Abkhazia is an unusually beautiful place at the junction of the mountains of the Caucasus and the Black Sea, immersed in the green forests. Once in these generous lands, you can, in addition to admiring beautiful views, visit priceless ancient monuments - historical sights of Abkhazia. The uniqueness of the nature of Abkhazia lies in the fact that here on a small site several climatic zones intersect, from subtropics by the sea, to meadows and eternal snows on the mountain peaks. Therefore, lovers of contrasts know what to see in Abkhazia - literally in an hour's journey you can cover the territory from the sea coast to picturesque gorges and dizzying mountain valleys with alpine meadows.
What to see in Abkhazia first
Abkhazia is famous for its hospitality, which has become a holy tradition for local residents. That is why hotels in Abkhazia welcome new visitors with invariable cordiality and openness, and local guides readily show guests the best sights of their country. The following review will allow you to get acquainted in advance with interesting, picturesque and memorable places of the "Land of the Soul."
1. Lake Ritsa
The Abkhaz pearl opens the list of main attractions, the country's visiting card is the emerald Ritsa Lake framed by unusual mountains and dense forests.
This is the largest alpine lake of Abkhazia of karst origin with an area of about 1.5 thousand square kilometers, formed as a result of the collapse of one of the mountains. The territories surrounding the lake belong to the protected area of the Ritsin National Reserve - here numerous tourist trips are made with visits to numerous corners of this protected area. It is landscapes of Lake Ritsa that can most often be found on numerous memorable photos and other symbolic attributes that are sold in local tourist shops.
2. New Athos Monastery
This is one of the most famous monasteries and Christian shrines in the Caucasus. The monastery was erected in 1875 by monks - immigrants from Old Athos, located in Greece. It is a complex of 6 temples, led by Panteleimon Cathedral. Numerous tourists, whose number annually numbers several thousand, are attracted here by the spiritual and cultural significance of the majestic religious building.
The monastery building itself is distinguished by its scale and luxury. Red, white and orange walls are complemented by shining gold domes, and all this surrounded by green cypress trees looks solemn and grand.
Official website: https://anyha.org/novoafonskij
3. Anacopian fortress
The Anatolian fortress continues to be rated - an ancient building on Tverskaya Mountain in New Athos, the construction of which dates back to the 5th century A.D. It was once built by the Romans and Abazans, in order to protect the city from attacks by Muslim peoples. It is known that the New Athos once bore the name Anacopia and served as the capital of the Abazg kingdom. Unfortunately, only the ruins of the fortress have survived to our days, only the main tower has not succumbed to the elements and the destructive role of time for many centuries, and from its top, a dazzling view of the surrounding landscape opens - the edge of the sea coast, endless open spaces, and snowy mountain peaks.
4. The fortress of Abaath
Alabama is another record holder for longevity, which should be seen in Abkhazia among the architectural structures. It was erected about 1.5 thousand years ago in order to block access to the Joekvari Gorge and the road to the west to ill-wishers. These walls have seen a lot in their lifetime, demolished and built anew, in the 19th century, battles between local residents and Russians took place in these territories, wishing to subordinate their power to the empire. And the hotel, built here at the beginning of the 20th century by order of the Prince of Oldenburg, as well as a restaurant and museum, exist today.
5. Gagra Colonnade
The colonnade in Gagra is the main symbol of the city, the center of old Gagra and the famous landmark of Abkhazia. It is the view of the colonnade that opens after crossing the Russian-Abkhaz border. This architectural ensemble was erected in 1949, therefore it is also considered a symbol of the revival of the USSR after the Great Patriotic War. Today this place is a landmark in the tourism plan, local commemorative souvenirs are in full swing here, a number of restaurants and cafes are nearby, as well as hotels and guest houses.
6. Blue Lake
A trip to the natural attractions of Abkhazia must necessarily include a visit to one amazingly beautiful lake. Blue Lake is a precious emerald against the backdrop of the natural landscapes of Abkhazia. The cleanest lake with sky-blue waters is located on the banks of the Bzyb River. The lake owes its color to lapis lazuli minerals, which occur at the very bottom. Its depth is not known for certain, but according to various sources, it ranges from 25 to 76 meters. The waters of the lake are crystal clear, although they may at first glance seem insufficiently transparent - this effect creates a large water column of several tens of meters, coupled with steep shores of the lake, immediately going down.
7. Seaside Park (Gagra)
Another symbol of the republic where new guests should go to Abkhazia is the seaside park in Gagra. It is located directly on the sea coast and occupies a stretch of about 6 km. The date of its construction is considered to be 1902, this was preceded by the order of the Prince of Oldenburg on the construction of a resort on these lands and the allocation for these purposes of about 14 hectares of coastal lands. Today, about 4 hundred plant species grow here in the park, brought here from all over the world, and there is also a park system of reservoirs - ponds and lakes, connected by channels.
8. Sukhumi Botanical Garden
The Botanical Garden in Sukhumi - the first thing to visit in Abkhazia is for those who are interested in rare species of plants. Indeed, today more than 5 thousand plant specimens collected here from different parts of the planet are already growing in the garden. In addition to local species, plants from Australia, Southeast Asia, and North America are represented here. The garden is fragrant and buried in flowers in the warm season, but there are plants that bloom even in winter. Once in this amazing oasis, you can take a walk on bamboo alleys, and explore different types of palm trees, and admire the succulents from the deserts.
Official website: http://www.bgci.org/garden.
9. Castle of the Prince of Oldenburg
This unique modernist building of 1902 is located at the beginning of Old Gagra, on a mountain slope. Today, this attraction of Abkhazia is in a half-abandoned state, and once the castle belonged to one of the members of the family of the Russian emperor - Prince of Oldenburg. In the era of the USSR, a sanatorium named after Stalin was equipped here, then it was renamed the sanatorium "The Seagull". This monumental building was significantly damaged during the years of the Georgian-Abkhaz war, but to this day is of great historical value to Abkhazia.
10. Abkhaz State Museum
What to see in Abkhazia to get acquainted with its historical past? Reviews indicate that the Abkhaz State Museum in Sukhumi, founded in the 60s of the last century, is the most suitable place for this. Since then, museum activists have continuously collected valuable materials, replenishing the collection, and now there are about 100 thousand exhibits. Among the interesting finds are the Escher dolmen, the tombstone of the 5th century BC, a collection of weapons, the helmet of an ancient Greek warrior, as well as a complex of dwellings that provide a visual description of the living conditions of local residents.
11. Cottages I.V. Stalin
Abkhazia has become a favorite vacation spot of many famous personalities, including political leaders - in this regard, you will find something to see in Abkhazia. For example, Stalin had at his disposal about 20 cottages throughout the USSR, but his beloved among them was in a paradise of Abkhazia, near Lake Ritsa. The building of the summer house, erected here in 1947, is distinguished by the richness of the interior - natural materials were used in the decoration, mainly from valuable trees. There is a hall, a living room, several bedrooms, a dining room, a bathroom, and for security, alarm buttons are provided, which work today.
12. Restaurant "Gagripsh"
There is a truly legendary institution in Gagra that has become a symbol of the resort - this is the Gagripsh restaurant with more than a century of history. His discovery, he, like many other attractions of Abkhazia, is obliged to the Prince of Oldenburg. In those years, the restaurant was a wooden house made in Norway - just like that, in a disassembled form, it was purchased by the prince and assembled in 1902. The restaurant's balcony offers magnificent views of the sea and the coast, and the menu offers traditional local dishes.
13. Bedia Cathedral
Lovers of ancient religious monuments have something to see in Abkhazia - a notable example is the Bedia Cathedral. There is nothing skillful, ornate carvings or skillful frescoes in this building, but its simple architecture and more than a thousand-year history are infinitely attractive to visitors. And the wonderful surrounding landscape gives this place its unique atmosphere. Here since 1014, the tomb of Tsar Bagrat III has been located, since then the temple has repeatedly experienced destruction, reconstruction and returned to life again, and today it is a vivid example of Georgian architecture.
14. Lykhnensky temple
The temple in Lykhny, built in the 10-11 centuries, is another important attraction of Abkhazia, ancient evidence of unshakable faith. Since time immemorial, local residents have visited the temple to worship God and bring a sacrificial kid, as well as to bury a jug of wine in the temple. Inside the ancient icon of the Virgin is stored The Sign is the first known icon with the Abkhaz inscription. Also here is the tomb of one of the influential Abkhaz princes.
15. The Patriarchal Cathedral in Pitsunda
The largest ancient temple in Abkhazia, built in the 10th century, is located in the heart of Pitsunda. Here lie the relics of one of the 12 apostles - Simon Kananit, who died in the 1st century AD. Here are the relics of St. Andrew the First-Called, revered not only in the public but also beyond its borders. Services today are not held in the cathedral, but inside there is a concert hall with an organ. Its interior decoration combines medieval paintings with various subjects and the face of Jesus under the dome.
Official website: h ttp: //pitsundaorgan.tk/
16. Koman Monastery
What to see in Abkhazia wishing to go on a pilgrimage to its holy places? Koman Monastery is a shrine that is visited annually by more than 50 thousand pilgrims. On the territory of this quiet monastery rest the relics of St. John Chrysostom. The monastery is restored on the foundation of a medieval temple. In the dashing years of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict, the construction, like the village of Koman, was badly damaged, but the forces of the Abkhaz diocese were completely restored. From 2001 to the present, the monastery is located here.
Official website: http://aiasha.ru/hram/375/
17. Besletian bridge
The Besletian bridge is an ancient arch bridge made of stone, which played the role of an important military strategic object in the 11-12 centuries. It was built in a picturesque gorge on the Basla River more than 8 centuries ago and is perfectly preserved to this day. A bridge was made of limestone slabs connected by a calcareous composition in the form of a low arch. In the old days, the path to the mountains passed through the bridge. Near the bridge, even the ruins of ancient defensive structures of those times have been preserved. Today, the bridge is a popular attraction of Abkhazia, where many tourist routes lead through a beautiful walnut grove.
18. Sukhumi monkey nursery
When creating the Monkey Nursery in Sukhumi, the goal was initially aimed, in addition to observing the behavior and habits of different species of monkeys, to investigate various human diseases in the process of experiments on primates. Sukhum was chosen as the most suitable climate city for breeding primates. Today in the territory of the nursery you can get acquainted with its lovely inhabitants and see the monument to the monkeys, erected for their huge contribution to medicine. The monument was erected in the image of a specific individual - the monkey Murray, who was the leader of a flock of handrails.
Official website: http://www.niiepit.com/
19. Jupshar Canyon
Fans of beautiful and at the same time extreme mountain scenery will surely find what to visit in Abkhazia - the Yupshar Canyon, a beautiful and bewitching natural monument in the mountains of Abkhazia, is ideal for this. It is formed in a rock by the waters of the Yupshara River, which has eroded a deep gorge in the rock for thousands of years. The canyon stretches for 8 kilometers in length, and on the road that runs below the gorge, there is always a mysterious twilight, coolness, and dampness, and only a narrow strip of sky opens up from above. The narrowest passage in the gorge is 20 meters wide and is called
20. New Athos cave
The largest cave in the republic lies in the earth's bowels of the Tverskaya Mountain in New Athos. It is a giant cavity of karst origin with a length of about 1.9 km. There are nine halls in total, each of which is unique in its own way: the largest speleologists' hall, in the Narta hall there is an underground lake, Ayuha, once a riverbed, Iveria with amazing acoustics, stunning Apsny in beauty with an unusual stone "waterfall", the highest Givi Smyrna with a cavity height of up to hundreds of meters, Heliktov with amazing branching formations - helictites.
Official website: https://afon-cave.ru/
Sights of Abkhazia: what else to visit in Abkhazia
In addition to the main attractions, the guides in Abkhazia will discover a lot of interesting places of unusual beauty in this generous corner of the earth for experienced tourists. You will find what to see in Abkhazia in 1 day if after visiting the main attractions you will have a small reserve of time at your disposal.
21. Mount Mamdzyshha
Mamdzyshha is a natural attraction of Abkhazia, endearing with its beauty. All the main beauty of this place opens from the top of the mountain, at a level of about 1.9 km above the sea. Here, unlike the rest of the mountain surface, where forests grow, an open, blown place with grassy meadows has formed. A magnificent view of Gagra and Pitsunda opens from here, and in especially clear weather in the evening you can see the lights of distant Sochi. The road to the top of the mountain is asphalted, in two places there are equipped observation platforms: one at the beginning of the ascent, in the form of a large concrete balcony, and the other approximately in the middle of the ascent.
22. Alpine meadows of Abkhazia
Green alpine meadows are a treasure not only of Abkhazia but also of the Caucasus Mountains as a whole. Mountain valleys, surrounded by greenery and flowers, attract extraordinary beauty, freshness, heady air and amazing peacekeeping, which brings a stay there. Such fields can be seen at an altitude of about 2 km, on the territory of the Ritsin National Reserve. This truly bewitching sight is worth it to climb high into the mountains and see everything with your own eyes.
23. New Athos Falls
New Athos waterfall with lake Psyrtsha is a picturesque man-made complex, which has become a famous landmark of Abkhazia and a unique example of what a miracle a person can create while being in harmony with nature. The waterfall was a peculiar consequence of the construction of the dam hydroelectric station, which was carried out by the inhabitants of the New Athos monastery. The splendor and power of the waterfall cannot be described in words: the height of the waterfall is about 9 meters, and the width of the cascade, made in the form of a semi-arch, is 21 meters. There is also an observation deck for contemplating the revealed splendor.
24. Gegsky waterfall
Abkhazia is rich in ponds and waterfalls, but one of the waterfalls is especially beautiful and noticeable. This is the Gegsky waterfall - the largest waterfall in the republic. It is fed by the fast mountain river Gega, which, starting its way somewhere in the peaks of the Caucasus Mountains, having traveled about 25 kilometers, flows into the Bzyb river. In this relatively small segment, it manages to simultaneously form several small waterfalls and, reaching the karst cleft, hides in it for several hundred meters and, finally, falls down with a powerful stream from a 70-meter height, forming the Gegsky waterfall.
25. Waterfall "Girl's Tears"
The romantic name “Maiden Tears” was given to one attraction of Abkhazia, endowed with its sad and beautiful legend about a crying girl. Waterfall "Girl's Tears" is not quite like a waterfall in its classical sense. Instead of the noise of water streams here, in a thousand streams of sheer stones, clean and clear water escapes, resembling quiet tears. The crystal network of trickles sparkles, shimmering in the sun. The waterfall is located on one of the banks of the mountain river Bzyb.
Abkhazia is the pearl of the Caucasus on the Black Sea coast, which will meet you with its amazingly beautiful nature and the warm hospitality of its inhabitants. Today, excursions in Abkhazia regain their former popularity. Magnificent panoramic views, a riot of greenery and flowers, high-level hotels, an extensive excursion program - all this will give the country of the soul of Abkhazia, and the above recommendations will help determine the choice of attractions and turn the trip into a vivid adventure.
0 Comments