The small resort town of Novy Afon has been widely known since Soviet times. It is nestled among fragrant subtropical groves surrounded by a ring of wooded hills. The history of this place began in the first centuries of our era, when the flourishing ancient city of Anakopia was the largest and most important center of the entire region.
In the XX century, New Athos continued to develop as a resort area and gradually gained all-Union fame. Of course, after the upheavals of the 1990s and 2000s, its fame and popularity faded, but local hotels and sanatoriums are still welcomed by tourists, and historical and natural attractions have not lost their appeal, although some of them are in a slightly neglected state.
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What to see and where to go in New Athos?
The most interesting and beautiful places for walking. Photos and a short description.
New Athos monastery
The New Athos monastery is one of the most famous in the Caucasus, until 1917 it served as the main spiritual center of the region. It was founded by monks who came from the Greek Old Athos. Two years after the formation of the community, the Russian-Turkish war began and the Turks who invaded the Caucasus plundered the monastery. The restoration, which began in 1880, lasted a couple of decades with the personal participation of Alexander III.
Iverskaya mountain
The mountain is 344 meters high, at the top of which in ancient times was the capital of the Abkhazian kingdom, and now - the ruins of the Anakopia fortress. It is under the Iverskaya Mountain that the famous New Athos Cave is located. The highest point overlooks the Black Sea coast from Sukhum to Pitsunda. Despite such a modest size, the way to the top along the serpentine road will take at least an hour.
Anakopia fortress
A defensive structure of the 4th-5th centuries, which survived many attacks over such a long period. During the Early Middle Ages, it was a whole fortified city, since the VIII century the rulers of the Abkhazian kingdom settled here. The structure is well preserved, given its considerable age. In 2008, an observation deck was installed in the renovated watchtower and the hiking trail was repaired.
Seaside park
The seaside park was destroyed by the forces of the monks in 1880. At first, the inhabitants of the monastery organized ponds here, where they began to breed fish for their own needs. After the royal family visited these places in 1910, it was officially considered a recreational area. There is a chapel in the southeastern part of the park, several sculptures of the Soviet period are scattered throughout the territory, and black and white swans are found in the lake spread among cypresses and palm trees.
Temple of Simon the Canaanite
The temple was built during the heyday of the Abkhaz kingdom in the 9th-10th centuries, it is a unique monument of church architecture, formed under the direct influence of the Byzantine style. According to legend, on the lands of Abkhazia in the 1st century the Apostle Simon the Canaanite was martyred by the Romans. Several centuries later, a church was built on the site of his supposed burial. The temple was repeatedly destroyed, but each time it was restored.
Simon the Canaanite's cave
Today the cave is one of the places of religious pilgrimage. In the 1st century AD, the apostle Simon the Canaanite lived in it for two years until he was captured by the Roman legionaries. In the 19th century, the grotto was consecrated and turned into a chapel, which attracted even more pilgrims here. The cave is located on the territory of the Psyrtskhinsky Nature Reserve; on the way to it there is a holy spring where you can draw water.
Museum of the Abkhaz Kingdom
The museum was opened in 2010 as part of the New Athos Historical and Cultural Reserve "Anakopia". A small exposition is a collection of household items and art, paleontological and archaeological finds, weapons, products of local artisans, maps and documents belonging to different historical eras. The earliest exhibits date back to the 7th – 8th centuries.
Memorial Museum of Military Glory
The museum collection is dedicated to the memory of those killed in the 1992-1993 Georgian-Abkhaz war. In shape, the building resembles a mound with a small belfry on top. The exposition consists of photographs of people, books and documents. Anyone can visit the institution for free, but you need to plan a visit for a kind of work schedule, since the museum is not open every day.
Stalin's dacha in Novy Afon
The former residence of the Soviet leader (in total, several summer cottages were built for him on the territory of Abkhazia), which today can be considered a museum, although little has survived from the original interior inside. It is known that Stalin stayed here several times in the period 1947-1953, that is, already at the end of his life. Interestingly, in the 1990s, the dacha was used as an elite hotel for political figures.
Station Psyrtskha
A small platform of the Abkhazian railway, first of all, it is interesting for its unusual architecture. The pavilion of the station is made in the form of a rectangular canopy supported by columns, located above the glazed part. The roof and openings are decorated with fancy ornaments. The passenger platform is decorated with forged lanterns and a fence. Psyrtskha stands on the banks of a small picturesque backwater.
Psyrtskhinskaya tower
The tower is part of the destroyed defensive fortifications that defended the Abkhazian kingdom from the sea. Presumably, the building was erected in the XI-XII centuries. In the XIX century, a hotel for wealthy pilgrims was added to the tower (where Chekhov and Paustovsky stayed), in the XX century it became part of the Abkhazia sanatorium complex. Only the original walls remained from the building; the roof was replaced during the restoration.
Gorge "Three Boilers"
“Three boilers” are three reservoirs of karst origin, filled with water from the Psyrtskhi River. The lake surface has an amazing emerald hue, which fades only during the rainy season and during the spring flood. Even in the hottest weather, the gorge is cool and fresh, and the water is quite cold, but still there are many people who want to swim here. Three Boilers is one of the most picturesque natural attractions in the vicinity of New Athos.
New Athos cave
The abyss in the bowels of the Iverskaya Mountain has been known since time immemorial, but the locals were afraid to look into this place, until in 1961 a 16-year-old guy, who later became a famous Abkhaz speleologist, descended to a depth of 35 meters. Today, the New Athos Cave is a popular tourist attraction. It is a real underground kingdom, consisting of nine halls-palaces with fabulous stalactites and stalagmites.
New Athos waterfall
The water cascade is a man-made structure erected by monks in 1882 for household needs. With her help, the brothers supported the irrigation system of the gardens. The impressive waterfall reaches 8 meters in height and 20 meters in width. Its jets crash down into the reservoir located at the bottom. Nearby there is a staircase that leads to the Psyrtskha railway platform.
Beaches of New Athos
Almost all the beaches of New Athos are covered with pebbles of various sizes, in some places there are admixtures of sand. The bathing areas are surrounded by eucalyptus and pine groves, creating a unique climate and atmosphere.It should be noted that most of the beaches lack any infrastructure, there are only equipped ones in sanatoriums and hotels. On them you can rent a sun lounger and stay on the shore with comfort.
