I'm taking a trip down my own bucket list today. My friend Jenn said she left all the Russian stuff for me to list. So, here's one of my biggest bucket list spots. Yalta and the Crimean Peninsula.
What can I say about this place? It has more history than most spots. The Crimean Peninsula has been in dispute for as long as anyone can remember. It is a prime spot for access by ship to literally the rest of the world. It was the spot to fight over for millennia. Mongols, were there in medieval times. The Kievan Rus inhabited the area. The Taters were there. This was all before Ivan the Terrible came along and claimed it for Russia. The Russians forever fought over this land, because as hard as they tried, the Russians of the 1500's to 1700's could not find a more desirable location to house a Navy. Peter the Great decided to make his national port St. Petersburg and move the capital of the country there, because he wanted a home for his Navy, and he could not successfully conquer Crimea. Years later, Catherine the Great did conquer the Crimea shortly before her death. It remained an area fraught with conflict until the Soviets came along. Nikita Khrushchev gifted it to Ukraine in 1954, causing his loyalty to country to be questioned. Of course, he never thought that Ukraine would become independent, but it did in 1991. Then, Crimea belonged to the independent Ukraine. In 2014, Vladimir Putin decided to rectify that gifting by taking it back shortly after the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
There were many other conquerors that I didn't mention; Ottomans, Romans, Greeks, Huns. The list goes on and on, which is exactly why I want to see it.
Yalta has a castle called The Swallow's Nest. Built around the turn of the 20th century for a German businessman, it has hung over the coastline of Crimea for decades and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the region.
Bakhchisaray Palace was home of Genghis Khan at one time, and Livadia Palace was the location of the infamous Yalta Conference where Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt gathered to discuss plans to end WWII.
Yalta became the spa town for the Tzars hundreds of years ago. It's mild climate and seashore, made it irresistible to the elite. Many famous people lived there at one time, including the great Russian author Chekhov. Yalta has long since been the capital of culture and tourism in the south of Russia, and whatever other country they have been ruled by at the time.
Yalta is tourist central. It sits on the shores of the Black Sea, with a temperate climate, beaches, resort hotels, and promenades. It's hugely popular and normally, when it's not Covid-19, crowded. There are spas where you can relax, boats to sail on, shopping everywhere, shows, events, and so many things to do. This area is also a busy industrial port, still serving a lot of the Mediterranean area and Europe. It's a money maker, a game changer, and Russia claims that it is their sovereign right to rule the place. Many folks don't agree, but it is what it is.
The Crimea is a mix of culture, time, and people. There are modern aspects that would rival the resorts of Las Vegas. There are ancient and historical locations that are renowned for their beauty and significance. There's a Soviet Bunker that you can visit underneath Yalta, from the time of nuclear and submarine warfare. There are tourist spots and beaches. There are Roman ruins and ancient churches. Yalta is the one spot in Crimea where you can see everything that the peninsula has to offer. You can even look at the stars at one of the largest observatories in Eastern Europe.
I've traveled to disputed lands before, and I think that the danger is highly overrated. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. Most of the time when I have traveled in places with a stigma, it turned out that people are people and I had a great time.
You can't beat the view, the activities, the climate, and the sheer beauty of Crimea. If you love the shore, the mountains, cliffs, cities, unique history, unique architecture, art, music, sun, good food, luxury accommodations, and culture shock; you'll love Yalta and the Crimea. And remember, if it isn't unique, it probably doesn't belong on a bucket list.
Enjoy!
