| Khosta district (Sochi) | |
 | |
Location  | |
| State | Russia |
|---|---|
| Federated state | Krasnodar Territory |
The Khosta district is a district of the city of Sochi.
To know
Khosta district is one of the four districts of which the Great Sochi and is located between the Sochi Central District (the oldest and most touristic part) and the Adler district. The district includes several coastal settlements, including Macesta, famous for its beaches, and the spas on the outskirts of Sochi, where you can admire interesting examples of Soviet architecture, several mountainous areas full of waterfalls and caves.
Geographical notes
The Khosta district begins immediately after the Winter Theater and extends for 25 km in the direction of Adler, ending with the Kudepsta River. While most of the district's monuments are concentrated on the coast, the western part includes a part of the Caucasus mountains, famous for their beautiful landscapes. Probably, the Sochi mountains and waterfalls are less spectacular than those of the Caucasus but have the advantage of being able to be visited within a day. Most of the mountains are part of the Sochi National Park, while the northernmost part of the district belongs to the Caucasus Reserve.
How to orient yourself
Khosta district: full screen map.Neighborhoods
How to get
Along the coast passes the railway line that connects Adler to Sochi. Local trains run on this line at intervals of about 10min (more rarely at night) with stops in Khosta and Macesta. From the airport you can get to Adler. Pay attention to the fact that the Achun and Kudepsta stations have been closed and no longer operate train services. The main street of the district is the Kurortnyj prospekt which starts already in the central district; after Macesta, the prospekt turns into the Novorossijskoe highway (Новороссийское шоссе) and after Khosta changes its name again to the Suchumskoe highway (Сухумское). It is a very busy road with numerous crossroads and curves. Parallel to this, the M27 proceeds, which begins as a bypass of Sochi and then continues along the coast at Macesta. In the western part of the district passes the A148 which allows you to quickly exit the center and access the M27. These are the main streets of the district. Public transport runs from the center of Sochi along the Kurortnyj prospekt, and beyond Macesta continues on the M27. You will have the possibility to take direct or intermediate stops in Khosta and Kudepsta.There are many buses and maršrutka (numbers 105, 106, 125 and others) direct from Sochi to Adler, Krasnaja Polyana, the airport and Psou (at the Abkhaz border ) and other places.All local buses (recognizable by three-digit numbers) depart from the central railway station and pass in front of the Adler station. City buses 3 and 43 also travel from Sochi to Macesta. It is not difficult to reach the main attractions of the district by public transport. As for the natural attractions (parks and waterfalls) the question is a little more difficult as there are many fewer means of transport that make these routes and very often it is a single line and it is not excluded that you have to move even on foot. It is much more comfortable to travel around this area by car.
How to get around
What see
Svetlana
Svetlana is the name of the micro-district that begins immediately after the central district of Sochi and is a direct continuation of it. There are very few differences between the two and on the contrary there are many similarities: in the center of Sochi there is the Winter Theater and here instead the Summer Theater; in both districts there are many wellness centers built on older spas. The name Svetlana dates back to the pre-revolutionary period and refers to the name of the homonymous wellness center. Who this Svetlana was is not known. The district continues southwest to the Bzugu River which forms the natural border with the Bytcha microdistrict.
- 1 Dendrarium (дендрарий), Kurortnyj prospekt, 74, ☎ 7 8622 671646.
230 rubles. 
8: 00-21: 00 (summer), 9: 00-17: 00 (winter). The Dendrarium is a huge park and botanical garden founded in 1892 by the journalist and historian of the ballet Sergej Chudekov. Many plants typical of the subtropical climate grow here: 76 species of pine, 24 species of palm, 80 of oak as well as cypresses, bamboo and other plants. But the park is also interesting for architectural reasons: at its center stands the beautiful Chudekov dacha, also known as villa Nadežda (in Italian: villa Speranza) and decorated with sculptures, fountains, galleries and colonnades that were a novelty for the Russian architecture of the 19th century and which can rarely be found elsewhere in Russia. There are also some nice sculptures from the pre-revolutionary period. - 2 Jakobson's Dacha (Дача Якобсона), Kurortnyj prospekt, 73 wing 1. 1902 villa with modern and romantic influences that intertwine each other. Aleksandr Jakobson, to whom the villa owes its name, was a surgeon and professor from the St. Petersburg medical-surgical academy and for this reason his dacha also served as a clinic. Now this building is part of the spa Svetlana.
- 3 Summer theater, via Černomorskaja, 11 (in the Frunze park). Usually what is called summer theater is an improvised stage with wooden beams under the open sky but here this name indicates something else. The building was built in 1937 that is after the winter one of the Sochi Center and also in neoclassical style. It has a porch but there is no real roof. In recent decades, the theater has undergone a series of alterations including the addition of a glass plate as a kind of roof that protects from the rain.
230 rubles. 
8: 00-21: 00 (summer), 9: 00-17: 00 (winter). The Dendrarium is a huge park and botanical garden founded in 1892 by the journalist and historian of the ballet Sergej Chudekov. Many plants typical of the subtropical climate grow here: 76 species of pine, 24 species of palm, 80 of oak as well as cypresses, bamboo and other plants. But the park is also interesting for architectural reasons: at its center stands the beautiful Chudekov dacha, also known as villa Nadežda (in Italian: villa Speranza) and decorated with sculptures, fountains, galleries and colonnades that were a novelty for the Russian architecture of the 19th century and which can rarely be found elsewhere in Russia. There are also some nice sculptures from the pre-revolutionary period.
- 4 Dereva Družby Garden Museum (Дерево дружбы), via Fabriziusa, 2/5, ☎ 7 8622 964254. 9:00-17:00. The Dereva Družby (in Italian: friendship tree) is a real citrus garden with a single frond and a single root in common. Japanese mandarins, Italian lemons, American grapefruits and Spanish oranges were grafted. The story of this extraordinary tree begins in 1934 when Fedor Zoryn planted a lemon tree with the aim of creating new species of cold resistant citrus. Zoryn grafted 45 citrus fruit species from all over the world to that tree. The tradition of grafting branches brought by visitors dates back to the explorer Otto Schmidt. According to data from 2003, 636 branches were grafted on the same root by representatives of 167 nations. A few dozen new trees have also been planted in the garden and the flowering time of most of the species is between April and the end of June.
- 5 Dacia Ševeljova (Дача Шевелёва), Kurortnyj prospekt, 87 (today Fruze health center). One of the most original buildings in Sochi, it was built in the 20th century in the Arab style. Before 1917 the villa belonged to the opera cantate Nikolaj Ševeljov who had used his house as a shelter for poor actors. Despite being in Arabic style, the building has very simple decorations. From the outside it recalls a mosque in its features while inside it is rich in decorations. Today it houses the canteen of the Frunze spa center. The entrance is not officially open to the public but with a good dose of stubbornness and with a few attempts it is still possible to enter.
Bytcha
The micro-district owes its name to Mount Bytcha whose name, in turn, may derive from the name of the goddess worshiped by the ubychi tribe. To the west the microdistrict borders with Svetlana, to the east with Iskra and Blagodat ', beyond which lies Macesta. Although most tourists do not pay particular attention to this area, it is worth admiring the architecture of the spas, which represent an apotheosis of Soviet architecture.
102.jpg/220px-Здание_санатория_«Орджоникидзе»_(Сочи,_курортный_пр.)102.jpg)
- 6 Vorošilova Nursing Home, Kurortnyj prospekt, 94. The Ordzhonikidze center was one of the first to be built in Sochi. It was intended for the rehabilitation of Red Army soldiers and was built under the supervision of Voroshilov, later taking its name. The projects date back to 1929, in full constructivism. At the time of construction, however, the Soviet government had already had time to accuse constructivism of formalism and inconsistency, but this did not change the hostile of the building as the author of the project was Miron Merzhanov, Stalin's personal architect during the 1930s and author, among other things, of his dachas in Macesta and Gagra. Among the abundance of decorations typical of the architecture of the immediately following period, the bare and geometric aspect of the building, however, fits well, also thanks to the presence of numerous details, such as the stairs, the fountain, the bus stop. bus (also in the constructivist style). All in all, this constitutes a monument to the Soviet avant-garde. A cable car still in operation takes tourists directly to the beach.
- 7 Ordžonividze Health Center (Санаторий им. Орджоникидзе), Kurortnyj prospekt, 96. Although this treatment center was opened in 1937, the style is completely different from the previous ones. Here Kuznetsov seems to have copied the Tsarist residences. It is difficult to understand how this was compatible with the communist ideology but at the time everyone liked it and this style became more widespread in Sochi. Characteristic are the luxurious stairways and sculptural groups always in a classical style.
- 8 Metallurg Health Center (Санаторий "Металлург"), Kurortnyj prospekt, 92. It too is an old Sochi health center, built in 1953-1956. The style is mostly classic starting with the black stone portico and the richly decorated capitals. In some ways it resembles an ancient Greek temple.}
Macesta
Macesta it has various sulphurous springs that have given rise to the numerous spas scattered around the Grande Soci. In addition to the river valley and the springs, there is no shortage of artistic monuments here, starting from Stalin's dacha, as well as other spas.
Khosta
Khosta it is mainly famous for its natural beauties, especially for an ancient wood where you can still admire the ruins of an ancient fortress which is now a heritage UNESCO.
Kudepsta
Located in the surroundings of Khosta, its only attraction is a megalithic stone used in ancient times as a stone of worship.
Mountainous regions (Gornye Rajoni)
.jpg/220px-Смотровая_башня_(гора_Ахун).jpg)
Almost all the natural attractions of the Khosta district are located in the mountains. They belong to the Sochi National Park. Three sites, Mount Achun, the Agurskie waterfalls and the Orlinye rocks, being within easy reach of each other are a great route for a one-day excursion.
- 9 Mount Achun (Гора Ахун). At the origin of the name of this mountain there is the name of the God Achyn, protector of the flocks among the ancient peoples of the place. The mountain is 363 m high. and has twenty caves. The mountain is covered with forests and rich vegetation. There are 34 endangered plants. The thick vegetation does not allow a panoramic view of the surroundings and therefore in 1936 the observation tower was built which offers a wonderful view. In clear weather it is possible to see up to 70 km. On the mountain there are a number of bars and souvenir shops. Not far away there is also a Ferris wheel. It is advisable to reach it by car even if there are sporadic public transport services.
- 10 Ravines and Agurskoe waterfalls (Агурское ущелье и водопады). 80 rubles (2012). The Agura river, which flows between Macesta and the Achun mountain, has dug a ravine over time and has cascades in some points of its course. The tourist trail was built in 1911 and can thus boast of being the oldest in Soci. The waterfall consists of three parts and a small lake. Passing the upper waterfall and turning left you will reach the Orlinye rocks while turning right you will reach the Achun mountain, passing in front of the Achunskaja cave.
- 11 Orlinye rocks (Орлиные скалы). These are rocks overlooking another 125 meters on the right bank of the Agura. It is thought that the legend of Prometheus, the Greek hero, refers precisely to these rocks as those where the hero was tied up while the girl Agura brought him water. In memory of Prometheus, a statue has been placed here that depicts him in the act of tearing off his chains.
Other natural attractions are scattered around the mountains and need to be visited individually. Among these we point out:
- 12 Voroncovskije Caves (Воронцовские пещеры) (20 km north of Khosta). May-October. These are three interconnected caves (Kaban'ja, Voroncovskaja, Labirintovaja) with a total length of 11 km and a depth of 240 meters. This is one of the largest cave systems in the whole Caucasus; the caves can only be accessed with a guide and only 3 out of 6 rooms are open to the public
- 13 (Навалишинский каньон и Белые скалы) (9 km north of Khosta). The canyon was carved by the Khosta River and is 1.5km long. It is part of the Sochi National Park and is therefore subject to a fee if you decide to take the official trail. It can be reached by bus 128
- 14 Zmejkovskie waterfalls (Змейковские водопады) (9 km north of Macesta), ☎ 7 8622 67-98-07. These five waterfalls are named after the Zmejka mountain. The tallest waterfall measures 25 meters and on top of it there is a spring. In the summer it is possible to swim.
- 15 Orechovskij waterfall (Ореховский водопад) (14 km north of the central Sochi district). It is the second highest waterfall in the area (27.5 meters). The name of the waterfall derives from a nearby walnut wood (in Russian "nut" is Orech). Here, too, unfortunately, access is paid.
- 16 Krasnaya Volja cave (Пещера в с. Красная Воля) (take bus 128 from Khosta). It is another cave in the area but this is free to access and in one of the three internal rooms you will find a votive altar. Don't forget to bring a flashlight with you.
What to do
- 1 Dacia Barsovoy House Museum (Музей "Дача Барсовой"), via Černomorskaja, 8, ☎ 7 8622 62-19-88. 50 rubles. Tue-Sun 10 am-5pm. Local museum dedicated to the Soviet opera singer Valeria Barsova who lived in the 1950s.
- Aquarius (Морской аквариум и экзотариум), Kurortnyj prospekt, 74 (in the Dendrarium). Located in the Dendrarium complex, the aquarium and attached collection of snakes and lizards is a fairly mediocre and poorly maintained attraction.
- 2 Sochi Circus, via Deputatskaja, 8 (in the Svetlana microdistrict), ☎ 7 8622 62-63-66. City circus, it can hold up to 2000 people and is equipped with air conditioning.
Shopping
How to have fun
Where to eat
Moderate prices
- [link not working]Kavkazskij restaurant aul (Кавказский аул), ☎ 7 (8622) 61-97-29. It is located in an extremely favorable position, right near the starting point of the tourist route that leads to the Agurskie waterfalls.
Where stay
Moderate prices
- 1 [link not working]Viktor house hostel (Виктор), Kurortnyj prospekt, 72/5 (next to the Dendrarium), ☎ 7 8622 62-39-19. 2000 rubles (double). Hostel with simple rooms and without any refinement. Wifi available.
- Metallurg nursing home (Санаторий "Металлург"), Kurortnyj prospekt, 92, ☎ 7 988 233-02-76. 2200 rubles (double). Classic Soviet spa with cute rooms. There is a gym, a swimming pool and a private beach. You can also spa treatments in Macesta.
- 2 [link not working]Dashkov Hotel (in the mountains halfway between Khosta and Macesta). 2200 rubles (double). Interesting hotel located in the mountains, away from the city. Its biggest advantage is the sea view from the top while its downside is the isolated location. On the other hand, if you have a car and don't intend to go to the beach, this is the place for you. Wifi available.
Average prices
- 3 Valentin pension (Пансионат «Валентин»), Učitel'skaja street, 3 (on the border with the central district), ☎ 7 8622 62-45-73. 3900 rubles (double). Modern hotel on Kurortnyj prospekt on the border between Khosta and the central district. Wifi available.
- Hotel-spa Sochi-Briz (Спа-отель "Сочи-Бриз"), ☎ 7 8622 66-38-00, @next to the Dendrarium. 3600 rubles (double). Unpretentious 3-star hotel. As the name suggests, the hotel has a wellness center but there is no private beach. Quite far from the sea.
High prices
- 4 Hotel Redisson-SAS-Lazurnaja (Гостиница "Рэдиссон-САС-Лазурная") (Between Bytcha and Macesta), ☎ 7 918 401-99-97. 7250 rubles (double). 18-storey hotel dating back to the late 1970s but whose construction was only completed in the 1990s. Hotel designed as expensive and exuberant: 4 stars, private beaches, gym and wellness center. However, customers point out that the value for money is not the best.
- 5 Grand-Hotel Žemčužina (Гранд-отель "Жемчужина") (Close to the theater), ☎ 7(8622) 66-11-88. from 5000 rubles. Huge Soviet hotel, very close to the central district. Recently rebuilt to conform to European standards. Customers are not very satisfied due to the high prices. Wifi available.
How to keep in touch
Other projects
Commons contains images or other files on Khosta district
