Old Yalta road. The old Sevastopol highway is a road on which you rarely see a car. Road on the map of Crimea

Our route today will go along one and only one - the Old Sevastopol Road, but will not cover its entire length, but will include that segment of it that we can overcome in six to seven hours, given that the road will be flat, paved and without climbs. We will rise from Foros to the Baydar Gate, then, returning a little back, we will go east along the highway. Such settlements as Foros, Mellas, Kastropol, Parkovoye, Ponizovka, Katsiveli will pass before our eyes, and we will pass directly through Opolznevoye and Blue Bay. From the last settlement we will go down to the new highway Yalta - Sevastopol (Yuzhnoberezhnoe Highway).

There are many options for starting the journey along the Old Sevastopol Road. I suggest starting from Foros for two reasons. First, there is a flat asphalt road that will take you up to the highway. Secondly, its most beautiful sections are from Foros to the village of Blue Bay, then the highway dives into Alupka. Thus, you have the opportunity to see this area of unparalleled beauty.

Route diagram:

So let's begin. It won’t be difficult to get to Foros, or more precisely, to a stop on the main highway. It won’t be difficult to find the road that goes up from it to the church. The road is smooth, without sharp climbs.

Having made a large loop to the east, it will soon turn to the west. The road passes very close to the cliffs, which are impressive.

Foros remained below, it is clearly visible from everywhere.

Soon we will see the Foros Church, but we will go into it on the way back from the Baydar Pass.


View of the Foros Church from Old Sevastopol road	near the Foros Church

And it’s quite a short walk to the last one. You will not miss this famous pass, because it is crowned with no less famous Baydar Gate. This monument was built by the Yalta architect Karl Aeschliman at the end of the construction of the Sevastopol-Yalta highway, which lasted from 1837 to 1848 by order of the then governor-general of the Tauride province, and therefore of Crimea, including Vorontsov. The columns on the side of the portico facing the sea allow this structure to be called a propylaea, the most famous examples of which can be found in ancient Greek architecture. When you pass the Baydar Gate, lines from Mayakovsky’s poem “Sevastopol - Yalta” come to mind:

And suddenly you scream,
love bay
and soul,
and body,
and mouth.

So at once
get up
clouds and bay
in the gap
Baydar Gate.

And right away
road
more and more boring
into the tunnel
pushing on the brakes.

Here's a pile of stone
and the church above it -
horror
all marriages.

And again
almost
about the rocks with your cheekbone,
from the sides
looks white.

Behind the gate is a small market with souvenirs and provisions. You can climb directly to the Baydar Gate, there is observation deck, from where a panorama of the Baydar Valley and the village of Foros opens. By the way, the height of this place is 503 meters above sea level, according to some sources, and 527 according to others. Nearby is the famous restaurant “Shalash”; before the revolution there was a hotel and a checkpoint here. The pass is surrounded on all sides by forest.


Architectural monument Baydar Gate at the Baydarsky pass	View from Mount Foros to the Baydarsky pass

From the Baydar Pass we return to the Foros Church. You can visit it or sit in the shade on the territory. You can also buy provisions from the kiosks in front of the church.

The road goes further, making one loop, to the east. You are walking in tangible proximity to the mountains rising like walls. And so it will be until the Shaitan-Merdven pass, after which the road will gradually retreat from the mountain range.

While still at the Mellas village level, you will notice the most beautiful peak these places Merdven-Kayasy. Just in front of it is the famous Shaitan-Merdven pass.

The highway will come closest to the mountains near the place where the asphalt road from Oliva joins it. Along this road you can comfortably descend to the new highway (Yuzhnoberezhnoe Highway) if necessary.


The road from Oliva joins to the Old Sevastopol Road	Old Sevastopol road in the Oliva area

We continue on our way. About a kilometer from the fork you will see a wooden entrance to the pass. If you decide to climb it, Shaitan-Merdven will reward you beautiful views, among other things, the Old Sevastopol Road will be visible from it. Moreover, the ascent will not take more than half an hour.


The old Sevastopol road is approaching to the Shaitan-Merdven pass	View of the Old Sevastopol Road from the Shaitan-Merdven pass

A doorway under a rock, apparently for a technical purpose, will look like a surprise; decoration on the side of a highway will be a pleasant surprise.


Technical room under the rock on Old Sevastopol road	in the Foros area

After a while the forest will part, the road will become open, the mountains still float along our route. No, you won't be able to cover the camera.


On the old Sevastopol road in the Shaitan-Merdven area	Old Sevastopol road in the Kastropol area

On the section of the road between Kastropol and Opolznevo, traces of landslides are visible. This is especially striking in the area of the village of Parkovoe. The largest rockfall, which left behind a bad memory and made a generation of local residents more careful, occurred at the end of the 18th century. Then the village, which still bore the name Kuchuk-Koy, together with its neighbor Kikineiz (now Opolznevoe), was severely damaged by a giant landslide. From now on, the main part of Parkovoy is located below. The earthquake of 1927 also contributed to the formation of stone piles along the road. Above Parkovoy these heaps are especially large; their collective name is the Kuchuk-Koi stone chaos.


Landslide area in the Parkovy area	Old Sevastopol road in the Parkovy area

Sometimes, while walking along the Old Sevastopol Highway, you will find a notch in the fairly smooth surface of the road surface, clearly left by a fallen stone, or even a whole boulder that rolled down a mountain slope.

And the Parkovy slopes above the road have recently been well strengthened.

The open area allows you to view the surroundings without interference. You can clearly see Parkovoe or, as it is also called, Beregovoe (it was Beregovoe that was annexed to the urban-type settlement of Parkovoe in the 70s of the last century). By the way, in the Parkovoy area there are two descents from the highway, the first to Kastropol, the second to Parkovoy itself.

From the last turn to Opolznevoye it’s less than an hour’s walk. Before reaching the village you can see a path going sharply upward. It will lead to the Kerezla tourist route, which takes those interested to the Ai-Petrinskaya yayla in the area of Mount Morcheka. We are entering the village.

Part of it is located above, part of it is located below the highway, and the third part is generally a half-hour walk to the east. The village is quite quiet, there is a store where you can replenish supplies, they always sell good Yalta onions. From the eastern edge of the village there is a path through the vineyards to Mount Biyuk-Isar, from which the Eski-Bogaz trail begins, leading to the yayla. Pushkin and Griboyedov mentioned Opolznevo in their diaries, and no wonder, because there was a Yamsk station where horses were changed before crossing Shaitan-Merdven - before the earthquake it was quite passable for both people and animals.

In the area of the Baydar Pass and the Foros Church, you will probably be confused by the abundance of traffic moving in both directions. However, they use the road to Foros to descend and do not go further along the old highway. On the section from Foros to Opolznevoy you run the risk of not seeing cars at all. And it's very nice. A deserted and open area, civilization seems to be not far away, but not a sound penetrates the domain of the old highway. In the Opolznevoy area you can see a car a little more often. The thing is that this village, like the Blue Bay, is fed from this transport artery. Perhaps that is why they are so quiet and cozy.

“...The road for three miles winds with whimsical bends and turns through the lands of the Foros estate and disappears into a tunnel. Despite the apparent steepness, the descent is completely safe and extremely attractive...” - this is how he described the path from the Baydar Gate to Yalta in 1913 Grigory Moskvich in his “Guide to Crimea”.

The road issue has always been a problem in Crimea - the path to the sea was dangerous and difficult. This was especially true of its southern part, separated by a mountain range. After the annexation of Taurida to Russian Empire, following the example of the empress, travelers came here often. Catherine II herself never visited the South Coast in 1787, but was only able to admire from the pass the sea stretching below and the winding coast going east, because the road laid for her journey ended at Baydar. The further path ran through the difficult and steep Shaitan-Merdven (Devil's Staircase) pass; only an experienced traveler could overcome it either on foot or on horseback.

The lack of roads for a long time hampered the development and development of Crimea. Even the first governors, the Duke de Richelieu and Lieutenant General A. Borozdin-Tavrichesky, had to build their dachas for more than three years. Count M. Vorontsov, who began construction of the palace in Alupka, also faced the same problem. Only after Emperor Alexander I, admiring the beauty of the Southern Coast, acquired an estate in Nizhnyaya Oreanda, came the greatest instruction to the Main Directorate of Communications to connect Simferopol, Yalta and Sevastopol by highway.

The development of the project and its leadership were entrusted to Lieutenant General Betancourt, one of the organizers transport system in Russia. In 1824, according to the approved plan, with the active participation of Governor General Vorontsov, the construction of the highway began with the help of soldiers of the Kozlovsky and Nashmbursky regiments and the battalion of the 40th Jaeger Regiment. In Crimea, all work was led by corps engineer-colonel P.V. Shipilov (until his death in 1834). The construction was completed by his assistant, engineer-captain Slavich, who received the rank of engineer-colonel after completing the section Sevastopol - Baydar Gate in 1848.

The road was built in several stages. The Simferopol-Alushta section was completed first in 1826. Then there was a long break due to lack of funds, and only in 1832, with the personal participation of Count Vorontsov, construction of the section connecting Alushta and Yalta continued. In parallel, work was going on on the other side - from Sevastopol to Yalta.

Builders lived - soldiers, civilians, prisoners, convicts - in temporary houses along the road under construction. Through their efforts, dozens of stone rubble have been cleared, kilometers of retaining walls and many bridges have been built. In 1835, Captain Albrandt arrived to help Major Slavich, who was supervising the work on site, and in 1842 their company was strengthened by Captain Frembter. It was thanks to the skill and professionalism of these people that the construction of the South Coast Highway was successfully completed.

Instead of the five years it was planned to complete the Simferopol-Yalta-Sevastopol highway, it took more than 20. In 1848, in honor of the completion of work, a propylaea gate was erected at the Baydar Pass (architect K. I. Eshliman).

“Following the Baydar Gate, the crew rises completely unnoticed to a height of 1631 ft. above sea level and... stops at the station. “Baydar Gate”: the tourist takes a few steps to the stone gate, behind which suddenly, as if by magic, a magnificent panorama of the southern coast opens before him, lying below, as if in a deep abyss, by the boundless sea” (Grigory Moskvich “Guide to Crimea”, 1913).

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The Old Sevastopol Highway is a rare example of a route for the southern coast of Crimea that turned out to be practically forgotten after a more convenient road appeared. As a rule, any paths on the coast are still used, since it has been developed quite thoroughly. But on the old Sevastopol highway you can very rarely see a car, since it runs far from the sea and does not lead to almost any popular object.

Therefore, we invite you to follow it walking tour, which will be quite easy to do using some of our tips.

First of all, you should think about equipment. Pay special attention to your shoes - the fact is that you will have to walk not along dirt paths, but along an asphalt road. Therefore, instead of the seemingly obvious hard hiking boots, choose sneakers with springy soles. As for the rest of your clothes, you will have to walk through a completely civilized area, so it is not at all necessary to follow the militarized tourist dress code, although it will still not be entirely comfortable in an evening dress. Take something to drink with you (there will be no water on a very long stretch of the journey) and something to eat. In summer and winter the route is of little interest, but in spring and autumn there will be something to see.

The old Sevastol road runs quite high above sea level. This is due to the fact that its builders could not solve two problems using the technologies of their time, and therefore were forced to bypass them. The first is Mount Cat above Simeiz. The builders of the new Sevastopol highway had to “break the back of an animal” made of very durable limestone. A little further towards Sevastopol there is another mountain that stood in the way of road builders - Dragon or Ai-Yuri. They dealt with it “simpler” - they broke through the only automobile tunnel on the southern coast of Crimea.

You can pass the old Sevastopol highway from two sides - from Alupka to Foros, or vice versa. Let's assume that we will start from Yalta, and therefore it would be logical to go from Foros to Alupka, that is, to the point of departure. So, we will need to get to the fork where there is a turn to Foros.

However, we do not need it, but the road leading into the mountains to the Baydar Gate pass.

Both branches are actually opposite each other, so you can take either the Foros bus or the Sevastopol bus. Foros is the farthest village included in the so-called Greater Yalta, and directly from the city it is located at a distance of 42 kilometers. Interestingly, it is closer to Sevastopol from Foros and some local residents prefer to look for work in the hero city. It will take about an hour to drive from Yalta, so we recommend leaving in the morning.

So, we reach the Foros fork and head up the road to first look up close at one of the most famous Crimean temples - the Church of the Resurrection of Christ located on the steep Red Rock, which, by the way, celebrates its 120th anniversary on October 4, 2012. It was built at the expense of the Russian “tea king” Alexander Kuznetsov in honor of miraculous salvation Alexander III's family in a train crash. IN Soviet era the temple was used for industrial purposes, including as a snack bar for tourists. Already under independent Ukraine, the then President Leonid Kuchma took charge of the fate of the unusual church, and with his participation the church was restored, after which it became a very popular tourist and religious site. It is often chosen by famous politicians or show business figures for their wedding. You will have to walk 4 kilometers along the road to get there. True, initially the road makes a loop and, after walking 2 kilometers, you will find yourself approximately above the point where you started your journey. However, we do not recommend looking for short paths, since these are still mountains and they often lead to very steep slopes.

The road to the temple, as befits any mountain route, is very winding. Therefore, during the famous Yalta Rally, one of the stages takes place along the old Sevastopol Highway.

From the Church of the Resurrection of Christ there is a magnificent view of Foros and the nearby mountains, although the temple itself looks no less impressive against the backdrop of the coast, taken from the road above. In principle, from the church it’s very close to the Baydar Gate pass and that’s where it goes old road to Sevastopol, but after admiring the sight, it’s better to turn back, since the road ahead is very long.

Walking along the route is quite easy, since it very rarely goes uphill, and even then at a slight angle, but for the most part it is flat or slowly descends downhill. The first interesting object that you will encounter on the way, or rather, it will be clearly visible from the highway, will be a tunnel made by the builders of the new and existing Sevastopol highway in Mount Dragon.

It is small (about 50-70 meters), but not the most pleasant geological processes are constantly happening around, and the walls of the tunnel began to collapse over time.

In recent years, traffic along it is one-way, that is, first cars go to Yalta, and then it’s the turn of those who move to reverse direction. In addition, anti-landslide work is constantly being carried out on the Yalta side. It was not possible to find out the exact date of its construction, but there is information that it happened in the early 70s of the last century. So from about this time the old Sevastopol Highway began to lose its strategic importance.

Going even further, we will find ourselves near one of the most ancient Crimean transport arteries - the road built by the ancient Romans through the Shaitan-Merdven pass, or the Devil's Staircase, which connected South Bank Crimea with the rest of it.

The “road” now looks more like a well-equipped path and it’s quite easy to follow. They say that Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin personally overcame this pass, holding on to the tail of a donkey.

In fact, even for younger schoolchildren there should be no problems in overcoming one of the lowest Crimean passes. The climb takes about 20 minutes, and the main thing is not to forget about shoes, although even in flip-flops you can easily walk there. Again, there is information that during the visit to Crimea of the first famous tourist, Catherine II, they did not dare to take the royal person down to the South Coast, which was then practically wild and had no roads. However, it was from this pass that the Empress looked at the new Russian acquisitions and was generally pleased. This object is a protected area and is a monument, so there is an entrance fee, but you will be offered an excursion and, again, do not forget that you are still in the mountains, so an experienced guide will not be superfluous. However, it is better not to combine a walk along the highway and a climb to Shaitan-Merdven; it is better to do it another time. By the way, rock climbers happily use the surrounding rocks for training, so don’t be surprised if you see tiny figures of people hanging on ropes or walking along steep rocks.

Well, we move on. By the way, the reason why there are practically no cars on the highway will soon become clear. Several years ago it was hit by a large landslide, which made it dangerous not only to drive through, but also to walk there. But now the road has been restored, but the danger of a landslide remains, so motorists do not favor this area.

And for us pedestrians, this is even better. Along the way we will meet two villages - Opolznevoye and Goluboi Zaliv, through which the highway passes right through and have survived their better times even before the new route appeared. There are shops there and you can replenish your water and food supplies. In addition, you can leave from there by bus if your strength leaves you or it becomes clear that you won’t have time to cover the entire highway. In addition, there are many branches leading from the old highway down to the new one, so you can interrupt your walk at any time and return to civilization. As for the coast, during the journey we will pass over several settlements, some of which are so small that they are difficult to distinguish from simple clusters of residential buildings. Also in this region there are several large boarding houses and sanatoriums, which are clearly visible from above. Some saved characteristic features Soviet resort architecture, others have been modernized, and others have been built from scratch in recent years.

Having passed the Blue Bay, we come out onto the “ridge” of Mount Koshka.

Its upper part is still closed to the public and military facilities are located there. During the preparation of the lunar program, Sergei Korolev decided to test lunar rovers there, which is why ancient burial sites were damaged, but scientific progress Back then I didn’t really take the past into account. The part of the mountain that was below the new route is the most popular place for visiting newlyweds, as well as an archaeological site. And there you can buy the famous “Yalta” sweet onions and the region Blue Bay, Olive, Opolznevoy and Katsiveli are most favorable for its growth. If you look from above, to the right of Koshka there will be the village of Katsiveli with a Water Park and a huge telescope (Crimean Observatory), and to the left is the village of Simeiz with the Diva rock standing in the sea and the most Mediterranean microclimate in the entire South Coast. From Simeiz, and, consequently, from the highway above it, the most famous Crimean mountain Ai-Petri, which is often mistakenly called the highest on the peninsula.

Having meandered along the slope of Koshka, we will come out to the outskirts of Alupka and to the intersection of two “generations” of the Sevastopol highway. By the way, to sit on regular bus, you will have to walk about 100 meters back along the new highway. If you don’t do this, then the next stop will be right in the Koreiz area after 10 kilometers. The fact is that buses don’t just stop on the highway, and you’re unlikely to want to have such a bonus for a walk along the old highway. By the way, let's count how much we've gone through. So, from the crossroads at Foros to the temple - 4 kilometers, another 2 - way back to the crossroads, from which we go towards the mountains, and from it to Alupka - 22 kilometers. Total - 28 kilometers. That’s why it’s better not to be distracted by hiking around Shaitan-Merdven, and without it you’ll see a lot of interesting things.

“All roads lead to Rome” - this popular saying applies to the territories that were part of the empire of the same name. Once upon a time, the lands of the Greek city-states also became part of the Pax Romana. As is known, many of them were in Crimea. There is a Roman road on this peninsula as well. Its middle part is located in the famous Baydar Valley, along which they make their way to the no less popular among the “savages”. The attraction in Chersonesus finishes - under.

Where is the facility located in Crimea?

On the map of Crimea, the Roman Road (middle) is a barely noticeable line running 900 m from Rodnikovsky and Podgorny. It connects two natural tracts - (the height of the “transfer point” beyond the “Devil’s Staircase” is 578 m) and the Baydar Canyon (at one of the sections of which the protected area begins).

Road on the map of Crimea

History of the Kalenda Trail

Ancient Roman communication dates back to the 1st century BC. It connected the strategic centers of the Greek world - Charax (“a palisaded place”) and Chersonesos (“small peninsula”). In ancient times, there was lively trade between the policies, delegations and gatherings related to the alliance were held.

During the era of the conquests of Rome, the old, barely noticeable “route” turns into a Roman highway - a cobblestone highway. Legionnaires walked here, their sutlers with their carts, captive savages and herds of bleating military “trophies”. This is due to the fact that it was impossible to sail by sea during a storm.

The Kalendskaya Trail in Crimea received its name in the Middle Ages. Linguists are sure that it consists of two Turkic words - “kale” and “endy” (“the fortress descends”). The fact is that the route in question is “superimposed” on a rather complex terrain.

During the era of the Russo-Turkish Wars, the old Roman road was used by both the Ottomans and the Russians. changed the geography of some of its sections - climbing the ridge became much more difficult. In “Ukrainian” and then “Russian” times, the highway became a historical monument, reliably protected by the state. Cobblestone mining, as well as any vandalism in the “archaeological park” is prohibited.

Why do tourists visit the Roman Road?

The Roman road in Crimea is part of a transport communication that allowed the Latin legions to quickly travel from one center of southwestern Taurida to another (through its mountainous part). Via Militaris was needed to pacify the rebellious Iranian-speaking tribes. They had lived on the peninsula for several centuries and considered the Romans as invaders. With the help of the tract it was also possible to purchase goods from Greek traders.

The 11-kilometer fragment “Baydar Gorge - Balaklava” is covered in 3-4 hours. Its average width is 2-3 m. However, the entire path is easier to describe in the language of geographers. The traveler rises (from Ai-Todor) to the Ai-Petrinskaya yayla, then even higher - to the Shaitan-Merdven pass. Then he descends into (very close to Skelskaya Cave). From here there are several “sleeves” of the “route”,
leading all the way to Chersonesus (the locals know them).

The full tour begins at the entrance to Charax, the largest Crimean fortress of the Latins. The ruins are visible at the top (the remains of two rows of walls abutting the cliff in the south are noticeable here). There is a sign board. Historians believe that this bastion was built by the Moesian squadron of sailors - under Vespasian, it founded a base that defended (with the troops of Chersonese and Simbolon) the entire southwestern coast.

A section of this route passed through Simbolon Limen (part of Balaklava Bay). The city was the only port on the route, so it played an important role. Roman cobblestones can be seen around - heirs of Roman fortifications. Finally, the passage that brings the curious vacationer closer to the famous Chersonesus is notable for its specific exhibits. Even now, traces of ancient architecture can be found here, for example, column bases and tavern plinths assembled piece by piece.

How to get to the road-museum?

The most convenient way to the Kalend trail in Crimea lies from the Skelskaya cave, to its depths for guests of Sevastopol and is often delivered tourist buses. 200 m of quite tolerable ascent will take you to the very core of the old highway. Do you want to drive your car? Come to Rodnikovsky or Podgorny. Locals will show you the further route, indicating priority landmarks in the area.

Do you find it easier to navigate on a map? Here is the route to get to the Roman Road:

Note to tourists

Address: Podgornoye village, Sevastopol, Crimea, Russia.
Coordinates: 44.451944, 33.827778.

The Roman highway "Charax - Chersonesos" served as a link between two important outposts of Rome. Thanks to the timely deployment of military forces, imperial power over the aborigines was maintained for centuries. The route is interesting for lovers of ancient history and local history, as well as fans of photo shoots - against the backdrop of ruins and rocks. Their photos and reviews can be found in huge numbers on travel websites and blogs, including on our page.