For lovers of travel and simply have a nice rest one of the best tourist destinations may become the city of New Athos. This wonderful resort of Abkhazia on the Black Sea is an incredible combination of the sea coast, mountains, forests and ancient architecture. Its historical and cultural value is very attractive to tourists, and New Athos in Abkhazia is one of the most popular resorts on the Black Sea coast.
In New Athos there is a lot of interesting things from the city center to the outskirts and suburbs. Below are the most interesting entertainments and attractions of New Athos, which you can see both independently and with guides.
Architecture
Ancient architectural monuments, existing in New Athos are unique structures in their essence, preserved to our times from ancient times. Many of them were destroyed and were subsequently restored, thanks to which they have preserved to this day, if not their original appearance, then its closest resemblance.
The architectural heritage of New Athos is represented mainly by religious buildings. The most interesting, beautiful and significant of them are described in the list below.
Probably the most famous landmark of New Athos, and maybe even the whole of Abkhazia, is the New Athos Monastery. It is a whole complex of six temples. Panteleimon Cathedral is the main building of the complex. The cathedral is the largest in Abkhazia and one of the main shrines of the Orthodox world.
Visitors are drawn here by the beauty and cultural significance of the structure. Every year the holy building is visited by thousands of pilgrims, believers and ordinary tourists.
The building of the New Athos Monastery is large-scale and luxurious. Red-orange walls, shining silver domes, immersed in green cypress trees look grandiose and solemn. That is why not only Orthodox pilgrims, but also ordinary tourists who come to admire the beauty and grandeur of the structure become visitors.
Entrance here is free, however, do not forget about the rules of behavior and appropriate appearance on the territory of religious shrines.
Another no less interesting attraction dating back more than a thousand years. This is the largest fortress that has survived to this day. The structure was reconstructed, but it was not possible to completely restore its original appearance, and in some places the fortress looks like ancient ruins. But it even adds sophistication and appeal to those interested in history and culture. The ruins create an atmosphere of antiquity and transport observers to the early period of the founding of the city, because this is where the history of New Athos began.
In addition to the historical value, tourists are attracted here by the famous well in the rock, the water in which never runs out. In ancient times, the watchtower served as the main observation point for the inhabitants of the castle; from here you can see everything from the city center to its surroundings. It is this tower that today has become ideal for organizing an observation deck.
The austere building made of hewn white stone is one of the most important religious shrines. It was named after a revered saint who healed people. The building was reconstructed, the unique ancient frescoes were restored, but only partially. Currently, the temple serves for religious ceremonies, divine services, church services, and baptisms.
Another interesting and important object for believers is named after the saint. The Grotto of Simon the Canaanite is a place of mass pilgrimage. Everything here is decorated in the same strict and restrained style; frescoes, icons, faces of saints and other ritual images are painted on the walls carved into the gorge. Both attractions are of particular importance to the local population and foreign pilgrims. The place of execution of the Apostle Simon the Canaanite is also quite popular to visit.
The Church of the Reverend Fathers of Athonite is located on the territory of the Simon-Kananitsky monastery complex, consisting of six churches. The building was built in neo-Byzantine style. Its yellow-orange walls, topped with golden domes, are a wonderful decoration of the Black Sea coast.
Dranda Monastery is another significant religious building. For local residents, it plays an important role for worship, rituals, services, and is a religious shrine.
The Assumption Cathedral attracts tourists not only for its cultural value, but also for its unusual architecture. The building has an unusual multifaceted shape, pentagonal projections, its sixteen-sided dome is topped with a thin elegant cross. The red brick walls are finished with plaster. In general, the building looks quite restrained and strict, but very unusual.
Sculptures and museums
No less interesting to visit are museums with exhibits of antiquity, sculptures widely known in the world.
The local history museum is located near the New Athos monastery and waterfall. There is a collection of ancient archaeological finds here, reflecting the ancient life of the local population. An interesting object There will also be a collection of ancient weapons for observation here.
Ancient mythology became the basis for the creation of this sculpture, located at the entrance to the New Athos cave. The statue gained great popularity due to the worldwide popularity of the myth telling about the wonderful Golden Fleece. Quantity foreign tourists The number of visitors to this sculpture is very large; lovers of legends and history from all over the world come to see it.
The very beautiful ancient resort of New Athos is located in a small cozy bay on the Black Sea coast. This town is small, but attracts tourists and pilgrims from all over the world. It attracts with its luxurious nature, beautiful sights, and mild climate.
Despite the part " New" in the name, the city has a long and rich story. Initially the settlement was called by its name Psyrtskha River, later - by name mountain peaks — Anacopia. After many centuries, the great commercial and economic center of Anacopia experienced decline. Monks from a Greek monastery near Mount Athos came here - the name appeared New Athos.
Previously, holidays in New Athos were available only to the privileged class, wealthy people. Now this city invites everyone. Both adults and children will be delighted by the sea, the beach, the abundance of fruit and the sun. Pilgrims also come here: the lands of New Athos are rightfully considered the main shrine of Abkhazia, where, according to biblical legends, he lived, preached, prayed and died. Apostle Simon the Canonite.
Climate and weather
The climate in New Athos is characterized by mildness, moderate humidity and minimal temperature changes. The average annual temperature is +16 °C. In summer, the daytime air temperature rises to +26…+30 °C. At the same time, a light sea breeze refreshes the hot city air. At night the temperature drops to +19…+21 °C. The water temperature of the Black Sea in summer reaches +22…+24 °C.
The most pleasant time for relaxation is September: the air warms up to +25...+27 °C, the water - up to +28...+30 °C.
Winter in New Athos is mild but snowy. The temperature, even at night, rarely drops below 0 °C. During the day, the New Athos winter air warms up to +9…+12 °C. The winds are not strong: the city is protected from them by mountains.
New Athos is the resort with the maximum number of sunny days in the entire region. This is due to the fact that the city is located on the coast, facing south. The bulk of precipitation occurs from November to January. In summer it rains extremely rarely and for a short period of time.
Nature
New Athos is located at the foot of two mountains - Iverskaya (Anakopia, Apsara) and Athos. The mountains are separated by a picturesque gorge Psyrtskha River. It is small, originates high in the mountains in a fir forest and runs throughout the city, creating unique landscapes. One of them is a pond in the park of the old part of New Athos, surrounded by beautiful trees and favored by white swans.
In the depths of the Iverskaya Mountain there is the most famous cave of Abkhazia - Novoafonskaya. The volume of its cavity is one million cubic meters. Tours are available in 8 of the 11 halls. The air temperature inside the cave remains constantly at +11 °C, even if it is hot outside. The main wealth New Athos cave- red helictites growing from the ceiling. There are bats in the cave, and in some rooms there are small lakes and waterfalls.
The combination of rivers and mountains created Amazing places: grottos, caves, waterfalls, mountain lakes. One of the most famous grottoes of New Athos - Agtsa Grotto behind Apsara Mountain in a rock at an altitude of 30 meters. Rock paintings from the Paleolithic and Middle Ages were found on the walls of the grotto. On the river Psyrtskha there is a waterfall of the same name, next to which stunning boxwood forests grow. Very close to the waterfall there is an amazing location beautiful lake, which is also called Psyrtskha.
New Athos differs from other resorts in Abkhazia by the presence of deep karst baths surrounded by boxwood, eucalyptus and mountain ledges. There are three such baths in the vicinity of New Athos, all of them are filled with emerald water, which falls from small ledges.
The city is surrounded by tangerine, orange, olive, and lemon groves. The coast is favored by eucalyptus and laurel plantations, oleanders, palms and magnolias, cypress and banana trees.
Attractions
New Athos is called land of shrines, and this is due to the large number of holy places and religious buildings.
New Athos Simono-Kananitsky monastery was founded and named after Saint Simon the Canonite. The monastery was built in 1875 at the foot of Mount Athos by Russian monks from Greece. On the territory of the monastery there are several large churches, a 50-meter bell tower, cells, and a refectory. The most grandiose building - Panteleimon Cathedral. It is decorated with exquisite frescoes and icons, and is crowned with five domes. The main shrine of the monastery is a miraculous cross with a particle of the Holy Cross. The monastery is open for tourists from 12:00 to 19:00. Women are only allowed to enter wearing long skirts and covering their heads.
It has stood on the banks of the Psyrtskha River since the 10th century. Church of the Holy Apostle Simon the Canaanite. Legend says that it was erected on the spot where the apostle was killed. The temple is made of ordinary white limestone, and the inside is decorated with ancient frescoes. Today the temple is operational; it is open to tourists only during times free from sacraments. Admission is free, but photography is not allowed and women must cover their heads. Not far from the temple there is a cave in which the apostle prayed and lived. Previously, the entrance to the cell was a narrow passage in the rock, carved by nature itself. Nowadays, a passage has been cut into the grotto. The cell is decorated with mosaics, images of Christ, inscriptions, and icons. The place where the temple stands and the apostle’s cell is located is filled with shrines: a spring with holy water, the imprint of Simon the Canaanite’s foot on a boulder, the mountain rapids near which the apostle died, and where stones with “red stains of his blood” lie to this day.
On the top Iverskaya mountains can be seen remains of the Anakopia fortress And temple of the 2nd-6th centuries.
Not far from the New Athos Monastery there is Stalin's dacha. Now it is a museum, which is surrounded by a picturesque park. In some rooms of the dacha, the interior of Stalin's times has been preserved.
Located in the very center of the city New Athos seaside park, which was defeated by the monks of the New Athos Monastery. The park is decorated with sculptures and has ponds where crucian carp, carps, mullets live, and swans swim.
Also worth seeing in New Athos Genoese (Psyrtskhinskaya) tower, Intercession Church, visit Museum of Military Glory, Museum of the Abkhazian Kingdom, go to caves and grottoes, visit the mountains and waterfalls, rivers and lakes.
Nutrition
There are not as many cafes and restaurants in New Athos as in other cities of Abkhazia, but you can find a suitable place.
In the New Athos seaside park on the shore of the pond there is the most popular cozy cafe among tourists “ At Chipka's" Here you can taste not only delicious national and European dishes, but also the most aromatic coffee brewed on the sand. The average bill per evening is $15-20. The cafe is open all year round, in summer it is open from 8:00 until the last customer, in winter - from 8:00 to 18:00.
Cafe " Patsha"is the most popular cafe not so much among tourists as among local residents. It is made in the Abkhaz style and also offers national dishes. One or two visitors will be invited to relax at a table, while a large group will be invited to relax in separate pavilions woven from wicker. The cafe is located near the city market. You can have dinner here for $10-12 excluding alcohol.
The signature New Athos dish - Athonite chicken - is offered by the restaurant " Camarit» on the shores of the Black Sea.
Accommodation
In New Athos there are boarding houses, mini-hotels and inns, guest houses. The cost of rooms depends on the time of your visit to the city and the proximity of the hotel to the coast. Sanatoriums and boarding houses located far from the sea organize transportation to the beach and back several times a day. Many sanatoriums and boarding houses remain from the times Soviet Union. Now they have been renovated and equipped with modern equipment - air conditioners, TVs, refrigerators. Cold and hot water supply 24 hours a day. Most of the boarding houses and sanatoriums of New Athos have dance floors, tennis and badminton courts, libraries, and tour desks. The cost of living for one person in a boarding house is $15-20, in a sanatorium - $17-50. In sanatoriums, three meals a day are included in the cost of living; in boarding houses it can be ordered for an additional fee ($5-10).
There are no problems with accommodation in the private sector either: there are a lot of offers for renting out rooms, apartments, and houses. Rental prices vary and depend on amenities and distance from the sea. A room can cost from $6 to $30 per night per person. Don't be scared if you are offered a house with amenities on the street. Often such a bathroom is a modern toilet, the shower is a shower stall with tiles. Check in advance about the supply of hot and cold water: sometimes in the city there are interruptions or it is provided according to a schedule. The hosts can prepare breakfast for an additional fee.
Entertainment and relaxation
New Athos is a calm and quiet resort. There is no nightlife entertainment in this city of shrines. There are no noisy water activities on the sand and pebble beaches. The bottom of the sea near the shore is sandy and soft - it is perfect for delicate children's feet. City beaches, as a rule, are not equipped; there are only a few changing cabins.
In New Athos you can walk through picturesque places and shrines. One of the most interesting excursions- V village of Lykhny. In ancient times, the residence of Abkhazian kings and princes was located here. Today only Assumption Church with paintings from the 14th century and the ruins of a palace. An interesting excursion to ostrich farm to the high mountain village of Khuap. New Athos also organizes excursions to the capital of Abkhazia, Sukhum, which is only 21 km away.
You can climb the mountains on your own along special trails or accompanied by an instructor. Horseback riding is also available. For those who sit in the saddle for the first time, they offer easy climbs, for those who know how to ride, more difficult and dangerous paths are offered.
In New Athos you can swim in the natural karst baths that nature formed in the center of a boxwood forest next to a river shimmering with a pearly sheen. Here, right in the open air, you can taste shish kebab cooked on hot coals.
Purchases
New Athos is divided into commercial and historical parts. In the shopping area there are mainly small private grocery stores, household chemicals stores, and beach equipment stores. There is a small city market. It is open from 7:00 to 16:00. Some sellers, having sold out their goods, leave as early as 10:00.
In the historical part of the city there are mainly trading tents and souvenir shops. On the site near New Athos cave there is a small market where you can buy local fruits, wine, spices, as well as souvenirs: mugs, coffee pots, plates, jewelry made of yew and boxwood. Prices here are even lower than in the city market.
There are three pharmacies and several communication shops in New Athos.
Transport
You can get to New Athos by train or minibus from Adler or border town Psou, as well as by regular buses from Psou, Adler, Rostov, Krasnodar, Nalchik. You can often get from New Athos to other cities only by passing transport. More recently, regular buses were launched that connect New Athos with Sukhum and Primorsky. Excursions are offered from Sukhum to New Athos.
It is better to walk or ride around the city minibus. City buses operate extremely rarely and on limited routes. If you call a taxi, agree on the fare with the operator in advance.
Connection
The resort is covered by the network of two mobile operators in Abkhazia, “ Aquafon" And " A-Mobile" In the shopping area of the city there are a large number of points selling their services. You can buy a SIM card for $1.5, then make an additional prepayment of $5-7 (depending on the tariff and operator).
There are few Internet cafes in the city. One hour of using Internet services costs $1.5. Not all hotels and apartments have access to the World Wide Web.
There is a telegraph in the commercial part of New Athos. Here you can buy and send postcards, call. The price of one minute of conversation at a call center is $0.3-0.5.
Safety
New Athos is a very safe city. However, be vigilant and do not keep money, phones, or valuables in easily accessible places.
Real estate
The choice on the New Athos housing market is small, but it is not limited to a certain type of property. Here you can find apartments with different numbers of rooms, houses of different sizes, and plots of land in different areas. Their prices are also different. A one-room apartment costs $20,000-150,000, a two-room apartment costs $30,000-200,000, a plot of land costs $15,000-50,000, a house costs $30,000-300,000.
New Athos is not just a resort, it is a city of Christians and pilgrims. Therefore, you should not wear too revealing or provocatively beach clothes here.
There are many free public toilets in the city, although many of them are in very poor condition.
Before traveling to New Athos, it is better to stock up on cash: there are no ATMs in the city, and you won’t be able to withdraw money from your card even in a few bank branches.
Keep an eye on your children at sea. Almost all beaches, especially city ones, have no lifeguards.
You can relax in New Athos all year round: after all, walks and the freshest sea air always available. However, for me best time rest is mid-May, when it is already warm and the sun is gentle, but there is no heat. The water in the sea warms up above 20º, and there are not many people on the beach yet.
Therefore, for family vacation With small children, there’s simply no better time. Beaches with white sand not only invite you to wander along the sea line, but also inspire you to build sand castles and figurines, which children do with such pleasure.
The clean, warm, gentle sea and simply healthy air make this small town an attractive place for tourists.
It also has ancient attractions, which include a monastery located high on the mountain and other buildings. In general, there are all possibilities for a varied have an interesting holiday. And it’s much easier to take a vacation in May than in the middle of summer - this is another compelling argument why it’s better to vacation in New Athos in late spring and early summer.
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Weather in New Athos by months:
| Month | Temperature | Cloudiness | Rainy days / Precipitation |
Water temperature in the sea |
Number of solar hours per day |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| During the day | At night | |||||
| January | 7.8°C | 4.5°C | 43.9% | 6 days (89.9 mm.) | 10.7°C | 9 o'clock 25m. |
| February | 8.4°C | 4.6°C | 38.0% | 3 days (47.2 mm.) | 9.4°C | 10 o'clock 32m. |
| March | 9.9°C | 5.8°C | 40.5% | 6 days (99.3 mm.) | 9.3°C | 11 o'clock 56m. |
| April | 14.1°C | 8.7°C | 31.6% | 4 days (59.9 mm.) | 11.6°C | 13:00 25m. |
| May | 19.8°C | 13.6°C | 23.2% | 4 days (56.4 mm.) | 17.6°C | 14h. 40m. |
| June | 24.6°C | 17.5°C | 18.4% | 3 days (62.6 mm.) | 23.1°C | 15h. 19m. |
| July | 27.1°C | 19.3°C | 15.0% | 4 days (71.7 mm.) | 25.7°C | 15h. 0m. |
| August | 27.5°C | 19.9°C | 13.4% | 5 days (66.1 mm.) | 27.0°C | 13:00 54m. |
| September | 24.4°C | 17.4°C | 14.3% | 3 days (49.8 mm.) | 25.0°C | 12h. 29m. |
| October | 19.3°C | 13.7°C | 21.8% | 4 days (79.1 mm.) | 20.8°C | 11 o'clock 1m. |
| November | 14.0°C | 9.7°C | 27.9% | 4 days (75.5 mm.) | 16.6°C | 9 o'clock 45m. |
| December | 9.4°C | 6.0°C | 39.8% | 7 days (109.2 mm.) | 12.9°C | 9 o'clock 4m. |
*This table displays weather averages collected over more than three years
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How much does a holiday in New Athos cost? September 2018.
tour cost
Our trip this year was spontaneous, just like the vacation that my bosses approved for me on the last day. We didn’t have time to book a tour, so we decided to go on our own and decide on the spot. Train tickets to Adler from Izhevsk cost me, my wife and child 16 thousand rubles. From railway station We got to the Psou border post by minibus for 150 rubles per seat. After crossing the border, we paid 200 rubles per seat to get to New Athos.
After crossing the border, we decided to stop in the city of New Athos on Lakoba Street. A local tour operator will help you choose any excursion based on your preferences. On the very first day we went to Lake Ritsu high in the mountains, the cost of the excursion was 1,500 rubles per person, we didn’t pay for the child, since she was on my lap the whole way. An excursion to the New Athos Monastery was combined with an excursion to the caves of the same name and cost 600 rubles per adult, a walking excursion to Mount Iveron cost 200 rubles, plus you had to pay an additional 100 rubles on the spot.
Food and products
Upon arrival, we went to the nearest cafe. For breakfast, consisting of two servings of oatmeal, an omelet and freshly brewed coffee, we paid 600 rubles. Lunch in the same cafe, consisting of two servings of hodgepodge, meat with vegetables and juice, cost us 1,200 rubles. For dinner we ordered wine and shashlik, the average cost of local wine is 300 rubles per bottle, and we paid 600 rubles for the shish kebab. Local khachapur “Adjarian style” costs 200 rubles. Prices in grocery stores are practically the same as ours. Some of them accept cards from our banks for payment, with the exception of the Mir payment system.
Souvenirs and other goods
Prices for clothes and shoes do not differ from ours. Magnets for friends and family cost from 50 to 150 rubles. A clay jug for wine can be an excellent gift; we bought two of these and received a discount of 200 rubles, so the jug cost us 450 rubles. Best souvenir, which can be brought from Abkhazia is alcohol. But we must not forget that you can carry no more than 3 liters per person back across the border.
Last year I spent almost a week here at the beginning of August. As for the weather conditions, they were quite comfortable. The average daily temperature remained at plus twenty-seven degrees. By the way, the water temperature in the sea remained at approximately the same level, so you could easily swim for hours. During my entire stay, it rained only once, and even then it was so short-lived that some probably did not even know that it had passed. In the evenings the temperature could drop to plus twenty degrees.
What to take with you on vacation?
1) Sunscreens. It’s better not to come to the beach without them.
2) Comfortable shoes for walking. These could be sneakers or sneakers.
3) Sunglasses. Without them, it will be difficult for you to walk here during daylight hours. If you forget your glasses, you should know that it’s quite difficult to buy decent ones here.
What to do at the resort?
New Athos is not easy a beautiful city, but also a place with interesting sights. I definitely recommend visiting:
1) New Athos Monastery. It is located in very picturesque place. Six temples make up one architectural ensemble. The amazing beauty of these places will impress non-religious people.
2) New Athos waterfall. It is located on a river called Psyrkhtsa. This artificial structure. In fact, the waterfall is a hydraulic complex, which was created to protect against floods during heavy rains and against spills during high water. But it looks very nice. So I recommend going here. The height of this waterfall is almost nine meters. The length of the waterfall exceeds twenty meters.
3) Seaside Park. This park is located exactly in the city center. By the way, it was created by the monks of the monastery. In addition to the indescribably beautiful subtropical vegetation, there are seven ponds where the monks raised fish. These ponds are home to graceful white swans. There are also many beautiful flower beds in the park, and in principle the landscape here allows you to take beautiful and colorful photographs. An ideal place for a promenade.
The sea coast of this cozy town will appeal to lovers of uncivilized recreation. All the beaches here are exclusively pebble with small “interspersed” sandy areas. It is also a big plus that the beaches are surrounded by eucalyptus groves. The infrastructure on the beaches is very poorly developed, so I always took food with me. By the way, the entrance to the water is flat almost everywhere, which is convenient if you are relaxing with children.
It is better, of course, to go to the beaches near boarding houses or hotels. There are always changing cabins there and you can rent beach equipment.
Some beach activities It’s simply not here. In general, only those people relax here for whom the sea itself is important, and not parachute rides and the like.
The town of New Athos in Abkhazia is one of the richest in attractions. In the entire history of the city's existence, who has not made a mark here: Greeks, Romans, Genoese, Turks.
In New Athos you can stay for one or two days to explore everything in the city itself and its surroundings. Can you come with excursion from Sochi for 1 day .
In this article you will find a list of what you can and should see in New Athos, photos of these places, as well as my recommendations for visiting.
New Athos, Abkhazia: open-air museum
New Athos is one of the most visited places in Abkhazia. The local population is only 1,500 people, but in one summer day 2,000-3,000 tourists come here on excursion buses and their own transport.
Even if you only have time to see New Athos out of all of Abkhazia, you will already have a lot of impressions. Because here, in a relatively small area, several interesting tourist sites are concentrated. So if this town is definitely worth getting to.
How to get to New Athos
New Athos is located 80 kilometers from Russian-Abkhazian border, on the Black Sea coast.
You can get to New Athos from Adler in the following ways:
- by train from the Adler railway station to the Novy Afon stop (operate only in season)
- by taxi : find out taxi prices
- by car. If you don’t have your own, you can rent: car rental in Sochi
- with excursion on a big bus
- with a private guide by car . For example, you can contact these guys: +79384600693, they will pick you up from the hotel, take you, tell you all the information.
Attractions
Below I briefly list all the attractions of the Abkhaz resort of New Athos with photos. You can read more about them in separate articles (follow the links).
New Athos Cave
Open to the public since 1975. You can enter the cave only by organized excursion, with a guide. First you will enter the cave by electric train, then you will walk through 8 halls. In each of them you will see something unusual: either an underground lake or a bizarre formation (stalactites and stalagmites). The cost of visiting is 500 rubles. /person, for children under 8 years old - free.
Time required to visit the cave: 2 hours
New Athos Monastery
The monastery is located on a hill and is easily visible from anywhere in New Athos.
Founded in 1875 by the monks of the Russian monastery of St. Panteleimon from Old Athos (Greece). When the foundation of the main temple was laid in 1888, Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Fedorovna were present. Major construction continued until March 1896. On September 28, 1900, the solemn consecration of the main altar of the Panteleimon Cathedral Church took place.
The New Athos Monastery was the largest spiritual center of the Russian Church in Black Sea coast Caucasus. In addition, the monks launched a wide range of economic activities: they planted several thousand trees (olive, citrus), built workshops, opened their own stud farm, and collected honey from beehives in their apiaries. The swampy and bush-overgrown valley of the Psyrtskhi River was cleared and turned into a park with canals and a system of ponds in which mirror carp were bred.
They were also involved in charity work: they opened a school for Abkhaz children, distributed free medicines and food to the poor. In 1924 the monastery was closed. The revival of the monastery began only in 1994.
Now in the monastery you can go to the Panteleimon Cathedral, built in the neo-Byzantine style. And go down the stone-paved road path of sinners down to the park. The time you will spend visiting the cathedral is 15-20 minutes; descending the path will take another 10-15 minutes.
Seaside Park
The park dates back to 1880, when the monks, while building the New Athos Monastery, began to improve the surrounding area. 7 ponds were dug, which were fed with water from the Psyrtskha River. The bottom of the ponds was tiled and trout were bred in them. Exotic trees were planted between the ponds, gazebos were installed and paths were laid, and bridges were built over the ponds.
The park was inaugurated in 1910, on the day of the arrival of the royal family in New Athos.
Already in Soviet times, cafes and plaster statues appeared in the park. Business card park are white and black swans swimming in a pond.
The time required to visit the park is 15-30 minutes.
Stalin's Dacha
There are five Stalin's dachas in Abkhazia. The one in New Athos was built in 1947 and is located almost on the territory of the New Athos monastery. The location was chosen so that the dacha was not visible from the city. Even now, the dacha buildings are hidden by subtropical vegetation.
The dacha complex consists of three buildings: the main house, the dining room and the former dacha pavilion of Alexander III, built in the 19th century. They say that a secret passage was built from the dacha into the railway tunnel, so that in case of emergency the leader could escape safely. According to rumors, there is a second tunnel - to the beach.
Since 1993, the dacha of I.V. Stalin in New Athos has been one of residences of the President of Abkhazia , nevertheless, a museum is organized there and excursions are conducted.
The cost of the excursion is 100 rubles. It will take you about 40 minutes.
Waterfall and power plant on Psyrtskhe
The waterfall in New Athos is artificial, formed due to construction dams on the river Psyrtskha (yes, thanks again to the monks). “Psyrtskha” translated from Abkhazian means “fir spring”.
It started to be difficult for me to pronounce this word - Psyrtskha. But I recommend that you remember this name, because... all the most beautiful objects of New Athos are located here.
The height of the waterfall is 8.6 meters, the length along the ridge is 21.2 meters. The dam is equipped with two culverts, sluices for irrigating fields and vegetable gardens, as well as sluices for draining water to the flour mill. The mill has not survived.
But the hydroelectric power station has been preserved - a white building to the right of the dam. This is the Psyrtskhinskaya hydroelectric power station, built by monks in 1892-1903, one of the first in Tsarist Russia. Tourists are not allowed into the hydroelectric power station building - the explanation is that everything there has been looted for a long time and there is nothing special to see.
Under the waterfall there were once rooms that were used as natural cold storage chambers.
The waterfall is one of the most popular attractions in the city of New Athos. Even on a hot summer day there is always a cool breeze near the waterfall. This is one of the most photographed places. It will take you about 20 minutes to take photos and explore the waterfall.
From the waterfall there is a path to the next must-see object in New Athos.
Psyrtskha station
The station above the Psyrtskha River is my most favorite place in new Athos. It is wonderful at any time of the year:
From a distance this pavilion does not resemble railway station. Most of all, it looks like a beautiful gazebo hovering over a pond.
And only when you come closer and climb the stairs, you will see the rails and the railway platform, sandwiched between two tunnels.
By the way, one of these tunnels is called the “scared tunnel.” Can you guess why?
The place is amazingly beautiful, and in the off-season, when there are few tourists, its atmosphere smacks of some kind of mysticism... If you just take a photo and move on, 15-20 minutes will be enough for you to explore it.
Cross the railway tracks and follow the path to the next object - the grotto of Simon the Canaanite.
Grotto of Simon the Canaanite and the path to it
The path to the grotto of Simon the Canaanite begins immediately after the railway tracks. The trail goes along the same Psyrtskhi river. The place, it seemed to me, is not very popular among tourists. Many simply do not reach it: after examining the waterfall and the former railway station, they turn around and leave. They leave for various reasons: either they were given little time, and sightseeing bus must move on, or people don’t know about him at all.
And the place is historically significant. It is associated with the name of the Apostle Simon the Canaanite, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ himself. He arrived in the territory of future Abkhazia to preach Christianity. And he successfully did this, living in a grotto-cell, until the Roman soldiers dealt with him. He was killed right on the banks of this very river. And people buried him there. A temple was later erected on this site in his honor:
And you will have to walk about 20 minutes to the grotto itself. The last part of the route is the climb up rocky steps to the cave where the saint’s grotto is located:
In summer, the walk can take a long time: many people want to plunge into a cool plunge pool right in the Psyrtskhe River after a steep climb to the grotto in the heat...
Admission to the route is paid: 250 rubles per person.
Anakopia fortress
Even at the entrance to New Athos, you will see white fortress walls on one of the hills. This is the Iverskaya (Anakopia) fortress. It is located on Iverskaya Mountain, at an altitude of 344 meters above sea level. There is a normal road leading to the fortress; by car you can get there in 5 minutes. But you can also climb on foot
Even if you are not very interested in stories, I recommend visiting this place. For the magnificent views of New Athos, which will open from above, from the fortress walls and towers:
Allow at least two hours to visit this site. The hike up the mountain from the parking lot will take about an hour (with photo stops that you will definitely want to take). A visit to the fortress costs 200 rubles. Parking is another 100 rubles.
Beaches of New Athos
I will not particularly describe the beauty of the New Athos beaches - you will see them in any case.
In summer there are much fewer people here than in Gagra and Pitsunda. So you may have an irresistible urge to take a swim:
If, after visiting all the sights of New Athos, you still have time and energy for this, do not deny yourself this pleasure!
Tourists who travel to New Athos on an excursion by bus are usually taken to a cave, a monastery and, if there is still time, to a waterfall on Psyrtskhe. It is unrealistic to see everything else on such an excursion.
Therefore, if you don’t want to gallop around Europe, choose trips with private guides (phone number indicated above). But even in this case, it is not a fact that you will have time to visit everything. Especially if, in addition to New Athos, you have Ritsa or something else planned on this day.
If you do it wisely, you need to go to New Athos for the whole day. Or even an overnight stay. In terms of accommodation, I can recommend the following guest houses and hotels: Guest House Bagrat, Boutique Hotel Lime, Inn Mandarin, Guest House Villa Oliva, boarding house Waterfall.
If you still have limited time, see the monastery with Stalin’s dacha and all the objects on Psyrtskhe: the waterfall, the station, the grotto of Simon the Canaanite. The New Athos Cave is certainly an interesting object, but it takes a lot of time. Like the Anakopia fortress. But if you have already been to a cave and a monastery, do not ignore this fortress.
Have a great experience visiting New Athos and see you on the blog!
