TO SEE
SOCHI ARBORETUM
СОЧИНСКИЙ ДЕНДРАРИЙ
About
Arboretum is definitely the most famous park in Sochi, and one of its symbols. Located on a hill which ironically was once known as 'the Bold Mountain', the park occupies over 120 acres of land east of the centre of Sochi. It's a must-see place for any Russian vacationer who'd come here to admire all those tropical plants you won't find anywhere else in Russia. The park was laid out in 1889 around the villa that belonged to Sergey Khudekov, a playwright, and an editor. He brought a great variety of plants from botanical gardens in Crimea, Caucasus, and Georgia, and planted over 400 types of trees and flowers. In 1922, the park was nationalised, and opened to the public. The cable car was added later on providing an easy access to the peak of the hill, and offering great views over the city and the sea on the way. Today, the park still retains that decadent air of an old-style park with multiple terraces, beautiful fountains, gazebos and statues, and an picturesque villa, which now houses Khudekov's museum.
The park is divided into the lower and the upper parts by Kurortniy Avenue. The lower part is where the cable car station, and the aquarium are located. The upper part is the main one. Walk through the arched gates on Kurortny Avenue, to get into the park.
Info
74 Kurortniy Avenue. (Курортный проспект, д. 74)
+7 8622 67 16 46
Park: Mon-Sun 9am-5pm
Cable car: Mon 11am-4pm, Tue-Sun 9am-4pm
Park only: General 250₽/ Children under 15 120₽.
Park + cable car: General 450₽, Children under 15 220₽. Free for children under 7
Cash only
Average visit: 2h
SOCHI RESORT CITY HISTORY MUSEUM
МУЗЕЙ ИСТОРИИ ГОРОДА-КУРОРТА СОЧИ
About
This excellent museum is located on a quiet and shady street in the centre of Sochi. It occupies a former school building, constructed in 1936 in a popular Neoclassical style. There's a lovely garden around the museum with old cannons and ancient table stones on display along the paths. Although the name of the museum suggests that it's dedicated to the history of the Sochi resorts, in reality it's much more than that. The left wing of the building is occupied by the Sochi natural history exhibition, which tells about local nature reserves, mountains, waterfalls, fauna and flora of the Sochi region. The central part and the right wing of the building are occupied by a superb historical exhibition which starts from prehistoric times, through to the Middle Ages, later the conquest of these territories by the Russian Empire in the 19th century, and then the development of the resort in the end of the 19th and the 20th centuries. Don't miss one last room in the central hall, opposite the ticket office. There's a tiny space exhibition with an array of space suits, and a real space capsule. And don't forget to explore the garden around the museum. Some objects from the museum are on display there.
Info
54/11 Vorovskogo St. (ул. Воровского, д. 54/11)
+7 8622 64 23 26
Go to Website (Only in Russian)
September-May: Tue-Sun 9am-5pm. Closed on Mondays
June-August: Mon-Sun 9am-7.30pm
General 100₽/ Children and Students 50₽. Free for children under 7
Photography: 100₽; video: 200₽
Cash only
Average visit: 1h30min
Accessible to English speakers: free audioguides in English and French or use QR-codes to read about the items on display in English.
SOCHI ARTS MUSEUM
СОЧИНСКИЙ ХУДОЖЕСТВЕННЫЙ МУЗЕЙ
About
This museum located in a grand Stalin-era palace which looks more like an ancient temple rather than a mid-20th century museum building cannot boast such rich collection of art that regional museums in Russia usually have. There's no looted art in the museum which usually came to other museums from the estates and mansions of local aristocracy ousted from the country by the revolution. In fact, the art is predominantely Soviet, received from old health retreats in the area. They also host exhibitions of modern artist from the region which sometimes are worth a peek. In the hall next to the ticket office, there's a large screen where you can choose the language (Russian or English) and play the introduction to the museum. It tells about the history of the museum and its collection.
Info
51 Kurortny Av. (Курортный проспект, д. 51)
+7 862 29 85
+7 862 29 47
Go to Website (Only in Russian)
Tue-Sun 10am-5.30pm. Closed on Mondays
General 200₽/ Concessions 100₽.
Photography: 50₽; audioguides 50₽
Cash only
Average visit: 1h
Accessible to English speakers: audioguides in English.