The amazing Abkhaz land, rich in scenic natural beauty, is perhaps one of the most interesting places in the Caucasus. In this small unrecognized country, Orthodox churches have stood for more than a thousand years, and the ancient fortresses still remember the invasion of the Ottoman Turks. At the beginning of the XX century, Abkhazia began to develop as a resort, in a short time, having won the glory of "Russian Monaco".
Amazingly, such a small area is home to a huge number of valuable architectural monuments and natural attractions. There is Lake Ritsa, the famous New Athos Monastery, and the Anakopia Fortress. No less attractive for travelers are the castle of the Prince of Oldenburg, the legendary restaurant "Gagripsh", as well as the Abkhaz State Museum.
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What to see and where to go in Abkhazia?
The most interesting and beautiful places for walking. Photos and a short description.
New Athos monastery
The New Athos monastery was founded in 1875 by monks from Old Athos, located in Greece, with the support of Tsar Alexander III. The complex includes six churches, each of which is distinguished by its original architecture with clearly predominant features of the colorful Byzantine style, strikingly different from traditional Russian architecture. The monastery is a popular tourist attraction and pilgrimage site.
Lake Ritsa
A mountain lake located at an altitude of almost 1,000 meters among wooded mountains in the Bzyb river basin. A scenic road leads from the Black Sea coast to the reservoir. The territory of the Ritsa and adjacent shores is included in the Ritsa reserve. The lake is especially picturesque in winter, when its waters acquire a cold blue color. This place must be visited by all tourists vacationing in Abkhazia.
Blue Lake
Karst reservoir on the way to Ritsa. Its waters are bright blue and do not freeze even in winter. The lake is filled by an underground river; there is a whirlpool at the bottom. Two legends are associated with its origin: the first tells about an old hermit who lived in a cave on the site of the lake, the other tells about the powerful ruler of the waters. There is also a superstition that if you wash yourself with local water, you can rejuvenate.
Anakopia fortress
A defensive structure of the 7th century, located on the territory of the city of New Athos. The building was erected with the participation of Byzantine craftsmen in order to protect the borders from the Arab invasion. The legend says that the fortress was besieged by the army of many thousands of Caliph Murvan-ibn-Muhammad, but it was never able to take it. In the 14th century, a watch tower was built under the Genoese. The ruins of an ancient bastion have survived to this day.
Abaata fortress
The construction of the 5th-6th centuries, which previously served to protect the approach from the Zhoekvarsky gorge. Over the next centuries, it was repeatedly destroyed and restored, as Genoese, Russians and Abkhazians tried to take over it more than once. The stronghold has come down to this day in a ruined state. Today the bastion is part of an architectural complex that includes a temple, a restaurant, a hotel and a beach with a park.
Gagra colonnade
A picturesque suite located in the Old Gagra area next to the Primorsky Park. The design is considered the hallmark of Abkhazia. The platform in front of the colonnade overlooks the city beach. The structure is 60 meters long and consists of small arcades with 8 arches each, separated by towers. During the season, it is quite crowded here due to the ubiquitous merchants and tourists.
Seaside Park (Gagra)
The arboretum, planted with typical tropical vegetation, is the best place for walking and relaxing from the scorching sun. It was founded at the beginning of the 20th century, plants for it were brought from different parts of the world: Asia, Australia, South America and the Middle East. Gardeners had to make extraordinary efforts to get accustomed to the unusual climate. In total, more than 400 species grow here.
Sukhumi Botanical Garden
One of the oldest botanical gardens in the Caucasus, laid out in 1838. In the 19th century, it was destroyed twice by the Turks during the Russian-Turkish wars, and great damage to the plantings was caused during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict in 1992-93 - most of the rare plants died. With the onset of peace, the staff immediately set about rebuilding the territory. Today the garden is home to over 5,000 trees, shrubs and herbs.
Castle of the Prince of Oldenburg
The palace was erected in 1902 according to the project of IK Lutseransky in the Art Nouveau style. It was built for A.P. Oldenburgsky, who was engaged in the improvement of the Black Sea coast on behalf of Emperor Nicholas II. The road to the residence passes through the Seaside Park. The once picturesque structure with towers, white walls, pretty balconies and decorative railings is in a depressing state today.
Ivan Stalin's dachas
There are as many as five dachas of the Soviet leader in Abkhazia: on the Cold River, 15 km away. from Gagra, in the Pitsundo-Mussera nature reserve, not far from the New Athos monastery, on Lake Ritsa and in Sukhum. Today, all buildings are open to the public. The Father of Nations, apparently, had a special love for Abkhazia, since he preferred to place such a large number of his residences here.
Abkhaz State Museum
The museum opened at the beginning of the 20th century and soon became a real pearl of the region, which was very popular far beyond the borders of Abkhazia. Even today it retains its cultural significance and historical significance for the revival of the heritage of the peoples of the Caucasus. The collection consists of 170 thousand exhibits, some of them are millions and thousands of years old. The museum has several branches, among which there is an art gallery.
Restaurant "Gagripsh"
The restaurant was bought by the founder of the Gagra resort, Prince A. Oldenburgsky at the World Exhibition in Paris. In 1902 it was brought to Gagra, in 1903 it was assembled without the use of nails. This legendary place was visited by Nicholas II, writers M. Gorky, A. Chekhov, I. A. Bunin, singer F. I. Shalyapin. You can even say that the golden age of Gagra as a seaside resort began with the restaurant. The exterior and interior fully convey the spirit of that era.
Lykhny temple
The church is located in the village of Lykhny. It is one of the most revered and ancient temples in Abkhazia. The building was erected in the X-XI centuries, in architectural terms, it belongs to the early medieval cross-domed buildings. Inside are well-preserved frescoes from the 14th century and several valuable icons. Also here is the grave of Prince George II Shervashidze.
Bedia Cathedral
Medieval temple, a striking example of Georgian-Abkhaz architecture of the 10th century, which was erected under King Bagrat II. The ruler was also buried here. It is known that the building was restored in the 13th century. From the 17th century, services ceased and were resumed only 200 years later. Inside, three layers of frescoes were discovered, presumably from the 11th, 14th and 16th centuries. Unfortunately, most of them have been lost.
Patriarchal Cathedral in Pitsunda
Temple of the X century, erected under King Bagrat III. In the following centuries, the building was rebuilt several times. In the 17th century, divine services stopped here, and all the priests moved to Gelati together with the cathedral of the Catholicos of Abkhazia. 200 years later, the temple was restored and re-consecrated in honor of the Assumption of the Virgin. The relics of Andrew the First-Called and Simon the Canaanite are kept inside the stone tomb.
Koman monastery
An Orthodox male monastery, founded in the 11th century, a well-known place of pilgrimage (several tens of thousands of people visit the complex annually). The monastery was built on the very spot where the burial place of John Chrysostom was located. Today the complex is under the jurisdiction of the unrecognized Abkhaz Orthodox Church; monastic life here resumed in 2001 after a long hiatus.
Sukhumi monkey nursery
This is not a harmless menagerie for tourists, although it also performs these functions. It was created in Soviet times on the initiative of the famous physician and statesman N. Semashko. There are research laboratories in which experiments are carried out on animals, testing the effect of various drugs. Sightseeing tours are arranged for everyone.
Besletsky bridge
Another name for the structure is the Queen Tamar Bridge. It is a 13-meter high limestone arch spanning the Basla River. On one of the side parts of the building, there is an ancient Georgian inscription, presumably of the XI-XII centuries, praising Christ. Several centuries ago, the path to the mountain valleys, which was of great strategic importance, passed along the Beslet bridge.
Yupsharsky canyon
A scenic path goes through the gorge to Lake Ritsa. Sometimes the canyon is called the "Stone Bag" because of the large number of narrow places not exceeding 30 meters in width. For example, the distance between the rocks at a place called the Yupsharsky Gate is only 20 meters. The mountain slopes of the canyon are covered with ivy, boxwood and moss, which create a continuous living carpet.
Mount Mamdzishkha
The summit is over 1800 meters high, located a few kilometers from the city of Gagra. It gives rise to the mountain range of the same name. Its slopes are covered with solid green thickets, impassable in many places. At the very top, on the contrary, one grass grows due to constant strong winds. Most of the year (8 months) the mountain is covered with snow, the rest of the time you can get here by horse or UAZ.
New Athos cave
A karst formation on the slope of the Iverskaya Mountain, discovered in 1961. The cave stretches 3 km in length and 183 meters in depth. There are 10 halls and galleries available for inspection, filled with grandiose stalactites and stalagmites. Music concerts are sometimes held in one of the grottoes. The New Athos Cave is one of the most visited memorable places in Abkhazia, along with the monastery of the same name.
Alpine meadows of Abkhazia
One of the most picturesque natural areas of Abkhazia are alpine meadows, which begin at Auadkhara at an altitude of 1600 meters. This place is very attractive for experienced trekkers, since the way here is rather difficult and only experienced tourists can do it. The meadows are wide, green valleys with small rivers, waterfalls and lakes nestled among majestic mountains.
Waterfall "Maiden's Tears"
The waterfall is located on the way to Lake Ritsa on the left side of the highway. Excursion buses and independent tourists make a stop near it. Every traveler strives to tie a colored ribbon as a keepsake. A legend about a girl who fell in love with a mountain spirit is associated with the stream. She was ruined by an evil sorceress (or mermaid). Allegedly, these are the tears of a beauty turned into a waterfall.
New Athos waterfall
The New Athos waterfall is an artificial structure erected by the New Athos monks to protect against spills. The height of the hydraulic structure is about 9 meters, the length is 21 meters, it is equipped with locks and openings for water drainage. It is convenient to admire the falling stream from the observation deck located opposite, from here you can take spectacular photos.
Gega waterfall
The water cascade is located on the slopes of the Gagra ridge at an altitude of over 500 meters. Its height, according to various estimates, ranges from 50 to 70 meters. The waterfall featured in the famous film about Sherlock Holmes: a scene of a fight between a detective and his antagonist, Professor Moriarty, was filmed here. He also appears in a couple of other Soviet films. In the Abkhaz language, the waterfall is called "Zou".
