Simeiz

Simeiz is a Black Sea village of urban type, located at the foot of Mount Koshka and is part of the Big Yalta. Surrounded by mountains and drowning in greenery Simeiz received the status of a climatic resort in the early XX century, which is reminded by the remains of the old buildings. Going to this part of Crimea is convenient and a large family, and a friendly company, and alone, if the purpose of vacation – a serene beach or nostalgic wild vacation. As for the light extreme, if you want in Simeiz can find it, if you snorkel in remote bays, exercise in cliff-diving on rocky ledges and fly down the slides of the village water park.

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Video: Simeiz

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General Information

Simeiz – the sunniest village of Big Yalta, and this despite the fact that the summer temperature here is always slightly lower than in other resorts on the South Coast of Crimea. Simeiz has other advantages, such as the cleanest sea without algae clumps, saturated with cypress and juniper phytoncides air and subtle atmosphere of the old Crimea. Decaying pre-revolutionary villas remind us of the old days.

Recently, Simeiz is considered a favorite location of mountaineers and nudists. And if the former are easy to encounter on the slopes of the mountains Cat and Swan Wing, the latter do not advertise their presence, so you can safely take your children to any village beach – blush for someone else’s alternative lifestyle will not have to. The resort is also respected by filmmakers who come here in search of epic natural backdrops and free historical scenery, which serve as old noblemen’s summer residences.

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Simeiz is ideal for vacationers who dream of organizing their own robinsonade – with the inevitable bikes around the campfire, catching Black Sea rapans and swimming in stony bays. The main thing is to find in advance a cozy camping site or a rocky area for a tent, which has not been reserved by other fans of retro-style vacations. After architectural and natural sights of Simeiz are studied, it is useful to expand the area of rest and go to the conquest of nearby resorts. Especially since in the season the traffic flow allows you to bypass the entire Black Sea coast on the stretch between Sevastopol and Alushta.

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Climate. Best time to travel

Simeiz has a subtropical climate of the Mediterranean type without sharp temperature fluctuations. Mild weather conditions here are formed by the Black Sea and the Crimean mountains, protecting the place from the freezing autumn winds and drying summer heat. Russian vacationers Simeiz is especially popular from June to September. This is the optimal period of time to have time to combine beach vacation with hiking, rock climbing and sanatorium therapy.

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The first tourist “scouts” pull up to the resort in May. And although at the end of spring the sea has time to please only ultrabodryazhnymi +16 ° C, on the coast is already dry, sunny and summer warmth. Rains in Simeiz are not frequent guests, so you can not study weather reports before the trip, there will be more clear days anyway. The main tourist impact of the village takes on itself in July, which here though hot, but not as exhausting as in neighboring Yalta.

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From July to August at the resort is expensive everything: housing, food in the village cafes, diving tours, excursions. For this reason, prudent and frugal tourists visit Simeiz in September. The benefits of this approach are obvious: in early fall, the sea, air and sand still keep August warmth, but hotel rooms are no longer in high demand and significantly cheaper. Until mid-October in Simeiz is dry, sunny and cozy, but from the second half of the month the resort comes stormy winds and fogs. November is often gloomy and rainy, smoothly flowing into gray snowless winter with an average mark on the thermometer +4…+6 °С.

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History of Simeiz

The first neighborhoods of Simeiz were explored by the Taurian tribes, about which today remind only dolmens and ancient burial grounds. After the Taurians, the territory of the resort, as well as the entire southern coast of Crimea, took to their hands Byzantines. The descendants of the Latin Empire founded a monastery here and gave the nascent village the name Sembos, but for a long time on the peninsula did not stay. Soon the Byzantines were replaced by the more enterprising Genoese, who built a castle-fortress in Sembos, which was then seized by the Ottoman Turks. During the Turkish domination, the Genoese fortification turned into a modest village, which was part of the Mangup kadalyk. And in 1774 Sembos became part of the Crimean Khanate and nine years later joined Russia on a par with the rest of the Crimean territories.

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Resort life in Simeiz boomed in the XX century, after the local landowners Maltsov sold their estates for the construction of guesthouses and summer villas. Gradually the part of the village filled with dachas was named New Simeiz and turned into a fashionable place where Russian bourgeois and aristocrats relaxed. Outstanding personalities also visited the resort. For example, in 1885 Leo Tolstoy settled in the village hotel, amazed by the “nourished” life of the local peasantry and described his delight in a letter to his wife. Sergei Rachmaninoff also liked to live in Simeiz dachas.

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After the October Revolution, the noble villas were nationalized, and their owners were dealt with in the spirit of the time. Among the rest was shot and the founder of New Simeiz – I. S. Maltsov. The vacated buildings were not empty, so in the mid-20th in the village sanatoriums in the mid 20-ies in all health former revolutionaries and their families. Visited this part of the Crimea and Soviet writers. So, in 1928 at the resort stage acted V. Mayakovsky, and after the performance received a sarcastic note from Simeizskih wit, which is now kept in the museum of the poet, in Moscow.

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During the Great Patriotic War, Simeiz proved to everyone that can not only cheer and revitalize, but also to fight – with the beginning of the occupation of the Crimea, most of the rural population went to the partisans. After the liberation of the peninsula, the village continued to develop tourist infrastructure, focusing on the construction of rest homes, children’s sanatoriums and pioneer camps. At the same time, the resort was discovered by adherents of nudist recreation and representatives of the LGBT community, who appreciated its secluded beaches and isolated mini-boats.

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Attractions and entertainment

Simeiz was and remains a typical resort village, so it is better not to count on grandiose architectural sights here. The only reminder of the aristocratic past of Simeiz are the villas that grew on the mountain slopes when the Russian bohemond rushed to this part of Crimea. The nobility who bought up the land wanted to see their villas as original and pretentious as possible, so they parted with money without regret. As a result: most of the estates were built according to the designs of the sought-after architect of the time and the creator of Livadia Palace NP Krasnov.

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Heads the top of the most atmospheric and memorable Krasnovsky buildings villa “Xenia”, aka – the house with ghosts. For a long time, the Scottish-style mansion was in disrepair and served as a lodging for visiting marginalized people, but in 2018 the building began to be restored. Next door to “Xenia” is the most mysterious and unorthodox of Simeiz estates – “Dream”, more reminiscent of an Arabian mosque than a dacha. Historians are still guessing, the fantasy of which architect embodied in the structure, once belonged to the director of a Polish bank.

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Villa “Hayal”, built for Justice of the Peace Schlee, and during World War I turned into a home hospital for the wounded, reminds of Moorish motifs. The building looks rather shabby, but the exquisite arabesques on the facades have been preserved. The former estate of the landowner Maltsov – the very one who sold the village land to dacha owners – has not been spared by time either. However, to restore the original appearance of the mansion “Ai-Panda” on the walls towering above the central beach is quite realistic – the hulk of the building is still not wobbly.

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Villa “Empire” among vacationers is better known as “White Swan”. In the early XX century it was a cozy mini-boarding house with mosaic decoration of the hall. During the last restoration works the mosaic was restored, which is already a good reason to look inside the building. The manor “Cameo” is a little less lucky in this respect. The elegant building in neoclassical style with an airy rotunda on the roof sagged after the earthquake. Not so long ago the mansion was reconstructed and even restored a graceful gazebo on the top floor, but its retro-color construction lost.

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In Simeiz worthy of its portion of attention villas “Selam” and “Divo”. Dachas look dachas are not as pompous as in tsarist times, but and tasteless restoration is not disfigured. The former boarding house “Bolshoy Bogdan” is a typical Art Nouveau of 1910. The building “named after himself” was built by N. N. Bogdanov, a member of the Yalta City Council, who planned to rent it by room to poor vacationers, but never managed to profit from this business because of the revolution. The northern facade of the Maltsov House remained in its original form, the rest were new additions. The mansion was surrounded by a delightful park with a lake and a concert stage, which today is very neglected.

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The largest building pre-revolutionary Simeiz – boarding house Alexandrov-Dolnik, which in its time had advanced technical equipment, including a telephone and a separate power station. By the way, its facades appear in the movie “Orlova and Alexandrov”. Another cinematic location of the resort is Villa Sviyagin. The building was designed by the same Krasnov and belonged to State Councillor Sviyagin. After the revolution, the owner’s family emigrated, the Councillor himself died in a foreign land, and the villa became a sanatorium. Today the structure belongs to the hotel complex “Ligo-Morskaya”, and in 2014 it was filmed episodes of the TV series “Major Sokolov’s Heteros.”

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To get pleasure in Simeiz you can not only from contemplating the passing nature of noble real estate, but also from simple walks, if you are not afraid of alternating descents and ascents. The only place in the village where you don’t have to climb somewhere or rush under the hill is Cypress Alley. In fact, it is an ordinary resort promenade with a stunning mountain panorama, well-tended flowerbeds, as well as sculptures of heroes of Greek mythology, which serve as a joke for resort guests. The alley itself is a part of Simeiz Park, where it is useful to breathe juniper ethers and just sit in the shade of cedars and hornbeams. The recreation zone was laid out in the socialist 1930, but the elitism of the village atmosphere was taken into account. As a result: on the park alleys can be found not only Crimean, but also exotic flora, including palm trees.

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If you wish, you can make a pilgrimage to Simeizskiy temple of the Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where the ark with the relics of forty Kievo-Pecherskskskikh saints is kept. The schedule of church services see on the official website of the institution. Families with children and all fans of splashing in warm water will be glad to enjoy Simeiz water park “Blue Bay”. On the territory are located: 19 attractions, vip-bungalows for connoisseurs of premium service, children’s complex, cafe and auto-camping. As for rest, it is in the “Blue Bay” in the very eco-style – all pools are filled strictly with sea water, and in the neighborhood exudes ethers juniper grove. Prices for relaxation are reasonable: an adult half-day pass (from 14:00 to 18:00) will cost 1300 RUB, children – 600 RUB.

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Natural locations of the resort

On the land side of the village is approached by mountains, and from the sea – rocks, so that fans of mountaineering trips and light extreme vacation in Simeiz will definitely succeed. The most conquered by tourists top of the resort – Mount Koshka, or rather its southern and eastern slopes, which have already laid a dozen routes for beginners and experienced climbers. Travelers who have not yet studied the peculiarities of the Simeiz relief, but very willing to do it, it is better to buy a ready-made tour to Koshka. The price usually includes mountain equipment, transfer and services of a professional instructor.

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The Swan Wing massif is considered less difficult among mountaineers because of the lack of sharp leads, which abound on Koshka. In addition, some of the routes laid here are located close to the water, which impresses even those who are indifferent to natural romance. In general, the Swan Wing is ideal for beginner climbers, but with one caveat – if the weather is quiet. If the wind is strong, it is better to move to the slopes of Koshka – it is safer there.

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Unpopular with extreme athletes, but respected by filmmakers location – the Diva Rock. It is its slopes glimpsed in the Soviet movies “The New Adventures of the Elusive” and “Ten Negrites”, as well as in the scandalous melodrama “Sappho”. It is easier to climb to the top of the stone formation by the stairs located on the northern side – be careful, the steps are too smooth. On the way to the observation deck you can admire the daredevils diving from the rock platforms directly into the sea. By the way, it is Diva serves as a tower for the participants of the annual world championship on cliff-diving, held in Simeiz.

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Next door to the Diva is a rock Panea, which has its own lure for tourists – the remains of the Genoese fortress, which began the history of the village. From here you can look at sections of fortification walls and stone steps, compensating for the lack of archaeological scope with spectacular views of Mount Koshka and Diva.

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Beaches of Simeiz

Simeiza beaches will appeal to those who are not embarrassed by the small pebbles underfoot and modest areas, in season filled with those who want to get a glamorous bronze tan. Besides, in most places the approaches to the water are stony, because of what swimming in windy weather turns into not the most pleasant quest. The sea in Simeiz clean, clear and without algae, so that if you want you can snorkel, without moving hundreds of meters from the shore.

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The most affordable option – the central village beach, aka “Ai-Panda”. Relax here is convenient for both singles and people with families – within the coast there is a shallow bay, where you can send splash kids. Logical continuation of “Ai-Panda” is the beach at the rock Diva – the level of infrastructure here is almost the same, so if there is not enough space on the central part of the coast, look for a spot for a towel here.

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Behind the ledge of the Diva lurks the beach “Coral”, which is convenient to get to through the old part of Simeiz. To the east of “Ai-Panda” is the beach “Semashko”. The location has no relation to the sanatorium of the same name, and therefore can not boast a tolerable infrastructure. However, if you like wild places, where you do not hear the voices of sellers of all sorts of stuff, and calmly perceive the small garbage left on the shore by predecessors – will not be disappointed.

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Northeast of “Semashko” located beach “Naryshkin stones” and sections of the coast belonging to sanatoriums “Simeiz” and “Moscow”. To break into the last two places can be only as a guest of health resorts, but the usual “anthill” of sunburned bodies on them is not observed. If you go even further in Alupkinsky direction, you can stumble upon the territory assigned to the newly built boathouses. It can’t be called a beach in the full sense of the word – a narrow pebble strip on the land side is backed by leased buildings. But if you want a piece of the sea right at your doorstep and no desire to fight for it with other tourists, rent accommodation here.

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If you need extreme in every sense, you have to move west of Simeiz, to the foot of the Cat, where among the cluster of boulders hang out nudists and members of the LGBT community. Officially the place is called “Blue Stones”, but in fact relax here not only members of minorities, but also everyone who likes cliff-diving, fantastic snorkeling and tent camping in Soviet style.

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Important: the central city beach of Simeiza, as well as the village embankment, are under reconstruction, so access to them is temporarily blocked. Approximate date of completion of construction works – October 2020.

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Tourists who are in a permanent search for impressions, it is worth getting acquainted with the beaches of the village of Katsiveli, located 5 km from the resort. In terms of improvement of the coastline here is inferior to Simeiz beaches, but in the neighborhood is full of wild coves, where you can stay with a tent and imagine yourself the last man in the universe.

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Do it in Simeiz!

  • Check out the local diving center and book an exciting scuba diving trip with the pros.
  • Go on a horseback ride around the neighborhood, or better yet, a professional photo shoot with horses.

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  • Go on a tour of the Simeiz Observatory, not forgetting to wrap up at the nearby oyster farm.

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  • Look for guides offering routes to the most mystical villas of the resort, and for a couple of hours transported to the pre-revolutionary past of Simeiz.

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  • Take a walk near the minaret of the Pyatnichnaya Mosque – it is, of course, a novelty, but erected on the site of a real Muslim sanctuary built in 1913.

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Restaurants and cafes

Hungry tourists in Simeiz will be offered dishes of Ukrainian, Crimean-Tatar or Russian cuisine. Traditional Black Sea delicacies like oysters and rapans are also found everywhere. The latter can be caught on their own, if you get into some remote from the tourist paths bay.

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Those wishing to dine hearty and without pretensions are waiting for canteens, where the average check for one ranges from 250-300 RUB. For dinner and for the opportunity to smoke hookah it is worth looking at local cafes. For example, in “Tamera” guests are treated to Mediterranean dishes, in “INGir” specialize in Eastern European cuisine, in “Jennet Koshesi” perfectly manage the grill.

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For a pretentious atmosphere and delicious clams, it’s better to go to Filibert. The restaurant is located in an old mansion, where representatives of the Romanov house used to visit, so for a dinner without wine and imperial flavor you will have to pay from 1500 RUB. As for convinced coffee addicts, they can enjoy themselves in Simeiz to the fullest. There are more than a dozen coffee houses and pastry shops in the village, where caffeine “energy drink” is brewed unparalleled.

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Most of the catering outlets are concentrated in the areas of the embankment and bus station. Here is also the highest average check. Fans of quick snacks at the resort has two ways: settle down on the village beaches and wait for voiced sellers with corn, rapans, chebureks, or walk through the kiosks selling pizza, shawarma and kebab takeaway.

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Where to stay

Sanatoriums, hotels with stars and without stars, boarding houses, boathouses and rented rooms – in small Simeiz there is accommodation for every need. If you want to relax in the style of Russian monarchs, you can check into any business suite “Manor Blue Bay”. The hotel has five buildings, one of which is a charming villa “Limena”, which belonged to the family of industrialists Filiberov.

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Options from the category of “cozy, but not quite budget” – three-star hotels like “Ligo-Morskaya”. In the peak season a junior suite in such places will cost 5600 RUB, and an economy room – about 1600 RUB. If walking distance to the beach is more important than a private terrace and LCD TV, Assol-More hotel will help you out. The level of service and comfort here stretches to a solid two stars, but the splashing sea at the central entrance is provided. Tourists choosing accommodation, remote from the coastline, should pay attention to the presence of a swimming pool. Such are available, for example, at “Dalamiya”, “Seagull”, “Eden” and a number of other resorts and vacation homes.

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Those wishing to combine beach party with the recovery of the body is better to familiarize themselves with the prices of the sanatorium “Simeiz”, which treat diseases of the upper respiratory tract, as well as nervous and vascular systems. In the season the cost of rooms with air conditioning and refrigerator here starts from 2800 RUB per person. The same price includes three meals a day, physiotherapy procedures, LFK, unlimited use of the sanatorium beach and Wi-Fi.

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If the purpose of arrival – a nostalgic vacation in a tent, at your disposal all the village surroundings. Closer to civilization option – autocamping, which you should look for on the territory of the water park “Blue Bay”. Parking is open until the end of September, offering, in addition to overnight accommodation, additional services like renting a barbecue, sports equipment and inflatable mattresses.

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Lifehack for vacationers: among other resorts in Big Yalta, Simeiz has a reputation as a place with inflated prices. But if you really want to live in expensive hotels without spending substantial sums, come to the village from November to April. In the low season, the cost of accommodation even in the most elite villas of the resort falls in half.

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Shopping

Shopping in Simeiz is “all-Crimean”. Sweet onions, Inkerman and Massandra wines, essential oils, juniper crafts, onyx jewelry in the village can be purchased at the same prices as in any resort of Big Yalta. By the way, about Yalta onions: according to locals, the best vegetable grows in the area of Mount Koshka, so every seller will assure you that his product is from there. It’s not hard to come across a fake either: enterprising traders like to tint other varieties of onions, passing them off as Yalta onions.

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Fuel Simeiz trade minimarkets step-by-step accessibility, 24-hour grocery stores and private stores with unpretentious clothes. In addition, the village opened a small food market, where you just need to look travelers, accustomed to solve the issue of food on their own. Traditional Black Sea souvenirs made of shells are also found everywhere – they are sold in tents, kiosks and tiny shops scattered around the seafront.

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Transportation

If you arrive in Simeiz not by private car, try to rent a bicycle. This is the best option for getting acquainted with the Crimean beauties, as there is no public transportation within the resort. You can rent a bike in neighboring Alupka or park-hotel “Simeiz”, as well as in the water park “Blue Bay”. Tourists who prefer comfortable traveling without physical effort should take a closer look at local cabs.

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Explore interesting locations in the vicinity of the village can be on long-distance transport passing through Simeiz. So, for example, through the resort bus station pass Yalta shuttles and buses (№ 107, 117) going to the villages of Foros and Katsiveli. It is on them you should go to the nearest beaches to the resort, and number 107 also to the water park. In addition, at Simeiz bus station stop such bus routes as Alupka – Sevastopol, Miskhor – Yalta, Alushta – Simferopol.

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For information: in summer Simeiz bus station works from 07:30 to 20:30.

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An alternative to the village bus station is the stop “Simeiz” on the South Coast Highway. From it you can go to Sevastopol, Yalta, Alushta and Gurzuf on passing intercity routes and buses. However, it is important to remember that intensive communication between settlements is provided only in the holiday season. In the rest of the months waiting for a flight at the stop will have to languish for a long time.

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How to get there

The most simplified option – fly to Simferopol airport and change to the shuttle bus “Airport – Simeiz”, which carries out at the height of the season on 8 flights a day, from 4:40 to 18:40. You can slightly complicate the route and, having landed, first go to the bus station “Kurortnaya” to buy a ticket for the bus Simferopol – Simeiz. Those who are planning a vacation for the summer months, long wait for transport will not have to – buses make 13 flights daily, the last of which – at 20:45.

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If the planes did not work out, try to get to Simferopol by land transport. For example, trains “Tavria”, running across the Crimean bridge on the route Moscow – Simferopol. Another alternative is regular trains from St. Petersburg to Sevastopol. As noted earlier, you can get from the “city of Russian sailors” to Simeiz by any bus going to Yalta.

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