About
The plateau is located in the western part of the Crimean Mountains' Main Range and includes several peaks. The highest point is Mount Roka at 1,349 meters, while the most popular is Mount Ai-Petri (1,234 meters), towering over Alupka and Koreiz. The slopes feature caves such as Trekhglazka, Geofizicheskaya, and Yalta. The iconic Ai-Petri "teeth" consist of four large and several smaller outcrops along the ridge. You can reach the plateau via the newly renovated cable car, launched at the start of the 2024 tourist season. After reconstruction, its route became shorter, now starting from the mid-station "Sosnovy Bor" on Alupkinskoye Highway instead of the lower station in Miskhor. Alternatively, the shortest hiking route to the summit of Ai-Petri is the Koreiz or Miskhor Trail—a 3.6 km path from the South Coast Highway. If driving, you can stop at Crimea’s tallest waterfall, Uchan-Su, the Silver Gazebo, and Turtle Lake along the way.
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Massandra Palace
If you want photos straight out of a European fairy tale, this is the place. The walls are built of stone, the towers are pointed, the balconies are curved, and the park looks like it’s from an engraving. The interiors are tastefully opulent: stucco, wood, fireplaces, tiles, oak paneling, and tiled stoves.
Open-Air Museum "Polyana Skazok"
In a forest near Yalta live characters from Russian folk tales: a knight and Zmey Gorynych, Baba Yaga and the Frog Princess, charming cats, hedgehogs, and wood goblins. The sculptures are placed among the trees, and the paths lead through stories familiar from childhood.