A new tourist route has been presented in Alupka, comprising, among other things, the Vorontsov Promenade and the Eastern Promenade. Residents and guests of the town now have new places for walks, family outings and discovering the history of the city.
From Promenade to Promenade
Tourists who find themselves in the town centre now have a splendid opportunity to decide from which landmark they should begin their acquaintance with Alupka. In the historic building of the former lower station of the Miskhor – Ai‑Petri cable car, the «Vostochny» (Eastern) tourist centre has opened. There, visitors can learn about the main locations and routes, buy tickets for excursions to the Vorontsov Palace and around the city, as well as sign up for a car tour to Ai‑Petri. Nearby is a large car park with 120 spaces.
From the tourist centre, the 600‑metre‑long Eastern Promenade leads to the gates of Vorontsov Park. The route represents a journey from the present to the past – from the modern centre to the 19th‑century palace and park ensemble. It is anticipated that park sculptures and shaded canopies will soon appear along the path, making the walk comfortable in any weather.
On Frunze Street (formerly Vorontsovskaya, one of the oldest streets in Alupka), the Vorontsov Promenade has been created. It is 750 metres long. It is envisaged that on holidays the route will be enhanced by multimedia installations, as well as light and laser projections. In the evenings, the history of Alupka literally comes alive on the promenade: light and lasers transform the historic facades of pre‑revolutionary buildings into a free open‑air show. In this way, an ordinary stroll becomes an enthralling journey into the past. In future, a permanent multimedia design concept is planned for the promenade.
On the grounds of the Vorontsov Palace, a parterre garden in the style of a Japanese garden has been laid out. The plant composition symbolically replicates the nature of Crimea: from Mount Ai‑Petri a waterfall cascades down, becomes a stream, then a river, and flows into the Black Sea. The installation is executed in the spirit of Japanese ink painting. Also featured are a stone pagoda, a meditation stone, the Islands of the Immortals, the Crane and the Turtle. The area is complemented by Japanese plants. The author of the project is the architect and hereditary keeper of the imperial gardens of Japan, Shiro Nakane, whose garden design already graces the territory of one of the five‑star resorts on the Southern Coast of Crimea.
Through the Lens of Change
The old Alupka cemetery has also been put in order; burials took place in this necropolis from the 1830s onwards. Today, it is a true open‑air museum, preserving the memory of those who built the city. Here lie the stonecutters of the Vorontsov Palace, Jacques Rosse – the first owner of the «France» hotel, and the eminent surgeon Professor Alexander Bobrov – founder of a children’s sanatorium and initiator of the construction of a church in Alupka.
Walking along the Eastern Promenade with his wife Yelena Aksyonova, the Head of Crimea Sergey Aksyonov noted that next to the Church of the Archangel Michael there is now a «Summer Theatre» – a park area of four hectares for walks, masterclasses and cultural events. It is expected that this tranquil green zone will turn into a venue for musical and theatrical performances on summer evenings. Souvenir rows, relaxation areas on the grass and a regular programme of events – from chamber concerts to large‑scale festivals – are also available there.
According to Sergey Aksyonov, the new festival venue, which is planned to host various events, including musical ones, can accommodate 1,200 people.
– The extensive and challenging work to restore historical buildings and locations continues, – stated the head of the region. – All the changes, the way the republic is being transformed through collective effort, are visible to the naked eye.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Resorts and Tourism of the Republic of Crimea, Sergey Ganzii, announced that this year six more sections of the largest pedestrian tourist route on the peninsula – the «Great Crimean Trail» – will be improved on the side of the Angarskiy Pass towards Sevastopol.
– We will link the Great Crimean Trail with the Great Sevastopol Trail, – he explained. – We will develop approximately another 130 kilometres this year.
The minister specified that along the trail, in particular, pallets for setting up tents and gazebos for snacks, information boards and navigation signs will be installed, as well as a designated area for campfires will be arranged.
Thus, by the end of 2026, about 250 kilometres of the route will have been improved. The total length of the Great Crimean Trail, stretching from the western to the eastern coast of the peninsula, is more than 750 km.
