Highlights of Sochi: Dacha of J.Stalin and Spectacular Mount Akhun Views

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Train Station Sochi, Gorkogo St., 56, Sochi 354000 Russia

Meet your guide at the hotel to start with a city highlights overview tour. Sochi city tour will open the door to numerous architectural landmarks - the face of the city, which include modern ensembles, monuments, squares, embankments and boulevards.

You will see:

Sochi Railway station - not only an important transport hub but also an architectural monument of federal importance. High arches, majestic columns and a snow-white lookout tower with huge clocks perfectly fit into the Black Sea landscape and attract hundreds of tourists trying to find the differences between Sochi station and its twin in Simferopol, Crimea.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Marine Passenger Terminal, Voikova, 1, Sochi 354009 Russia

Sochi passenger seaport - the largest passenger port in the Black Sea. A great photo opportunity!

The building of the marine station in Sochi was built in 1955 and is an architectural monument of federal significance. It has two main floors, which is adjacent L-shaped two-story gallery. Center of the building is crowned by a tower with a spire height of 71 meters, made of polished stainless steel. On the tower are 4 sculptures that represent 4 seasons and 4 points of the compass. In front of the Maritime Station installed a fountain with a statue of the goddess of navigation.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel, Moskvina St., 12, Sochi 354000 Russia

The Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel - actually the oldest and the most beautiful Orthodox temple in the region. It took Russian builders 16 years to construct the snow-white church with a cruciform shape. It is Sochi's main Orthodox church and an architectural landmark. It was built in the 19th century and closed its doors in 1931 to become a warehouse (a fate typical of many Russian churches in the Stalin era). In 1944 the cathedral reopened its doors, and after the fall of the Soviet Union it was reconstructed.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Winter Theatre, Teatralnaya St., 2, Sochi 354000 Russia

Take a local promenade and Winter Theater - righteously considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Sochi. Its architectural style belongs to Neoclassicism, with its massive columns and ornate cornices. The interior of the building is no less impressive: you’ll enjoy the magnificent golden pillars and the majestic chandelier in the central hall. The architecture of this landmark is not the only reason why people from all over the world travel to Winter Theatre on a daily basis – we are ready to tell you about the rest of them right now.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: The Observation Tower on Akhun Mountain, Akhun Mountain, Khosta, Sochi 354056 Russia

Now go ahead to discover the beauties of Mount Akhun! Mount Akhun, the highest coastal point of Sochi, offers its guests an unforgettable panoramic view of the city. Its height is over 690 meters above the sea. The top of this peak is crowned by the observation tower, opening a fabulous all-round view of the city and the neighbouring landscapes. This is a great opportunity to see the city of Sochi with all the surrounding landscapes in full view. It’s really fantastic! The height of this peak impresses even sophisticated travelers and mountaineers. The tower situated on the top of Akhun looks like an ancient castle with century-old secrets and ghosts. When the weather is fine, you can even see the Turkish coast from this observation place. Here, you’ll take magnificent pictures of Sochi, the Black Sea, and the peaks of Greater Caucasus.

Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Stalin's Summer Residence, Kurortny pr. 120, Sochi 354024 Russia

During this tour, you will also visit the historic house-museum Stalin's Dacha - the former Summer Residence of the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. It's one of the few real-life relics left in Sochi from the communist times. During the guided tour you will have a chance to see the favourite amenities of Stalin: the shallow indoor pool, the billiard table, the cinema, and much more. Sochi owes much of its development to Stalin. «The Father of Nations» vacationed here every year and actively contributed to the transformation of a provincial southern town into a pan-USSR national health resort. Here, he spent three months every summer from 1936 to 1953, when he died. The building has two stories with the minimalistic interior environment and conspicuous austerity. There are no expensive pictures, pieces of art, and luxurious furniture – this describes the owner of the house as a very ascetic person.

At the end of the tour enjoy a private transfer back to your hotel.

Duration: 2 hours