It's no secret that Abkhazia is a unique country. It is full of interesting places, friendly people and delicious fruits. For those who have already traveled all over the south of our country, an ideal vacation option is a trip to Abkhazia. The sights of such cities as Gagra, Sukhum, Pitsunda, New Athos amaze tourists with their beauty, and therefore they invariably attract vacationers here. What to see in this country, what sights should not be missed in any case? Let's talk about it today!
Lake Ritsa
One of the most popular and picturesque sights of Abkhazia is the mountain lake Ritsa. It attracts guests throughout the year. An interesting fact: depending on the season, the reservoir changes its color - in autumn and winter it is blue-blue, and in spring and summer the water turns yellow. The length of the lake is 2kilometers, and the depth is about 150 meters. Vacationers note that the water here is so clear that the waters are visible for ten meters. The lake is located in the north-west of the country, on the territory of a magnificent national park. Previously, Lake Ritsa was the hallmark of Abkhazia. Dachas of Stalin and Brezhnev stood on its banks.
How to get to the lake
The most convenient way to get to this attraction of Abkhazia is by car. You need to move along the main road of the country - the Black Sea Highway. Then, at the bridge over the river called Bzyb, you should turn inland. Travelers who have visited these places note that the road here is not very good. Another option is a trip from Gagra on a sightseeing bus. Along the way, the guide will tell you about all the interesting places. By the way, you can also come by taxi, however, in this case you will have to fork out - the thing is that taxi drivers not only bring vacationers to the lake, but also wait for them to take them back.
New Athos Cave
Among the sights of New Athos in Abkhazia, it is worth highlighting the New Athos cave. This is one of the largest caves in the country! She gained wide popularity quite recently - only half a century ago. Then an Abkhazian artist named Givi Smyr discovered a strange entrance on Iverskaya Mountain. Together with a group of activists, Givi descended to a depth of 135 meters! They opened the Anakopia Hall, but later it became known that there are other halls in this cave! Tour trains have been running here since 1975.
Tourists call the New Athos cave a real miracle of nature. She is able to delight even those who, it would seem, are not surprised by anything. Long branching passages, poorly illuminated underground halls, mysterious galleries lead visitors to the most hidden depths of the Iverskaya Mountain. The underground world of the cave is very rich - there are stone ramparts, amazing emerald lakes, and even stalactite palaces! A tour of the sights of Abkhazia begins with a short walk on a small electric train that can accommodate 90 passengers. By the way, initially mining carts were used to transport people, which were converted for this purpose. The length of the route is 1.3 km, it has only three stations:
- Anakopia Hall;
- "Entrance Gate";
- "Hall of Apsny".
Route
In total, there are 11 halls in the New Athos cave that have already been explored. Only a part of it is available to tourists. Usually the traditional route through the sights of Abkhazia consists of viewing the following halls:
- Anakopia, where the magnificent cave waterfall is located.
- Mahajirov, which is the largest hall of the New Athos cave.
- Nartaa, which tourists call the most "living" hall because of the trident beetles that live here.
- Speleologists, the highest in the cave - in some places the floor and ceiling are separated by a height of 50 meters.
- Giva Smyr Hall, the floor of which is covered with waves of frozen limestone. There is also a stone jellyfish.
- Ayuhaa, wherethere are hundreds of calcite stalagmites - red and orange.
- Aphyartsa, where vacationers can enjoy Abkhaz music.
- Apsny, which differs from others in high humidity.
Useful information
Please note that visiting this natural attraction is possible only as part of an excursion group. It usually takes about an hour and a half. Such excursions are conducted during the tourist season: they begin in May and end only in early November. When planning a trip here, do not forget to bring warm clothes with you, because the temperature in the halls of the cave does not rise above 14 degrees!
New Athos Monastery
Another attraction of Athos (Abkhazia) is the New Athos Monastery. It was built not far from the temple of Simon the Zealot, where the holy relics are today, and from the cave where he retired to talk with God. The history of the monastery began in 1874. Then the monks of the Panteleimon Monastery, which is located on the Greek Athos, received the territory of modern New Athos from the government. Another royal gift was a large sum - for the construction of a new monastery complex. Why was this place chosen? According to legend, Kananit, an apostle who preached Christianity in the Western Caucasus, died here in the first century BC at the hands of Roman legionnaires.
Construction went on for a long time and hard - it was extremely difficult to ensure the delivery of building materials to a height of 75 meters above sea level. During the Russian-Turkish war the monastery was plundered. In 1880, the restoration of the shrine began. But the trials that befell this attraction of Abkhazia did not end there. So, during the Soviet era, the monastery was turned into a recreation center, and later became a museum of local lore. During the Georgian-Abkhaz war, the New Athos monastery became a military hospital. Only in 1994 services were finally resumed here. Today the monastery is open to visitors.
Important to know
To get to this monastery, you need to get to the city of Adler, cross the border post "Psou". After passing through customs and passport control, we recommend taking a regular bus, which in three hours will take you to the city of New Athos, where the monastery is located. Please note that women in the New Athos Monastery are allowed only in long-sleeved clothes and with their heads covered!
Waterfall "Men's Tears"
The story of the appearance on the territory of Abkhazia of sights (pictured) called "Men's Tears" is shrouded in countless legends, the authenticity of which cannot be verified today.
According to the most popular version, a beautiful girl Amra lived in Abkhazia. She was engaged in the fact that she grazed goats on the river bank. With her gentle voice, Amra sang songs that reached the ears of her beloved Adgur, who lived in the mountains. To the misfortune of this couple, a mermaid lived in the waters of the river, who envied the beauty and her voice, and therefore decided to kill her. One day, while Amra was tending the goats, the mermaidwanted to push her into the water, but the God of Water saved the girl, and turned the mermaid into stone. At this time, Adgur's heart felt something was wrong, but he could not help it. From impotence, the young man began to cry, his tears fell to the ground, in the place where they fell, a waterfall appeared.
How to get to the waterfall
"Men's tears" are located near the Ritsa Highway, the waterfall is clearly visible. In addition, it is part of various excursions from Gagra, Sukhum or the resort towns of the Kuban. You can also get here by your own car, however, it must be borne in mind that the road here is mountainous - winding and steep. Therefore, during the trip, you need to be as careful as possible and pay attention to the weather forecast.
Girl's Tears
Twenty kilometers from the waterfall "Men's Tears" is a waterfall called "Girl's Tears". The legend of its origin is suspiciously similar to the legend of "Man's Tears": a beautiful girl, born in a family of shepherds, once lived in this place. One day, while the girl was herding goats, a mountain spirit saw her. Feelings immediately flared up between them. But they were envied by the vicious and incredibly jealous sorceress who lived nearby. She decided to kill the beautiful girl: she tracked her down, lifted her over the rocks to throw her down. No matter how the girl called her lover, the spirit did not hear her, because he was too far away. Then the beauty sobbed and cried out all her tears before her death, so that they would flow down from the rocks for thousands of years and haunt the evil and envious heart of the sorceress.
Howget to attractions
This waterfall near the highway can be seen from afar: tourists constantly tie colored ribbons on the plants located around it. It is believed that this helps to find love and keep it for many years. By the way, a similar tradition is observed at the first waterfall.
This landmark of Abkhazia (pictured above) is 40 kilometers away from Gagra. Most of the vacationers visit "Girl's Tears" during a trip to Lake Ritsa. The public transport route does not pass here, but you can always find suitable excursions or take a taxi here. In addition, you can get to the waterfall by car.
Colonnade
The construction of this attraction of Abkhazia (pictured) in Gagra began in the difficult post-war years. There were not enough resources, and there were few workers for the construction of the colonnade. But, despite all these circumstances, it was erected in just two years. She immediately became the hallmark of Abkhazia.
The grand opening of the Gagra colonnade took place in 1956. What is this attraction? This is a multi-arch composition, the length of which is more than 60 meters. It was built in the Moorish style. Arcades consisting of eight arches connect four white towers. There is a colonnade around the square, which in the Soviet years was called Constitution Square. In the center of it is an elegant fountain with a sculpture in the form of a dove, which is a symbol of peace on earth. By the way, there are other interesting objects on this square, tofor example, a cinema and a mosaic fountain. The attraction gained particular popularity after it "lit up" in a fairly well-known film called "Winter Evening in Gagra".
Where is the colonnade?
Do you want to visit this attraction of Abkhazia on your own? Easy peasy! It is located in the very center of the city, not far from the Seaside Park. In front of the colonnade, on the square, there are numerous souvenir shops, tents with magnets and other trinkets. Various travel agencies are also located here, where you can pick up interesting excursions to the sights of Abkhazia in Pitsunda, Gagra, New Athos, Sukhum.
Monkey nursery
Which place can the whole family visit? Of course, the monkey nursery! It was opened in 1927 on the site where the dacha of the Russian scientist Ostroumov used to be. The nursery is located near the Sukhumi Botanical Garden. To date, there are about 300 monkeys, which you can watch for hours on end! Cute and friendly primates can be treated with fruit. However, you should be careful - cunning monkeys can steal jewelry from their hands. In addition, they usually do not want to part with their prey.
Pitsunda Beach
Speaking about the sights and entertainment of Abkhazia, one cannot fail to mention the beach of Pitsunda. Why is it so popular among visitors to the country and locals? The fact is that there are practically no strong currents here, the sea in these places is crystal clear, and the air is fresh and pleasant! Also, right next to the beach.begins a pine forest, where you can hide from the sun during especially hot hours. A significant part of the beach is covered with medium-sized pebbles, but you can go a little further and find a sand and pebble area.
Prince of Oldenburg Castle
One of the most beautiful buildings in Abkhazia, made in the Art Nouveau style, tourists call the castle of Prince Oldenburg. We bring to your attention a photo of this attraction of Abkhazia, a description and reviews of visitors!
The castle was built in 1902. Then Prince Alexander of Oldenburg first visited this amazing country. It is not surprising that he fell in love with Abkhazia, and therefore decided that a magnificent resort should appear here that could compete with Nice. Initially, he decided to create a park here. For this, swamps were drained and trees and shrubs were planted. After the prince built a castle for himself, and then decided to build a telegraph office and a hospital in Gagra. However, it was not possible to carry out the plan: the war intervened in his plans, but even those parts that Alexander of Oldenburg managed to build are worthy of attention. When the Bolsheviks came to power, the castle was turned into a boarding house "Chaika". After the collapse of the USSR, the building fell into complete decay, survived the raids of marauders and a fire. Now the castle has been leased to a private person. The plans include a complete restoration of the object.
Vacationers note the convenient location of the castle - it stands at the final stop of city minibuses. You can get here on foot or by cable car from the Seaside Park. Access to the castle is temporarily restricted, howeverit can be visited as part of an excursion, which is held for visitors to another attraction - the Gagripsh restaurant.
