The Matsesta Balneary is located in the Khosta district of Sochi. It was founded in 1902 on hydrogen sulfide springs found near the Matsesta River. People come here to restore the skin and scars after surgery, infertility treatment and musculoskeletal system.
The monumental building of the Balneary (No. 4), built in 1940, is located in the Old Matsesta area, 3.8 kilometers from the Black Sea coast. It is located on the bank of the Matsesta River, where a stone embankment was built in the same years. On the opposite shore from the hospital there is a sanatorium and a Hydrogen Sulfide Spring.
Many people come to Matsesta sanatoriums for treatment for a few days, but anyone can come here. Balneological Complex No. 4 is open to all visitors from 7.45 am to 2.15 pm. The complex is built on the site of the main sources of hydrogen sulfide water. Its transportation to other sanatoriums, even within Sochi, is impossible, as the water loses its medicinal properties.
The history of Matsesta
The balneological resorts of the Mineral Waters region were created at the very beginning of the 19th century, much earlier than the appearance of Matsesta. In 1803, Emperor Alexander I signed a decree on the foundation of Pyatigorsk as a resort city. Balneological procedures immediately became very popular among Russian nobles. In Pyatigorsk, balnearies were created on the basis of hydrogen sulfide sources, in Kislovodsk - on the basis of narzan sources, and in Zheleznovodsk - on the basis of water sources containing iron ions. The famous Russian poet Lermontov colorfully described the rest "on the waters" in the novel Hero of our Time.
The resort town of Matsesta was created a century later, but it immediately became even more popular, first in tsarist Russia, and then in the Soviet state. The advantage of Matsesta over Mineral Water resorts is in the mild subtropical climate, which was formed on the southern slope of the Caucasian ridge. The high Caucasus Mountains protect the coast from cold winds. Also, people who come for medical procedures can combine them with swimming and relaxing on the beaches of the Black Sea.
A huge incentive in the development of Matsesta as a balneological resort and the whole of Sochi as a beach resort was the construction of Stalin`s Summer Cottage in 1931. He personally chose the place for it. The house was built in a picturesque forest on top of a mountain slope, with a beautiful view of the Black Sea. The distance from Stalin`s Dacha to the Main Hospital of Matsesta is 5 kilometers.
Stalin`s health was undermined during numerous exiles and escapes before 1917, so he came to Matsesta every summer. Many functionaries of the Communist Party came here for him. At that time, sanatorium began to be built here not only for the party elite, but also for ordinary people. Sochi has become the most popular beach resort in the Soviet Union.
Excursions in Matsesta
After visiting the Matsesta Balneary, you can take a walk and see the Hydrogen Sulfide Source of Matsesta. There is a hydrogen sulfide lake, as well as the entrance to the Matsesta caves. The source is located on the opposite side of the Matsesta River. You should enter the territory of the sanatorium. To the right are the buildings of the sanatorium, where the guards will not allow you to pass, and the path to the left leads to the Source of the Matsesta.
Here you can take beautiful photos in memory of visiting the Matsesta resort. A small lake at the source of Matsesta is filled with white water with a characteristic smell of hydrogen sulfide. Nearby there are caves where the first hydrogen sulfide springs were found. The length of the main cave reaches 75 meters, but they are closed to the public. The smell of hydrogen sulfide water is not very pleasant, and in the cave the concentration of its vapors reaches critical values.
If you are a lover of hiking with good physical fitness, then from Matsesta you can go to the Eagle Rocks. The distance from the Matsesta Balneary to the top of the cliff, where Prometheus sculpture stands, is 2.3 kilometers. But you should remember that the climb will be 360 meters. The road from the Source of Matsesta to the Eagle Rocks will constantly climb steeply uphill. After visiting the Eagle Rocks, go down the Agura Gorge. There you will see the famous Agur waterfalls.
If you are not a fan of significant loads in hiking, then it is better to get to the Agur waterfalls by car or taxi. The distance by road from the Matsesta Balneary to the entrance to the Agur Gorge, where the trail to the Agur Waterfalls begins, is 6 kilometers (about 10 minutes). Climbing the high Eagle Rocks can be neglected, since the trail goes there with a steep ascent.
