Imeretinskaya Embankment

The embankment was built for the 2014 Olympics, which were held in Sochi. It is now one of the most important points of attraction in Adler. The embankment was erected on the territory of the Imeretinskaya lowland – hence the name, improving more than 7 kilometers of the seashore.

Imeretinskaya embankment turned out to be the widest in the resort, along it are 14 beaches with a total capacity of up to 15,000 people. The embankment itself stretches from the border with Abkhazia all the way to the Mzymta River, it runs next to Blue Street.

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In December 2016, Sochi was hit by a powerful storm. Because of it, many objects prepared for the Olympics were damaged – and the Imeretinskaya embankment was among them. But the city authorities quickly restored the promenade, so now it looks almost the same as it did on the opening day.

Entertainment on Imeretinskaya embankment

The beaches along Imeretinskaya Embankment are rightly considered to be among the best in the city. At the same time, they are located close to cheap housing in Adler – in other areas of Sochi hotels and private houses are much more expensive. The embankment belongs to the Imeretinsky resort area, which is studded with luxury hotels and Olympic buildings. Everyone can walk along it, the entrance is free.

Adler Olympic Park

Next to the Imeretinskaya embankment is the Olympic Park. On a huge landscaped area is located many interesting institutions: ice palace, sports park, soccer stadium, music hall, planetarium, several amusement parks, dolphinarium, singing fountains. Of course, this is not a complete list – the area of the park is more than 200 hectares! It was here that the Winter Olympics were held in 2014. Now local residents are making full use of the erected objects, which are maintained in a decent condition. Entrance to the territory of the park is free, but for visiting certain places, such as rides, you will have to pay.

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Walking along the waterfront

Of course, the most common entertainment on the Imeretinskaya embankment is a simple walk. You can spend a whole day to leisurely overcome 7 kilometers, turning to interesting locations.

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Small cafes and restaurants, located on the edge, can both give shade for the time of rest, and delicious food. Of course, there are quite a few expensive establishments with an average check per person from 3000 rubles, but you can also find an inexpensive canteen. And on the other hand, you can admire the Black Sea, which looks beautiful at any time of the year.

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On the Imeretinskaya embankment there are many street performers. Here you can meet musicians (with guitar, violin, bagpipes or accordion), artists (including portrait painters, from whom you can order a picture) and actors giving performances in the open air. To see the most interesting shows, go out on the promenade after sunset. Don’t be afraid of the darkness, the promenade is perfectly illuminated – perhaps, not worse than the central districts of Sochi. Bright lights are installed at every step, additional lighting is provided by restaurants and hotels that rise along the edge of the road.

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Riding a bicycle or scooter

The promenade is well adapted for bicycle and scooter owners – there are separate bicycle lanes. They are often used for their intended purpose, so strolling tourists and locals without transportation rarely enter them. Mopeds and golf carts are not allowed on the bicycle lanes – local law enforcers keep an eye on the order. On the Imeretinskaya embankment there are often bicycle parking lots, so a cyclist can at any time buckle up his transport and go down to the water or go to a cafe.

Unhurried bike rides are one of the locals’ favorite pastimes. True, in recent years on the bicycle path began to appear “lying policemen” – apparently, cases of collisions with pedestrians have become more frequent. Be prepared for this and watch the road when riding out on the embankment. By the way, you can ride not only in summer – even in winter the paths are completely cleaned from precipitation, and there is never ice. The bicycle rental point is located near the beginning of the embankment at Blue Street.

Sea Voyage

At the very beginning of the Imeretinskaya embankment – on the Sochi side, that is next to the Mzymta River – there is a yacht port. From here you can go sailing by boat or boat, and as part of a group, and on a separate transport. Reviews of travelers – extremely positive: tourists have seen dolphins, tried to learn how to manage the yacht (there are both adult and children’s circle), someone successfully caught fish.

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There is infrastructure for people with disabilities: ramps, large decks, responsive staff who are ready to help with check-in.

Yacht port Imeretinskaya embankment is especially popular with fishermen. They know the most fishy places nearby and rent boats for a few hours and then return with a rich catch.

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Rope Parks

Near the beach of Rosa Khutor there is a rope park with entertainment for adults and children. The park pays special attention to the safety of visitors, so everyone is given a helmet and tightly fixed safety ropes, there are several instructors on duty at all times.

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The park has three trails with different levels of difficulty: the easiest one is suitable for children, the middle one for adults with no training, and the most difficult one for confident people.

Another rope park is located on the Boulevard of Hopes – it is closer to the border with Abkhazia. Unlike the first park, here the tracks are designed for children, so an adult will be boring. But guys will have a great time having fun and actively overcoming numerous and various obstacles!

Ornithological Park

Once you reach the Jump Shopping Center, you can turn onto Hope Boulevard. Walk towards the city center and you will find yourself in a natural ornithological park. This amazing place is inhabited by a variety of birds. In the center of the park there is a spacious pond where you can admire the swans. In the Ornithological Park you will surely meet a stork, a quack, a gray heron, a tufted duck, a peregrine falcon and other birds that often appear in this place. And if you are lucky, you will be able to see at least one glimpse of rare inhabitants: curlew pelican, little cormorant, caraway, red-breasted goose. Look not only in the sky, but also under your feet: there are a lot of interesting amphibians, among which there are eastern quackerel, aesculapov poloz, Kolkhid toad and others.

Many of the species that live in the park are listed in the Red Book. Of course, you can not hunt the inhabitants or harm them in any way. The park belongs to a specially protected natural area, so for any damage caused threatens a serious fine, and even criminal responsibility.

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Remarkably, the park itself was founded to compensate for the damage caused by the construction of the Olympic complex. During the preparations for the Olympics, many natural areas where many birds lived, nested or stopped when migrating were destroyed. The Ornithological Park has become a kind of oasis for birds of prey. Be sure to bring binoculars – many birds dislike approaching people and will fly away immediately if you start walking in their direction.

Cafes and restaurants

Moving along Imeretinskaya embankment towards the border with Abkhazia, you will come across an interesting place “Harry Porter” – a family pub decorated in the style of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! Kids are sure to love the themed decor, and adults will love the hearty and relatively inexpensive menu.

Next to the pub are a few more inexpensive family establishments; further down the promenade will be mostly expensive restaurants belonging to luxury hotels.

How to get there

By train you can go directly to the Olympic Park – you need to get off at the station “Imeretinsky Resort”. Pass through the park and you will find yourself on the embankment.

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From ground transportation will suit all routes that stop on Olympic Avenue: buses № 533k, 535, 535e, 539, 551, 551, 553, 557, 554. Of course, buses do not go to the Imeretinskaya embankment itself, but Olimpiysky Prospekt is literally a couple of steps away from it. You can get off at the stops “Ice Arena”, “Fisht Arena”, “Sochi Park”, “Sirius Center”. If you are going to walk along the embankment, and not going to a particular place on it, there is no special difference at which stop to get off.

Tourists heading towards the embankment by private car should keep in mind that all parking lots in the Olympic Park are paid. There are more than 5 parking lots in the whole park, so there will always be a free place. Of course, the cost of a stop will depend on the duration, so many motorists, going to Imeretinka, still choose public transportation. One free parking lot is located near the Marine Boulevard, but it is usually full.