Simeiz is a famous beach resort on the southern coast of Crimea. It is located on a mountain slope near the Panea Rock. There is a very beautiful nature here. The symbol of Simeiz is the Diva Rock, which rises from the sea water above the Simeiz Beach. Most of the guest houses and hotels are located quite high on the mountain slope. The central part of the village of Simeiz near the seashore is occupied by Simeiz Park.
The most popular beach of Simeiz is located near the Diva Rock. All beaches of the resort are pebbly, and there are a lot of stones at the bottom of the sea. This gives the water a beautiful azure color. The sea looks especially beautiful from the viewing point of the Diva Rock. A suspension bridge is stretched between the Diva and Panea rocks, where fans of extreme entertainment can walk over the sea at an altitude of 30 meters.
Beaches of large pebbles and a rocky entrance to the sea make Simeiz not the most convenient resort for vacations with young children. Also, most of the hotels and guest houses of Simeiz are located on the upper part of the mountain slope and you need to go far enough to the beach.
Since Soviet times, Simeiz has been known as a place where naturism lovers came. At the foot of Mount Koshka among the stones is a nudist beach. It had the same fame as the nudist beach in Koktebel.
Also, since the early 1990s, Simeiz has gained fame as the only gay resort in the post-Soviet area. The main gay parting gathers at the Hedgehogs nightclub, which is located near the Cypress Alley. During the day it works as a restaurant, and at night as a dance club. It is closed from prying eyes. If you do not visit it, then it is impossible to understand that Simeiz is a gay resort.
Attractions of Simeiz
Beautiful nature on the mountain slope of the Southern coast of Crimea is the main attraction of the resort Simeiz. There are no palaces or other architectural attractions here, but the park areas of Simeiz, as well as opportunities for hiking in the surrounding area, make it possible to enjoy a holiday on the southern coast of Crimea.
The main attraction of Simeiz is the Diva Rock. It has a beautiful sloping shape. The height of the rock is 51 meters. You can climb it to see the beauty of the rocky coast of the Black Sea. To the south of the Diva Rock, the Koshka Mountain rises above it.
Opposite the Diva Rock on the seashore is the Panea Rock. In the 12th century there was a Byzantine Orthodox church here, and in the 14th century the Genoese built their fortress. It was a small outpost of the main Genoese fortress in Sudak. Fragments of medieval walls on the Panea rock can still be seen today.
Most of the slope near the Panea rock is occupied by the Simeiz Park, planted in the early 20th century by the Maltsev brothers. They planted drought-resistant trees that have taken root perfectly on the slopes of Simeiz. Now you can walk here in the shade of junipers, pines, oaks. Giant cedars and even palm trees grow on the seashore. A Cypress alley has been planted on the upper part of the park, which has also become a famous landmark of Simeiz.
If you decide to visit the surroundings of Simeiz, then Biyuk-Isar Mountain is located 6 kilometers from the village. It is part of the Yalta Nature Reserve. The most interesting routes of Reserve are located in the Yalta area, 25 kilometers from Simeiz: the Botkin Trail and the Shtangeyev trail. Be sure to plan an ascent to the top of Ai-Petri Mountain. The lower station of the Ai-Petri cable car is located in the village of Mishor, 7.5 km from Simeiz. To the south of Simeiz, 25 kilometers away is the famous resort of Foros.
History of Simeiz
Simeiz was formed as a popular beach resort in the late 19th century. It was a resort for middle-class people who can afford a vacation on the Black Sea, as well as the purchase of a summer cottage in the Crimea. At this time, summer holidays in the Crimea became very popular among the Russian aristocracy.
By that time, the princely Vorontsov Palace in Alupka had already been built 6 kilometers from Simeiz, and the royal Livadia Palace was 20 kilometers away. All the aristocrats from St. Petersburg sought to go to the same place where the high society of Russia rested.
In the 19th century, there was a tradition to give large plots of land in the Crimea to military leaders and statesmen for special merits. For example, the estate in Foros was presented by Emperor Alexander I to General Nikolai Rayevsky, a the hero of the war with Napoleon in 1812.
In the first half of the 19th century, several families owned land plots in the Simeiz area, including the Naryshkin princes, but the main contribution to the development of the popular Simeiz resort was made by Major Ivan Akimovich Maltsev. He did not have such services to the state as Rayevsky, but in addition to military service, he owned several iron foundries.
Maltsev bought up all the local lands and combined them into a huge plot near the ancient Genoese fortress of Panea. These lands were inherited by his son Sergey Maltsev, He built a house in Simeiz and hosted guests. In 1885, Leo Tolstoy visited him. After the death of Sergei Maltsev in 1893, his sons began to actively develop Simeiz as a popular resort.
They divided a huge plot into small plots and began selling them for the construction of villas. At the beginning of the 20th century, several beautiful cottages appeared here. Some of them have survived to this day: Villa Xenia and Villa Dream. The village has all the necessary infrastructure for a comfortable life.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Maltsev brothers planted Simeiz Park. If you look at the photos of the beginning of the 20th century, you can see that there are practically no trees on a large area near the Diva and Panea rocks, now there is a lush vegetation of a beautiful southern park.
