How to get to Ai Petri from Gaspra. Mount Ai-Petri in Crimea: photos, how to get there, review. Excursion to Ai-Petri, or Long trip to the tavern

But for some reason my thoughts constantly returned to Mount Ai-Petri. I decided not to resist my inner feeling and today I will share my impressions and, of course, photographs of Ai-Petri.

The morning started as usual, breakfast, shower, etc. We didn't make any plans for this day. Anton and Camilla were lying on the sofa and watching TV, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to go or drive somewhere. Since we knew practically nothing about Yalta, I read about local attractions on the Internet. And my choice fell on Mount Ai-Petri. Anton was not happy about having to go somewhere again; that day he was lazy and just wanted to sit at home. But I forced and convinced him to get ready. The only thing that confused me was that in all the reviews that I read about Ai-Petri, everyone strongly recommended taking warm clothes with us, which we basically didn’t have. We were thinking about what to do: go to the store and buy something, or not bother. As a result, we took with us a pair of socks, spare T-shirts and a sweater for our daughter.

Before we had time to leave the house, it suddenly began to rain, which intensified every minute until it turned into a real downpour. We had just managed to jump under the roof of the store when before our eyes the streets were flooded with water, as in one of the children’s songs “... pedestrians walk through puddles, but water flows like a river on the asphalt.” This is exactly what we observed. It seemed that even the weather was against our trip and we would have to return home.

But after about twenty minutes the rain began to subside, and we put on our raincoats and decided to at least walk to the store, since we were already outside.

On the way, on the central street of Yalta, we saw a woman selling excursions and decided to ask her in more detail about Ai-Petri. From her we learned that excursions to the mountain leave at three o'clock in the afternoon, so that visibility from the mountain is better. We were happy because it was only one o'clock in the afternoon. This meant that the day was not lost yet and everything should work out. We were not advised to wear any particularly warm clothing, and this was also reassuring. And by this time the weather had already improved, the sky had cleared. The price of the excursion per person was 700 rubles, including a ticket for the funicular, but without food and the cost of entry into the protected area. The excursion lasts 5 hours, including the round trip to Ai-Petri. Having thanked us, we went to the bus station, reasonably deciding that getting to Ai-Petri ourselves would still be cheaper. And there will be more time to leisurely examine everything. In general, as I understand, all the sights of Yalta and the surrounding area can be reached by buses from this station.

A small life hack: if you come to Yalta by bus, when you are at the bus station, do not rush to leave it immediately. Since everyone goes from the same bus station commuter buses, which will take you to all the attractions. You need to go to the other side of the station, where commuters leave, and find out what buses you will need and how much the ticket costs.

At the bus station it turned out that to Ai-Petri the bus is coming at number 102, fare 25 rubles. Even to Ai-Petri there is a bus number 32.

The journey takes about 40 minutes. You need to go to the “Ropeway” stop. The only disadvantage of traveling by bus is that it is packed to capacity with people and there is no air conditioning to speak of. It was for this reason that we missed one bus, which was already full, and waited for the next one, where we took seat place. With a child this is more than relevant, judge for yourself.

While we were driving, through the bus window we caught a glimpse of the Swallow's Nest castle and beautiful palace V oriental style called "Dulber". Looking ahead, I’ll say that we visited the Swallow’s Nest, but, unfortunately, we did not visit the Dulber Palace.

But here, finally, is our stop. Before we had time to get out, we were immediately bombarded by the voices of taxi drivers offering to take us to Mount Ai-Petri. In my opinion, this is not the most successful way to find a client. Not allowing people to even look around and so intrusively offering their services evokes nothing but the desire to quickly get rid of them and leave. Which, in fact, is what we did. The entrance and ticket office for the cable car is located right at the stop. But this is difficult to understand, since they are closed by shopping arcades with various souvenirs. Those same taxi drivers pointed us in the right direction :) A ticket for the funicular costs 250 rubles per person one way, in our case upward. Child ticket 100 rubles (under 7 years free), also one way. Some people, on the contrary, go up by taxi and go back down by cable car, or ride the cable car back and forth.

The booths run quite often and you will have to wait no more than 5-10 minutes.
When our group reached the landing site, Mount Ai-Petri appeared in front of us in all its glory.
And somewhere far, far away against its gray background a small colored dot was moving, the cable car cabin on which we were to go to the top of this mountain. Well, here we are in the cabin, and we rise higher and higher.

And below they replace each other different types, then coniferous trees, then grape plantations.

Enthusiastic and even frightened exclamations are heard in the booth. Some people are really scared at such a height. But this is only the beginning of the journey; in the middle we were waiting for a transfer to another cable car cabin. This is where the truly stunning views begin. The huge rock is getting closer and closer, I decided it was time to start shooting a video.

That's it, we're here! Everyone fell out of the funicular with relief and, without having time to catch their breath, found themselves face to face with a magnificent panorama that took their breath away.

Having enjoyed this view, we decided to climb even higher, to the “Zubtsy” rocks. To do this, you need to walk through the market, past many cafes, the barkers of which are trying in every way to lure you inside. But we steadfastly passed by these alluring and tantalizing aromas and views, although our mouths watered :)

In order to climb these “Prongs”, one desire, as it turned out, is not enough. The “Zubtsy” rocks are part of the mountain-forest nature reserve and there is an entrance fee.
They charged 100 rubles for each of us, the child was free. By the way, horse owners nearby offer their services, on which you can arrange a horseback ride around the reserve. By the way, by this time it had become cloudy, although it was still hot. I was in a T-shirt and stayed in it. We began our ascent, the travel time was really 15-20 minutes, straight up. The road is quite difficult; along the entire path, stones and tree roots make the path difficult.

Therefore, you definitely need to wear comfortable sports shoes, which were more useful to us this time than ever. In general, it’s good there, very clean Mountain air, silence, only a difficult climb prevents you from fully enjoying this place.

Finally, we are at the very top. The views are amazing, we are really very high, which even becomes a little scary. But this does not stop us from taking pictures and being photographed.

We went up to where the figures of people were visible. Rock "Prongs"

Suddenly Anton laughed and pointed to his daughter. Kamilka's hair stood on end, literally! Me too, however.

As it turned out, this was a harbinger of a very close thunderstorm. Meanwhile, the sky above our heads became darker and lower. And suddenly it thundered so loudly that we almost went deaf!!! The people around were seriously scared, and so were we. The rain poured down from the sky without ceasing to rumble, and everyone rushed down to the saving protection of the trees. As we ran, we managed to hide our phones and cameras in our backpacks, put raincoats on the child and ourselves, all the while being afraid that we might break our necks on the wet and slippery stones, and that lightning would fry us. The adrenaline rush was not weak. But everything worked out well and we continued our descent into the incessant rain. It was very difficult to go down. Not only were the rocks and tree roots slippery, but the ground was slipping. This is where they came in handy and served us well. By the time we got down, the rain had stopped, and we were pretty tired, cold and hungry. Here we used the services of barkers and decided to relax and have lunch.

I can’t help but write about what we ate and drank at Ai-Petri. The cafe we chose belongs to the Tatars, as does everything on the territory of Ai-Petri, as far as we understand. Taxi drivers, market traders, cafes - Tatars are everywhere. I don’t know why they are the only ones doing this. Naturally, the menu included only oriental dishes. We ordered shish kebab, shurpa and pilaf.

It would seem that what’s wrong with this, in any city in Russia, in any cafe you can find the same set. But! Here the dishes were prepared correctly, as they should be. I have long dreamed of beef kebab with pieces of fat melting in my mouth, the kind I only ate in Tashkent. Those who have tried will understand me 😉 And finally, my dream has come true! This kebab was just that, mmm, finger licking good.
Well, I remembered and my mouth started watering :) Hot shurpa, pilaf, flatbread, green tea in bowls - this is exactly what we needed to warm up and relax. By the way, while our order was being prepared, we had a free tasting of homemade wines and privately produced chacha. Of course, we are not gourmets; frankly speaking, we don’t know much about wines. We liked the red dessert wine “Black Commander”. The cost of one bottle was 500 rubles, but after some good haggling we bought 1.5 liters of wine for 350 rubles. Although, most likely, we were cheated a little anyway, who knows :) And one more interesting point, we were so pleased with the good service and courteous service that we were pleasantly surprised. But everything fell into place when the bill arrived. Please note: a 10% service charge has been included in the total bill, so be prepared for this. Nevertheless, we drank this wine with pleasure, ate delicious dishes, and peace descended on us :) It was so pleasant to sit reclining on pillows and drink tea and wine.
For a long time I didn’t want to leave, but it was already getting dark and it was time to get ready. When we left, Anton suggested we go to the lower observation deck, where we headed. The views from this site are no less impressive.

We couldn’t leave; we kept taking pictures, looking, and taking pictures again.

At some point we noticed that we were alone on this site. Apparently everyone went to the last funicular, which leaves the upper station at 18.00. We were only pleased with this, there was no one around, silence, space and a breathtaking height.

But everything ends at some point, we had to say goodbye to Ai-Petri and go down. To do this, we used the services of taxi drivers and for 400 rubles, for two, they brought us to the house itself.
I must say that the road down follows a serpentine road and is very narrow. Before going, we specifically agreed with the driver that he would stop at the lake and the Wuchang-Su waterfall. We visited the lake and even collected spring water nearby.

But we decided not to go to the waterfall. Since our driver explained to us that at this time of year the waterfall is almost dry. The waterfall reaches its peak strength and beauty in the spring, during the snow melting period, and in the fall, during the rainy season.
I thought to myself that this would be a good reason to visit Mount Ai-Petri again. This place really stuck in my heart.

Ai-Petri: legend and reality

Mount Ai-Petri received its name thanks to the ancient Greeks: on the top of the mountain there are preserved ruins of an ancient Greek monastery. The name of the mountain translates as “St. Peter”. Names are what the monastery was called in ancient times. Well, the Greeks loved to build monasteries in such places - remember the Greek Meteora!

Today, Ai-Petri is perhaps one of the most popular mountains among tourists in Crimea.

The mountain, whose height is 1234 meters, is a place of attraction for tourists, because... it offers an indescribable view of Greater Yalta. From the top of Ai-Petri, all the resorts of the southern coast of Crimea are clearly visible, and the sea from here can be seen at a distance of 135 km.

The mountain has an unusual shape, decorated with sharp teeth, making it noticeable among other Crimean peaks. Scientists have found that Ai-Petri peak - this is the ex coral reef.

Moreover, Ai-Petri is not a single peak, but a huge massif, stretching from Yalta to Foros and called the Ai-Petri yayla or plateau. Like other Crimean yaylas, it is practically treeless. However, the reasons for its treelessness are not entirely clear. Some scientists believe that the yayls were previously covered with forest, but already in historical time tree cover was destroyed by fires and humans. Others believe that the reason is unfavorable climatic and soil conditions. Strong winter winds are especially destructive for trees and bushes (even we had the opportunity to verify the plausibility of this version)

Be that as it may, the Ai-Petri plateau is a unique and beautiful place. And it's definitely worth climbing it. All that remains is to decide how you will do it.

How to get there

There are several ways to get to the top:

on the cable car
by vehicle: personal or use the services of numerous private operators (their prices are comparable to the price of the cable car)
on foot: tourist routes, of which there are a lot that lead to the top, can be found from almost any point at the foot of the mountain.

The fastest and most famous way is use the services cable car . Actually, that's what we did. The lower station is located at resort village Miskhor, height above sea level 87 meters. Cost of the cable car: 350 rubles – adult ticket; 250 rubles – for children (prices tend to increase by 50 rubles from season to season)

You can get to the cable car by bus from Yalta (buses No. 27 and 32). For motorists, getting to the lower station is a little more difficult. The station is located almost in the center of Miskhor, but there are not signs at intersections everywhere, and we constantly stopped to ask passersby whether we were going the right way... Finally, having parked the car in a small parking lot, we headed to the cable car ticket office.

On the way to the ticket office, guys tried to catch us several times, offering us to go to the top in their car: they said, it would be more interesting. But we firmly decided to go up at least once by cable car, and then we could do it ourselves by car if we wanted.

First, a few words about the cable car itself. The cable car operates from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for ascent and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for descent without breaks or weekends. The capacity of the cabins is 30 people. The length of the road is 2980 meters. It consists of two segments: approximately in the middle you will have to get out of the cabin and wait for the arrival of the upper cabin in order to transfer to it and go further to the top. This section of road between the middle and upper stations is 1670 meters and is the longest unsupported span in Europe, with an elevation angle of 46 degrees.

By the way, this year the Aipetra cable car will have an anniversary - it turns 30 years old. Its construction began back in 1967, and the opening took place only on December 31, 1987.

To be honest, the cable car cars look like they are all 70 years old... They look like old pre-war trams.

And while we’re riding up in it, I’m warily listening to all sorts of different creaks... But soon beautiful views outside the windows captivate me much more than the interior of the carriage:

During the transfer, people get out of the carriage that arrived from above and they... uh... look like Napoleonic soldiers near Moscow: they are wrapped in a lot of clothes, as if it’s not September, and we’re not in the Crimea. Of course, I read that you need to dress warmly, because it will be cool on the mountain, but I didn’t imagine HOW COOL it would be there...

How to dress

A few words about the weather features on Ai-Petri. The contrast of climate between the mountain and the coast can be easily seen by rising from Yalta - from a hot sub-Mediterranean climate - to the moderately cold, excessively humid climate of Ai-Petri. In terms of temperature regime, the Aypetrin plateau can be compared with middle lane Russia. If in Yalta the average annual air temperature is +13 degrees, then on Ai-Petri it is only +5.9. Precipitation on Ai-Petri is 1052 mm, in Yalta - 635 mm. The wind speed on the plateau can reach 50 m per second!

Therefore, even in summer it is worth taking WARM CLOTHES with you when visiting Ai-Petri. No, you don’t understand - really warm clothes. And not a knitted jumper, as I did...

And winter here is completely real, with snowstorms and snowdrifts. Frosts in February can reach -27 C. North wind It blows on the plateau 220-230 days a year. As for snowstorms, during the winter there are up to 35 days with snowstorms.

This place is such a joke of nature...

What will we see at the top?

At the exit from the cable car we immediately feel this change climatic conditions: The wind is blowing so hard that your eyes are watering. And it’s cold, it’s blowing to the point of shivering... I wrap the stole that miraculously ended up in my bag around me, and we set off to explore the plateau.

And almost immediately we come across numerous cafes inviting with dishes national (Crimean Tatar) cuisine. It curls here and there smoke from the brazier... We are persistently invited to drink hot tea. But we politely refuse - we don’t feel like it yet, thank you...

So far we have no desire to take advantage of other entertainments. The list of entertainment is standard - horseback riding, ATVs, ziplining from the top to the plateau.

Here, on the plateau, is tourist shelter, welcoming travelers not only in summer, but also in winter, when it is a paradise for lovers skiing. Yes, I didn’t make a reservation: Ai-Petri is equipped with several ski slopes. Where do they skate here in winter, I wonder?

Then our path passes through a real oriental bazaar with its own flavor. In addition to tea and sweets, you will also find wine by the glass and souvenirs. They sell warm chuns made from sheep skins, vests made from them, and other handicrafts. The path that leads to the top - to the battlements, begins in the protected area, entrance to it is paid (100 rubles).

Then you have to walk a couple of hundred meters through a forest, along a rocky path. This takes about 10-15 minutes, but you need to watch your step - the surface of the stones is quite slippery in any weather! And, although the altitude gain is insignificant, some probably have time to get tired. Apparently, this encouraging poster hangs for them:

We leave the forest, it’s only about a hundred meters to the top. But it’s impossible to walk quickly because of the strong wind (by the way, there was almost no wind in the forest).

Finally, before us is the very place from which the most beautiful pictures from Ai-Petri:

These are the famous teeth. Among them are four especially large ones (up to 12-15 m high) and many smaller ones. The Ai-Petri teeth were formed during the weathering of a reef massif cut by faults. On one of the battlements there is a spire for raising the flag, on the other a wooden cross was left after filming.

Climbing the Zubtsy is accessible only to rock climbers. But for lovers of extreme sports on the prongs for a small fee it is organized unforgettable attraction. The essence of the attraction is to cross a shaky suspension bridge over an abyss along the battlements. Adrenaline must be overflowing.

And I wanted to do it so much, I wanted it so much!... But I was so frozen due to the terrible cold wind that sometimes I couldn’t feel my fingers. How to walk on such a shaky wind turbine suspension bridge with limbs numb from the cold? And I decided - not this time, friends...

So, if you want to go on this attraction, I advise you to warm yourself up and be sure to wear sports shoes.

What we didn’t see at Ai-Petri...

After spending a few minutes at this place, we take some photos and videos for the blog.

At this point we considered our task completed. And on legs stiff from the cold we begin to descend back to the cable car station.

Meanwhile, on the Aypetrin plateau there are several interesting objects that we simply did not reach.

For example, northeast of the battlements, above the cable car station, there is a small yew grove in which it grows 1000-year-old yew berry. Trunk diameter 103 m, height 10 m.

You can also visit Ai-Petri series of caves , where excursions are organized for tourists. Of the three caves - Yalta, Geofizicheskaya and Trekhglazka - the last one is the most remarkable. It got its name thanks to the three holes through which tourists get inside it. In the cave you can admire ice stalactites and stalagmites, a skating rink and a huge block of snow. The temperature in the cave always remains quite low, so it has several other names - Refrigerator or Ice. We definitely no longer had the desire to climb into the ice cave.

Also on the Bakhchisarai-Yalta highway there is weather station, one of the oldest in Crimea , founded in 1895. In addition to meteorological observations, work was carried out here on hydrology, botany, soil science, astronomy, and zoology. From 1905 to 1932 Head of the weather station K.F. Levandovsky headed research papers by winds and atmospheric electricity. It was noticed that on Ai-Petri, due to a sharp change in air temperature in the steppe and on the coast, there are constant strong winds, and their speed reaches 125 days a year 40 m/s (144 km/hour!)

By the end of the 1930s, measurements were carried out using a device installed on the very edge of the plateau. The measurement data was necessary for the design of a wind power station with a capacity of 10,000 kW. But in 1940 the device was torn down by a hurricane. In the early 1990s, Danish contractors installed a 30-meter riser with a wind turbine on top. Everything happened again: the Crimean wind turned out to be much stronger than Danish technology - the wings spun so much that they were simply torn off!

Left to come back

Going back down in the lift cabin, we decided that it was worth returning to Ai-Petri for two reasons. First, to walk along those suspended walkways. Secondly, to take a walk exploring all the unexplored sights (groves, weather stations, caves).

I will definitely write about all this. Subscribe to our newsletter so you don't miss new articles.

Mount Ai-Petri is one of the most striking and interesting sights of the southern coast of Crimea. Here travelers will find a picturesque natural landscape, clean mountain air, peace and quiet, unique plant species, fascinating viewpoints both on the Black Sea and on the cities surrounding Ai-Petri (Alupka, Miskhor, Yalta, etc.).

If you choose any mandatory points of the cultural and entertainment program during a visit to Crimea, then Ai-Petri should definitely get one of the first places.

Mountain on South Coast visible from almost everywhere - turn your head from the Black Sea, and there it is - Ai-Petri, distant, beautiful and alluring. The name of the mountain is translated from Greek as “Saint Peter”.

The height of Ai-Petri is 1234 meters. Is it a lot or a little? Not Everest, of course, which rises as much as 8848 meters. But he is not close to us. It’s better to measure Ai-Petri with something more accessible. Let's take, for example, an ordinary 20-story building and put on it Ostankino Tower, and on it another Ostankino tower. And now you get an exotic structure similar in height to Mount Ai-Petri. Now imagine the view from there...

On Ai-Petri, the temperature is on average 10 degrees lower than in Yalta, and strong winds often rage. So whether you're riding or heading to the top, be sure to bring warm clothes with you and/or a windbreaker, otherwise you risk getting sick or having to go back empty-handed. As Vysotsky sang, This is not a plain, the climate here is different.

How to get to Ai-Petri by transport?

Contrary to the title of the note, let's start with the most common options for transporting yourself to the mountain. It is immediately worth noting that both the cable car and the private car take tourists only to the Ai-Petri plateau, from there to the top you still have to walk 15-30 minutes.

1) Ropeway "Miskhor - Ai-Petri"

The length of the road is almost three kilometers, including one change at the Sosnovy Bor intermediate station. The drive is only 15 minutes. One way ticket price - 400 rubles(children from 6 to 12 years old - 250 rubles).

From Yalta to the beginning of the cable car follow buses No. 102 and No. 132, stop "Ropeway". You can also get there from Vorontsovsky Park or Swallow's nest on the same buses, this is convenient when there is a limited amount of time, when the task is to see everything in a day, which is quite possible. Although, I would advise not to do this, and spend a whole day walking on Ai-Petri, more about this below.

from 10 to 16- on the rise; from 10 to 17- on the descent. Seven days a week. However The cable car may not function due to weather conditions, this is not that uncommon. Therefore, if you want to arrive at Ai-Petri this way, but you don’t understand what’s outside the window, it would be useful to check the functionality of the cable car before leaving - on the official Internet resource and/or call the administrators (phone numbers are on the website). During the winter season, the cable car may close completely for prevention, which the site will inform you about.

I didn't have a chance to ride the cable car because weather conditions, the following lines are based on reviews from various sources.

During the season, visitors complain about long queues at the ticket office - both going up and down, up to two hours of waiting. This is understandable, Ai-Petri is a popular place, and the cabins on the cable car are small, for about 40 people. more This is also not possible due to technical reasons.

Is the experience worth the wait? Here opinions differ - for some, the accessible visual panorama evokes delight, eclipsing the line at the cash register. Other reviewers complain about the car being overcrowded and stuffy, as well as the impossibility of an acceptable view for all passengers. Still others agree that it’s worth going for a ride once anyway, it’s interesting, but it’s not worth it a second time. In terms of saving time, the trip is beneficial only if you do not wait more than 30 minutes for boarding.

2) Private passenger vehicles

Private traders concentrate near the cable car ticket office. There is no need to look for anyone; you will be offered an “exciting trip to the mountains” many times on the way.

The cost is the same as on the cable car, 400 rubles[in winter, when the cable car does not work, the price tag rises to 500 rubles]. As a bonus to the trip, some drivers offer free excursion program and three stops at interesting points along the way to Ai-Petri, in particular at the Uchan-Su waterfall. On the one hand, this is an absolute plus, on the other hand, there are constraining time limits that do not give the opportunity to stroll around the sights for your pleasure.

Travel by car for 30-40 minutes, if without stops. There will be practically no attractive landscapes outside the window. The road is acceptable, there are some bumps, but nothing" roller coaster"Although, some tourists complain precisely about the poor quality of the road, as well as about reckless drivers. Here, depending on your luck.

IN winter time due to snow drifts highway on Ai-Petri may be blocked.

To get to the mountain using a private cab, it is not necessary to get to Miskhor before the start of the cable car. In Yalta, for example, near the bus station there are enough shouts of “Ai-Petri, who wants to go to Ai-Petri?”

In the opposite direction, the situation is similar - almost all taxi drivers concentrate at the cable station. You can go to almost any of the nearby cities (Alupka, Yalta, Miskhor, Koreiz, etc.) for the same 400 rubles. There are enough places, enough cars.

3) Personal car

Everything is clear here. There is a road. There is parking. It's not a long drive. The only thing you should not forget about is that if it happens in winter, not every car is able to drive up without chains on the wheels, and not every one with them.

4) Centralized excursion

More information about excursions is at the end of the note - in the addition from 2018.

Walk to the Ai-Petri plateau

If you want a truly memorable adventure, great emotions and stunning views from visiting Ai-Petri, you need to walk up the mountain. Or from the mountain. And ideally - to travel both there and back without transport. Fortunately, a wide variety of different walking routes allows you not to repeat yourself, and with no less interest you can climb Ai-Petri for the second and third time.

There are many routes, they differ not only in geographical location and surrounding landscape, but also in length, complexity, slope, and estimated time for ascent. There are specially marked hiking trails, and there are also unnamed paths, sometimes allowing a shortcut, and sometimes leading away from it.

During the walk I strongly advise you to have a navigator on your smartphone. Yes, there are signs along the trails, but not often and they are not always visible. Besides, an extra program on a mobile phone won’t hold up your backpack in any case. Once again, speaking about Crimea, I recommend the program Maps.me. Not only does it display most of the paths, but it also successfully builds a route along them. The navigator also shows not only the horizontal distance between the end points of the path, but also the vertical distance (slope of the road), which allows you to distribute your forces most productively. Maps.me- a free program with a minimum of advertising, easily installed on most modern phones, does not require an Internet connection (only to download the map itself). But maps from Yandex or Google will be of little help when hiking to Ai-Petri; most of the trails are simply not there.

Do you need any special training to pass the hiking trails, is it difficult? No, everything is quite accessible. True, this trip cannot be called a walk for mushrooms either, but nothing supernatural. Along the way you often come across gazebos, benches, conveniently fallen trees and cozy pebbles where you can sit and relax, drink some water, or have a snack. Here and there there are stunning views of the surrounding area, admiring them and taking photographs also add their own moments of relaxation. As a result, you move forward in the hunt and even slight fatigue is not burdensome and pleasant.

Depending on the chosen route, speed, backpack on your shoulders, way to the Ai-Petri plateau (where it is located top station cable car) will take from 2 to 4 hours. This is on average. It makes sense to plan your walk only during daylight hours, otherwise the risk of getting lost increases significantly.

I will not advise which path to choose, since each has its own attractive sides, route points and features. You can go to Yalta, and to Alupka, and to Gaspra...

How I chose - based on geography (closer to my place of residence/bus stop) and on the “shorter” principle, since time was running out, and I only have a little experience in such trips (in case I got lost). The choice fell on Koreiz trail. As travelers say, it is the most difficult in terms of slope. But also the shortest.

A little about my walk along the Koreiz trail

It’s not entirely clear where exactly the Koreiz trail begins, the navigator shows one place, most of travelers talk about something else. But essentially there is little difference. Both starting points of the Koreiz trail are on the South Coast Highway: one is at the bus stop (Gaspra or Samota, the name on the maps varies), the other is at the next one (Koreiz). From Gaspra to the plateau go a little further.

I got off the bus at the Gaspra stop and headed towards the trail, but then I was confused by the barrier blocking it and a sign prohibiting passage. They are there on a permanent basis. True, there are no people around, it is unclear who will fine. But what if? In general, since the bus had already left, I walked along the highway to the next stop.

It is difficult to pass or pass the Koreiz stop, because there is a huge road sign nearby; the Koreiz trail begins two steps away from it. The entire path can be divided into two halves. The first is to the gazebo with a spring (on the maps above there is a red dot), an easy walk through the forest: a comfortable wide road 2 kilometers long, the slope is relatively small (290 meters). You walk along it and walk, but the top of Ai-Petri is still far away, and you think: “Am I really going to get to the top? Or is there an elevator somewhere further down?” But no, there will be no elevator, there will be a second half of the journey, more difficult.

Regarding the spring - to my chagrin, I did not come across it, but, as they later assured local residents, he’s definitely there [it looks like he’s even in the photo], as well as there’s another one higher up (I haven’t met him either). But it’s impossible not to notice the gazebo. Here you can relax comfortably: a bench, a backrest, a table, a roof over your head. True, this will be more relevant when descending. When you get up, you don’t even have time to get tired by that time. From the gazebo you can go straight along a rather impressive slope, or you can turn right and make a small detour, the road here will be longer, but easier.

The second half of the Koreiz trail - from the gazebo to the Ai-Petri plateau - lasts 1.7 kilometers [if you don’t make a detour], and the slope increases to 530 meters, which is already quite noticeable. I recommend that before the start of the second leg of the path you find a suitable stick for additional support., fortunately there is no shortage of them here. Yes, the slope is steep in places, but the walk is still comfortable. The trail is no longer wide and clear, it is not always distinguishable, a GPS navigator may be needed here.

The views of the surrounding area will more and more often attract your attention and force you to go a little off the path to the side in order to get to a more attractive vantage point. It is important not to forget to look at your feet. There are no serious dangers, but thrill-seekers will, of course, find ways to tickle their nerves. However, this is not at all necessary.

Behind all these beauties you somehow don’t notice that the journey has ended., and now you are already on the Ai-Petri plateau, smiling contentedly, looking around ahead of the crowd of tourists who arrived by car or by cable car. They missed a huge part of the interesting adventure, but you didn’t. Isn't it nice?

Reported travel time along the Koreiz trail is 2 hours. My walk took an hour longer, the excess was photographs, videos, rest on the second section of the path almost every 50 meters. In general, I walked relaxed and for my own pleasure, with only a half-empty 40-liter backpack weighing me down behind my back. During the entire journey I met only three people: a tourist girl with a huge backpack (she reached the plateau an hour later than me) and two local guys training.

Don't forget to take enough drinking water with you on the road. Of course you need comfortable shoes, clothes, a windbreaker, and a hat. During the period of tick activation, appropriate safety standards will not be superfluous: tucked in long clothes, spray, increased attention to yourself and your loved one.

Ai-Petri plateau and the way to the top

In addition to the cable car station, on the plateau there are observation decks, a cafe, several stalls with souvenirs, a paid toilet, a parking lot and ongoing construction. Previously, there were much more tents, cafes, and various traders here. Recently the site was “cleaned”, now the plateau is a bit empty, but there is much less sticking. However, you will definitely (and more than once) be offered to ride a horse or ATV.

What’s commendable is that some retail outlets here accept payment bank cards. Prices are more or less average.

Having walked 500-800 meters deep into the plateau, you can get to the caves available for visiting - Yalta, Three-Eyes and Geofizicheskaya. Entrance fee - by 200 rubles for each, excursions are included.

If you turn your back to the cable car, the path to the top will be on the left. Just 700 meters along a relatively comfortable wide rocky road with a slight slope (62 meters). There are already a lot of tourists here, it’s almost impossible to get lost, and comfortable shoes are still required.

What's up?

A fenced triangulation tower with a Russian flag; those 1234 meters are measured from it. Yes, there is a tower behind a fence, but this doesn’t stop anyone who wants to climb over it and take a photo over the abyss: half a step back, and it’s all gone. However, you can easily take a photo at less dangerous place, no one will notice the difference in the photo anyway.

There are ropeways stretched between the teeth of Ai-Petri, behind 500 rubles You are invited to take a walk along them. With insurance, of course. You can also slide down from the top onto the plateau on a kind of bungee. It's worth the pleasure 1000 rubles, but keep in mind that there are weight restrictions.

Farewell, peaks under the roof of snow,
Farewell, valleys and slopes of meadows,
Farewell, fallen into the abyss of the forest,
Farewell, streams of forest voices.
My heart is in the mountains... To this day I am there.
I follow the trail of a deer along the rocks.
I chase a deer, scare a goat.
My heart is in the mountains, and I myself am below!
Robert Burns

Update from April 2018

On my March trip to Crimea in 2018, my plans included a walk to Ai-Petri, only along a different route - through the Uchan-Su waterfall; longer (10 km), but therefore less intense. Before the trip, of course, an active search began on the Internet - has anyone gone to Ai-Petri in March, what difficulties may arise at this time of year, is it dangerous, etc. Unfortunately, I was unable to find anything useful, except various groups on VKontakte offering transfers to the mountain.

It turns out that in winter Ai-Petri is very popular among snowboarding and skiing enthusiasts. There are several very high quality slopes here. But that’s not what we’re talking about now. I was alarmed by the sufficient amount of snow on the mountain for skiing in March. After all, snow itself can make a walk significantly more difficult, let alone crust and ice, which are simply dangerous in the mountains. And in such conditions, not a single more or less detailed story about the walk up the mountain. It won’t be from me either, since for various reasons our trip to Ai-Petri was replaced by an excursion, about which more below.

But I’ll add a few observations - at the very beginning of the path to Ai-Petri the ground is very suitable for a comfortable walk, with the rise it becomes wetter, but not to a mushy degree so that your feet squelch in it, at the top everything looks great again. By March 15, almost all the snow had melted, only small snow islands remained on the plateau (and, possibly, at the very top) (see in the photo). The temperature over the next few days fluctuated at zero (+/- 5°C), minus at night, plus during the day. In general, at first glance, it’s quite acceptable for a hike; I would at least risk trying it myself, but I’m not advocating for anyone.

Excursion to Ai-Petri, or Long trip to the tavern

We bought tickets on the Yalta embankment, in one of the excursion tents. As far as I understand, excursions to Ai-Petri (and possibly to other places) are packaged, and all these tents and stalls in various parts of the city are just intermediaries. One citizen sold us a ticket, she was waiting at the tent on the day of the excursion, another was driving us to the minibus, and a man was the direct escort and “tour guide”. Probably, as my brother suggested, this is another scheme to avoid paying taxes and avoid responsibility if something happens. They didn’t even leave us tickets in our hands.

What do they offer?: 4-hour excursion with several stops and an interesting story. All the fun will cost 1000 rubles. Those. the price is the same as for private owners (in winter, let me remind you, they charge 500 rubles for a one-way trip), however, there is some kind of guaranteed program and there is enough time for inspection, as we expected: 1.5 hours for the round trip, 1 hour for stops on the way to the plateau and 1.5 hours for a walk to the top of Ai-Petri and leisurely contemplation of the surroundings. The only downside was the minibus for 16 people, completely packed, but you don’t have to look for a private owner or negotiate with him.

What did you get?:

Wuchang-Su is translated from Crimean Tatar as “Flying water”. The height of the waterfall is almost 1 kilometer. At the beginning of spring, when the snow melts abundantly, Wuchang-Su is especially remarkable and spectacular. The only things that spoil the picture are multiple barriers and some kind of long pipe (it looks like a water intake).

In addition to the usual walk, you can get to the waterfall in another budget way, without any excursions or private tourists. There is a regular bus to Uchan-Su from the Yalta bus station. regular bus №30 . Departure time from the bus station: 7-30, 8-40, 10-20, 12-00, 14-00, 15-40, 17-30 . Reversed: 7-50, 9-30, 11-10, 13-00, 14-50, 16-30, 18-15 . Before your trip, it makes sense to check the schedule at the station once again.

This bus allows you not only to admire the waterfall without extra costs, but also to significantly reduce walking route to Ai-Petri or back.

Read about other attractions of Yalta and its surroundings in this article. That's all. Thank you for attention!

The height of Mount Ai-Petri is easy to remember - 1234 m above sea level. This is not the most high peak Crimean mountains, but definitely the most famous. Translated from Greek, the intricate name of the mountain means “St. Peter.”

Ways to climb Ai-Petri

On the cable car

This is perhaps the most popular and picturesque option for climbing the mountain. The cable car “Miskhor – Sosnovy Bor – Ai-Petri” originates almost at the very seashore, in the village of Miskhor, and rises to a height of 1234 m. The fare is 300 rubles; you can check the operating schedule of the cable car on the official website.

The cable car cabin is designed for 35 people. There is not a single support tower between the Sosnovy Bor and Ai-Petri stations, and the distance between them is 1670 m. This is one of the longest unsupported spans in Europe. Only the road in Germany has surpassed the Crimean cable car, where in the town of Oberiettenberg the Reiteralpe cable car has a span length of 1980 m. The ski lift on Ai-Petri can boast of its trouble-free operation.

By minibus or car

If you drive from Yalta towards Alupka along the Yuzhnoberezhnoe Highway, then in the area of the village of Vinogradnoye you will see a right turn to Bakhchisarai. 22 km of mountain serpentine will lead to the final station of the Ai-Petri cable car. The road is very picturesque, it passes by the Wuchang-Su waterfall, mountain lake and several observation platforms.

You can leave your car in a paid parking lot near the cable car terminal station.

On foot

The so-called Koreiz (Miskhor) trail leads up, the length of which is 4 km. It originates opposite the Crimean Tatar village of Chatal-Kaya, walking route starts immediately from the Samota stop on Yuzhnoberezhnoe Highway.

Market on Ai-Petri

The first thing you will encounter when you get to the top is a huge market, which is located right on the way to the famous Ai-Petri battlements (several separate rocks). Here you will be offered in a very intrusive manner to buy souvenirs, sweets and warm clothes. The sellers are mostly Tatars. The market is open at any time of the year. The passage to Ai-Petri itself is paid.

44.448089 , 34.056201 The height of Mount Ai-Petri is easy to remember - 1234 m above sea level. This is not the highest peak of the Crimean Mountains, but definitely the most famous. Translated from Greek, the intricate name of the mountain means “St. Peter.” Ai-Petri

Stunningly beautiful mountains surrounded the city of Big Yalta in Crimea like an amphitheater.

The sharp white teeth of Ai-Petri, the main peaks of the Ai-Petri massif, are familiar from films beloved from childhood and are one of the famous Crimean attractions.

If possible, it is worth visiting Ai-Petri to explore the surrounding area from a height of 1234 m. This article will tell you how to get to Ai-Petri from Yalta.

Mountain name

The famous one got its name because of the Byzantine temple that the ancient Greeks erected on its top and dedicated to St. Peter. The Ai-Petri Temple existed until the 15th century.

Mountain legend

What mountain would be complete without a tragic legend of love?! Ai-Petri is no exception. In local folklore, there is a story about how, in ancient times, a guy and a girl fell in love with each other, but their parents forbade them to even dream of getting married. The lovers decided to commit suicide and climbed onto high mountain. The guy jumped first, and the girl shouted: “Ay, Peter!”, but she was afraid to jump, returned home and was unhappy all her life.

A little geography

In the past, the ocean coral reef, Ai-Petri, thanks to tectonic processes, rose to a height of 1234 m.

The mountain range stretches for 25 km from west to east, protecting Yalta from winds and bad weather. total area yayly (as the Crimean table mountains are called) - 300 sq. km, most of it is a mountain forest reserve.

Attractions of Ai-Petri in winter and summer

If you know how to get to Ai-Petri from Yalta, it is worth doing both in winter and in summer - the mountain deserves attention.

In summer, this is a wonderful observation deck where you can take unique photographs. The surface of the plateau is covered with picturesque green meadows and forests, which are pleasant to walk on on a hot day.

One of the favorite pastimes of vacationers is a walk along the adrenaline bridges, which are suspended from the main Ai-Petri plateau to the white limestone ledges at the top. The four teeth are separated from the plateau by a wide crack several tens of meters wide, the depth of the chasm is more than a thousand meters. A walk across the suspension bridge is an unforgettable experience.

In the warm season, it is interesting to walk along the plateau to the caves; there are about 300 of them on Ai-Petri. The most famous and equipped is Trekhglazka, where the snow does not melt even in summer. An unforgettable adventure will be a hike to the Taraktash rocks, where the trail leads from the Uchan-Su waterfall.

In winter, people come to the Ai-Petri plateau to ski, snowmobile, and snowboard. Dense snow cover appears on Ai-Petri in December and remains until March. For skiing on the flat northern side of the plateau there are ski slopes, their length is 120-1030 m. Rope tows operate from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

What to consider when visiting

If you are planning to conquer one of the Crimean peaks, you should take this seriously:

Choose shoes. No flip flops, heels, or slippery soles.
It is always windy on the mountain - it is better to take a windbreaker or jacket.
It is much cooler on Ai-Petri than in Yalta, so you need to warm yourself. Even in summer, the temperature rarely rises above +15-18 °C. In winter, the plateau is covered with snow, the air temperature drops to -20 °C.
In winter, you need to take spare shoes - there is usually a lot of snow on the plateau, and your feet quickly get wet.
When taking photos, you should remember your safety and not go to the very edge, where a strong gust of wind can throw selfie lovers down. In addition, the rock is slippery.
On holidays and weekends, large queues form at the lower station.
A visit to Ai-Petri is quite an expensive pleasure, but there are no ATMs at the top yet.

Anyone who has not been to Ai-Petri has never seen Yalta!

From the top of the Ai-Petrinskaya ridge there is an amazing view of Greater Yalta: you can see the snow-white building of the Swallow's Nest, rocks and forests. 130 km into the distance you can see the surface of the sea with boats and ships.

Getting to the Ai-Petrinskaya peak is much easier than to any other Crimean mountain.

Having arrived in Yalta, how to get to Ai-Petri on your own? You can choose several options:

walking along forest paths;
by cable car in a funicular cabin;
along the highway.

Walking ascent

When setting out on a journey, you need to understand that climbing a mountain 1234 m high is not a simple walk in the park; it requires physical training and appropriate equipment. Fans know how to get to Mount Ai-Petri from Yalta hiking, who trodden paths to the plateau. Each has its own name:

Miskhorskaya;
Taraktashskaya;
Botkinskaya;
Koreizskaya.

The hike takes from 2 to 7 hours. It should be taken into account that there are no shops in the mountain forest reserve, so you need to take water and food with you. Another difficulty that awaits travelers is the lack of clearly marked paths.

If you really want to climb Ai-Petri (Crimea) on foot, how to get from Yalta to the foot? There are several options:

you can take bus number 30 from the bus station to the Vodopad stop and go up Botkinskaya or;
along the South Coast Highway by buses No. 107, 128, 142 to the fork near Koreiz to climb the Koreiz trail;
by buses No. 107, 128, 142 to the junction in Miskhor.

Bike lift

Fans of cycling will also enjoy visiting Ai-Petri. There is a little trick here: it is better to go up by cable car and go down on your own.

In addition, by bicycle you can ride from Ai-Petri not towards Yalta, but in the direction Grand Canyon and drive to Bakhchisaray along beautiful mountain roads.

Be careful: mountain road! To the top by car

You can drive to the top of Ai-Petri from Bakhchisarai and Yalta. The Bakhchisarai road is in poor condition; in winter the road is often covered with snow, and you have to wait until it is cleared. You can only drive through it with a four-wheel drive vehicle.

How to get from Yalta to Ai-Petri by car?

Drive along the Yuzhnoberezhnoe Highway, connecting Yalta and Sevastopol, to the turn to Vinogradnoye and turn right following the sign. In Vinogradny, by the way, there is a theater of marine animals, and in the summer dolphins, whales, seals, fur seals and walruses perform in the open air.
Through Vinogradnoye, move along the mountain serpentine road.
The length of the route from Yalta to Ai-Petri will be 30 km. The journey will take about an hour.

The narrow mountain serpentine is quite dangerous and requires increased attention from the driver. On the route Yalta - Ai-Petri there are almost 300 turns, many of them closed.

Going to the top of the Crimean business card, you can make several stops:

near the Uchan-Su waterfall - a waterfall with beautiful name“flying water” falls from a height of almost 100 m;
near the “Drunken Grove”, where the trees grow at an angle;
near the mountain lake Karagol;
on observation deck"Silver Gazebo".

If you are afraid to go up by car yourself, you can get to the lower cable car station on Ai-Petri (Yalta). How to get here by car:

leave Yalta on the Yuzhnoberezhnoe highway towards Sevastopol;
drive along it for 14-15 km;
turn left at the fork near the large concrete sign “Sevastopol - Yalta”;
go down the road SO-11806, which winds like a serpentine road, down about another 5 km.

You can leave your car in a small parking lot.

Cable car

There is no easier or more comfortable option than getting to Ai-Petri from Yalta by cable car. This unique engineering structure, built in 1967, is an interesting landmark in itself:

The Yalta cable car is the longest in Europe, its length is almost 3 thousand meters.
The structure was created according to the unsupported principle - the 1670 m long span has no supports.
near the mountain, the cabin's elevation angle is almost 50°.

Four spacious cabins, in which you can even transport bicycles, are designed for 30 people each. They move according to the principle of a pendulum - towards each other.

Consists of 3 stations:

the lower one in Miskhor;
average in Sosnovy Bor;
the upper one is on the Ai-Petri plateau.

At the middle station a transfer is made and tickets are checked. The entire journey takes approximately 17 minutes.

The cable car operates seven days a week in the following mode:

from 11:00 to 15:00 - rise;
from 11:00 to 16:00 - descent.

In 2017, tickets cost 400 rubles. adult, 250 rub. child over 6 years old.

From Yalta to Ai-Petri by bus

Tourists coming for a couple of days want to quickly and easily get to the top of the famous Crimean mountain.

How to get to Ai-Petri from Yalta with minimal independent travel? The answer is simple: find one that will directly go to the top of the mountain. These minibuses are not on the schedule; they do not undergo technical inspection, being the property of the driver. If you want to take a risk, you can go on it. You can find transport by the shouts of drivers inviting tourists to Ai-Petri. The cost is discussed on the spot.

If you choose safe option, then how to get from Yalta to Ai-Petri from the bus station? You need to take buses No. 102, 107 or from bus No. 132 to the lower Miskhor station of the cable car and take the funicular to the top of Ai-Petri.

Unforgettable impressions and a lot of fun are guaranteed!