Hiking and mountain bike

Hiking in the former Soviet Union was organised nationally by both the trade unions and the government, and its was during these times that it reached its heyday in the Crimea. There were six all Union tourist routes leading across the mountains to the sea, each with overnight rests in either mountain camp sites or tourist hotels. Since these times the system fell into decline, but is again recovering.

The most popular routes are to the "cave towns" of western Crimea, the medieval towns of Tepe-Kermen, Eski-Kermen, Mangup, and also to the "cave" monasteries. Other major tourist attractions popular with hikers are to the Crimean natural wonders: The Crimean Canyon, the Black River Canyon, and trips to the summits of the Crimean Mountain's main range. Eastern Crimea attracts tourists to its large forests, alpine meadows, dazzling views of the main and middle mountain ranges, and the Karst caves of Karabi - Yaila.

Mountain biking. The road network in the Crimea start to be built around two and half thousand years ago. An interesting characteristic of Crimea is that since it was a province of various empires, each epoch has created its own transportation network. This means there are numerous examples of old, long deserted, sections of road, running through pure, picturesque places, with an abundance of natural and historical landmarks.

In the first century A. D. the Romans laid the first roads through the mountains. During the Middle Ages the population living in the Crimean Mountains was larger than today, and this high population density led to active trade in agriculture and crafts. In those times, there was an extensive network of tracks for the transport of these goods, many of whom are these days very remote from modern roads. Today these tracks are ideal for hiking and mountain biking.

Although the journey from Simferopol to Alushta is just 1-2 hours, you pass from a moderate zone climate to a subtropical one. During the summer the park boulevards serving the ancient manors of the aristocracy are the best way of escaping the heat, since the canopies of the huge trees lining them enclose the road in a green tunnel.