SOCHI
Sochi is unlike anything you'd imagine Russian city would look like. It has a humid subtropical climate, very mild winters, warm Black Sea by the side, and a mix of Stalin's Era palatial sanatoriums and museums, and modern skyscrapers built in preparation for the Olympic Games. For many generations of Russians, Sochi has been the synonym of a summer resort, known by many as the Russian Riviera. The first hotels and health resorts opened here in the second half of the 19th century. Tsar Nicholas II had a palace built nearby, where he would travel with his family every summer. Fyodor Shalyapin and the likes would come here to perform and recharge their energy and their spirit. The revolution that followed destroyed many of the palaces but new, Soviet ones, began to spring up. Stalin set the example by building his dacha here. Others followed, and little by little, Sochi became the most luxurious Russian health resort with a variety of sanatoiums and recreation centres. The next construction boost came in 2007 when Sochi was selected to host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Today's Sochi is a bustling Southern Russian city which gets very crowded from May until October with summer visitors, and from December until March with skiers who come to the sky resort in the nearby Krasnaya Polyana. The hotels and transport prices soar up in summer, yet it's hard to find any available despite the high prices. The beaches are so crowded it's hard to find a spot to lay your towel. Come here in March or April to see the city getting ready for the summer season, or in October and November to watch the last vacationers leave the city.
Distance from Moscow: 1700km Founded in 1838 Population: 401 291 UTC+3
EVENTS IN SOCHI
19-22 April - Gastreet Restaurant Festival
29 Apr-1 May - Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix
21 May - Food Festival Restaurant Day
6-13 June - Open Russian Film Festival Kinotavr
12-21 June - Music and Dance Contest Next Generation
20-26 June - International Festival Sochi.Art.World
3-9 Sep - International Contest of Young Pop Singers New Wave ("Новая Волна")
26 November - Sochi City Day
TO GET AROUND
Sochi is the longest city in Russia, stretching along the Black Sea coast for more than 145km. The area between the Sochi railway station, Riviera Park, the sea port and the Winter Theatre is considered the centre of Sochi. Greater Sochi includes Lazarevsky district, Khosta and Matsesta resorts, and Adler town. Kurortny Avenue stretches all the way from the Riviera Park in the centre of Sochi to Adler, connecting many neighbourhoods and resorts of Greater Sochi on the way. The centre of Sochi is relatively small, and can be explored on foot. However, if you want to go from one neighbourhood to another, it's best to either catch one of the buses that pass on Kurortny Avenue, a commuter train from the Sochi railway station, or a taxi.
TO GET THERE
The easiest way to get to Sochi from Moscow and other cities is either to fly or to take a train. The airport is located in a nearby city of Adler which forms a part of Greater Sochi. Adler is 30km away from the centre of Sochi, and can be reached by train, bus, or taxi.
How to get to Sochi from the airport:
Taxi ride to the central Sochi will take 30-45min depending on the traffic. Do not take taxis at the airport, they'll charge you much more than a normal rate. Both Yandex Taxi and Uber operate in Sochi, and have apps in English. All taxis stop in front of the airport, next to the Olympic rings. The ride to the central Sochi should cost between 700-900₽.
There're new Lastochka trains which run from the airport to the Sochi railway station 6 times a day. The travel time is 45-50min.
Current timetable:
Train 6004: dep. 12.20pm, arr. 1.12pm
Train 6006: dep. 1.55pm, arr. 2.40pm
Train 6008: dep. 3.10pm, arr. 3.54pm
Train 6012: dep. 5.25pm, arr. 6.14pm
Train 6014: dep. 7.15pm, arr. 8.02pm
Train 6016: dep. 9pm, arr. 9.44pm
All trains call at Adler railway station, Matsesta, and Khosta. The tickets cost around 145₽, and can be bought at the station.
Bus is the slowest option, but unlike trains, they run every 10-20min from the bus stops in front of the airport. Also, it's a good option if you're not going to the central Sochi, and need to get to some town or resort on the way. Catch bus 124 to the Sochi railway station, the travel time is between 1h and 1h20min.
The Sochi railway station is situated right in the centre of Sochi, 15min walk from the coast, and 10min walk from Kurortny Avenue. If you travel from Moscow, the best option would be the new double-decker train which goes to Adler, and calls at Sochi. The journey takes just over 24h. Tickets can be purchased online or at the station. Note that during the high season (which lasts from May until the end of September) it may be hard to find tickets on the short notice, train or aiplane. Make sure you buy them in advance.
There's also a fast Lastochka train from Krasnodar, which goes once a day, and takes 4.30h to get to Sochi. The train departs at 6.07am from Krasnodar, and at 5.54pm from Sochi.