Where to go and what to see in Sochi

Where to stay

Sochi is very different in structure from other Russian cities. It stretches along the sea and has a separate mountain cluster. The main tourist locations are ski resorts in Krasnaya Polyana, beaches in the Imeretinskaya lowland and the center of Sochi with city entertainment. Each has its own characteristics when choosing a home.

Krasnaya Polyana has three ski resorts with their own infrastructures and dozens of hotels. In Rosa Khutor we recommend staying at the Riders Lodge, the first hotel for riders in Russia. The ski in / ski out system operates here: the ski lift is within walking distance, you can get on skis or snowboard literally when you leave the hotel. Price per night - from 4 450 rubles. One of the most popular hotels in the Krasnaya Polyana resort is Rixos Krasnaya Polyana Sochi with an indoor pool and spa facilities available to all guests. Price per night - from 14,300 rubles. And at the Gazprom resort you can stay in Polyana 1389 with a fitness center and a large climbing wall. The cost is from 7,000 rubles per night.

On the Imeretinskaya embankment, you can choose a room in the apart-hotel "Imeretinskiy", which is located in maximum proximity to the sea. Price per night - from 5 400 rubles.

A sufficient number of large chain hotels are located in the center of Sochi. A night at the Hyatt Regency Sochi will cost 35,000 rubles, and at the Park Inn by Radisson Sochi Center - from 6,500 rubles. Both hotels are located in the heart of the city. If you search among mini-hotels, then a good choice would be "Graphite", a 10-minute drive from the center. This is a cozy option with stylish rooms and such cool breakfasts that locals also come here for them. Price per night - from 6 930 rubles.

Another option - sanatoriums in the classic Soviet style, with huge park areas. For example, the “Metallurg” sanatorium, where three nights (you cannot book for a shorter period in the summer) can be spent for 22 350 rubles (three meals a day included).

There are not so many good hostels in Sochi, but this summer Plants & Friends opens in the city center - a project that combines a creative space, a cafe and a stylish hostel.

And, of course, there is always the option to rent an apartment through Airbnb. On average, a one-bedroom apartment in the city center will cost from 3,000 to 4,500 rubles. It is best to choose apartments in the area of Tsvetnoy Boulevard, Morskiy Lane and on the streets above the Sberbank stop. Or in separate neighborhoods such as Svetlana and Makarenko.

What sights of Sochi to see

Marine Station

The building of the sea station was built in 1955. In style, it is a classic Stalinist Empire style with carved columns and a tower with a spire 71 meters high. Above the tiers of the tower, there are sculptures that symbolize the four seasons and the four cardinal points. There is a marina lined with yachts adjacent to the station, and on the other side there is a fountain surrounded by a small square. There are now a dozen different boutiques on the first floor of the building, and a restaurant on the second.

In summer, from here, at almost any time of the day or night, you can go on an hour-long water excursion on one of the moored yachts. The average cost is from 1,000 rubles per person.

Navaginskaya street

The main pedestrian street of the city. There are points with street food, a bunch of trendy coffee shops, a palm alley, local monuments, ubiquitous benches and an uncomfortable bike path. It is always crowded on Navaginskaya, especially on summer evenings, when street musicians play on it literally every 10 meters.

Be sure to grab a coffee at Surf Coffee or a vegan bowl smoothie at Blender, and head to Why Not? with the best selection of craft beer in the city and a St. Petersburg atmosphere.

Arboretum

Address: 74, Kurortny ave.

It is a large (46 hectares) park with more than a century of history, divided into two parts. At the bottom one can find cascades of ponds with ducks, swans and pelicans, as well as thickets of bamboo and a rose garden. In the upper one, on a larger scale, about one and a half thousand plants from all over the world are collected, as well as enclosures with parrots, ostriches and peacocks. The villa "Hope", built in 1899, is also located here. The entrance ticket price is 320 rubles.

Abandoned sanatorium named after Ordzhonikidze

Closed for restoration (apparently endless) sanatorium, the territory of which is free and, most importantly, anyone can visit for free. This is one of the most striking examples of Stalinist neoclassicism with its gigantomania: huge castle-like complexes (alas, it is impossible to get into them), a fountain with statues of bacchantes, Tuscan stairs, an impressive park area. The place was chosen by photographers, so a dozen shootings take place here every day. By the way, in 1956 the famous Soviet film "The Old Man Hottabych" was filmed here.

Stalin's dacha

One of the 20 country residences of Joseph Stalin, which is located on the territory of the "Green Grove" sanatorium. For some time it was used as a hotel, but in the 90s a museum was opened here. They tried to preserve the appearance of the dacha, including the unusual green color of the facade - they say that thanks to it, the building is difficult to see from the air.

Here you can see Stalin's personal belongings and other attributes of a bygone era: for example, a billiard table from the Jacob Gotz factory, a desk with a dial telephone and a huge carved chess set. The tour is free, but an appointment is required. Here you can also visit a tea party for 500 rubles per person.

Riviera embankment and beach

The Riviera beach is the most popular and widespread in the city. By the summer of 2020, the first stage of the global reconstruction of the embankment zone was completed: all trade pavilions were removed, outdoor furniture, lamps, flower beds and palm trees were installed, and the walking area was extended to the river embankment. And the most important update was the sunset amphitheater, opposite which they play live music every evening, dance breakdance or perform with stand-ups. A playground with exercise equipment and a children's play area were erected nearby. The next stage of reconstruction is promised to be completed by the summer of 2021: a new park will be laid out here and a pedestrian bridge over the Sochi River will be built.

Gastroport

Address: st. Nessebar, 1B.

Gastroport is the first and so far the only food mall in Sochi. Structurally, it is identical to the Moscow "Depo" and "Around the World": many corners with food and common rooms. Black Sea and Caucasian cuisine, burgers in "Minced", trendy bowls, obligatory Vietnamese dishes from Bõ - the gastronomic set is standard, but varied. All this can be brightened up with really great coffee in PaPaPower and good craft beer from BeBeer. There is even a bar "Hands Up" with the style of the 90s and songs by Sergei Zhukov.

What sights to see in the vicinity of Sochi

Sochi Circuit

The racing track hosting the Russian Grand Prix is the Formula 1 stage. Outside the grand prix, you can visit the car museum, ride a racing taxi or golf cart, enroll in a drift school, and take a master class from the circuit instructors. Also, track days are regularly held here, which allow you to ride along the track in your own car. All autodrome services and track days schedule can be viewed on the website.

SkyPark AJ Hackett Sochi

High-rise adventure park in the Akhshtyr gorge. Here you can jump from a bungee from a height of 69 and 207 meters, fly through the gorge on a zipline, walk along the longest suspended pedestrian bridge in Russia. For mountaineers in SkyPark there is the Via Ferrata trail along the sheer cliff and a 15-meter climbing wall. The entrance ticket will cost 1,350 rubles, and the bungee jump will cost from 7,000 rubles. Here you can see the prices for all services.

Olympic park

One of the main legacies of the 2014 Olympics. Now it is a huge urban park with a dozen sports arenas and museums. Due to the flat landscape, the location has become an ideal place for riding longboards, scooters and bicycles (there are many rental points scattered around the territory), and recently an excellent skate park was built here. Every day, a singing fountain show is held next to the torch stele where the Olympic flame burned. And on the edge of the park is the Fisht stadium, where FC Sochi plays home matches.

Sochi Park

A theme park adjacent to the Olympic Park. Here we have collected 21 attractions - from extreme to family merry-go-rounds and an autodrome. There is also a sovarium and a dolphinarium. The entrance ticket costs 1,500 rubles. You can stay right in Sochi Park by renting a room in the castle-like Bogatyr hotel.

Tower on Mount Akhun

Akhun rises at sea level at 663 meters, and this is the highest point in Central Sochi. At the top of the mountain, to which there is a convenient access, there is an observation tower 30 meters high, built in 1936. The entrance to the observation deck costs 100 rubles, but be prepared for the fact that the tower is periodically closed for visits.

One of the most widespread myths about the tower is related to the fact that from its top in clear weather you can see the Turkish coast. Don't be fooled, it isn't.

Rosa Khutor resort

One of three ski resorts in Krasnaya Polyana. In winter, these are tracks of various difficulty levels with a total length of more than 102 kilometers and the infrastructure of the level of top alpine resorts. In summer, Rosa Khutor offers a huge number of trekking routes, the Mendelikha waterfall park, the Shishin Dvor ethnohutor, a high-altitude swing and a suspension bridge at the top of the resort. There is also a B-one bike trail and a Rodelbahn Guided mountain sled that rushes along the metal track. - Approx. ed. … And soon they plan to open a wake park on the Upper Lake.

Resort "Krasnaya Polyana"

The second ski resort, which after the rebranding began to be called the same as the neighboring village (do not mix it up!). There are also many ski trails and two snow parks at once. Summer activities include a bike park at an altitude of about 1,000 meters and hiking trails. In addition, the Gorky Fly complex operates all year round with the highest (over 2,000 meters) and longest (1,027 meters) zipline. Descent by a steel rope. - Approx. ed. in Russia. Also, tourists can go up in a hot air balloon. Lovers of contemporary art should definitely appreciate the painting by the Russian calligrapher Pokras Lampas at an altitude of 960 meters.

Mountain Tourist Center "Gazprom"

And one more mountain tourist center. There is the Laura ski and biathlon stadium, the Galaktika entertainment complex with a water park and an ice arena, the world's longest cable car type 3S (with large cabins that can accommodate many more people than usual) and the highest sauna in Russia, and also the “Pikhtovy” shelter, from which the routes to the Bzerpinsky cornice (this is one of the most popular trails) and the “Cold” camp start.

Adler market

If you want to feel the flavor of the old Sochi market with the obligatory notes of a Caucasian bazaar, then you are in Adler. Here is one of the cheapest churchkhels in the city (and there is simply an incredible amount of it), a huge selection of fish and a secret cafe-cafeteria "Melgos", which only the locals know about, so you should watch the road on YouTube. And there is also a frightening range of assortment: from the usual fruits and vegetables to wicker baskets and palms in tubs. Just don't buy what you like right away - be sure to walk along the rows and, most likely, you will find the same thing, but cheaper!

Jam house

The recreational complex, the tasting room and the production workshop - all this was combined in the project "House of Jam". The old warehouse of the 40s in the village of Vardane was reconstructed and decorated in a mixture of styles: loft, Scandinavian minimalism and natural retro. A modular workshop was set up nearby, in which they prepare jam from local apricots, cherry plums, feijoa, tangerines and other fruits and berries, make fermented salted oranges and dried persimmons. At the House of Jam you can try a tasting set and take a jar or two with you, relax on the terrace and take some cool photos for Instagram.

White rocks

One of the many natural attractions in Sochi, while not the most mainstream. A beautiful canyon with a 4 km tourist trail running through an observation deck, bizarre stone heaps, small waterfalls, a mountain river with swimming pools, pebble beaches and a 12-meter deep font. The route is more difficult here than in more popular locations, so you can't do without sports shoes.

Eagle rocks and Agursky waterfalls

A steep cliff along the Agura River, at the top of which there is a sculpture of Prometheus. The route starts from the Matsesta Valley with a memorable smell of sulfur. On the way, by the way, there is another popular place - a huge observation glade, where picnics are held in summer. After admiring Prometheus and taking a couple of pictures with mountain landscapes, you can go down another ridge of the Eagle Rocks and go to the trail along the cascade of Agursky waterfalls.

What to bring from Sochi

Shoppers and swimwear bags "Subtropics"

A local brand that started with shoppers and shopping bags. Then they added full-fledged bags, backpacks, sets of bags (for example, for wine), all kinds of covers and even raincoats. The brand retains the concept of Zero Waste and uses 100% dense cotton (of course, a layer of raincoat is added where necessary). The prices are affordable, and almost every product is offered in a variety of colors. By the way, you can choose not only the color, but also the slogan that is printed on each item.

You can buy in the studio on the street. Severnaya, 12, or look in the shops "More Spices" on Gorky, Yogurt Ville on Tuapse and in the mountain residence "Flacon". Or use the brand's website.

Surfer Raincoats

In Sochi, a very large amount of precipitation falls annually, so it is not surprising that the Surfer Raincoats brand has appeared here, which specializes in the production of raincoats. They are sewn from a three-layer membrane fabric that protects even the most heavy rain and wind. But everyone fell in love with raincoats largely due to the bright colors. The oversized yellow raincoat has long been an Instagram hit, and you can buy it for 11,990 rubles.

The project does not yet have an offline store, so it will have to be ordered either through the manufacturer's website or through Instagram.

Atauchi Jewelry

These silver accessories are inspired by the mountains and culture of the Quechua people (translated from their language, atauchi means “what makes you happy”). The Rasu collection (translated as "snow-capped peak"), inspired by the landscapes of the Western Caucasus, is in particular demand.

Local cheese

You can go to any market (the same Adlersky or the emasculated Central on Moskovskaya Street, 22) and buy a standard set of smoked chechil, Adyghe cheese and suluguni (however, you shouldn't delay transporting the latter two - they are perishable). The price will depend on how far from the central rows you go and how much you look like a local.

Another option is to buy cheese from local farms. There are two of them in Sochi now. Eco-farm "Exarho" is located in the Matsesta mountains and is open to guests. You can try hard goat cheese at a price of 200 rubles per 100 grams, feta cheese at 130 rubles or classic cow's milk cheese at 150 rubles per 100 grams. The eco-farm also acts as a recreational complex, so you can go there for cheeses or use paid delivery around the city.

There is also a farm "Volino", which is located in the village of Krasnaya Volya, Adler region. It produces craft cheeses using Italian technologies. Caciotta with tomatoes, pecorino, camembert and gorgonzola - there are a couple of dozen positions in total. It is not necessary to go to Adler to buy Volino cheeses - the farm has its own store at 14 Yunykh Lenintsev Street.

Chestnut honey

Another gastronomic attraction in Sochi is honey. Especially chestnut, because about 80% of Russia's chestnut forests are located in the Sochi National Park. It is necessary to look for a delicacy in apiaries in the Krasnaya Polyana area. For example, "Wild Honey", where 250 grams of chestnut honey will cost 350 rubles. There is delivery in the city.

Krasnopolyanskaya cosmetics

Soaps, hydrolates, hair sprays, make-up removers - at Krasnopolyanskaya Cosmetics they do almost everything and exclusively from natural ingredients collected on the slopes of Achishkho. The production itself is located in the high-mountainous village of Medoveevka, which was practically deserted 10 years ago. Krasnopolyanskaya Cosmetics has its own lavender farm, a pharmaceutical garden and a garden there. You should definitely take a hydrolat from feijoa, a lavender body scrub or soap with mountain herbs for 300 rubles.

If you don’t want to go to Medoveyevka or order cosmetics online, you can find the brand's products in the company store at 11/5 Navaginskaya, or at a point in the Rosa Khutor resort at 9 Medoveya Street.

Local tea

Sochi tea is considered one of the northernmost in the world (tea experts from Adygea are trying to challenge the title). Here, as with cheeses, you can rely on your intuition and go to the nearest market or purchase it directly from the plantations. For example, tea from the village of Izmailovsky, which is sold under the brand name "Matsesta Chai". A pack of classic black costs 160 rubles. It will be possible to buy it not only in Izmailovka itself, but also in the Okay hypermarket on Novaya Zarya, 7.

We should also mention mountain tea, which is served in almost every restaurant in Sochi under the name Krasnopolyansky collection. You can also buy it directly, for example, order in the mountain_tea_sochi Instagram account. The brand's products can also be found in many shops of the Rosa Khutor resort. In the center of Sochi, this tea is sold in the souvenir shop of the Zvezdny Hotel.