reign of the Soviet government, the cathedral was very lucky, it was closed for only a few years from 1938 to 1942, and did not have time to suffer much from ruin. Therefore, it has reached the present day almost in an unnamed form. Learn more about the Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky here.

Chapel of the New Martyrs

The small chapel of the New Martyrs in Yalta is one of the recognizable tourist symbols of the resort and an important landmark. It is located on the central embankment and is visible from almost any point of it. It often serves as a kind of landmark for walks and meetings. It was built in memory of Emperor Alexander II, who deserved the respect of people for the abolition of serfdom and victory in the Russian-Turkish War (1877-1878). Today they pray in it not only for Alexander II, but also for those who died in subsequent years during various wars, as well as in memory of those who sank not far from the Yalta coast of the motor ship "Armenia". This ship was hit by German torpedoes in September 1941, as a result of which, according to some sources, about 10 thousand people died. Read more about the Chapel of the New Martyrs here.

Chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker

The small and cozy chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was founded in 1896 in memory of the marriage of Emperor Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra Feodorovna. In addition, at this very place on September 17, 1837, Emperor Nicholas I raised Yalta from a developing settlement to the status of a city, so it is also a landmark historical point. In the 20s of the XX century, under the rule of the Soviet government, the originally built chapel was destroyed, and a new building was erected in 2001 with donations from residents. The services in the St. Nicholas Chapel and the care of it are carried out by the servants from the church of St. John Chrysostom.

Yalta lighthouse

The Yalta Lighthouse is one of the symbols of the city and an iconic picturesque point that can be observed on the edge of the concrete pier bounding the port while walking along the embankment. It is considered a historical monument, although, of course, we will not include it among the mandatory places to visit in Yalta. In addition, you can only look at it from a distance from the shore, since it is located in a closed port area. The only opportunity for holidaymakers to see it closer is during a boat trip. Read more about the Yalta lighthouse here.

Vorontsov Palace

The Vorontsov Palace was built for a very long time, from 1828 to 1848, by the Governor-General of the Novorossiysk Territory, Count M. S. Vorontsov. The English architect Edward Blore worked on the project, and, interestingly, he did it remotely, never arriving at the construction site.

Today there is a museum in the palace, and there is a beautiful landscaped park around it, where you can walk for free. Many tourists, by the way, come here and are limited only to viewing the park, and leave satisfied. And this is one of the reasons why it is worth visiting the palace and the park on your own, without an excursion group tour, so as not to be tied in time to tourist transport. In general, ideally, you should come here from Yalta or another city for a whole day, take a walk in the park and take a tour of the palace, and finish the day on the beach. Read more about the Vorontsov Palace here.

Livadia Palace

The Livadia Palace is the former southern residence of the Russian emperors, built at the end of the XIX century, also known for hosting the famous Yalta Conference of the leaders of the three allied powers – I. V. Stalin, F. D. Roosevelt, W. Churchill. Today, the Livadia Palace and Park Museum-Reserve, open to tourists, is located here. It includes the white Palace itself, inside which there is a museum and guided tours; a beautiful well-maintained park; Holy Cross Church (the former Romanov family church); several administrative buildings (not accessible to the public). You can walk around the park freely and for free, the inspection of the palace is carried out only accompanied by guides on tickets. The tour tells about two milestones in the history of the palace – the Yalta Conference and the life of the family of Nicholas II. Read more about the Livadia Palace here.

Ai-Petri Mountain

Ai-Petri is the most famous mountain in the Crimea, and, perhaps, it can be called the most famous natural tourist attraction of the peninsula. The mountain is considered a landmark place of the Crimean Peninsula and in our opinion is definitely worth a visit. From its top there are magnificent panoramic views of the surroundings, and to attract tourists and their convenience, a cable car operates all year round. A whole complex with tourist entertainment has been formed on the mountain: there is a cafe, an extreme rope bridge, a zipline, horseback riding and ATVs, and a market for tourist goods. The bravest can climb even higher along the path to the highest point – the teeth of Ai-Petri (1234 m). And here you can visit three caves – Trekhglazka, Geophysical and Yalta. But as of 2023, the Three-Eye and Geophysical were closed. Read more about Ai-Petri here.

The Grand Canyon of Crimea

This is a unique natural attraction for the Crimean Peninsula, the longest and deepest canyon of the Crimea. Its maximum depth reaches 320 meters, and its length is 3.5 kilometers. For a longer distance it is quite wide, but in some places the rocks taper to 3 meters. At the bottom of the gorge flows the mountain river Kokkozka, which formed the canyon, "cutting" for millions of years in soft limestone rocks a deep passage for its waters. For tourists, the Grand Canyon of Crimea provides an opportunity to walk along the equipped tourist eco-trail along the bottom along the riverbed. The route is simple and can be overcome in 2-4 hours. For safety and convenience, there are route maps, signs, markers, bridges for crossing the river, stairs and steps, places of rest. Read more about the Grand Canyon of Crimea here.

Bolgatura Fortress and Mountain

Bolgatura (Bolgatur) is actually difficult to call a mountain, rather it is just a hill. Ancient sources speak of a settlement that existed on the mountain, and in the 6th century a Byzantine fortress was erected here, the remains of which can be seen today. The mountain also has a later and sad history: During the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774, the Turkish landing force staged a mass execution site on the mountain. Then more than 1,500 local residents were thrown off the slopes of Bolgatura. Read more about the fortress and Mount Bolgatura here.

Adalara Rocks

Two steep cliffs of Adalara (White Rocks) are located in the water area of the beach Gurzuf stones 200 meters from the shore. It is believed that they used to be connected to the land by an isthmus, but later it sank under the water, turning them into two islets. Once ships were moored to them, which is why this place is now popular with divers, who to this day manage to find ancient artifacts on the bottom around the rocks. Today, the Adalars are interesting for tourists simply as a natural attraction and a place for water trips by boat or catamaran. Read more about the rocks of Adalara here.

Mountain and eco-trail Ayu-dag (Bear Mountain)

It is said that the mountain got its name from the fact that it looks like a bear bent down to drink water from the sea, although there are other versions of the origin of this name. This is one of the most famous mountains on the south coast. Immediately on the other side of the mountain, Parthenite begins and the territory of greater Yalta ends. Today it is a state reserve where you can meet foxes, badgers, stone martens, hedgehogs, hares, squirrels, rodents, bats, many species of birds. The flora includes 577 species of plants, 44 of which are listed in the Red Book. There are also several ancient ruins here: the memorial complex of St. St. John the Gothic (VIII century), the ancient monastery of Saints Constantine and Helena (XIV–XV centuries). Learn more about Mount Ayu-Dag here.