Popular resort cities in Russia

Our country is unique and amazing; it is impossible to count the natural resources with which it is endowed. But there are special places in Russia where you can relax your soul and body all year round. In some of them you can enjoy the gentle sun and tan on the sea coast, in others you can improve your health and recharge your batteries. The developed infrastructure of resort towns offers a wide range of entertainment and allows you to relax qualitatively and inexpensively, get acquainted with the local architectural heritage and temporarily forget about problems and everyday worries. Which corner of the vast country to choose is up to you to decide.

Anapa

Anapa is one of the main pearls of the Black Sea coast, the most popular climatic and balneological resort in the west of the Krasnodar Territory.

On the site of Anapa, the ancient city of Sindskaya Gavan was once located; after these territories were annexed to the Russian state, it acquired the status of a city, and from the end of the 19th century it actively developed as a resort. At the moment, dozens of sanatoriums, guest houses and hotels have been built here. Anapa is ideal for children's recreation, including three water amusement parks - Tik-Tak, Golden Beach and Olympia.

Anapa has been a favorite place since Soviet times; people both relax and receive treatment here. In the All-Russian health resort, problems with the musculoskeletal system and respiratory organs are solved with the help of therapeutic mud. There are several thermal mineral springs near the city, the water from which is used for baths and cosmetic procedures.

The beaches of the resort are simply gorgeous - fine sand and quite wide, the sea is shallow, children have a blast here, they can splash around in the shallow water and build sand castles. But there are also pebble beaches in Anapa, the best of which is Dzhemete.

Anapa is a cozy town, with a long embankment called Pionersky Prospekt. In recent years, interesting objects have been created: the Alley of Roses park with a cascading fountain, sculptures of elephants on the embankment, a butterfly in the park of the 30th anniversary of the Victory. Fans of nightlife will find bars, restaurants and discos to suit every taste and budget.

Things to see:

• musical fountains in Central Square;
• Castle "Lion's Head" in the village of Sukko;
• Temple of St. Seraphim of Sarov;
• reserve "Big Utrish";
• Valley of Indian Lotuses;
• dolphinarium;
• Oceanarium "RIF".

Gelendzhik

Gelendzhik is another marvelous seaside resort on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. Its location is the picturesque Gelendzhik Bay, surrounded by mighty mountain ranges.

Gelendzhik —  city, occupying the first line of the ranking of the most popular seaside resorts in Russia, in recent years it has really flourished and continues to delight guests with its beauty. The main attraction of the resort is the restored embankment, which is as long as any other embankment in the world and runs through the entire city. Pleasant climatic conditions (sea breezes make the heat quite bearable), well-groomed sandy beaches, Pitsunda pines, elms and beeches, boulevards, cozy cafes and restaurants - all this is the unique atmosphere of Gelendzhik. Those who vacationed in the health resort during Soviet times note the spirit of the era; it is conveyed thanks to the preserved rotundas, sculptures and colonnades.

Mountain air has a beneficial effect on well-being and immunity, but in addition to natural healers - the sun, sea and air, in local sanatoriums, resort guests have the opportunity to more seriously improve their health with the help of silt hydrogen sulfide mud from the bottom of the Golubitskoye and Salt lakes.

The age of the area on which the town was formed is about 5 thousand years. Of course, there are enough ancient monuments here; vacationers will definitely find something to do.

• Excursions to the dolmens of Gelendzhik, which depict natural elements, are very popular.
• No less interesting is the Zhane waterfall; along the entire tourist route you can see several waterfalls at once, all of them are different, but equally picturesque. This is a great place for a picnic.
• As already mentioned, the Gelendzhik embankment called Lermontovsky Boulevard is a landmark in itself; there are several monuments and sculptures installed on it; in the shade of pine trees you can sit on benches and admire the views.
• The Gelendzhik Oceanarium, Dolphinarium and water parks will be of interest to city guests of any age.

Tuapse

Tuapse translates as “the confluence of two rivers” and lives up to its name by being located in a beautiful bay and the mouth of a river that gives life to two fast streams. A distinctive feature of the resort is its narrow coastline. The villages, where city guests mostly relax, are located along the entire coast; the climate changes from very humid to drier, similar to the Mediterranean. In the humid subtropics, exotic trees and shrubs bloom wildly, including palms and magnolias. Summers in Tuapse are hot and winters are mild; the swimming season lasts from May to October.

Tuapse is a special city in the Krasnodar Territory, because it is the very heart of the coast and the largest port of the Black Sea with a population of about 60 thousand people, comparable in importance to Novorossiysk.

There are a lot of beaches in Tuapse, the most popular of them are:

• The central beach is located next to the river, it is the largest, sand and pebble, with a flat bottom and a gentle entrance to the water. There is a whole range of entertainment for tourists - attractions, playgrounds, bars.
• The three-hundred-meter Primorsky beach near the Spider River is more pebbly than sandy; the depth increases quickly when entering the water, so the place is not very suitable for families with children. Nevertheless, it is very picturesque and uncrowded; mostly locals sunbathe here.
• The wild beach at Cape Kadosh has a rocky bottom with large boulders, perfect for divers.

The main attraction of the city is the Primorsky Boulevard embankment, the main place for meetings and walks. For lovers of hiking, excursions to the Guam Gorge and the Perun Waterfall are offered.

Yeysk

Another wonderful city - resort Yeysk got its name from the Yeya River flowing nearby. Perhaps most tourists do not know about the existence of this place; when planning a vacation in our “south,” they increasingly give preference to Anapa, Gelendzhik or Adler, especially since this is the northernmost resort of Kuban, washed by the Sea of ​​Azov; it acquired this status quite recently, in 2006. However, one should not neglect the beauty of this wonderful corner of Russia; holidays here have a lot of advantages; they are suitable for both the elderly and families with children; the season here lasts until October. In addition, the mild climate in Yeysk and its balneological sanatoriums help improve the health of thousands of people every year. At the beginning of the 20th century, several hydrogen sulfide springs and healing mud were discovered in the surrounding area, which in terms of effectiveness are equal to mud from the bottom of the Dead Sea.

Many compare the architecture of Yeysk with St. Petersburg, but adjusted for the local flavor, it’s not for nothing that it was built by order of the Tsar, not Peter, but Nicholas I. The city has its own Bronze Horseman (a sculpture of the city’s founder, Prince Vorontsov) and its own “St. Isaac” - the Yeisk Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

The coastline of Yeisk is very long due to its location - the city is located at the tip of the Yeisk Spit, and there are mainly pebble and sandy beaches. A favorite place for tourists and local residents is Taganrog Bay, where people sunbathe and swim on two beaches - Central and Kamenka.

The infrastructure of the town is developing more and more actively, sanatoriums, recreation centers, picturesque boulevards and ennobled embankments of restaurants and bars have been built. Children will definitely enjoy the water park and dolphinarium.

Alushta

When traveling to Crimea, be sure to visit this small but amazing ancient city, which was built in the middle of the mountain hills by the Romans back in the 6th century. Thanks to the mountain passes, there are constant “drafts” from the sea and back, so the climate here is mild; on the hottest days, residents and guests of the city feel comfortable.

Perhaps Alushta, in comparison with other southern resorts of Crimea, is not so colorful and bright, but its charm is in the picturesque open spaces and majestic mountain ranges that surround this paradise of nature.

Status resort town Alushta was acquired at the beginning of the 20th century, when rich noble families began to come here for treatment. Since then, it has been deservedly considered one of the best climatic health resorts on the Black Sea coast thanks to the clean sea and air saturated with phytoncides of coniferous and juniper groves. There are about 100 sanatoriums, children's camps and recreation centers located here.

Approximately half of Alushta’s beaches are sandy; most of these areas belong to boarding houses and hotels, but about 25 are free; at the height of the season, the central beaches are almost always crowded.

Tourists here are offered an extensive excursion program; lovers of mountain travel will not be left indifferent by walking or horseback riding to Mount Jemerdzhi or Castel, an exciting trip to the Jur-Jur waterfall, Cape Plaka and the Valley of Ghosts. Don’t ignore the architectural sights - the ancient Aluston fortress, which gave life to the modern city, the Palace of Princess Gagarina, a striking example of the Art Nouveau style in the village of Utes, the Yukhary-Jami Mosque, considered the symbol of Alushta.

Children will have fun at the dolphinarium, the Nemo water park and the educational dinosaur exhibit.

Zheleznovodsk

The smallest town in terms of population in the Stavropol Territory, Zheleznogorsk, has acquired its niche in the healing of thousands of Russians. It is located at the foot of Mount Zheleznaya at an altitude of 630 meters above sea level.

The distance from industrial enterprises that pollute the environment, oxygen-saturated air, a mountain-forest climate similar in properties to the Alpine, centuries-old relict forests make the area unique when it comes to treatment, because there are many balneological sanatoriums and children's camps that welcome guests all year round. No wonder the resort is called “our Switzerland”

At the moment, there are 23 mineral springs in Zheleznogorsk, and three of them are known throughout the world - Slavyanovsky, Smirnovsky, Lermontovsky. The main specialization of local sanatoriums and boarding houses is the treatment of urological ailments and genitourinary diseases, but therapeutic procedures aimed at eliminating other diseases are successfully carried out. Silt mud from the bottom of Lake Tambukan is called a unique natural gift; it is enriched with useful minerals and is suitable for treating children and adults.

A favorite pastime for tourists is leisurely walks through the Healing Park; not far from it there is a picturesque decorative lake where vacationers sunbathe.

In the most cozy city of the Caucasian Mineralnye Vody there are several famous attractions, one of them is the Palace of the Emir of Bukhara, with which several interesting legends are associated, as well as the Pushkin Gallery, whose architectural appearance has absorbed all the fashion trends of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The structure is made entirely of metal structures and multi-colored glass.

Saki

The seaside town of Saki is located in the western part of the Crimean peninsula near Evpatoria. Saki is a steppe city, there are no high mountain peaks here, but this in no way detracts from its merits, because since the mid-19th century people have been going here for mud treatment. 

Information that highly mineralized mud was found in this place spread far beyond the peninsula. Today in Saki you can combine business with pleasure - relax by the sea and cure a number of ailments, local natural resources allow this. The treatment options here are quite extensive; the sanatoriums use not only water and mud treatments, but also reflexology, acupuncture, massage and much more. Mineral waters tidy up both the nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract; there is a mineral spring in the suburbs, and the oxygen-saturated air is another irreplaceable natural doctor of Crimea.

The sea in Saki is clean, the entrance is gentle, very convenient for families with children, but the coastal strip is located outside the city, about 5 kilometers from the center. Before beach You can get there by public transport or walk. The most famous beach is the Central one. It is fully equipped for city guests, the infrastructure is well developed, in addition, there are changing rooms and showers for wheelchair users.

The asset of this pleasant resort lies not only in the popularity of the balneological spring, but also in the architectural beauty. Tourists love to visit the main religious building of the city - St. Elias Church, built more than a hundred years ago. Lovers of antiquity do not ignore the ancient settlement of Kara-Tobe and do not miss the opportunity to look into the museum; it contains dozens of interesting artifacts.

Belokurikha

Another corner of Russia - the Altai Territory - presents us with countless natural gifts. It was there, in the foothills of Altai, near the Belokurikha River, that the buildings of one of the oldest health resorts in Siberia, which has a powerful medical base, are located. The mineral springs of Belokurikha became known back in the 18th century, and already in the 19th century the first hot healing springs were discovered here.

The ionized air of Belokurikha is often compared to the Swiss Alps, and in terms of the number of warm days the balneological resort is not inferior to our south.

The sanatorium itself consists of 2 buildings of 10 floors, connected by a passage. The main methods of healing are balneotherapy, antler treatment, mud therapy, massage and much more. In addition to the medical department, there is a club and a restaurant where guests relax in their free time. Several treatment departments have been created, as well as separate blocks with a bathhouse and sauna, a gym and a water park.

Belokurikha is also a treasure trove for lovers of antiquity and active entertainment. The resort offers a choice of city tours, cave exploration, and rafting on the Katun River.

The city is also developing as a ski resort; as soon as the snow falls, fans of alpine skiing and snowboarding from all over Western Siberia flock here.

Hot key

Hot Spring - famous balneological resort Kuban, created back in the 19th century. Then parks were laid out here, bathhouses and a military hospital were built.

Hot Spring is a truly unique place, because it is recognized as one of the cleanest places on the planet. The properties of the resort's healing springs are compared with Essentuki or the German Baden-Baden. Developed infrastructure, comfortable living conditions, clean air and the opportunity to enjoy unity with nature - all these qualities are amazingly combined in Goryachy Klyuch. The climate here is mild; resort guests feel comfortable both in winter and summer.

In total, there are about 10 thermal springs in Goryachy Klyuch (hydrogen sulfide, chloride-bicarbonate, sodium and alkaline), they are used for drinking and bathing and effectively relieve a number of ailments. About 10 thousand patients are treated here annually for diseases of the musculoskeletal system, cardiovascular, and gynecological diseases. Chloride-bicarbonate-sodium waters heal diseases associated with disruption of the gastrointestinal tract.

There are about 5 sanatoriums in Goryachiy Klyuch, there is no sea nearby, but you can go to Lermontovo or Blue Bay 60 km from the city, due to this the prices here are significantly lower than on the coast.