Цандрипш

Tsandripsh is a popular resort village in Abkhazia, located on the Black Sea coast, near the mouth of the Khashupse River, just 5 km from the Russian border. Tsandripsh has the status of a resort settlement of urban type and is part of Big Gagra. About 5000 people live here. In Tsandripsh there are ruins of the oldest Abkhazian temple – a Christian basilica built in the VI century. People come here to see the ruins of the ancient Khashup fortress, to visit Stalin’s dacha and admire the miracle of nature – rising directly above the sea White Rocks.

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Video: Tsandripsh

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Highlights

Tsandripsh attracts tourists with spacious pebble beaches, warm climate, plenty of sunshine, sea bathing, clean air and luxurious Abkhazian vegetation. The village is very green, on the streets grow eucalyptus, pizund pines and cypresses. This place likes parents with children and those who like to spend their vacations in the lap of nature, away from the noisy entertainment of large resort towns.

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Accommodation and food in Tsandripsh have always been inexpensive, and the road to the resort village from the railway station in Adler or Sochi airport is not difficult. During the summer season in the village there are stores, canteens and Abkhazian national cafes – apatskhi, and in the evenings discos open.

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For lovers of active recreation from the resort village organize rafting on mountain rivers, jeep rides and paragliding flights. In addition, from Tsandripsh bus tours of Abkhazia to Sukhumi Botanical Garden and monkey nursery, to New Athos, Lake Ritsa, Anakopia fortress and Gega waterfall.

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History of the village

The territory on which Tsandripsh now stands has been inhabited since antiquity. In ancient times Tsandripsh had the status of the capital of several principalities. There was an important trading port, which flourished until the rule of the Ottoman Turks. The settlement was of great importance for Abkhazia. This is evidenced by the ruins of ancient fortresses and temples that archaeologists have found in Tsandripsh itself and its immediate surroundings.

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In 1867 Russians founded a village on the coast, which was named after the surname of a famous Abkhazian family Tsanba. In the Soviet years it was called Gantiadi. Many residents continue to use this name even today.

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Tsandripsh beaches

Pebble beaches of Tsandripsh are considered one of the best in Abkhazia. They stretch for almost 6 kilometers, so from any part of the residential development can go to one or another section of the beach. The coastal strip is wide, up to 200 meters, and covered with medium and small pebbles. The sea water is very clean. The descent into the sea is gentle, but there is no extensive area of shallow water.

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In the summertime on the beaches of the resort village has everything you need for a comfortable vacation. Tourists can rent deck chairs and sun umbrellas, use toilets and changing rooms. Vacationers go on boat trips, ride jet skis, “bananas” and parachute behind the boat.

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Basilica

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Stalin’s Dacha

It is less than a kilometer from the White Cliffs to Stalin’s Dacha. The historic building is located in the neighboring village – Bagripsh or Kholodnaya Rechka. The house stands on a high steep, rising to 350 meters above sea level, and from it there is a great view of the Black Sea and the coast. Climb up to the dacha on serpentines of the automobile road. Around the green two-story building is spread a picturesque pine forest.

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Nowadays it is possible to visit inside the house with a guided tour and see the rooms, the total area of which is 850 m². There is a bedroom, a living room (meeting room), a bathroom, a spacious dining room and a basement. On the second floor there is a billiard room with fireplace and a movie theater.

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All rooms inside the historic building are finished in wood, and in some rooms valuable Karelian birch was used to decorate the walls. It is noteworthy that the length of the bed in the bedroom is only 180 cm, and all the furniture has been preserved from Stalinist times. The window panes in the dacha are made of thick crystal.

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Khashup Fortress

At 5 km from Tsandripsh are the ruins of Khashup fortress, which got its name from the river Khashupse. The ancient citadel rises on a rocky, thickly forested cliff. You can reach it from the village of Khashupsa, which is 3 km away from Tsandripsh. A winding path leads to the cliff along the river valley. Now the ruins are overgrown with yew and thorny blackberry bushes, and they offer a great view of the picturesque coast.

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According to historians, fortifications in the valley of the mountain river appeared in the I-II centuries, and built by the Romans. The fortress protected the gorge from enemy raids from the sea. The citadel was surrounded by a powerful stone wall up to 2 meters thick.

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Some fragments of this wall, the height of which reaches 8 meters, have survived to this day. In addition, in the fortress you can see the ruins of towers, loopholes and outbuildings, carved in stone containers in which water was stored, and worn steps of the ancient stone stairs. There are ancient burial grounds and dolmens on the territory of the settlement.

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Where to stay

Most tourists choose for vacation economical private sector Tsandripsh. There are several guest houses built in the village, the owners rent rooms and turnkey houses to vacationers. In addition, there is an opportunity to stay in a more comfortable park-hotel “Abkhazia”. Tsandripsh is small in size, and all the housing of the resort village is stretched along the coastline and is located near the beaches.

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Some tourists prefer to stay 3 km from Tsandripsh, in the village of Khashupsa. Here, in a picturesque place near a large pond with trout, there is a camping site where travelers can stay in tents or small houses.

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How to get there

Tsandripsh is located in the western part of Abkhazia, 5 km from the border with Russia. It is connected by automobile roads with Gagra and Sukhum. By car to the resort village is reached by highway M4, M27. The procedure for crossing the border is simple and takes 10 minutes.

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The nearest to the village airport “Sochi” is located in Adler. If you plan to travel by train, tickets should also be taken to Adler. Although there is a railroad line through Tsandripsh, trains run here rarely, not all year round, but only during the holiday season – from May to October.

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From Adler to Tsandripsh is only 13 km, and by buses or shuttle buses to the resort village can be reached in 20 minutes. Those who want to come to Tsandripsh by cab, should opt for cars with Abkhazian license plates. This way the trip will be cheaper.

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