The Port of Sochi is a mid-20th century sea terminal, iconic for the city of Sochi. The terminal was designed by Karo Halabyan and Leonid Karlik. With its 70-meters tall tower, the terminal resembles the Admiralty building in St Petersburg.
Nowadays the terminal is in use by shops and restaurants, but the marina continues to serve yachts and cruise ships. See the official website for more info about the port. Get directions.
Fisht is a modern sports arena, developed for the XXII Winter Olympics. It provides seating for nearly 48,000 spectators. The openings in the bowl allow for a spectacular sea and mountain view from inside the stadium. The stadium also served as one of the venues of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Get directions.
Dagomysskiye Koryta is a cascade of natural washtubs filled with mountain water. It is part of a big green area called Sochi National Park. The place contains open-air jacuzzis, a Russian banya, a sports area and a café.
Please note that a small admission fee is being charged here. You can get there by bus 153, 155, 156с or 157 from Sochi Railway Station, calling at Dagomys Tea factory (in Russian 'Chainaya fabrika'). Get directions.
The Saint Michael's Cathedral is the oldest and the main Orthodox church of Sochi. It is the first Orthodox cathedral of the Black Sea region, erected in 1890 in memory of the end of the Caucasian War in 1864. Thanks to restoration works in the 1990s, we can now enjoy the cathedral in pristine condition. Get directions.
With 70 meters, the Polikarya Waterfall in Sochi National Park is considered to be the highest waterfall in Sochi, and also one of the highest in Europe. It is located in a subalpine meadow area on the slopes of Aibga Mountain, which is covered in snow all year round.
Late spring or early summer is the time of year when you can expect most water splashing down. This local website (Ru) provides more background about the waterfall. Get directions.
A modern public beach created near the Olympic Park with a nice boulevard that is great for cycling, roller skating or walking. The boulevard offers restaurants and cafés and is illuminated at night. The beaches are made of pebbles, and dark sand in some parts. Get directions.
The Rosa Khutor Town Hall is an iconic landmark located on a picturesque square in the biggest ski resort of Russia, Rosa Khutor. Stylized like the tower of the Sochi Railway Station, it represents Sochi as the combination of a maritime and mountain resort. Get directions.
The shopping area around the Port of Sochi consists primarily of luxury boutiques. It is a place to shop for luxury clothes, accessories and watches in the pleasant atmosphere of the port. Get directions.
The ski area of Sochi consists of four ski resorts, commonly referred to as Krasnaya Polyana. A slightly surprising name, as the four ski resorts Rosa Khutor, Gorky Gorod, Laura (Gazprom), and Alpika Service are in fact located around the village of Esto-Sadok. Each ski resort contains its own slopes, hotels and infrastructure (see Extra Streetwise for more info about the ski resorts). Get directions.
The biggest amusement park of Russia with thrilling attractions and rollercoasters, unofficially also called Russian Disneyland. It is designed according to Russian cultural traditions, with heroes from famous fairy-tales.
The park opens its doors from mid-March till mid-November. Please note that the admission is paid. See the official website (Ru) for more visitor info. Get directions.
The Riviera Park is Sochi’s most popular public park. It is shaded with numerous attractions, volleyball, tennis and basketball courts, and a Green Theatre, where you can enjoy live concerts. In the North you will find a small amusement park. Small stands across the park offer various cuisines.
See the official website (Ru) for further info. Get directions.
The central square of the Olympic Park, surrounded by Olympic sports arenas. During the 2014 Winter Olympics, this was the place where the Olympic Torch was burning, and where the medals of the coastal cluster were awarded.
Every night you can find a wonderful colorful fountain show here, which is a delight for the eyes. See the official website (Ru) for the schedule of shows. Get directions.
The square in front of the Sochi Art Museum is an open space decorated with flowerbeds, palm trees and other exotic plants. It is a popular central place with plenty of benches to relax on. Get directions.
Since 1902 Matsesta is the biggest balneological complex in Russia, with hydrosulphuric springs, mud therapy, and hydropathic and medical facilities. The health resort offers accommodation, treatment in bathhouses and rest.
To reach Matsesta, just follow the smell, or get directions. See the official website (Ru) for visitor info.
The scenic Rosa Khutor also offers a notable shopping area, logically more focused on outdoor activities and winter sports. It's also a place of souvenir shops and exclusive clothes stores. Get directions.
Frunze Park (Ru) is the oldest park in the city of Sochi, laid out in 1899. It's a nice shaded green zone with many benches, some of which offering magnificent sea view. Not far from the coast side, there is a beautiful Moorish alcove. For more active types, there's also some outside training equipment! Get directions.
The summer residence of Joseph Stalin, built in 1937 and still furnished in the original style. A wax figure of the former Soviet leader throws visitors back in time. The house is located on the territory of the 'Zelenaya Roscha' resort.
The dacha is open every day! Have a look at the official website (Ru) for more visitor info. Get directions.
The Church of Saint Vladimir is a multicolored building, established in 2011 in honor of Prince Vladimir who baptized Russia in 988. The eight ceramic figures which you can see above the entrance, represent the apostles and birds of paradise.
See the official website (Ru) for more background and the latest news. Get directions.
The Adler Central Market is a nice market, the largest in the Sochi area. It offers local specialty food and delicacies, with a large share of spices, nuts and fruits. The most appealing part of the market can be found inside a pretty market hall. A bakery there offers fresh local bread, Lavash.
The central market is open every day from 7-18h, but on Mondays only till 15h. Get directions.
Eagle Rocks (Ru) is the name of a natural area of white rocks offering great views on the mountains and the Black Sea. It's a part of the nature around Sochi where eagles used to nest. A statue of Prometheus in chains, standing proudly on top of a cliff, is iconic for this place.
Please note that there's no public transport going here. Get directions.
The Fort Art Gallery is a cozy art gallery built on the place of the first outpost along the Black Sea coast. The ruins of the historical outpost were redesigned into the walls of this gallery. It's a place where you can find exhibitions of local artists and art masterclasses.
The gallery is free to enter, and open every day! Get directions.
The area around the Concert Hall Festivalny in Sochi is nice and sloping, largely paved and decorated with exotic plants. It forms a picturesque shortcut for reaching the popular seaside promenade of Sochi, Primorskaya Street. Get directions.
Ordzhonikidze was a sanatorium built in 1937 on the orders of Stalin. It was primarily meant to become a luxury resort, where workers could recover from their labor. Despite developing into the most famous sanatorium of Sochi, featured in many movies, the site has been left abandoned now.
The deserted palace and its large garden are nowadays covered in a mysterious atmosphere, beloved by photographers. The site is free to enter. Get directions.
A unique adventure park with high-adrenaline activities, such as bungy jumping from 69 or 207 meters, the SochiSwing, and the fastest Megatroll in the world. The park is supervised by the inventor of bungy jumping, AJ Hackett.
Check out the official website (Ru) to learn more about the attractions. A special shuttle bus 'Skypark' departs every 30 minutes from Adler Railway station. Get directions.
This beach with mostly pebbles is the most popular one of Sochi. What really does it here, is the enchanting boulevard Primorskaya with its many restaurants and cafés with sea view. The boulevard also offers plenty of beach shops and some boutiques as well.
Please note that some parts of this beach are paid in summer season. Get directions.
Sochi Casino is a modern entertainment venue opened in 2017. It is located in the heart of the resort Gorky Gorod, and counts among the few places in Russia where gambling is permitted.
See the official website for visitor info. Get directions.
The Southern Cultures Park (Ru) is a calm and nice area with a very diverse vegetation. It contains a rich combination of exotic plants from all over the world, a bamboo grove, wooden sculptures, and picturesque ponds where swans, ducks or turtles can be fed.
Please note that a small admission fee is being charged here. The ticket office can be found in the upper East corner (in summer season you can find entrances on each side of the park). Get directions.
The Sochi Olympic Park was constructed for the 2014 Winter Olympics. It is the most compact complex in the Olympic history, where all the ice venues are placed close to each other, within walking distance.
Most of the stadiums can only be visited during events, however the territory of the park itself is usually free to enter and full of interesting objects such as the Olympic torch and beautiful fountains. Get directions.
The Grand Marina Gallery is a modern shopping mall offering luxury fashion, cosmetics and interior stores. The Western part of the complex has a different format, more like a fashion outlet.
The mall is open every day, see the official website (Ru) for more shopping info. Get directions.
The Museum of Retro Cars tells about the history of the Soviet automobile industry. It treasures a collection of over a hundred Soviet automobiles, produced between the 1930s and 1990s, including Soviet GAS AA trucks, Moskvich, Volga, ZIL-3207 and military machinery.
The museum is open every day, see the official website (Ru) for further visitor info. Get directions.
Sochi Arboretum is one of the main attractions in Sochi. It's a monument of landscape art, with a unique collection of 1,800 plant species on its territory. The park is divided into a Higher and a Lower part, with a cable car between them.
Please note that a small admission fee is being charged here. The park is open every day. See the official website (Ru) for further info. Find the entrance on Kurortny Prospect - get directions.
This viewing tower on top of Akhun Mountain was built in 1936 by the architect Sergei Vorobyev. From 663 meters above sea level, the tower offers spectacular views over Sochi, the Black Sea and the Western slopes of the Caucasus Mountains.
Please note that there is no public transport going here. Get directions.
MoreMall is the most modern shopping mall of Sochi. It's a multifunctional shopping center where you can find clothes stores of local and big international brands, some restaurants, and a huge supermarket. The entertainment area contains a good cinema. On the ground floor there is also a small petting zoo.
The mall is open every day! See the official website (Ru) for more shopping info. Get directions.
Travelling Russia to explore its different regions and learn more about their traditions is not something you could do in a day. On this complex though, you're able to meet the regions of the boundless Russia all in one place! Get to see their typical architecture, learn more about their cultures, or buy handicrafts from every part of Russia. On site you will also find cafés and restaurants serving traditional cuisine from every region.
The complex is open every day! Visit the official website (Ru) to learn more. Get directions.
Khosta Tea is a tea plantation in the scenic green hills of Khosta. It offers a traditional tea drinking ceremony with baranki (Russian hard ring-shaped rolls) in cozy wooden alcoves. Khosta Tea produces the biggest variety of local teas in Russia. The production technology has been saved from 1947.
For visitor info, see the official website (Ru). Get directions.
The Temple of the Holy Face of Christ the Saviour (Ru) is a large spiritual and educational complex, built on the place of the ruins of a Byzantine temple from the 9th century. The old remains showed up during the Olympic refurbishment of the area. Some of the remains are incorporated in this new church, such as the very first stone.
Check out the official website (Ru) for the latest news and more background. Get directions.
The Winter Theatre (Ru) is an architectural monument built in 1937 in Stalin's Empire style. It is a key landmark in Sochi, and the main venue for (classical) concerts. It also hosts the annual Kinotavr Festival, and numerous theatre performances of visiting theatre ensembles. Get directions.
Primorsky Park is a green hill located directly next to the sea. The favorite part of the park are the benches along its upper side, offering magnificent views over the Black Sea. Ascending down the green slope will lead you to the main seaside promenade of Sochi, Primorskaya Street. Get directions.
Navaginskaya Street is the most popular pedestrian street of Sochi. The beautiful green strip leads you from the Sochi Railway Station towards the Port of Sochi. The area is filled with shops and cafés, and adorned with some fountains and 'symbolic' sculptures, which are typical for Russia. Get directions.
The Agura Waterfalls (Ru) represent a cascade of three waterfalls of 30, 23, and 21 meters high. The picturesque lake near the cascade is nice for swimming in summer.
You can reach the waterfalls by walking about 30 minutes through the Agura canyon. Please note that there's no public transport going to the place. Get directions.
Built in 1920, this museum is one of the oldest cultural institutions of Sochi. It covers the history of Sochi and the Krasnodar Region in a very diverse way: with stones and minerals from the area, animals and paying much attention to the military history. The pride of the museum is a Cosmos room, showing objects used in space. The museum also offers audio guides in English.
See the official website (Ru) for more visitor info. The museum is closed on Mondays. Get directions.
Riviera Beach is a calmer alternative for Sochi Central Beach. This public beach consists of dark sand and pebbles. Swinging benches on the beach make this a great place to relax, especially when the sun drops into the Black Sea. Get directions.
This small church in Lesnoye was built by Greek immigrants between 1898 and 1915. With its unusual wooden dome and bell tower, it contributed to the diverse cultural heritage of Sochi. Inside there's a carved iconostasis made of chestnut.
Please note that there's no public transport going to the green village of Lesnoye. Get directions.
The Sochi Art Museum was opened in 1971, in a monumental building from the 1930s. The main treasure of this museum of fine arts, is its collection of paintings, considered to be the richest of the Black Sea coast.
The museum is closed on Mondays. See the official website (Ru) for visitor info. Get directions.
The shopping heart of Adler consists of small stores and simple shopping centers, but also some nice malls. The best malls are located in the North of this shopping area, the City Plaza Mall (Ru) and Noviy Vek. If you are looking for a restaurant in Adler, this area is also a good bet. Get directions.
The Dagomys Tea House is a traditional wooden house (an 'izba') where you can taste local tea, fresh from the field. The tea is served from a traditional samovar and accompanied by Russian bread, nuts, and locally baked pies. Russian-style handicrafts as Palekh, Khokhloma, Gzhel and Zhostovo are on display inside the wooden house.
Please note that the tea house is closed on Mondays. Get directions.
The Sochi Railway Station is the largest of four railway stations in Sochi. Built in 1952, it is famous for its clock tower with zodiac signs, and the three inner yards with sculptures and fountains. An almost identical clock tower was constructed in the ski resort Rosa Khutor, symbolizing Sochi as the combination of a sea and mountain resort. Get directions.
This is a calm park with centrally the monument 'Three soldiers', which was dedicated to the fallen soldiers of WWII. Another interesting monument here is a large armed vehicle, hidden amongst the tall trees. Local concerts, parades and public festivals memorizing the fallen soldiers take place on the large central square. Get directions.
The Sports Car Museum exhibits 50 racing and sports cars, including a Jaguar R5B (an original Formula 1 car). The museum further tells about the Formula 1 races held in Sochi, with 2014 being the year of the first Russian Grand Prix ever.
The museum is located in the mainstand of the Sochi Autodrom, and is open every day! Get directions.
Primorskaya Street is a charming promenade along the Black Sea coast that cannot be missed by visitors. It's a perfect place for a stroll, or a bite in one of the many restaurants with sea view. Get directions.
Orekhovsky is a waterfall on the Bezumenka stream, with a height of 27.5 meters. Near the waterfall you can find a grove of walnuts and rhododendron.
You can reach this part of the beautiful nature around Sochi by bus, but that requires you to walk the last bit to the waterfall. Bus 102 drives you to the bus stop 'Orekhovka', with the waterfall within 1.5 km. Get directions.
The area around Navaginskaya Street is mostly pedestrian and belongs to the most popular areas of Sochi centre. It offers all kinds of small shops, but also some larger stores like the Russian mainstream brand Zolla, or stores of international mainstream brands like Benetton and Mango. The small coffee shops along Navaginskaya Street are perfect for having a break. Get directions.
Dolphinarium Riviera is the place to enjoy shows with bottlenose dolphins, white whales and South American sea lions all year round. Visitors can also swim with dolphins here. The complex includes a small zoo, a butterfly garden and even a penguinarium. The dolphin shows are typically held in the afternoon (not on Mondays).
The dolphinarium is open every day! See the official website (Ru) for more visitor info. Get directions.
The central market of Sochi is a place filled with stalls, inside as well as outside. In the South you will find a market hall, filled with small stands that offer simple clothes. Head to the North if you are looking for fresh fruit, vegetables or local sweets.
The central market of Sochi is open every day from 7-18h, but on Mondays just till 15h. Get directions.
The House Museum of Solokhaul is the homeland of Russian tea – the northernmost tea in the world. The tea plant growing process started here in 1901, as initiated by Judas Koshman.
Please note that there is no public transport to this place. The house museum is closed on Mondays. Get directions.
The Trinity-Saint George Monastery (Ru) was founded in 1999 by three nuns from Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. It's a picturesque place where you can find unique 19th century icons and holy relics. Women need to be aware of the dress code here, and cover their head to visit the place.
Please note that the place is not well connected with the public transport network. Get directions.
An open-air museum of nature! Yew and Box-Tree Grove (Ru) is UNESCO World Heritage with flora from the preglacial period. Please note that a small entrance fee is being charged here. Visit the official website (Ru) to learn more about Yew and Box-Tree Grove.
Get there by bus 134 or 105, and get off at the stop 'Khosta Most'. From there you can reach the territory on foot. Get directions.
Pushkin’s Library (Ru) is an architectural monument, built in 1912 by A. Butkina. It houses the oldest library of Sochi, which was founded in 1899 on the eve of the centenary of the birth of the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. The library moved into this building in 1912. Get directions.
This garden contains a unique tree with 45 different types of citrus fruit grafted on it, called the Friendship Tree. It has become a vivid symbol of friendship, with people from around the world bringing souvenirs here, advocating peace and mutual understanding between nations. On site there's now a small museum that exhibits the gifts from 167 countries.
Please note that the garden is closed on Mondays, and a small entrance fee is charged. Get directions.
A public beach consisting of pebbles, and in some parts dark sand. Along the comfortable boulevard, there's a large number of cafés, restaurants and shops selling beach gear. In summer season this part of the beach gets very busy. Get directions.
The biggest aquarium on the Black Sea coast, also known as 'Okeanarium'. Some of its highlights are a 40-metre underwater tunnel and a tropical rainforest featuring a waterfall. As a visitor here, you may be allowed to feed some of the fish as well.
Please note that the Sochi Discovery World Aquarium is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. See the official website for more visitor info. Get directions.
The green area aside the pedestrian Navaginskaya Street is like an oasis on the warmer days. It is popular for having a rest on one of the benches under the tall trees, or on the sunny square with the fountain. Get directions.
The Festivalny Concert Hall is the largest open-air theatre in Sochi. The hall was built in 1979, seating up to 2,500 people. The scene can be magical here, with a view on the sea and a starry sky. The concert foyer and its terraces, are a place of cafés, cozy bars and buffets.
See the official website (Ru) for further info. Get directions.
The shopping area around Roz Street in Sochi consists of simple shopping centers and malls made up of smaller local stores. Towards the East end of this shopping area you can find the mall Sun City (Ru), one of the more popular places here. Get directions.
Kirova Street (Ru) is the main street of Adler, and one of the oldest as well. The greenish street with some nice cafés on its sides, is comfortable for walking. It leads you from the heart of Adler to the main beach. Get directions.
The Cooperative Square Garden is a small but nice park close to the port, covered in a Mediterranean atmosphere. Some of the highlights here are the small cherry garden, and the metal statue 'Sea gods' in the centre of the square. Get directions.
Somewhat hidden by the trees of Frunze Park, the Summer Theatre is a pretty open-air theatre built in 1937. Currently it is only active in summer, hosting a variety of open-air concerts which are popular with Sochi's residents as well as guests of the resort. The capacity of the theatre is 1,600 seats.
See the official website (Ru) for more info. Get directions.
The Culture and Recreation Park is a small amusement park with most attractions for little children, some local cafés and a small fair. The Soviet atmosphere is still alive in this park which opened in 1980. Near the entrance on Romashek Street you can find shops with souvenirs and beach accessories.
The park can be entered for free. Get directions.
