Golitsyn trail: history, sights, travel

The Crimean Peninsula is one of the most popular holiday destinations. The area attracts tourists not only with its well-groomed and cozy beaches, but also with other interesting sights: landscapes of unimaginable beauty, historical monuments and many others.

One of the most popular sights of Crimea is the Golitsyn Trail. Millions of tourists come to this place every year. What are the features of this tourist route, what to see and how to get to the Golitsyn trail, we will consider in more detail in the article.

If we talk about the geographical coordinates of the attraction, it should be noted that The Golitsyn trail is located on the Crimean peninsula, not far from the village of Novy Svet... But also the trail can be quickly reached from the city of Sudak. The total length of the route is about three kilometers.

Despite the fact that this tourist route bears its name in honor of Lev Golitsyn, the trail existed as a natural phenomenon before. For example, in more ancient times, the Crimean Tatars called this path "the path of the infidels." The history of the origin of such a name is not known for certain, but there are two main theories. The first of them says that the passage along this path was a kind of punishment - the road was quite dangerous, and during its passage one could die.

The second version is fundamentally different from the first. So, it is believed that at that time there was a Christian monastery in the mountains, and along this path pilgrims ascended to it - representatives of the Orthodox faith, that is, infidels according to the idea of ​​the Crimean Tatars professing the Muslim religion.

However, during his life, Prince Lev Golitsyn equipped the trail with all the necessary safety elements (stairs, observation decks and so on), turning it into a road on which now it is not only easy, but also pleasant to walk.

If you delve into history, you can learn that Lev Golitsyn was the founder of the winery in his line of business. And he did the work on the improvement of the Golitsyn Trail in honor of the visit of Emperor Nicholas II, who came to Crimea in 1912. During this visit, Lev Golitsyn not only treated the head of state with the best wines, but also showed him all the beauties of the Crimean peninsula. The Golitsyn Trail along the Eagle Mountain has become an excellent place to get acquainted with the breathtaking Crimean landscapes.

In addition, it should be said that due to its rather long existence, the Golitsyn Trail, as a well-known Crimean landmark, has “overgrown” with a huge number of legends, myths and fairy tales. So, the most popular legend is the story associated with the famous Golitsyn grotto. So, it is believed that the grotto became the place where the prince's friends decided to play a trick on the latter and arranged a small joke. The fact is that Lev Golitsyn was well versed in champagne and argued that at the moment when a bottle of a truly high-quality sparkling drink is opened, the cork itself pops, but the champagne does not pour out, but only a characteristic white smoke appears.

In order to refute the words of a professional, friends were shaking a bottle of champagne all day, and after that they invited Lev Golitsyn to open sparkling wine. The prince not only poured himself on the drink, but also wet the walls of the grotto with it. At that moment, when the liquid washed the walls and began to descend from them, ancient frescoes were presented to the eyes of the whole honest company.

However, today these images cannot be seen as they have disappeared over time. That's why it is impossible to say for certain whether this story is true or just an interesting and, in its own way, funny fable.

An earthquake in 1927 became a milestone in the history of the Golitsyn Trail. This natural phenomenon had a strong negative impact on the arrangement of the trail. However, even despite such a cataclysm, the Golitsyn Trail remains passable, so the famous landmark receives a huge number of tourists and vacationers every year.

Golitsyn Trail is one of the most famous sights of the Crimean Peninsula. In general, you can sign up for an excursion along it from anywhere in the Republic of Crimea, but the closest way to get to the trail will be from the city of Sudak or the village of Novy Svet (a detailed path can be traced on the map). The trail itself stretches along Mount Eagle or Koba-Kaya, skirting the cape. Most often, tourists visit this attraction in summer, spring and early autumn, excursions in winter are quite rare and are only possible if the weather is favorable.

One of the most popular attractions on this route is Golitsyn's grotto (the second name is Chaliapin's grotto). It was in this place that the famous all over Russia sparkling wines of Prince Lev Golitsyn were matured. In addition, this grotto is known for the fact that informal concerts of the singer Fyodor Chaliapin were often held there. The musician was attracted by the presence of good acoustics.

Generally speaking, the grotto itself was dug in stone. However, this process was carried out not through human labor, but created by nature itself - the grotto was dug with water.In some places, its height reaches simply unprecedented figures of 30 meters.

Another striking place that you will come across on your way is the Through Grotto... While the Chaliapin grotto was formed by the forces of water, this landmark was created thanks to geological processes that changed the location of several limestone plateaus. It is believed that the Through Grotto is an ideal place for photo shoots, so it is here that huge queues of tourists line up to take that very memorable shot.

Besides the grottoes, The Golitsyn trail is famous for another unusual place, namely: the cliff of Mount Koba-Kaya. In this place, there are heaps of rocks. With a little imagination, they will remind you of a fantastic and magical kingdom. It is not known exactly whether this phenomenon is natural, or whether it is a product of human activity. It is not uncommon to come across the guesses of scientists that this rocky heap appeared thanks to the labors of the Taurus.

As you move along the trail, you will come to Cape Kapchik. At this point, your path will pass over an underwater cave called Legend. An excursion along the Golitsyn Trail does not provide for a descent into it. However, individual daredevils often arrange independent descents and excursions to this underwater cave. And also it is impossible not to notice that a huge number of unusual Crimean plants and trees (for example, junipers) grow on Mount Oryol (where the Golitsyn Trail is located). Therefore, after the excursion, you can go down into the grove and admire the plant landscapes of the peninsula.

As mentioned above, the Golitsyn Trail is located near the village of Novy Svet. Therefore, if you are here, then getting to the attraction will be quite simple - you just need to walk, because the trail is located a few kilometers from the bus station.

Another nearest settlement is the city of Sudak. From here you can get to the Golitsyn Trail by minibus or your own car. The distance from Sudak is about 9 km.

Tourists and vacationers who have already visited the Golitsyn Trail speak positively about their trip. They are ready not only to provide historical information about this place (professional guides working on the route can impress with their stories, which will remain in everyone's memory for a long time), but also share beautiful pictures of the sights. We will share the extraordinary beauty of the landscapes with you.

• For example, this is how the general view from above of the Golitsyn Trail looks like.

• And here is Golitsyn's grotto (or Shalyapin's grotto), where the prince's sparkling wines known throughout the country were kept, as well as unofficial music concerts of the famous singer were held.

• In this photo you can observe Cape Kapchik, next to which there is an underwater cave, which is closed for mass excursions.

• Here you can see the Through grotto - an amazing place created by the forces of nature and has become a favorite location for photo shoots among tourists and vacationers.

• This is how the mass excursions along the Golitsyn Trail look like, which are held during the high season. As you can see, there are quite a lot of people who want to learn more about the Crimean Peninsula. Moreover, on such excursions you can meet not only visiting tourists, but also the local population, who gets acquainted with the culture of their peninsula.

• Ladders and steps are an integral part of the trail route. Make sure in advance of your physical strength and abilities, since such a long walk may not be possible for everyone, especially in the hot season (this is especially true for the elderly and small children).

Our country is an amazing, but, unfortunately, poorly explored place by ourselves. Many of us not only have not been, but do not even know about the existence of a huge number of amazing places with their history and beauty. A special part of our state is the Crimea peninsula. It is this territory that is rich not only in a huge number of historical monuments (which date back to Antiquity, the Great Patriotic War, and so on) and beaches, but also incredibly beautiful and literally breathtaking natural landscapes.

Sometimes, in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we forget about the beauty that surrounds us. However, one has only to look back and you will notice what a wonderful world we live in.

In the next video, you will find a beautiful footage of the trail from a quadcopter.