Every self-respecting resident of Russia, and the entire post-Soviet space, is simply obliged to visit Sochi at least once in a lifetime. And having come here, it is simply impossible to ignore the Red Glade, the place is beautiful, hospitable and a little mysterious. So, make yourself comfortable, we go to a virtual tour of the sights of Krasnaya Polyana.
What to see in the summer in Krasnaya Polyana?
Although Krasnaya Polyana is the name of a separate village standing on the Mzymta River, but the name has been strengthened by the entire river valley, including the Estonian settlement of Esto-Sadok and several ski resorts. I must say that this area strikes a rare combination of natural objects, so in Krasnaya Polyana, there is something to see in summer and winter.
- One of the brightest natural attractions of Krasnaya Polyana is Khmelevskie lakes, which received their name in honor of the botanist, who dedicated his research to the local flora all his life. One of the lakes, having the shape of a pear, is located at an altitude of 1750 meters above sea level. It is possible to get here only on an off-road car, but the local beauty will pay back all the difficulties of the way with a hundredfold.
- Those who like hiking should go to the ridge of Achishkho, which is not far from Khmelevskie lakes. You can only come here under the guidance of an experienced instructor who knows the route well. The ridge of Achishkho is the title of the wettest place in Russia and even in the summer heat one can play snowballs here. With a visit to the Khmelevsky lakes, a journey to the ridge will take one day.
- In the upper reaches of the Mzymta river one can see another beautiful lake Kardyvach. It is located at an altitude of 1850 meters and has an elongated, rounded shape. Anyone who comes here risks simply to lose the gift of speech, so majestic is nature. The shores of the lake are covered with a carpet of flowers and berries, and rare representatives of the animal world, mountain goats and chamois, come out to the water.
- If you want to see all the representatives of the Krasnopolyanska fauna in one place, you should go to the open-air complex of the Caucasian Reserve, where in spacious enclosures you can easily find raccoons and bison, deer and bison, foxes and lynxes, boars and chamois. From the bird kingdom you can see here: eagles, peregrine falcons, swans and vultures.
- A lot of walking up the mountains and lakes, you can go to the man-made attractions of the Red Glade, for example, to dolmens. Let the inexperienced observers, they seem like a kind of DOT, but look at them still worth it. You can see the dolmens in Krasnaya Polyana at the end of Achishkhovskaya Street. In total there are six dolmens in Krasnaya Polyana: four troughs and two tiled ones.
- In the center of Krasnaya Polyana is the church of St. Harlampy. This is the only stone temple in these parts. It was first built in 1890, in order to disappear in 1937 in the depths of time. In 2003, the temple was again reborn from the ashes, which is remarkable, the money for its restoration was collected by the people's forces.
- Another outstanding example of Greek architecture can be seen at the local cemetery, where the chapel of the martyr Zinaida of Tarsus is located.
- All those interested in the history of the development of Krasnaya Polyana, it is worth going to the museum of the village, organized in the school № 65 by the local teacher. Here is a good exposition devoted to all the milestones of the village life.
- One of the landmarks of the development history of the village was reflected in the Tsar's house, built at the very end of the 19th century. The house was built as the residence of Emperor Nicholas II, but, it is necessary to say, the emperor himself never came here. But the house liked the great princes, who used it for hunting.
Do not forget that Krasnaya Polyana is a ski resort in Russia.
