The Botkin Trail in the Yalta Nature Reserve is one of the most famous hiking trails in the Crimean Mountains. Its length from Kirov Street to the top of Stavri-Kaya Mount is 4.5 kilometers. It starts in a dense coniferous forest, and from the top you will see very picturesque views of Yalta, the Crimean Mountains and the sea.
The Botkin Trail route was created in 1901 for tuberculosis patients. They could take wellness walks here, so it is also called the "Health Trail". In these places, the phytoncides of the coniferous forest are mixed with the sea breeze, which creates a positive effect for the treatment of lung diseases. However, the local landscapes are so beautiful that the Botkin trail has become very popular among all tourists who come to vacation in Yalta and the surrounding resorts from Gurzuf to Alupka.
Professor Sergey Botkin was one of the most famous physicians in Russia in the second half of the 19th century. He received the title of academician and the position of physician of the royal family. Since 1870, he has been studying the climate of the Southern coast of Crimea and made a huge contribution to the popularization of recreation and the development of sanatoriums in the Crimea. He was the first to note the healing properties of the air on the Southern coast of Crimea for the treatment of lung diseases.
The Botkin Trail was laid and equipped after his death, in 1901-1904, by members of the Crimean Mountain Club. Rest areas with benches were built all along the trail. The Botkin Trail begins on Kirov Street near the Yalta Zoo and the Glade of Fairy Tales children`s park. From Kirov Street to the Upper Yaluzar Waterfall, the trail follows two routes: Lower Botkin Trail and Upper Botkin Trail. Both trails in this place pass through a pine forest and do not differ from each other.
The total length of the Botkin trail to the top of Stavri-Kaya Mount is 4.5 kilometers. The climb is 510 meters. The main slope uphill begins at the last section near the mountain. Here the trail leaves the pine forest and goes along the edge of the gorge. The height of Stavri-Kaya Mountain is 663 meters.
After seeing the beautiful scenery at the top of Stavri-Kaya Mount (Cross Mount), you can go back down the same Botkin trail. However, most people go towards the Uchan-Su Waterfall. This route is called the Shtangeyev trail. The length of the trail is 2.6 kilometers. It is more picturesque, as it runs along the rocky ridge of the Crimean Mountains. At the end of the way you can see the Uchan-Su Waterfall, the highest waterfall in the Crimea and the European part of Russia. A road is laid nearby, thus from here you can take a taxi to Yalta.
If you are planning a hike along the Botkin Trail with children, then you can plan a visit to the Yalta Zoo, as well as the Glade of Fairy Tales children`s park, where you will see various fairy-tale characters, look at yourself in crooked mirrors.
