- The disappeared village of Laki
- Kachi-Kalion and its temples
- Abandoned nuclear power plant in Shchelkino
- Koyashskoe lake with rose water
- Chalice of love
- Suspension bridge on Ai-Petri
- Carales Valley and Sphinxes
The Crimean peninsula is an unusually beautiful place. Many tourists come here every year, discovering new, amazing corners, finding unique scenic sights, exploring seemingly long-known areas. And if the majority of tourists have enough walks along the promoted routes, then only a few tend to see really rare, unusual places in Crimea.
Sometimes even local residents do not know about these mysterious objects or do not want to know. Not a single Crimean will take a guest to the "end of the world" to an abandoned nuclear power plant, if only simply because he finds a thousand more attractive places to visit. Not a single resident of Crimea will offer his friend, instead of resting in the famous beautiful cities of the peninsula, to go to a remote lake, the water in which sometimes turns pink.
So it turns out that curious tourists who dream of seeing natural wonders and strange objects of the Crimea, made by human hands, must act independently. It is advisable to find out at home what interesting things can be seen on one of the most picturesque peninsulas of the country. We can suggest several such places.
The disappeared village of Laki
Not far from Bakhchisarai there is the Kachinsky valley, on the territory of which you can find the monastery of St. Luke. The monastic buildings are all that remains of the once rich Greek settlement of Laki. Immigrants from Greece settled here in the 6th century. In the vicinity of the monastery, archaeologists have discovered fragments of 14 temples. One of them - the Church of St. Luke, dated 1794 and reconstructed in 1904, has survived to our time.
The village of Laki was practically wiped out in 1942. It was destroyed by the accomplices of the fascists for the fact that the local residents supported the partisans. After the war, they tried to restore the village, but nothing came of it. In the 50s, the village of Laki disappeared from the maps.
Now the former village of Laki is visited only by pilgrims and tourists. Both those and others freeze in front of the altar in the temple, communicate with monks and always refer flowers to a small monument to the villagers who died in 1942. There is also an ancient cemetery near the monastery, where you can see the gravestones of the XIV century.
How to get there: Experienced tourists recommend using a car or ordering a taxi. The fact is that public transport does not go directly to the village of Laki, about 10 km will have to be covered on foot, while you need to go up the hill. From Bakhchisarai to the place of ascent, you can drive up by a regular bus following to the village of Sinapnoe. Warn the driver to stop behind Bashtanovka, near the sign to Laki.
Kachi-Kalion and its temples
The ancient cave city, now transformed into a monastery, is Kachi-Kalion, which is located near the village of Laki, so their visit can be included in one excursion.
Among the attractions of Kachi-Kalion is the unique beaded temple of St. Anastasia, named so because all the decorations in the church are made of bright beads. They are made by the monks themselves. Some of their products are sold to pilgrims, some are used to decorate the temple.
The Beaded Temple occupies one of the caves, which was occupied in the 6th century. Then the five caves of the Kachi-Kalion rock were adapted for life. There was even a winery in one of the caves. In the spacious Fourth Cave in the 9th century, a holy monastery was founded, which was abandoned only in 1778, when most of the Orthodox left the territory of the peninsula.
After about 70 years, monastic life was resumed here again. Instead of the old monastery, the skete of St. Anastasia began to work. It existed until 1921. The monks connected some of the caves with passages and stairs. The remains of the hermitage can be seen even now. The Church of Hagia Sophia, which was founded right in a huge boulder, is also worth seeing.
In general, Kachi-Kalion is not like other cave cities in the world. Many people consider it a special place of power.
How to get there: Buses run from Bakhchisarai towards Kachi-Kalion. You need to get off in the village of Bashtanovka, and then just go back following the signs. This bus passes by Kachi-Kalion, so you can ask the driver to stop on the side of the road next to the cave complex.
Abandoned nuclear power plant in Shchelkino
You can visit a nuclear reactor without fear for your health, imagine yourself as a stalker from the Strugatsky novel, you can take atmospheric photos on the territory of an abandoned nuclear power plant in the Crimean city of Shelkino in the northeast of Crimea, not far from Cape Kazantip.
In principle, the city of Shchelkino appeared only thanks to the construction of this power plant. It was necessary to settle construction workers somewhere. Shchelkino was erected especially for them. The power plant was almost ready, but there was an accident in Chernobyl, so it was closed until better times, which never came. Then, over the years, the unfinished power plant complex was robbed. It is safe to be here, since although nuclear fuel was delivered to Crimea, they did not use it.
For several years at the end of the 20th century, the building of the power plant was used for holding parties of the fashionable Kazantip festival. Recently, there has been talk of building an industrial park on the site of the old power plant. This will require demolishing the core of the nuclear power plant. Therefore, during your vacation in Crimea, it is worth planning a trip to her, while there is still something to photograph.
Inside the power plant building you can see:
- desert labyrinths of corridors with deep gaps, where you can get lost without an accompanying person;
- the protective shell of a nuclear reactor, made in the form of a cylinder, 2 multi-ton doors are installed in it;
- the technical platform of the reactor, to which you can climb, passing through the doors in the cylinder.
How to get there: Shchelkino is connected by a highway with the Simferopol-Kerch road. If you go from the direction of Simferopol, the required turn to Shchelkino will be on the left after the village of Lugovoye is left behind. Public transport to Shchelkino also runs. The building of the nuclear power plant is located in front of Shchelkino, behind the village of Semenovka, on the shore of Lake Aktash.
Koyashskoe lake with rose water
On the territory of the Opuksky Nature Reserve to the south of Kerch, separated from the Black Sea by a narrow strip of land, on which extreme people love to ride in jeeps, there is an unusual Koyashskoye Lake of volcanic origin. Starting in May, the water in the lake begins to take on a pink hue. By August, it already has a bright purple color, which amazes lonely tourists who still get to this corner of Crimea.
The water in the lake changes its color due to the algae Dunaliella salina, which, under the influence of the sun, releases a special substance into the water. Moreover, during this period, the smell of violets persists over the lake. This is also a "by-product" of the life of the alga.
Koyashskoye Lake is small - its area does not exceed 5 square kilometers. It stretches along the coast for more than 3 kilometers. The water in the lake is much saltier than in the neighboring sea. In the deepest part of the reservoir, the water barely rises to the chest of an adult. The shores of the lake are covered with salt deposits. On windy days, salt spreads along the coast, interfering with the growth of grasses.
How to get there: The nearest settlements to Lake Koyashskoye are Maryevka and Yakovenkovo. Bus No. 78 runs to Maryevka from Kerch three times a day. Tourists spend less than 2 hours on the way. Koyashskoe Lake is located a few kilometers from Maryevka. It can be reached on foot. To drive to Koyashskoye Lake by car, you should turn to the Black Sea from the Simferopol-Kerch highway on the section between Leninsky and Gornostaevka. You can get to Maryevka or even further - to Yakovenkovo, from where there is a passage along the coast to the lake.
Chalice of love
There are places in Crimea that are legendary. One of these formations is a natural reservoir on Tarkhankut, bounded on all sides by rocks. It is called the Cup of Love. It is believed that this magical place works wonders: it helps single people find a mate, and for lovers who jump into the water, holding hands, it promises eternal happiness.
The Chalice of Love is located near Olenevka on the eastern coast of Crimea, near Cape Tarkhankut. It is connected with the Black Sea by an underground tunnel, which is well known to all film lovers: Korenev's hero in the film "Amphibian Man" sailed along this tunnel.
The pool, later called the Cup of Love, was formed in the distant past as a result of a volcanic eruption. The depth of water in the Cup of Love is about 8 meters. All divers who dare to dive in this pool note the crystal clear water. Many people repeat the feat of Ichthyander without scuba gear, finding an outlet to the sea under water. However, such swims can only be performed by experienced swimmers.
Especially beautiful is the Cup of Love during a storm. Then the stormy sea through the tunnel floods the reservoir, and the water overflows over the rocks. It seems that the Cup of Love is turning into a geyser.
How to get there: The Cup of Love is 8 km away from the Olenevka resort. You can overcome them by boat (locals willingly arrange such trips for visitors), on foot or by bicycle. Two-wheeled vehicles can be rented right in the village. Buses go to Olenevka from Evpatoria. You can also get here by your own car.
Suspension bridge on Ai-Petri
The attraction for the most daring tourists was opened in 2013 on the most famous mountain of Crimea, Ai-Petri. Three prongs of the Ai-Petri are connected by suspension bridges, which can be crossed by anyone.
The walk over the abyss, for which they charge 500 rubles, takes place in several stages:
- first, tourists are instructed, during which each daredevil is supplied with safety cables and shown how to move the carbines to the fence of the second bridge;
- the people are then allowed to cross the first bridge, which leads to the battlement of the mountain, which is decorated with a wooden cross. This bridge is laid horizontally. The wind over Ai-Petri is strong, but it does not interfere with walking along the suspended structure;
- on a rock with a cross, you need to transfer the insurance to the neighboring bridge yourself;
- the second bridge, leading to the highest tooth of the cliff (1234 meters), is laid at a slight slope, so it is known among tourists as the “Stairway to Heaven”. You can take extraordinary photographs of people walking across this bridge. It seems that the passage on this flimsy crossing will be much more difficult than on the first bridge, but this is not so. Tourists overcome the second bridge much faster and easier than the first, as they are practically not afraid anymore.
How to get there: a cable car leads to Mount Ai-Petri from Miskhor. This is the easiest way to get to the top. The cost of lifting is 400 rubles. You can also climb the mountain by car from Yalta along the difficult and sometimes dangerous road connecting the coast with Bakhchisarai. From the upper station of the lift to the battlements you will have to go through a beautiful beech grove.
Carales Valley and Sphinxes
The picturesque Karalez Valley stretches for 6 km near the villages of Krasny Mak and Zalesnoye. The valley attracts numerous tourists with its unusual rocks, which, after prolonged exposure to wind and rain, have become like otherworldly faces. Therefore, this place is poetically called the "Valley of the Sphinxes".
In the Caralez Valley, there are 14 strange statues 8-15 meters high. They lined up in a row on the Uzun-Tarla massif. Each figure can be climbed. Convenient paths lead to some, while complex steep cliffs lead to others. The sphinxes offer a wonderful view of the surroundings.
Back in 1964, the Valley of the Sphinxes was recognized as a significant natural landmark.
How to get there: you can get to the village of Krasny Mak from Sevastopol and Bakhchisarai by regular bus. The stone statues are located not far from the trail connecting Krasny Poppy with the neighboring village of Zalesnoye. For those who do not want to take a long walk, we recommend taking a donkey to the Sphinxes. This service is offered to guests at the Miracle Donkey farm in Zalesnoye. Buses from Simferopol and Bakhchisarai also go to Zalesnoye. The paths from Zalesnoye to the rocks of the Karalez Valley are marked with special signs.
