In the resort town of Sochi, in addition to beautiful beaches and amazing nature, there are many interesting places that all guests should definitely see. In this article we will tell you about the unique sights of the city. This is an arboretum (Sochi).
The open-air botanical museum presents visitors with numerous samples of the flora of the Western Caucasus. Here you can also admire the plants of many southern countries.
History of Creation
A garden-architectural park in the city with a rich collection of exotic plants appeared at the end of the 19th century. Playwright and journalist, editor-publisher of "Petersburg newspaper" S. N. Khudekov in 1889 acquired 50 acres of land in Sochi on the slope of Bald Mountain near Vereshchagin's dachas.
The site was cleared and a park was laid on an area of 15 hectares. Sergei Khudekov was a lover and connoisseur of subtropical plants. He planted over 400 species on this land. His close friend gardener K. A. Langau helped plan the park.
Arboretum (Sochi) was replenished with new plants that were imported fromCrimea, Caucasus, Germany. Some of the seedlings were purchased in Gagra in the nursery of the Prince of Oldenburg. Arboretum (Sochi) was improved and transformed. In the workshop of the Franco-Italian company of Paris, sculptors and vases were made for him.
In 1899, a villa was built, which was named "Nadezhda", in honor of Khudekov's wife. At that time it was the best in the region. Peach and plum orchards appeared near the park. By the beginning of 1917, more than 550 varieties of plants grew here.
Arboretum (Sochi), whose photo you can see in this article, was nationalized in 1922, and in 1944 became part of the research experimental station. Today he is the Research Institute of Forest Ecology and Mountain Forestry.
In 1977, a new cable car appeared in Sochi. It connected the magnificent park with Kurortny Prospekt. Its length is 908 meters.
Description
The park covers an area of forty-nine hectares. This is a unique monument of landscape art and an experimental demonstrative base of the Research Institute of Forestry. The territory is divided into three zones: lower, middle and upper.
Kurortny Prospekt (the main transport artery of Sochi) in 1938 separated the lower part of the complex, which became known as the Lower Park. The upper and middle parts were united under the general name of the Upper Park. Later they were connected by a tunnel, which was laid under the avenue. The exit from it is decorated with a rotunda - an elegant design with semicircular vaults. It is the entrance to the top of the park,which occupies a rather steep slope of Bald Mountain.
Upper Park
Built on the model of terraced park complexes in Italy. Most of this territory is occupied by horizontal ledges. They are covered with amazing specimens of flora from around the world.
Lower Park
This part of the park occupies a flat area. It is characterized by a clear layout: paths and shady paths depart from the main alley in different directions. Along them you can see the architectural and plant exhibits of the museum of woody nature. There are also ponds, which were chosen by swans and ducks. In the center of one of the ponds on an artificial small island is a snow-white statue of Neptune, which contrasts with the lush greenery of willows, firs and cypresses growing along the banks of the reservoir.
Aquarium and terrarium
This pavilion is very popular with tourists. It is located in the grandiose architectural structure of the Lower Park. More than one hundred and fifty cubic meters of water that fill the aquarium made it possible to accommodate 27 species of fish living in the Black Sea, as well as many exotic inhabitants of the Red Sea: shrimps of various species, sea anemones, corals and hedgehogs. The marine aquarium is a fantastic sight that leaves an unforgettable impression not only for children, but also for adults.
The terrarium is located in the same building. The rarest representatives of reptiles and amphibians live here: a rattlesnake, a unique lizard - a rhinoceros iguana, a black piranha, etc.e.
Vegetation
Rare plants are represented in the park by more than 1500 species/varieties of trees and shrubs. In some areas of the park, cultures characteristic of a particular country or region grow. Two thousand pines of 76 varieties and species, several varieties of cypresses, maples, chestnuts, exotic plants of the subtropics and tropics have perfectly adapted here.
It is unlikely that any of the visitors will pass by the unusually beautiful Chilean jube palm tree, will not admire the bluish leaves of another exotic beauty of the erythea palm tree, and butia attracts park guests not only with its luxurious crown, but also with fruits that have the aroma of pineapple.
Colorful leaves of huge lyriodendrons amaze with unusual colors. European fan palm and Himalayan trachycarpus martius (metasequoia), along with 23 species of bamboo, several species of wriggling Chinese wisteria, which in April is covered with magnificent clusters of lilac flowers, complete the collection of exotic plants.
Giant plane trees make a special impression on tourists. They were planted in 1913. Today, the thickness of the trunks of some specimens reaches three meters.
The collection of coniferous trees is also very diverse: cedars and pines, spruces and cypresses, thuja. All these plants are represented by dozens of species. The color of their needles ranges from bluish-gray to bright green.
Dendropark (Sochi), reviews of which are left by almost all visitors, has one moreunique colorful place. In the rose garden, you can admire the magnificent flowering of more than 100 varieties of plants of Russian and foreign selection, which form a unique colorful and fragrant carpet of fresh flowers.
Meadow of Friendship
If you visit a tour of the arboretum, you will definitely be shown the Friendship meadow, which was founded in 1960. A huge number of magnolia bushes grow here. According to a long tradition, they are planted by honored visitors of the dendrological garden.
During the flowering period, the glade is covered with pink, white, lilac and purple hues, from which it is impossible to take your eyes off. No less interesting is another miracle of the amazing park, created by human hands - the "Tree of Friendship". This is an original collection of citrus fruits under one crown: lemons, oranges, grapefruits and tangerines. This tree has become a symbol of friendship and a unique result of the collaboration of botanical breeders. The Arboretum in Sochi is an amazing park of wonders and beauty that every visitor to the city should see.
Sochi, arboretum: how to get there?
The unique park is located at 74 Kurortny Avenue. You can enter it through the Central Gate located near the Upper Park. From the coast or the Lower Park to the gate can be reached on foot. True, it should be borne in mind that in this case it will be necessary to go uphill.
If this method does not suit you, then you can use the cable car. It has two stations: Arboretum Upper and Arboretum Lower. The cable car departsfrom the lower level every 15 minutes. The trip becomes a real attraction: a leisurely climb will allow you to enjoy the scenic views.
To get to the park from the city center, you need to get to the Circus stop. Numerous buses and fixed-route taxis will bring you here, and from neighboring resort areas. For example, buses No. 105 and 105c stop here, which follow the route Bus Station - Rosa Khutor and back, there are routes that go from the railway station, the Psou checkpoint, the Olympic Park, Iskra, Mamayka microdistricts, from the Aelita Cinema stop.
Arboretum (Sochi): how to get from Adler?
This question interests many vacationers. Arboretum (Sochi) - Adler - this is the route of buses No. 125, 125 p. You can use the fixed-route taxi No. 124 s and get to the stop "Park "Dendrarium"". Transport is very frequent.
From Loo and Lazarevsky you can take bus number 155 to Sochi. Then, at the Sanatornaya stop, transfer to bus number 18. There is another option - by train to get to the Sochi railway station, then on one of the many scheduled buses to get to the Circus stop.
Reviews
According to vacationers, the Sochi Arboretum must be visited by everyone who spends their holidays in the famous resort city and its environs. This is an unusually beautiful place that will be interesting for both adults and children. The magnificent exotic plants presented in his collection leave a wonderful impression, and a stay in the park is remembered for a long time.
