Crimea guide: what to see in Gurzuf in one day

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Every year it becomes a tourist magnet for thousands of travelers, because there is always where to go, what to see and what to do.

A small resort town lies on the slopes of Greater Yalta right on the Black Sea coast. More and more people discover this fabulous place every year. This is not surprising, because the beauties of Gurzuf are able to win the hearts of everyone who has ever been there at least once. And if you have not yet had an opportunity to get acquainted with this hospitable corner of the peninsula, then we will tell you what you should definitely see in Gurzuf, even if all in all you have only one day.

Embankment and Adalar rocks

Exploring the magic of Gurzuf can start from the sea-front. This is a promenade and the real pride of the resort. From year to year it is a point of attraction for Crimeans and tourists. It is a pleasure to leisurely stroll along it, choosing souvenirs in local shops, and to enjoy the beauty of the twin rocky islands near the coast. These are the famous Adalars, one of the Crimean sights and the ID card of Gurzuf. Once the cliffs were connected to the coast, but the sea eventually destroyed this isthmus and now the islands "live" their own life. And if you find yourself in Gurzuf and have a minimum of time, then be sure to have a walk on the promenade, the guide and traveler Evgeni Bondarenko advises.

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"Gurzuf is an amazing place with an interesting history, it is impossible to see the entire town in a short period of time. Therefore, if a tourist has only an hour or two at his disposal, I recommend just walking along the streets of Gurzuf, going down to the sea shore and taking a walk along the sea-side. It offers stunning views of the main attractions − the Genoese rock, whith the remains of the fortress, and the Adalar rocks. Take a walk, breathe in the fresh sea air and enjoy the beauty of the Crimean nature", — recommends Evgeny Bondarenko. And he adds that if there is a bit more time left, be sure to add several more attractions to your route. Fortunately, there are many of them.

Adalar rocks
Photo: Evgeni Bondarenko
Gurzuf park and fountains

The Crimean town of Gurzuf is adorned with a luxurious landscape park stretching on 12 hectares in Greater Yalta. The masterpiece of landscape gardening art was laid at the beginning of the 19th century by order of Arman du Plessis duke de Richelieu. Over the years, it has grown and transformed with the collection of more than 110 species of trees and shrubs on its territory. Today the park is shared by Pushkino and Gurzufsky health resorts. And it’s better to start the walk from the latter.

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The Gurzufsky territory in a restricted area, so you can get into the park only as a guest of the health resort or with an excursion group. Excursions, by the way, in holiday season are organized twice a day, in off-season − by preliminary appointment. Both group and individual walks in the park − masterpiece of landscape gardening art − are possible.

"This park is the main decorative attraction of Gurzuf, a complete botanical garden with a variety of types of trees. Here are picturesque bridges, cozy arbors, trees in blossom around, and the busts of famous people who visited Gurzuf. On the territory of the park there are also masterpieces of architecture – the old buildings of the health resort, which you should definitely see and capture in memory", — the guide recommends.

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The famous fountains of Gurzuf are the real diamonds in the "green necklace" of the town. The most beautiful, according to many Crimeans and guests of the peninsula, is the "Goddess of the Night" sculpture group. It is made in the Baroque style, and the composition of it is based on the story from Greek mythology, where the goddess of the night – Nyx (Nox in roman mythology), the gods Hypnos and Eros (Somnus and Amor) figures, as well as Atlantes and Caryatides.

Fountain &quot;Goddess of the Night&quot; — Fountain "Goddess of the Night"

"This is, perhaps, one of the most beautiful fountains in Crimea. You can admire it endlessly. Looking at it, you begin to understand Pygmalion, who fell in love with the statue he created, so perfect it had been", — Bondarenko emphasized.

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Walking in the park, the guide recommends to drop in the health resort. It occupies the old hall of the Fountain restaurant, built in 1885 in the Neo-Gothic style. Once it was the resort's most fashionable restaurant, but today it is a dining room of the resort, which in itself is a tourist attraction.

"Once inside, you will be so shocked that you will surely freeze for several moments with your head up. This is a building of incredible architecture and beauty, with frescoes inside, columns and portraits − believe me, this is a must-see place", — the guide added.

Dining room in the old hall of the Fountain restaurant in Gurzuf

Pushkin Museum

You can continue your tour of Gurzuf in the health resort with the museum of Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin. The house where this cult object is now located is the oldest European-style building on the South Coast of Crimea. It was built at the beginning of the 19th century by the same duke de Richelieu. It was nick-named the castle in the air for his unusual architectural layout. It was here that in 1820 the great Russian poet, playwright and prose writer Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin stayed.

Living in Gurzuf, the poet made many walks along the sea shore and into the mountains. Here he recreated and worked. It was in this picturesque part of the South Coast that Pushkin continued to work on the Prisoner of the Caucasus poem, wrote several lyric poems and was inspired by the idea of creating the Fountain of Bakhchisarai poem and the Eugene Oneghin novel in verses. Today, the museum has an exposition dedicated to the Russian classic.

Chekhov’s Dacha

While walking around Gurzuf you can also learn about the life and work of another prominent figure in the world literature − Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. This is where you can find his dacha. A small one-story cottage on the shore of the bay became a favorite leisure place for Chekhov. The fact is that in the last years of his life he settled in Yalta (Belaya Dacha), but he could not fully enjoy the tranquility there. Almost everyone who happened to come to Crimea, being informed that Chekhov lives in the heart of the South Coast, considered it necessary to visit him. Anton Pavlovich was already quite famous, so there were many guests in his house. The writer sought silence and peace and found them here, away from the turmoil of the bustling life of Yalta.

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And he wrote about his summer residence: "I bought a piece of the shore with a bathing and Pushkinskaya rock near the pier and the park in Gurzuf. We now own a whole bay, in which a small or a bigger boat can be anchored". Here the writer was well and calm and he bequeathed the dacha to his wife Olga Knipper. Today, there is a museum in it, the exposition of which includes a large number of rare and little-known photographs that were not exhibited at the Belaya Dacha, portraits, manuscript pages and documents.

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Penelope the Cat

In front of the entrance to Chekhov's cottage, on the street bearing the name of this great classic, there is a small life-size sculpture of a cat. She looks into the sea with patience as if, like a girl named Assol − the character of Alexander Grin novel, is waiting for her prince. The author of the sculpture did not give a name to his creation, allowing tourists and local residents to apply their imagination. So the cat got the name: Penelope. Walking along Gurzuf, be sure to come and see her.

"Gurzuf is often called the realm of cats, it is famous for the fact that many beautiful and well-fed tailed creatures live here. It is not surprising that the sculptor was imbued with this atmosphere and created such a beauty, and now this nice pussy-cat lives here. Walking around Gurzuf, be sure to visit the cat and take photos to remember her by", — recommends Yevgeny Bondarenko.

Sculpture in the park of the sanatorium "Gurzufsky"

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Residential houses of Gurzuf

RIA Novosti, Alexei Malgavko

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Sculpture in the park of the sanatorium "Gurzufsky"

RIA Novosti, Sergey Malgavko

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Chekhov's cottage

RIA Novosti, Alexander Polegenko

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Holidaymakers in Gurzuf

RIA Novosti, Alexei Malgavko

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Stones on the beach of Gurzuf

RIA Novosti, Sergey Malgavko

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Park of the sanatorium "Gurzufsky"

RIA Novosti, Alexey Pavlishak

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View of Gurzuf and Chekhov's cottage

Photo: Evgeni Bondarenko

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Holidaymakers on Gurzuf Beach

RIA Novosti, Alexei Malgavko

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Park of the sanatorium "Gurzufsky"

RIA Novosti, Alexey Pavlishak

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Seaport in Gurzuf

RIA Novosti, Max Vetrov

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Gurzuf streets

Photo: Evgeni Bondarenko

And to round up your acquaintance with Gurzuf, just walk along its narrow picturesque streets. Enjoy the atmosphere that has long attracted representatives of the creative intelligentsia, breathe fresh air and allow yourself to fall in love with this wonderful place. And then you will definitely come back here again and again in order to rediscover such an interesting Gurzuf, so different each time. And believe me, there is something to discover! Historical monuments, diverse cultural sites, beautiful mountain trails and mysterious places − all this is waiting for you. See you in Gurzuf!