Sochi

Riviera of the Black Sea

Categories: Sochi Russia

The Russian city of Sochi lies directly on the Black Sea. The place is a popular destination for tourists, as it offers numerous possibilities for a relaxed beach holiday as well as for those interested in culture. The 250 square kilometre city is known by the nickname "Russian Riviera of the Black Sea". No wonder - temperatures and climate hardly differ from the "real Riviera".
© Dmitriy Kandinskiy / Fotolia

Mild climate and varied nature all year round
As Sochi is located at the same latitude as the French Nizza, the climate is warm during the whole year. While the summers are subtropically hot, the winter as well as autumn and spring are pleasantly mild. At this time of year Sochi is the ideal place for hiking, cycling or strolling through the city centre of Sochi. In summer, on the other hand, lush palm tree landscapes and the black beaches invite you to relax and sunbathe.

East of Sochi, in the middle of the mountains, lies the biosphere reserve. This reserve is part of the UNESCO World Natural Heritage. In the midst of the impressive landscape of Sochi, the snow-covered peaks can even be seen from the beach at the foot of the Caucasus. In addition, numerous parks and medicinal springs invite the visitor to let go and leave everyday life behind.

Cultural Highlights
Not only the landscape of Sochi is impressive, the city also attracts with impressive monuments and an extravagant architecture, which dates back to the time of Stalinism. The Cathedral of Archangel Michael, the Chamber Music Hall, the Summer Theatre and the Winter Theatre are particularly worth seeing.

In the music hall the "Sochier Symphoniker", a symphony orchestra from the city of Sochi, performs all year round. Sochi is also known as a university city, which is home to the Sochi State University and the Russian International Olympic University. The city is also home to many other small institutes and branches of other educational institutions.

Sochi is also a popular destination for sports enthusiasts. In 2014, the city has already hosted the Winter Olympics and currently, in June 2018, it will host several preliminary round matches of the World Cup. The German national soccer team will also fight here for their world championship title.

Waterfalls and a canyon
In the whole of Sochi there are numerous interesting destinations, which can be easily reached from the hotel either by bus or with a rental car, a very special highlight are the Smejkowskije waterfalls. Hikers who want to climb a real canyon will get their money's worth here. The Agura Gorge, only a few minutes drive from the city centre, offers a view of the Agura River.
© Sivenkov / Fotolia

Steep cliffs tower so high in the sky that one feels as if one is on a much bigger mountain. The valley that leads along here provides a lot of shade. This is the reason why hiking is specially pleasant at this place. The hiking trails are also suitable for less sporty visitors and are very well signposted. More than a hundred years ago, the paths were already laid out by the Caucasus Mountain Hikers' Association and even today all paths are safe and easy to walk on.