ABOUT CRIMEA

The Crimean coast lies on the far side of the Black Sea from Turkey. Stunning mountain scenery, warm sea and a long season of summer sunshine have made the Crimean coastline the Riviera for Ukrainians.

Crimea is a wonderful place with a peculiar history, culture, traditions and a unique landscape. It is one of the largest and most famous health resorts in Ukraine. Whenever you visit Crimea at least once and explore its beauty and rich culture, you will certainly wish to return.

The autonomous republic of Crimea is part of Ukraine and is within the peninsula. It is washed by the Black Sea on the West, South and South East, and by the Azov Sea in the North East.
The area of Crimea is 27,000km2. The nature of the Crimea is very rich and beautiful; there are so many different nature landscapes.

SIGHTSEEING IN CRIMEA

Crimea has many historical and beautiful sites. They are however, not for the faint at heart. A number of places are not accessible by auto and require long and arduous hikes to reach. Because of which they are also seen in their rustic and original settings. Amazing!
Cave Towns of Crimea are wonderful places to visit.

Steeped in history, Crimea is a fascinating region to explore, as well as a great place to relax. Across the centuries it has attracted settlers such as the Greeks, the Venetians and the Genoese - all of whom founded cities along the coast and inter-married with the local people.

CRIMEAN POPULATION

One becomes fascinated and enthralled by the diversity of the people in Crimea, their culture and way of life, their enterprise and ingenuity. One can be completely overwhelmed by the beauty of the Crimean landscape, the magnificent Orthodox Monasteries, built literally into the mountain side and yet in complete harmony with their natural surroundings.

Talking about Crimea we can’t but mention about how much hospitable its residents are. The Crimeans are really very welcoming people and are quick to invite you in if they like you.
A meal in a Crimean home is likely to be accompanied by vodka or cognac and frequent toasts - to the guests, to prosperity, to anything that comes up at the time. You will be expected to propose a toast too, so don't hold back! Many Crimean people work in the seasonal tourist trade, which means long hours in summer and then making money as best they can by other means between November and March.
The Crimean residents are a mix which has been determined by their history. The population of 2.5 million (out of a total Ukrainian population of around 50 million) consists of a majority of Russians and Ukrainians, substantial numbers of Tatars, and smaller numbers of Greeks, Armenians and Jews.

HEALTH SPAS IN CRIMEA

It won’t be any exaggeration to say that Crimea is extremely popular due to its Health Spas. The name sanatorium comes from the south coast resorts' long tradition as health spas. 100 years ago people came to Crimea in the hope that the sea air would help them recover from a variety of illnesses, in particular tuberculosis. Today many of the sanatoria have medical wings for patients with health conditions or recuperating after operations, and in addition offer the full range of health and fitness treatments for their other customers - massage, mud baths, fitness and weight loss programs, saunas and so on. Many of the mud and mineral-based treatments are derived from natural mineral springs and medicinal mud, found in the Crimean environment. The south coast resorts are also a favorite holiday destination for people suffering from asthma or hay fever, as the sea breezes help both these conditions.

CRIMEAN QUISINE

Crimea is also very popular due to its exquisite and delicious cuisine. You'll find restaurants and cafes to suit every conceivable taste and pocket, from the cheap Stolovaya (self-service cafeteria) or the pavement snack kiosk to the high class Restaurant for a candle-lit dinner. Apart from restaurants serving Crimean-style dishes, there are those which specialize in Tatar or Georgian food. And because you're by the sea, there's no shortage of restaurants serving really tasty seafood and fish dishes. On the other hand, you may prefer to cook your own meals. There are plenty of well-stocked food supermarkets like Gastronome, but the best place to go is the market. There are several in Yalta, one specializing in vegetables (but also selling other things like bread), one specializing in groceries - all sorts of household goods, bottled drinks and canned food - and a couple of `paper' markets selling books, magazines and stationery. A trip to the vegetable market is a must, just to see the amazing variety of colorful foods on display and savor the atmosphere. Crimea is well known for making a wide range of wines, including dry reds and whites, but the regional specialty is sweet wines such as Madeira, sherry, muscatel and port.

CLIMATE

The unique Crimean climate combines the features of moderate and subtropical areas and the peninsula features mountains, ancient volcanoes, plains, forests, dry steppes, arid semi-desert and a subtropical belt of lavish vegetation. The average temperature in the end of September is +18 - +22°C and nights are mostly fresh (approximately +15°C). Crimea has two seasons - the warm / hot season, which lasts from May through to October, and the cool season running from November to April. Rainfall is light, averaging around 1 inch (38 mm) per month in summer and 3 inches (83 mm) in the cool season. In the warm / hot season temperatures rival those of the Mediterranean resorts and the average sea temperature in summer is 23ºC. Swimming begins in earnest in May and continues through to the end of October.