The Resort Town of Alupka
Located around 17 kilometers to the west of Yalta in Crimea, the charming resort town of Alupka is a popular tourist destination. Lying on the shore of the Black Sea, Alupka has a number of sanatoriums that were built during the Soviet-era and now welcome guests to enjoy the mild climate, stunning scenery, rich culture and fascinating history of this beautiful region of Ukraine. Other accommodation options include guest houses or rooms in private homes, giving visitors the perfect opportunity to become acquainted with the hospitable people living in Alupka.
The most famous of Alupka’s many attractions is the magnificent Vorontsov Palace. Surrounded by a huge landscaped park, thought to be the most beautiful in all Crimea, the palace was built for Prince Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov, with the foundations being laid in 1828 and completed in 1846. The unique blend of Scottish baronial and Neo-Moorish architectural styles was the work of renowned English architect Edward Blore. The palace remained in possession of the Vorontsov family for three generations before being seized by the Soviets after the 1917 Revolution and later being turned into a museum, with sections of the castle being opened as a resort and rest facility. Although some of the works of art and décor of the castle were lost during World War II, it remains an attraction through which thousands of visitors stream every year, catching a glimpse of its glorious past and admiring the superb architecture.
The Ai-Petri (St Peter) Mountain rises up to a height of 1,234 meters behind Alupka, forming part of the majestic Crimean Mountain Chain. Visitors can get a bird’s-eye view of the beauty of Alupka, the Black Sea and Ai-Petri from a gondola lift running to and from the mountain. Covering a distance of three kilometers, the gondola trip is split into two stages and is one of the longest in Europe.
Travelers in Ukraine will find that Alupka offers visitors the tranquility and hospitality typical of small towns, and with Yalta just a short distance away offering shopping, nightlife and a host of entertainment, staying in Alupka offers the best of both worlds.