 Sochi promenade (1973) | ||
| Sochi | ||
| region | Krasnodar | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 411.524 (2017) | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Sochi (Russian: Сочи, which is the internationally common romanization Sochi) is a Russian city on the Black Sea and a popular seaside and holiday resort. The city is in the south of the Krasnodar Territory at the foot of the Caucasus. It is visited by around 4 million tourists every year, but only around 3% of them are foreigners. The city's popularity increased thanks to the major sporting events: Sochi hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics and the Paralympics. Formula 1 races are held annually at the Sochti Autodrom.
The Olympic Stadium was one of the venues of the Football World Cup 2018.
background
geography
Sochi, one of the many places that call itself “the pearl of the Black Sea”, is the largest and most popular seaside resort in Russia. The municipality extends for a length of 135 km along the Black Sea coast, also known as Russian Riviera and which lies on the same geographical latitude as the Côte d’Azur. The actual city has a length of around 30 km. Their beaches are made of black sand and gravel. Several mountain rivers flow through the city. The eponymous river Sochi flows into the sea within the urban area, the river forms in the south Psou the border to the Russian-occupied, "independent republic" Abkhazia that too Georgia belongs. The Caucasus foothills in the hinterland of the city reach heights of 1000 meters, about 40 km from the city reach the peaks of the main ridge at Krasnaya Polyana Heights of over 3000 m (Zachwoa 3375 m).
history
The area around Sochi was already inhabited in prehistoric times. When the Greeks in the 5th century BC In BC they advanced into this region, they met Scythians and other local tribes. Later the region came under the rule of Georgian kings. Several Christian churches were built during this time, but only a few remains have been preserved. The Ottomans ruled here from the 15th century. The area has been under Russian rule since the Russo-Turkish War of 1828/1829. At that time fortifications were built for military protection, from which a city gradually developed.
The first spa facilities were built around 1902, initially due to the development of healing springs. The first sophisticated hotels soon appeared, and in 1917 Sochi was granted city rights. Even in the era of the Soviet Union, Sochi was a popular seaside resort, not least because Josef Stalin resided here in one of his dachas during the summer months. Even today, Sochi is a popular vacation spot for Russian celebrities.
City structure
In 1961 the region was restructured and it was created Greater Sochi(Bolshoi Sochi). It currently consists of four boroughs:
(Центральный):
(Lazarevsky):
(Адлерский):
The 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics took place in the coastal region in Adler and in the snow region in Krasnaya Polyana.
getting there
Dynamic cardsBy plane
The 1 Sochi airport
(IATA: AER) is located in the very south of the city, about 35 km from the city center. As a rule, there are no direct flights from Western Europe to Adler / Sochi Airport (AER). The easiest way to get there is with Aeroflot via Moscow, there are also flights with Turkish Airlines Istanbul. During the Winter Olympics 2014 there are also flights from Frankfurt with Lufthansa.
Airport transfer:
- with the taxi
- by bus: 51 to the Adler district, 105, 124 to the central station, 135 to Krasnaya Polyana
A flight from or to Krasnodar; From here, Sochi can be reached by train in 4 to 7 hours.
By train
The 2 Central Station of Sochi is in the city center, another is in the Adler district. There are rail connections from Moscow (approx. 28 h), from St. Petersburg (approx. 45 h), from Kiev (approx. 30 h). There is also a connection from Adler train station Sukhumi in Abkhazia. During the holiday season there are sometimes faster direct trains. Tickets from RZD Russian/English.
By boat
At the 3 port From Sochi, cruise ships up to a length of 220 m dock, including the AIDAaura. Passengers on these ships can enter Russian soil for up to 72 hours without a visa if they stay on the cruise ship or in a hotel specially booked for a group tour.
- Ferry connection to Trabzon in the (Turkey).
- Hydrofoil connection after Novorossiysk (3 hours and 20 minutes) via Gelendzhik with the 110 nautical miles of the «Sea Flight». From Novorossiysk at 8:00 a.m. with arrival in Sochi at 11:30 a.m., and from Sochi at 5:00 p.m. with arrival in Novorossiysk at 8:30 p.m.
- A hydrofoil that operates twice a week for 114 passengers between Sochi (☎ 7918 409 1296, from Tues., Fri., approx. 100 US $) and Batumi (from Mon., Thu .; ☎ 995 593 333 966) in Georgia takes around five hours. Booking only possible on site from the day of departure. Operation is only in summer (May to the end of September).
Tourist Attractions
Zentralny
- The 4 railway station, Built in 1952 in the style of socialist classicism, is for many visitors the first building worth seeing in the city
- 1 Archangel Michael Cathedral.
Erected at the end of the 19th century to commemorate the Caucasus War. - Passenger terminal at the port, built in 1955, with a striking 72 m high tower
- 2 Riviera Park, Ulitsa Egerova 1. The park was founded in 1883. It is open every day of the year, entry is free, but most attractions are not. For what belongs to the park Dolphinarium you have to pay an entrance fee of 600 rubles.
Lazarewski
- Fort Godlik
- 4 Stalin's dacha at the 1 Hotel Zelenaya Rosha
- 5 Bocharov Ruchei. a dacha built around 1950, summer residence of Russian presidents, z. Currently Putin, only available to invited guests.
- Dagomys. Botanical Garden.
Khostinsky
- 6 Akhun mountain, 662 m, with an observation tower, it is only a few kilometers from the coast. From the tower you have a good view of the entire city, and in good weather you can see as far as Turkey. Below the mountain is that 7 Agurskoe Canyon (Агурское ущелье), its three waterfalls are another popular destination. A larger than life figure of the Greek titan stands near a rock face Prometheuswho brought fire to the people and was chained to the eagle rock right here as a punishment.
- Vorontsov Karst Caves
Adlerski
Formerly an independent health resort
- Akhshtyr Gorge
- Trout farm near Adygea
- Krasnaya Pojana
activities
In summer the beach beckons, in winter the mountains.
Olympic Sports Venues 2014
In the period from 7th to 24th February 2014 the Olympic Winter Games took place in Sochi, the Paralympics will also be held here from 7-16 March 2014. The competition venues are concentrated in two places:
- 1 Coastal region in Olympic Park in the district Eagle
- 2 Snow region in the district Krasnaya Polyana
Olympic Park (coastal region)
The competition venues in the coastal region
- 1 Fischt Olympic Stadium Sochi, 40,000 seats, named after the 2,867 m high Fischt (Adygeja) mountain, opening and closing ceremonies, medal ceremonies, later Use as a football stadium for the 2018 World Cup
- 2 Schaiba ice arena, 7,000 seats. The arena can be dismantled after the games and set up again elsewhere.
- 3 Bolshoi Ice Palace, seats 12,000
- 4 Adler arena. After the games, the arena is to be moved to another city and serve as an exhibition hall.
- 5 Ice Cube Curling Center, multifunctional hall with 3,000 seats, can be moved to another location
- 6 Iceberg Eislaufpalast, multifunctional hall with 12,000 seats, can be moved to another location after the games.
In addition to the sports facilities, the Olympic Park includes the Olympic Village and a media center.
After the Olympics, the site will be used as a Formula I racetrack, corresponding contracts run from 2014 to 2020
Snow region
see article Krasnaya Polyana
Practical advice
climate
| Climate Sochi (Black Sea Coast) | Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean highest air temperature in ° C | 8 | 9 | 11 | 15 | 18 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 18 | 14 | 10 | O | 16.6 |
| Mean lowest air temperature in ° C | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 11 | 7 | 3 | O | 9.7 |
| Precipitation in mm | 178 | 126 | 123 | 114 | 100 | 103 | 110 | 123 | 135 | 166 | 186 | 192 | Σ | 1656 |
| Rainy days in the month | 17 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 17 | Σ | 150 |
Source: Weatherbase | ||||||||||||||
The climate in Sochi is characterized by long summers with subtropical temperatures and relatively short and mild winters. Northeast of the city lies the Caucasus, its mountains protect against cold winds in winter. The warm water of the Black Sea also prevents temperatures that are too low, so that citrus fruits and palm trees can thrive. In the congestion of the mountains, there is incline rain in the south-westerly air currents, so that the amount of rain in Sochi, at 1600 mm, is about three times higher than in Berlin. The fact that the 2014 Winter Olympics can take place within the urban area is only apparently a contradiction. The competitions take place in two spatially separate areas, one in the Olympic Park in the Coastal region directly on the Black Sea, and on the other hand in the snow region approx. 60 km away Krasnaya Polyanawhich is still part of the urban area of Sochi. But there the average temperatures are a few degrees lower.
- The dialing code for Sochi is (7) 8622.
Web links
- http://www.sochiru.ru/ - Official website of Sochi
