What is in the swallow's nest in Crimea. Swallow's Nest is a Gothic Crimean castle with a complex and dramatic history. Earthquake in Crimea

After joining in 1783 Crimea to Russia, famous people began to come here. They acquired land on the South Bank, built palaces, and laid out gardens and parks. They came just to relax.

An unknown general, the first participant in the Russian-Turkish war, became the owner of a wooden dacha, which he decided to build on a rock, calling it “Castle of Love.”

Now it is no longer known what most inspired the general to arrange a dacha in this place. Perhaps the legend is that there once was a sanctuary of the Virgin goddess on the rock, whom the inhabitants worshiped. There can be mesmerizing sunrises from the rock named Aurora (goddess of the dawn).

After the death of the general, the fact remains that the owners of the dacha quickly changed, and everyone made their contribution to the reconstruction of the building. It was then that the name “ Swallow's Nest».

Large German oil industrialist Baron von Stengel became the owner of the building in 1911. He participated in the development of Baku oil, and then he came up with the idea - in memory of his beloved Germany, to build a castle in Crimea, similar to the knightly castles of the Middle Ages. And already in 1914, a miniature knight's castle, built from Crimean gray limestone and yellow Evpatoria stone, designed by the talented Russian architect A.V. Sherwood. The structure occupies an area of ​​10*20 meters and has a height of 12 meters.

With the outbreak of the First World War, Shtengel left the Russian Empire, and the philanthropist and merchant P. Shelaputin became the owner of the building.

Where is:

Swallow's Nest in Crimea is a castle on the edge of a coastal cliff, which is one of the pearls of Crimea. It is located at a distance of 15 km. from Yalta, in the village of Gaspra, Alupkinskoe highway, no.9.
Majestic and mysterious, at the same time seeming unreal, rises on a steep cliff - a Gothic castle of extraordinary beauty. The height of the rock is 40 meters. The Swallow's Nest castle, steeped in legends, has long been deservedly recognized as a symbol southern Crimea, is architectural monument and has the status cultural heritage federal significance.

Hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world come here every year to see this brilliant creation of the hereditary Russian architect A.V. Sherwood.

The location of a lonely palace, located on the very edge of a cliff, cannot touch the soul of even those devoid of romance. What can we say about the artists inspired by the extraordinary landscape who managed to capture the castle on their canvases? Swallow's Nest can be seen in the works of not only contemporary artists, but also marine painters I.K. Aivazovsky, L.F. Lagorio, A.P. Bogolyubova.

How to get there:

The most convenient way to get to the Swallow's Nest is from Yalta:

By bus:

From the Bus Station - route No. 102 to the stop. "Swallow's Nest".

From the Clothing Market - route No. 132 to the stop. "Swallow's Nest".

By sea:

By motor ship or boat (only during the holiday season) from Yalta to Swallow's Nest, departure from Lenin embankment. Marine vessels approaching Aurora rock.

You can see the location of the Swallow's Nest on the map below.

Video:

Restaurant Swallow's Nest:

After completing the sale and purchase transaction, P. Shelaputin goes abroad for treatment and dies, and his minor grandchildren inherit. The manager of the Crimean estates of the Shelaputins decides to open a profitable place in the castle - a restaurant that, due to difficult events in the country, did not bring in income.

A restaurant was opened here again during the NEP, now it is owned by the Yalta cooperative. It was then that a terrace was built here, where a restaurant was located, which operated until the Great Crimean Earthquake of 1927, which caused serious destruction to the Swallow's Nest. Finally, in 1967-168. under the leadership of architect I.G. Tatiev, as well as designer V.N. Timofeev, who was the author of the reconstruction, carried out the most complex repairs by construction standards. The tower acquired even greater grace thanks to its four spiers. The seismic structures were strengthened, and the part of the castle that previously hung over the cliff remained unchanged.

What's inside:

Thanks to the most complex repair and reconstruction work, the palace has changed for the better not only from the outside.

Since 2011, the Swallow's Nest restaurant does not exist. The castle is open to everyone. An exhibition hall has been opened where exhibitions of paintings by famous artists are held. Presentations, performances, and concerts are held in the surrounding area. Nearby there is an art salon, observation decks, and a small park. There is also an official website on which there are many photographs of the interior and exterior of the castle.

Operating mode:

From May to October - from 10:00 to 19:00;

From November to April - from 10:00 to 16:00 (closed: Monday)

Excursions:

You can visit the Swallow's Nest and other iconic sights of the region by going on one of the excursions. For convenience, you can go directly from the page of this attraction to view offers in populated areas peninsula. Excursions to the Swallow's Nest are conducted by both private guides and excursion companies. The price depends on the program, transport and experience of the guide. Choose proven excursions; for this purpose, the site has ratings and reviews.

Swallow's Nest- one of the most popular places, which by its appearance fully justifies beautiful name. The castle is located on top of the 40-meter Aurora rock, which is located on the central ledge of Cape Ai-Todor and presents an unusually picturesque view from all sides. Being a kind of crown of rock and a symbol of Crimea, the castle annually attracts many tourists from different countries who want to admire the beauty of this place.

The history of the castle dates back to the end of the 19th century, and its original appearance was radically different from its current one. It was a country house, the first owner of which, a retired general, showed courage and built a one-story building on a steep cliff, giving it the name “Castle of Love.” The future castle was captured with such a wooden house and remained on the canvases of Aivazovsky, Logorio and other famous artists of that time.

From that moment, the future castle began its countdown, changing several owners until it was acquired by the German entrepreneur Rudolf Stengel, who gave the building a European look medieval castle in miniature. The modern “Swallow's Nest” is a small castle and resembles a copy of a classic castle in the Gothic style with sharp spiers and figured, lancet windows.

This stunning spectacle beckons and attracts the eyes of travelers like a magnet. The unusual location of the building acts as a bold architectural solution. The white stone walls of the castle are visible from afar, especially beautiful in the evening illumination, at sunset or in the morning hours of dawn. During its existence, the castle underwent many changes, and after the earthquake it was temporarily closed as an object for excursion visits, but was subsequently restored, strengthened and reopened.

Swallow's Nest has been used both as a restaurant and as a sanatorium, but the castle withstood all the tests, it even became even more beautiful. Today the castle is not only a work of architectural art, but also an original restaurant where you can spend a cozy evening and buy a souvenir. But to get inside the castle, you need to overcome an obstacle of 1200 steps, so many people admire the surroundings of the castle from observation deck, from where other attractions that Crimea is so rich in are clearly visible.

You can get to the castle by sea by boat and by land by minibus. Of course, it is better to visit the Swallow's Nest as part of an excursion to hear from the guide fascinating stories about the sights of Crimea, in particular, about this castle of extraordinary beauty, which is located in the village of Gaspra. It’s like a snow-white lighthouse on a steep cliff soaring between the sky and the sea. The castle is deservedly considered one of best places on the planet, so many scenes of famous domestic and foreign films were filmed here.

Do you want to see a grandiose building that makes an unprecedented impression on everyone who sees it? So, go to the Ai-Todor Cape of the Aurora rock, where the fairytale castle with a beautiful romantic name “Swallow’s Nest”.

Every Crimean tourist should visit this! This castle is called a Crimean landmark; many people have magnets with the image of a castle hanging over the sea. This is one of the most beautiful places on the Crimean Peninsula and you should see it if you're nearby. Built on the top of the Aurora rock overlooking the sea, outside the village of Gaspra (12 km west of Yalta), it stands as a curious relic of Tsarist Russia and as one of the most beautiful monuments of true love. Now the palace is not the same as it was originally, today it looks even more beautiful. This little castle seems like technical madness, especially from a distance. And it is so picturesque that it is simply mesmerizing.


Once in the castle, you realize that this is a building that is too small for a castle, only 10x20 m, only two floors and several rooms (hall, living room, 2 bedrooms). It's hard to believe, but the castle was once surrounded by a garden, but during the great earthquake of 1927, the part of the rock where the trees were planted collapsed into the sea. Since then the castle has stood without a garden.

You can get there and back from Yalta by bus or by car, the price is about 300 rubles per person. You can also book a boat tour around the rock. Many tourists advise admiring the castle and photographing it from the sea. Many people refuse to climb the rock along the steep stairs due to strong winds and the fact that the castle itself is closed to tourists. But those who have visited the very top of the 40-meter cliff claim that “Swallow’s Nest” is the most suitable name for the castle. Despite the apparent unreliability of the building, there is an atmosphere of amazing peace, safety and comfort. It’s so calm there that it seems like you could pack a small castle in a box like a toy and take it with you!

After the reconstruction of the castle, it served tourists as a restaurant and hotel for a long time. Everything you needed could be found in hotel rooms, from headache pills to a needle and thread. The beds were very comfortable, the rooms were spacious with beautiful view. Each room has a small living room with 2 comfortable armchairs and a table to sit and read. Many people remember the Italian restaurant that operated from 1970 until the end of the 90s... There is hope that all this will return. But now there are many souvenir shops around where prices are not so high, and you will definitely buy something as a souvenir.

History of the castle

History of creation

It turns out that on the cape where the castle stands, the first settlement was organized by the ancient Romans; apparently, they considered this place as safe as possible. In the Middle Ages, monks lived there, they built a monastery in honor of St. Fedor (Todor, from whom the Turkic name of the cape came), so this place can be considered sacred. When the Turks captured Crimea in 1475, the monastery was closed and subsequently destroyed, the place became deserted. But in 1835, a lighthouse was erected there, near which a few decades later a romantic house appeared next door, the hero of our story, first called the “Castle of Love.”

In guidebooks about the history of creation they write something like this. At first, on the site of the castle there was a small wooden house, which was built on the orders of some Russian general. The name of the first owner is unknown, but guides say that even then the building was proudly called the “Castle of Love.” According to legend, the story of the appearance of the “Swallow’s Nest” is as follows. In 1877, a wounded Russian general came to Crimea for treatment. For the heroism shown in the Crimean War, the emperor gave him a plot of land on the Black Sea coast. On a 50-meter cliff (Cape Ai-Todor), a former warrior built a small house made of wood. A retired man was looking for solitude, peace and quiet romance, only blue skies and the Black Sea. The veteran called his modest house “Castle of Love.” History is silent about what kind of love it was - for a certain woman or for the beauties of Crimea.

Where the castle is located in Crimea can be seen on the map

Be that as it may, the construction was carried out absolutely anonymously, in full accordance with the wishes of the first owner land plot, because he wanted peace and solitude. That is why the names of the owner and architect of the original modest house above the abyss are unknown. How surprised the owner would probably be if he knew that in a hundred years the place of his retirement would turn into a real Mecca for tourists and would be depicted on thousands of postcards and calendars! And this despite the fact that finding the way to it is not so easy: the castle is not visible from the road, and only crowds of tourists who have been there can show the way!

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A few years later, the house became the property of Mr. Tobin, a doctor at the imperial court and the personal doctor of the Russian Tsar. Later, the cottage changed hands again, this time the buyer was the merchant Razmanina, and she renamed the “Castle of Love” to “Swallow’s Nest.” Then the building was bought by a wealthy German oil industrialist, Baron von Stiengel (Steingel), who was a big fan of holidays in Crimea. He demolished the original cottage and replaced it with a neo-Gothic manor house that still stands today.

The history of perestroika is briefly as follows. In 1910, the architect Vsevolod Sherwood came to Crimea for his honeymoon. The baron, who dreamed of a corner of the Rhine on the Black Sea, asked the architect to realize his dream in a concept suitable for a romantic castle. Sherwood, in love, was fascinated by this idea and took on it with great enthusiasm. Already in 1912, the castle was ready and waiting for Baron von Steingel. However, the baron never took advantage of this stone tale. But the architect managed to create an impossible combination: this castle is both monumental and elegant, looking majestic and weightless. His creation is loved by tourists, enjoys incredible stardom and has even reached the status of an icon. Crimean peninsula. And in 1914, the building was purchased by Moscow businessman P. Shelaputin, who organized a restaurant in the premises of a romantic castle.


The architectural structure of the Swallow's Nest cannot be classified as a castle in the literal sense of the word. It was not built to house and protect its inhabitants, with turrets and loopholes, like all normal castles. This building was erected more for show to guests than for any practical use. When you first look at this structure, it’s hard not to be amazed by the simple physics that holds the structure “in a canopy.” The building is literally built on the edge of a cliff with parts of the balconies and terraces actually extending beyond the edge of the cliff, hanging in the air. Overall the building looks as if it could fall into the Black Sea at any moment.

However, the structure is very stable and even survived the major earthquake (6-7 on the Richter scale) that hit the region in 1927. It is noteworthy that the building itself was not badly damaged. But the rock underneath it received a large vertical crack. Part of the rock where the trees grew around the castle fell into the sea. As a result, the castle was partially without a foundation, simply hanging over the sea. For this reason, the Swallow's Nest was closed to the public for more than four decades, as the building was deemed structurally unsafe.

Reconstruction of the Swallow's Nest

In 1968, reconstruction of the swallow's nest began in an attempt to make it habitable, or at least visitable. Engineers inserted a large concrete slab into the rock, which helped strengthen the crack created by the earthquake. In 1970, an Italian restaurant began operating in the castle; back in the 90s it received visitors, but is now closed.

Although the palace itself suffered very little damage after the 1927 earthquake, it became necessary to save it from sliding into the sea. Several rescue projects have been developed. One of them provided that the castle would be dismantled, all its stones numbered, and then reassembled as far as possible, away from precarious rocks and precipices. Fortunately, this idea was not realized and the reconstruction of the swallow's nest was carried out according to a completely different project. After all, the fact that part of the balustrade hangs over the sea is both so scary and looks so fantastic and exciting!

Repair work was carried out in 1967-68 by employees of a construction company from Yalta. The balustrade that hung over the sea received a supporting concrete slab, and the palace was “enclosed” in anti-seismic belts. And in 1970, after renovation, the castle again became a restaurant and began to receive crowds of visitors. However, today it is just a tourist attraction.

Visit this wonderful Crimean castle, which has become a hymn to romantic love on a high rock!

A tiny medieval castle with turrets and spiers, soaring above the Black Sea waves, is a symbol of the Crimean peninsula, Swallow's Nest, firmly entrenched on the outermost span of the Aurora rock of Cape Ai-Todor near Yalta.

The unusual structure, covered in legends and stories, arose from the whim of a retired Russian general, who was granted a piece of the Crimean coast in the village of Gaspra by Tsarina Catherine for military services in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. The romantic veteran ordered to cut down a wooden manor house on the very edge of a 40-meter cliff and lay a garden nearby. The dacha was bought up several times, and in the possession of the Moscow merchant Rakhmanina it received its current name, Swallow's Nest, or Shelter of Love. By 1912, the house was bought by a Baku oil industrialist, German by birth, Baron von Steingel, who loved to vacation in the Crimea. The wooden building was completely dismantled, and in its place a miracle palace arose in the style of the knightly castles of the baron’s homeland, designed by L. Sherwood. The building found itself in its current impending state after the earthquake of 1927, when a piece of the Aurora rock broke off from under the lower balcony along with the garden and went under water, and a huge crack appeared in the rock itself, because of which the architectural masterpiece was considered unsafe for almost 40 years object.

But, despite the danger of destruction, the Swallow's Nest has always aroused increased interest and curiosity among tourists trying to get closer to the castle, examine it, and take photographs. After a major reconstruction aimed at eliminating the crack and strengthening the foundation of the building, excursions were allowed to be held near the palace.

Now this unique structure has been declared an architectural monument and is available for inspection to all visitors to Crimea. In small rooms there is a museum, the exhibits of which tell about the history of the amazing castle, and painting exhibitions are also organized.

Sights of Swallow's Nest

One of the most interesting exhibitions of recent years presented in the castle palace was the exhibition of underwater painting “Raphaels of the Sea”, which presented works painted by artists in the depths of the Black and Red Seas, including paintings underwater world next to Aurora rock. Few people know that under the Swallow’s Nest there is a cave of the same name - a system of underwater grottoes connected by narrow passages. The vaults of one of the grottoes are heavily smoked, and scientists suggest that in ancient times the sea level was lower and, perhaps, the cave was the abode of primitive man.

By the way, the main character of the famous film “Amphibian Man” returns to his home precisely through the underwater grottoes of the Swallow’s Nest.

At the eastern outlines of Cape Ai-Todor rises a lonely stone Sail - a rock that has emerged straight from the surface of the sea, and above it, at an 80-meter height on the edge of the abyss, there is an observation deck "Captain's Bridge", from which unusually stunning views of the sea, sky and miniature Castle of Love.

Behind the palace, the Ai-Todor lighthouse rushes up, behind which in a shady park there are modern buildings sanatoriums "Parus" and "Pearl". From the observation deck of the Swallow's Nest there are spectacular views of Mount Ayu-Dag, Yalta Bay and Yalta itself.

Interesting places nearby Swallow's Nest

For the curious tourist eye, Gaspra has attractive architectural and natural objects, filling the surrounding landscapes with extraordinary spectacular highlights or associated with the names of outstanding personalities.

A striking example of the English Gothic style is the Yasnaya Polyana mansion, in which long time Leo Tolstoy lived, was treated and was engaged in creativity. The park around the estate with rich vegetation is adjacent to the garden around the former royal estate "Ai-Todor", built for Grand Duke Mikhail Romanov and connected to the Livadia Palace by a specially equipped royal path.

The Charaks mansion is surrounded by the Charaks Park - the site of the settlement of the ancient Romans, who built a fortress here in the 1st century AD.

The miniature Moorish palace of Kichkine was built for the imperial grandson Dmitry Romanov.

Main attractions South Bank Crimea – pebble beaches, located in the vicinity of Swallow's Nest, belong to the sanatoriums "Parus", "Marat", "Yasnaya Polyana", there is also a municipal beach with a length of more than 400 m.

The tourist infrastructure of Crimea, which has been developing for decades, has excellent conditions for recreation, entertainment and recreation, and the warm mild climate of the coast allows you to welcome sun and sea bathers from mid-May to the end of October.

Where to stay in Gaspra

In addition to those mentioned resort complexes, in Gaspra there is a fairly well developed network of hotels and hotels that provide tourists with comfortable accommodation and decent service: resort hotel“Pine Grove”, park hotel “Marat”, mini-hotels Erpan Hotel and Voronin Guest House with price ranges from 490 to 1560 rubles. per day. Excursions to the Swallow's Nest are included in the recreation programs of many tourist institutions on the Crimean coast, including primarily the tourist complexes of Yalta and Alupka.

How to get there

Russia, Crimea, Big Yalta, Gaspra village, Cape Ai-Todor, Alupkinskoe highway

The village of Gaspra is located 20 km from Yalta. You can easily drive your car along the Yuzhnoberezhnoe Highway, following the signs, through the territory of the Zhemchuzhina sanatorium. Minibuses No. 27 and 32 depart from the Yalta bus station every hour; you need to go to the “Sanatorium Parus” stop, but not everyone enjoys climbing almost 700 steps on the way to the castle. That is why many tourists choose the sea route, which takes longer, but allows you to enjoy a trip on a regular ship departing from the Yalta sea terminal and arriving directly at the Swallow's Nest pier.

The nearest airport from Yalta and railway station located in Simferopol - 80 km. The flight from Moscow to Simferopol is 2.5 hours, the cost is from 6 to 13 thousand rubles, and about an hour by minibus to Yalta, a little less to Alupka. Trolleybuses also run along the Crimean coast; the journey takes 2 times longer, although it is about the same amount cheaper.

Through Kerch Strait they travel to Crimea by railway transport to Anapa or Krasnodar. The cost of travel by bus from Anapa to Yalta will be 350 rubles, from Krasnodar to Yalta - 750 rubles. The Crimean Peninsula has bus connections with many cities in southern Russia thanks to ferry crossing Port Caucasus - Kerch.

Ai-Todor. A cape covered in legends, a cape that was chosen by the ancient Romans to establish a military settlement here, a cape that was bought up piece by piece by the imperial family and which seems to have been exalted by nature itself. It was here that the beautiful romantic castle “Swallow’s Nest” grew above the sea, which was destined to define the face of south coast Crimea for many decades.

This magnificent castle has long been " business card“not only the southern coast of Crimea, but the entire peninsula. To visit Crimea, but not to visit the “Swallow’s Nest”, located just 12 km from Yalta, is nonsense. The romantic structure literally “hangs” on the cliff of the Aurora Rock (one of the spurs of Cape Ai-Todor). The castle was built in the Western European architectural tradition - in the neo-Gothic style.

The predecessor of the stone structure was a simple wooden house - an ordinary dacha with unusual name- “Castle of Love.” The owner was an unknown general (the name, unfortunately, has sunk into oblivion), who participated in the Russian-Turkish war of 1878. Even a small house located in such a picturesque place, has already attracted attention: he even received the honor of being captured in the paintings of L. F. Lagorio.

L. F. Lagorio. Swallow's Nest in Crimea
near Ai-Todor, 1901
L. F. Lagorio.
Crimea. Swallow's Nest. 1903

As for the references to the fact that I.K. Aivazovsky depicted the Swallow's Nest, then they are unreliable. Often such references point to the painting "The Tower. Shipwreck, 1847", which depicts Genoese fortress, which never existed on Aurora Rock.

After the general, the house was bought by physician Adalberg Tobin, who used it as a boarding house for the sick, after which it came into the possession of the Rachmanin family from Moscow. Rakhmanin's widow decided to demolish the old building. In place of the romantic corner of the unknown general, a small wooden castle arose.

The history of the “Nest” begins in 1911, when the place was bought by the successful oil magnate Baron von Stengel, who decided to build a palace here. Within a year, a small castle, made in the medieval “knightly” style, grows on a cliff of bare rock. A daring idea that defies nature was proposed by the project of Leonid Vladimirovich Sherwood, a representative of the famous and fruitful Sherwood dynasty of Moscow architects and sculptors. Suffice it to say that the father of the architect of the Swallow's Nest, Vladimir Iosifovich Sherwood, designed the building of the State historical museum on Red Square. His son did not disgrace the honor of the dynasty by erecting a miniature Gothic masterpiece, which became the hallmark of the Crimean peninsula.

Build a reliable beautiful palace with an excellent overview (all this is above the abyss!) - not everyone can do the task. But Sherwood, thanks to his creative courage and remarkable engineering mind, coped with it “excellently.”

The interior chambers of the Swallow's Nest castle had to be fit into a small area of ​​10x20 meters, so some of the rooms made up the interior of the beautiful castle tower.

When did the first one begin? world war, von Stengel hastily left for Germany, selling his newly rebuilt palace to the Moscow industrialist Pavel Grigorievich Shelaputin, who owned the neighboring estate “Pearl,” which has now become a sanatorium. For obvious reasons, the Germans were not welcome in Russian Empire, so the castle was feverishly sold for very little money.

Shelaputin appointed a manager who decided to open a restaurant in the castle, giving it the name “Swallow’s Nest”, because by that time Shelaputin had died, and the heirs had not yet decided who would be the owner of the castle. There is no doubt that an experienced eye considered the advantageous location of the castle with a small garden to attract vacationers. By the way, the garden, along with part of the rock, fell into the abyss of the Black Sea during the 1927 earthquake. At the same time, the building underwent its first minor reconstruction. The most significant changes are the appearance of sharp spiers and small towers.

But Shelaputin did not calculate that the new government would not take into account private property, so by the twenty-first year, “Swallow’s Nest” was abandoned and plundered by looters. There was no time for restaurants when famine raged in Crimea in 1920-22.

In 1927, a powerful earthquake occurred on the Crimean peninsula. Surprisingly, the Swallow's Nest itself was practically undamaged. But I passed under the building deep crack- because part of the “supporting” rock collapsed. Theoretically, the building could be used, which was confirmed by the fact that the castle did not collapse into the water until the early 70s, when work was carried out to seal the gap. In addition, in the early thirties there was a reading room here located near the Zhemchuzhina sanatorium. However, it was decided not to risk it - the earthquake brought too much destruction to the island. Therefore, the structure was declared unsafe and closed. As it turned out, for forty years...

Over the years of inactivity, “Swallow’s Nest” has not lost any of its popularity and invariably attracted tourists and extreme sports enthusiasts, who, ignoring prohibitory signs, climbed over the fence and climbed the walls of the legendary castle. Therefore, the issue of demolishing the Swallow's Nest was not even considered.

Beach at the foot of the Aurora Rock, under the Swallow's Nest

Restoration work began only in 1968. The heroic efforts of the Yaltaspetsstory workers ended in success. It took engineers and builders of the enterprise three years to return the unique castle back into operation. The crack was concreted, for which purpose volunteers were lowered to its level every day in construction cradles, who slowly and painstakingly sealed the gaping crack with an ominous smile. Despite the fact that the initial plan to completely dismantle the Swallow's Nest and transport it in parts to another location on the coast was rejected, part of the building had to be dismantled to strengthen the base of the rock with a reinforced concrete slab. The slab supports the most capricious part of the structure - the tower.

Summer cafe on the beach under the castle
Swallow's Nest

In 1971, the Swallow's Nest was completely restored. Several more smaller reconstructions were carried out in the castle, after the last of which an Italian restaurant was opened within the walls of the Swallow's Nest.

Since then, it has been difficult for any attraction on the Crimean Peninsula to compete with the Swallow's Nest. It is simply besieged by tourists all year round, but in the summer the influx of visitors is like a flood, so it is very difficult to take a photo that includes only the castle, but not its guests. In 2011, an object of national importance received the status of a Crimean Republican Institution and has since been used as an exhibition complex. And now visitors no longer have to pay to visit the territory of the architectural monument, but entry inside remains paid. The rocks near the castle, overgrown with juniper and prickly pear, are also popular. From the terraces of the “Swallow’s Nest” there are amazing views of the Parus rock located to the north, on which the white building of the sanatorium of the same name stands. Famous films were filmed on the grounds of the castle. Soviet era, such as “Ten Little Indians” and “Pan Blob’s Academy”.

Getting to the Swallow's Nest from Yalta is very easy - a direct minibus, but from Sevastopol it is more difficult. You need to get to the Koreiz stop and walk down one of the streets leading to the sea for half an hour. Having reached the Sevastopol highway, it is better to further descend along Maratovskaya Gaspra Street to the Alupkinskoe highway running along the sea. Having passed, and perhaps even visited, the territories of the beautiful sanatoriums “Rodina” and “Kharaks”, you need to move to the east, where immediately after the sanatorium “Pearl” there will be a descent to the “Swallow’s Nest”. For lovers of attractions, it is worth mentioning that a kilometer north is the Kichkine Palace, built before the revolution by Grand Duke Dmitry Konstantinovich.

The Swallow's Nest Castle looks impressive from any angle, but every time it is somehow new. It is these unforgettable views, as well as the name of this little one, elevated almost to the level of legend. architectural masterpiece make tourists travel long distances in search of a fairy tale. Years pass, but the popularity of the castle, which has become the talk of the town, does not fade or fade.