Crimea in winter: where to go and what to see?

Crimea is known as an insanely popular tourist location - tourists come here not only from all over the post-Soviet space, but also from Western Europe. The main tourist season falls on the warm half of the year, since one of the main local "magnets" is the sea, which surrounds the peninsula from almost all sides. The sea is not only in Crimea, but the region is unique here - there are mountains and ancient sights next to the beaches.

Consider what to do on the Crimean peninsula in the non-resort months.

In winter, looking at the alternation of snow and slush outside the window, many want to go somewhere far south, where it is always warm. Crimea is located in the south, but it would be a big mistake to think that it is located far enough for it to be warm all year round. Contrary to popular belief, there is winter here, and it is not always as mild as one might think. At the same time, the climate on the peninsula is, in principle, not the same in different parts, this should be discussed separately.

The warmest of all, of course, is on the southern coast of Crimea - that's why there is a subtropical climate. Winter here, of course, is not a typical Russian one, but it is still not very pleasant to winter here: in December, the average daily temperature is usually above zero, but frosts are typical at night. It should be borne in mind that in the subtropical part of Crimea, there are no places at all remote from the sea, which means that there are regular fogs and dampness here, which only aggravates the unpleasant impressions of low temperatures.

The eastern coast of Crimea is another popular resort area east of Feodosia. It no longer belongs to the subtropical climate, because the winter is even cooler here, although not much. The average night temperature in January steadily goes to minus, during the day it stays at about zero degrees. By the way, there are also bitter (relatively) frosts here - up to 15 degrees, but this is rather an exception than a rule.

The snow cover does not lie here as long as in even more northern regions, but it does happen here, and is not a wonder for local residents. At the same time, experienced people say that it is here that winter is tolerated a little easier, since in the interior of the peninsula there is no humidity, which makes you shiver.

Winter Crimea, especially when it comes to coastal regions, is exposed to strong winds, storms are frequent on the east coast... The peak of wind activity occurs in February, which is why many consider it the coldest month on the peninsula. This, of course, is conditional, since daffodils may already bloom at the end of the month on the southern coast, which certainly does not happen in January.

Considering the specifics of the local weather in winter, it makes no sense to go to the Crimea by the sea at this time. Accordingly, the sights of the peninsula, as well as the mountains, come into play. The latter, for example, do not have popular ski resorts, but if you live in the Crimea itself or in the neighboring Krasnodar Territory, you can even take a weekend trip here in your own car. Wherein skiers are advised to choose relatively large villages in the mountains or well-known ski resorts, because often the road can be covered with snow, and the goal will be unattainable, and you yourself will be locked up.

Central Crimea is experiencing a kind of renaissance in winter - at least compared to the southern coast, the number of tourists increases significantly in favor of Simferopol and its environs.

The Crimean capital is devoid of any major attractions and, even on the scale of the peninsula, is not a recognized tourist center, but you can stop here to conveniently go on excursions to all significant cities in the region.

Of the non-coastal cities of central Crimea, the most famous among tourists received Bakhchisarai, and if you find yourself on the peninsula in winter, this is where you must get there. The main attraction of this place is cave citiesbecause you are almost indoors - it is not as cold here as outside. You can relax with the whole family in the southern part of the peninsula, getting attached to the cardinal points, and not to the tourist region known as the southern coast.

For example, Zander, located in the subtropics, is quite cool in winter, and due to its small size, there is practically no entertainment activity left in it - it is enough to limit ourselves to a sightseeing tour of the local sights of antiquity. The same can be said for Alushta - it is considered the warmest place in Crimea, but if you have already been to at least Turkey in winter, you will not be warm here, and even the preserved greenery will not impress you. Whether it's the case Sevastopol - it is not part of the subtropics, but due to the large size of the city, it is always interesting here.

Large cities of Crimea are generally good precisely because life in them never stops completely, and local architectural monuments of antiquity remain relevant at any time of the year. The same Yalta and Sevastopol are good because they spend here impressive New Year's shows, and museums are open all year round. For this reason, they often come here with children in winter, but it is important to explain to the child that you are going to the sea, however, you will not sunbathe and swim.

As for Evpatoria, its sanatoriums invite children to rest and recuperation, even during the winter holidays. The general picture can be supplemented with Feodosia, which also never stops receiving tourists.

If you do not come from even more southern regions, you can come to Crimea for the winter without any special fears - it will hardly be colder here than at home. Another thing is that people of the elderly and families with small children are usually not recommended winter visits to Kerch and its environs.

Not all the sights of Crimea are equally interesting at all seasons - for example, the Nikitsky Botanical Garden is open in winter, but most of the plants look more scarce and unattractive than they might be in summer. The same applies to many other beautiful places, because The Crimean peninsula is famous for its palaces with aristocratic parks... However, not all interesting places are prone to damage from the cold.

If you do not like to organize trips on your own, but want a rich program in which in a short time you will be shown absolutely everything interesting without missing anything - contact travel agencies. Local operators offer impressive winter tours, but be prepared that the journey could take a good week.

As a rule, a major sightseeing tour of all the outstanding places of the peninsula involves visiting several of the most famous cities, each of which is given 1-2 days. The panorama of the Sevastopol Bay, the Ivan Aivazovsky art gallery in Feodosia, thermal springs near Kerch and the interior decoration of the palaces already mentioned above are just a very short summary of everything that may be included in the program.

Many citizens would love to go on foot to the mountains, but in the summer, but in the winter, such entertainments are not recommended even by the locals. Another thing is that sightseeing trips to the mountains are quite in demand - for example, nothing prevents you from visiting the most famous local caves, including Marble, Red and others... The cave cities have already been mentioned above, there are also monasteries in the Crimea, carved into the rocks. Inside the caves, as already mentioned, it is a little warmer, and local travel agencies go out of their way to make visitors want to get there - say, there is a completely unusual option for meeting the New Year with Santa Claus, a Christmas tree and champagne right under the ground.

The kids may be somewhat disappointed, because in winter not a single Crimean water park usually works - there is no such number of people that would make the work of the enterprise profitable. Another thing - dolphinariums: pets have nowhere to go, they want to eat every day anyway, and therefore such establishments give performances even with a weak audience. If you agree that it might be interesting, go to Sevastopol, Evpatoria or Alushta. In Yalta, you should go to the local zoo called "Fairy Tale".

Alternative entertainment options for children may be local museums - they are not always boring, as some adults might think. For example, the Feodosia Museum of Money presents to its guests an impressive collection of coins, which can be used to trace the entire history of this city, which has already turned 2500 years old. The exhibition "Crimea in Miniature" is very informative and allows you to take a virtual tour of the entire peninsula in just a couple of hours - this is also a very interesting experience.

For those who believe that the sea is needed in order to walk on it, there are sightseeing tours allowing you to see the navy. This option is available all year round in Sevastopol, and this is one of the main reasons why this city attracts a significant number of tourists throughout the year. Another very interesting object is located very close - in Balaklava there is an underground factory, which excites the minds of all lovers of the secret and the unusual.

We must not forget that Crimea is a famous wine-making region, and local wineries conduct tasting tours all year round. Not only is it informative, but you can also try a huge number of different brands of alcoholic beverages at one time, getting the opportunity to visually compare them. It is relatively inexpensive, but after such an excursion you will be able to call yourself a gourmet, and friends and acquaintances will ask you for advice on what wine to stock for the holiday.

If endless excursions do not appeal to you, but in general you agree to go to Crimea in winter, you need to think about what to do on the spot. Do not think that there is absolutely nothing to do here out of season - locals live precisely on tourism, so guests will always be welcome. Many people are confused by the fact that a vacation in Crimea, washed by the seas on almost all sides, in winter will be deprived of traditional swimming.

Even if you do not belong to "walruses", for whom low water temperature is not a reason for refusing to swim, the problem can still be solved - for this there are indoor pools, which are present in any more or less large city. This is not the same as swimming in the real sea, but the "minimum program" will be observed - you will visit interesting excursions and swim.

The beautiful nature of Crimea literally requires people to walk along it, however, in winter time this can cause problems - it is hard to walk on snow or slush. To simplify the task, you can go to picturesque places on horseback - horseback riding is organized even in the winter months. You are unlikely to ride a horse around the city, but you can get out of it and examine the mesmerizing cliffs, from where a large-scale view of the sea opens.

For those who regard any body of water as an opportunity to fish, it will seem interesting sea ​​fishing option. You can visit such an event in any settlement overlooking the sea - as a rule, this issue is individually resolved with the locals, who have their own boat and all the necessary gear. The sea near the Crimean coast, especially on its southern side, usually does not freeze, so even in winter fishing does not look like sitting over a hole.

For many winter visitors to Crimea, entertainment must necessarily be combined with treatment, but how exactly such a combination is provided depends on the specific voucher. Many resorts offer indoor swimming pool right on the territory and treatment with healthy Crimean air, combining sea and mountain smells... At the same time, in your free time from procedures, you can engage in any activity for which there is an infrastructure - for example, play table tennis with your neighbors.

Other health institutions focus on mud treatment (such sanatoriums are usually located in Evpatoria and its environs). Already such a procedure itself, passed by a person for the first time, may seem to him a kind of entertainment.

In addition, many large hotels offer their guests a full-fledged show program for every day if you come during the New Year holidays. For such establishments, this is also a high season, due to which they can organize a full-fledged team of animators, staging interesting performances, and even the arrival of Russian-scale celebrities with a concert. Finally, no one bothers you to spend your leisure time as if you were a local.

Visit theaters and cinemas, inquire about the variety of local food outlets, go to art exhibitions - in a word, do everything that you love to do in your hometown.

Among all tourists who have come to Crimea at least once in their lives, the percentage of those who did it in winter is very small. Largely because of this, it is generally accepted that this peninsula is good mainly for the sea, although an attentive person during his vacation must have noticed that this is not true. Among the positive comments, one can most often find the opinion that a person who came to Crimea 10 times in the summer did not recognize him, and already on the first trip here in winter you can get to know the real soul of the peninsula.

In summer, most vacationers who have escaped from boring work most of all want to go to the beach, which is why too many interesting things pass by them. For people who are thinking and open to everything new, the Crimean Peninsula is curious in any season - you simply won't get bored here.

For information on what to do in Crimea in winter, see the next video.