"Swallow's Nest" in Crimea: features, history and location

Places that have a romantic history have always attracted thousands of tourists. The Swallow's Nest is just one of those places. And although it is relatively young in comparison with other cultural monuments of Crimea, it was he who had the honor to become the hallmark of the peninsula.

"Swallow's Nest" is an attraction that every tourist who comes to rest in Crimea is simply obliged to see. After all, a miniature white castle, comfortably located on the very edge of a 40-meter cliff, cannot but be appreciated. The castle was built in the Gothic style and is somewhat reminiscent of medieval buildings that were popular in the days of knighthood.

On the walls of the castle there are battlements, lancet windows. The building is crowned with a 3-tier rounded turret, at the top of which there are several spiers. As for the interior of the room, you should not expect something supernatural and bewitching, there are almost no decorations. The castle is quite small - only 12 m high and 20 m long, but its beauty lies not in the size, but in the location. If you look at the "Swallow's Nest" from the sea, it seems as if it is floating in the sky.

The rock on which the castle is located today has been known since antiquity. Few people know that at the bottom of the rock itself there is a hidden cave, in which, according to the assumptions of historians, primitive people lived. Later, a fortress was built on the rock, which was then replaced by a lighthouse.

At the end of the 19th century, a building was erected on the rock, intended for a Russian general who participated in the Crimean War. To date, no mentions, or even the name of the general, have survived, and the view of the building can be found only through photographs and paintings by artists.

After some time, the general's dacha was transferred to a certain Tobin, who served as a doctor under Alexander III in the Livadia Palace. The doctor did not manage to occupy the building for a long time, since he soon died. After that, his wife sold the building, along with the land on which it was located, to the merchant Rachmanina.

The appearance of the building did not impress the merchant at all, and she ordered the complete demolition of the building. It was she who later came up with the idea to build the castle. When the construction of the building was completed, it was named "Swallow's Nest". The castle was built of wood, and if you look at the canvases of the artists of those times, it becomes clear that it was very similar to its modern counterpart.

The wooden structure did not last too long, since P.L. Shteingel drew attention to it.engaged in the oil industry. This man was keenly interested in medieval buildings and had long dreamed of making his dreams come true by building a beautiful Gothic ensemble. He was helped in this by engineer Leonid Sherwood, who enthusiastically set about making the project a reality.

In 1912, the old wooden building was destroyed, and in a fairly short time, a light and elegant white castle took its place. Its dimensions were no different from modern ones. In addition, the estate was surrounded by a small garden. In 1914, with the outbreak of the First World War, the owner of the castle decided to sell it and leave for Germany. The merchant Shelaputin bought the castle, and some time later he opened a restaurant there. The idea at that time was not very successful, the restaurant did not bring profit, and therefore quickly fell into decay.

In 1920, Soviet power was established in Crimea, and at last they paid attention to the "Swallow's Nest". A canteen was organized here, but it did not exist for a long time thanks to the strongest earthquake in 1927. The rock under the castle cracked, and because of this, the garden, laid out near the estate, collapsed into the depths of the sea. The observation deck sagged menacingly, but the building did not receive much damage.

The restoration of the castle began only after 1960, it was then that the castle was well fortified. The next reconstruction took place in 2002, and the castle reopened its doors to tourists. Inside was a restaurant, and outside you could walk through the souvenir market.

Since 2011, excursions have been regularly held in the palace, exhibitions are constantly held. Despite this, the palace is constantly in need of reconstruction, as it is located in a rather dangerous zone. The fact that the rock under the castle is regularly strengthened leads to the fact that it becomes thicker and from time to time it can chip.

If we carefully study the map of Crimea, we will see that the Swallow's Nest castle is located in the urban-type resort village of Gaspra. Gaspra is located on the southern coast of the Crimean Peninsula, 12 km west of the city of Yalta.

The castle is located near the Charax palace, on the top of the Avrorina rock of the Ai-Todor cape, whose height is 40 meters. The exact address of the attraction is Gaspra, Alupkinskoe highway, 9A. If you do not plan to enter the castle itself, you can also view it from the sea by driving up on one of the pleasure boats down the cliff. From the track you will have to go 1200 steps.And although this excursion may seem burdensome to many, it will be simply impossible to forget the stunning views of the bays of Yalta and Ayu-Dag.

The way to the "Swallow's Nest" is not too difficult, and you can choose different means of transportation.

• A car. If you are planning to drive your own car, drive along the Yalta - Sevastopol highway until the turn to the Gaspra village. As soon as you see the souvenir shops, you can start looking for parking. Parking prices are about 100-300 rubles per hour, it all depends on how close you are to the castle.

• Bus. A cheaper option is public transport. There are quite a few buses to Gaspra, you can take those that run in the direction of Alupka or Simeiz. These can be routes 115, 102, 132. The stop at which you need to get off is called “Swallow's Nest”.

• Boat. It is quite possible to get to the castle by sea, many consider this to be the best option in the heat. The first destination is the Marine Terminal in Yalta. From it every half hour motor ships leave, which will quickly take you to the desired place. Each trip is accompanied by a guide who tells about all the sights that the ship goes by. The last flights are at 18.00 and 18.30. Please note that there is no drop-off on these two flights, so head out early if you want to head up to the castle. But, of course, you can also rent private yachts and boats, but the cost of tickets will increase.

Before talking about the interior decoration of a romantic castle, it is worth talking a little about what is around it. As already noted, to arrive directly at the "Swallow's Nest", you need to climb about 1200 steps... However, judging by the reviews, the trip is not particularly difficult. In addition, many tourists claim that it seemed to them that there were much fewer steps. As you climb, be sure to find an observation deck from which you can take another look at the beautiful castle. And also along the way there will be a Garden of Living Butterflies, where you can take a break and see, as well as buy a butterfly.

On the way to the castle, you will see many souvenir shops, as well as cafes where you can buy ice cream, kvass, lemonade, and, of course, order grilled or grilled dishes. Near the "Swallow's Nest" itself there is another observation deck, which offers stunning views of the sea bays, as well as the Ayu-Dag mountain.

As for the castle itself, no one can forbid you to inspect it from the inside. And nevertheless, there is no point in hoping to see old interiors here - they simply have not survived. Let's remember the history of the castle: literally every decade it passed to a new owner, who strove to make it unique. Steingel realized his dream of a Gothic building, but he didn't manage to furnish anything inside, he had to leave. Before the revolution, one of the owners arranged everything in the old Russian direction, which has nothing to do with Gothic.

Of course, with this approach, nothing authentic could be preserved. Now there is a cultural and exhibition center inside the castle, designed to attract visitors to the walls of the Swallow's Nest. The expositions are renewed every two months. Tourists are offered to look at interesting ancient artifacts, paintings by famous artists, old photos and postcards. And also here you can listen to the history of Crimea and the famous romantic legend about Poseidon and Aurora. Leaving the castle, do not forget about another local tradition - the Wish Tree. It is located next to the castle, and each vacationer can attach a ribbon to it, which will symbolize the earliest fulfillment of desire.

The entrance to the territory of the castle is free, any tourist has the right to enter and inspect the outer territory, visits to the observation decks also do not require payment. If you want to listen to a guide who will tell you about the history and sights of the castle, and take you through the inner chambers of the palace, it will cost a small amount. And also you will have the opportunity to see the exhibitions that take place during your visit. The price for visiting the two halls is 250 rubles for an adult, and 125 for a child.

As for the opening hours of the castle-museum, it all depends on the time of year. From November to May, the castle is open to the public, but it closes quite early - at 16.00. There is no need to plan a trip for Monday, on this day "Swallow's Nest" does not work. But from May to October there are no days off at the palace - anyone can visit it from 10.00 to 19.00. In addition, if you are going to visit the castle, it is possible to know in advance what exhibitions there will be.

The sheer amount of experience visiting the castle and its surroundings can whet your appetite. You shouldn't worry about this, as there are several cafes and restaurants near the castle. The closest to the palace is the Maria cafe, or rather, it is located right on its territory. The cafe has indoor and outdoor areas, as well as a terrace from which you can admire the view of the sea. The cuisine here is varied: homemade, Mediterranean and others. You can order dishes on the grill.

The next cafe is located 400 meters from the castle and is called "Yacht". There is a summer terrace with wonderful views of the castle and its surroundings. The cuisine here is Mediterranean and Eastern European, with a focus on fish and seafood dishes. Prices are about the same as in "Maria", but there are discounts for regular customers and tourist groups.

At the same distance from the palace is the popular restaurant "Elena". Here, vacationers can not only enjoy the beautiful scenery, but also try several types of cuisines. Seafood snacks and exclusive lamb dishes are especially delicious here. The restaurant offers a rich wine list, as well as live music and an original children's menu with surprises.

A little further from the castle, at a distance of 500 meters or more, there are cafes and restaurants such as Erpan, "Knyazha Kuhnya", "Little Farm".

Having decided to come to the castle "Swallow's Nest", you can think about staying in Gaspra for the whole day. There are several hotels near the castle, but keep in mind that daily accommodation in them will cost no less than 6 thousand rubles. However, such hotels provide a full range of services for a good rest: Wi-Fi, private beaches, food, swimming pools, accommodation, gyms, and various medical procedures. The hotels closest to the palace are the Zhemchuzhina sanatorium, Kichkine, and the Livadiysky spa hotel.

A more budget solution would be to turn to the services of guest houses or boarding houses, here accommodation will be on average 2,000 rubles per person. The most popular places: guest house Tavr, pension "Malakhit", hotel "Monsoon".

In addition, there is a hostel not far from the castle, where you can pay about 500 rubles for accommodation. But there is also always the opportunity to rent cheap accommodation for a day from one of the private traders.

Such a structure as "Swallow's Nest", of course, could not fail to be reflected in folk culture and creativity. For example, this aerial structure has been featured in several famous films. Among them are "Ten Little Indians", "Academy" and "The Journey of Pan Blots", "Blue Bird" and many others.

The "Swallow's Nest" is very popular in numismatics as well. In 2008, Ukraine issued coins with the image of a castle, gold - 50 hryvnia, silver - 10. The circulation of the gold coin was 4000 copies, silver - 5000. In 2012, an interesting coin was issued already in Poland - the coin was made of silver and had the shape of the Crimean peninsula.

In 2014, Russia also issued a 10-ruble coin, which sold 10 million. And in 2016, the floating castle was decorated with new 100-ruble bills.

Having decided to visit the Swallow's Nest castle, you will never leave disappointed. A complex history of origin and numerous reconstructions allowed the castle to be what it is today, and no one knows how much more time it has been given to please humanity. It is not for nothing that "Swallow's Nest" was included in the "7 Wonders of Crimea", because after seeing this airy, white and romantic palace, you will definitely want to come here again.

See the video below about Swallow's Nest.