- What architectural monuments to visit in Gagra
- What to visit in Gagra on your own
- From the history of the development of Gagra
- The most famous restaurant
- Major historical sights
Thanks to the famous Soviet film, the name of this Abkhaz city was changed and pronounced in the plural. This did not change the essence, the resort, comfortably located on the Black Sea coast, is equally affectionate to all tourists. Although the locals still felt and will be more pleasant if the guests ask the question of what to visit in Gagra, and not in Gagra.
What architectural monuments to visit in Gagra
There are a great many options for routes around the city, for an independent examination of architectural masterpieces or accompanied by a professional guide. Among the most beautiful architectural monuments of previous centuries, the inhabitants of Gagra name the following objects:
- the castle of the Prince of Oldenburg, dating from 1901-1904;
- watchtower of Marlinsky (built in 1841);
- plumbing, hydropathic facilities and mansions built at the beginning of the 20th century.
For lovers of ancient architecture, the city has also prepared a gift - the Abaata fortress, its construction is attributed to the 5th-6th centuries. It forms a single architectural ensemble with a temple consecrated in honor of Hypatius of Gagra.
What to visit in Gagra on your own
Natural sights of Gagra do not require explanations, stories and legends. But the natives of the resort suggest starting the route from the observation deck. First, it offers unparalleled views of the resort. Secondly, it is from this point that it is good to lay routes through the most beautiful places.
The list of tourists most often includes Primorsky Park, a unique cave that bears a strange double name - Krubera-Voronya. In the vicinity there is another cave, the creation of Mother Nature, which bears the name of the already mentioned Saint Hypatius.
From the history of the development of Gagra
Someone will say what is interesting here, and they will be mistaken, because the small village of Gagra became famous at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries thanks to Prince A. Oldenburgsky. He liked the local places and the beauty of nature so much that he began to promote the idea of turning the village into a real solid resort. Under his "sensitive" leadership, Gagra was actively built up, a water supply system and the first hydropathic establishments appeared, representatives of the Russian elite came to the resort, many of them built summer cottages here that looked like real mansions.
The village has become a famous resort thanks to its many kilometers of coastal strip, convenient for sunbathing and sea baths - the beaches of Gagra stretch for almost fifty kilometers. The city is conditionally divided into Old and New, respectively, the same principle of division is preserved for the beaches. Most of them are pebble, only occasionally sand and pebble come across.
The Old beaches of Gagra are quiet and calm, exotic nature, barely audible rustle of waves. Fans of parties and active pastime gather on the New beaches of the city - there is a developed infrastructure, a lot of entertainment, opportunities for active sports.
The most famous restaurant
"Gagripsh" is the name of one of the oldest restaurants in the city, it managed to celebrate its centenary, is still in the ranks, every day it meets hundreds of local residents and guests of Gagra.
There is also an interesting legend about its origin, which says that the restaurant was created in Paris, in 1903 it was brought to Gagra disassembled. Here it was assembled by the skillful hands of local craftsmen, and not a single nail was needed for this.
Every guest who enters this unique dining establishment immediately feels the unusual atmosphere of the place. This is because the halls of the restaurant received the greats of this world, including the last Russian emperor Nicholas II and dictator Joseph Stalin, geniuses of Russian literature (Anton Chekhov, Maxim Gorky, Ivan Bunin) and vocal skills (Fedor Chaliapin) dined here.
Major historical sights
Any guest of Gagra, one way or another, comes to the main monument of ancient architecture - the Abaat fortress. It is believed that the ancient Romans had a hand in its construction, choosing a beautiful and convenient place for construction in the Zhoekvarsky gorge, on the banks of the river with the same name. Unfortunately, the fortress has survived only partially, but even small fragments become a vivid illustration, reveal secrets to specialist historians.
Another witness of the past glorious times of the life of the village of Gagra is the fortress, erected in the 6th century, and, unfortunately, also destroyed. In the center of the fortress, the famous Gagra temple rises, which looks very harsh, as it is laid out of huge light limestone slabs. Inside the temple there is a fairly simple and strict layout, and the complex itself was given to the museum. A collection of weapons is now on display in this temple.
