A bathhouse with mountain views and tangerines from a branch: 5 reasons to go to Sochi out of season

President of Pro-Vision, author of the Vinogradov.story community

“For many years Sochi has been successfully confirming its status as an all-season resort. But most travelers and tourists still try to come to the “Black Sea Riviera” in summer, stubbornly “forgetting” that the city continues to live in winter. Moreover, it spends a good time breathing mountain and sea air, resting from vacationers and serving the freshest Black Sea specialties. I have collected five reasons to come to Sochi out of season – and I am happy to share them with you”.

Relax in a bathhouse overlooking the mountains

Just in case it is worth reminding: Sochi is not only the sea, but also the mountains. And although it is better not to go to Krasnaya Polyana in winter for people who are far from skiing on the slopes, queues for elevators and ski-passes, it is possible to find quite a few places that guarantee comfort and privacy very close to it.

Especially impressive are those that play on contrasts – for example, they invite you to take a steam in a scalding Russian bath with a mandatory dip in an icy font or directly into a crisp snowdrift. The temperature difference revitalizes your body and thoughts, professional steam bathing relaxes you perfectly, and there is no need to talk about spa procedures using natural Krasnodar cosmetics.

Nostalgia in cinematic locations

In Sochi and its surroundings there are several places familiar from old Soviet movies. Therefore, the resort city offers full-fledged cinematic routes for those who revisit movie classics every winter.

For example, along the filming locations of Gaidaev’s “The Diamond Hand”: the motor ship “Mikhail Svetlov” in the movie stood at the dock in the Sochi port, and the fishing scene was filmed at the Kiseleva Rock near Tuapse. Unfortunately, the restaurant “Weeping Willow” is nothing more than a Mosfilm set – it is pointless to look for it in Sochi.

But on the way to Krasnaya Polyana you can find several recognizable places where they filmed another cult comedy – “The Caucasian Captive”. I give you a hint: look carefully towards the river – somewhere there Shurik’s swim in a sleeping bag started.

Kiselev’s Rock

See winter Sochi from the water

Where the Mikhail Svetlov once stood – in the port of Sochi – today you can go on a boat or yacht trip. The second one is better: your own company, your own music, your own atmosphere – and all this against the background of natural scenery of the Caucasian riviera.

In order not to miss the most interesting things, you can focus on the main Sochi dominants: the spire of the seaport, Stavropolye sanatorium, St. Michael the Archangel Cathedral and, of course, the mountain peaks. To admire snow-covered mountains while having a rest on a yacht – such luxury is possible only in a very limited number of places on the globe.

Have a rest at a balneological resort

Sochi is also home to the country’s largest balneological resort, the legendary “Macesta”. Treatment with hydrogen sulfide, radon or iodobromic waters has been practiced here since 1902. Modern “Matsesta” is a large-scale health-improving complex with its own park, where rest can be easily combined with excursion walks around the city. For example, to the legendary dacha of Stalin, the biggest fan of Matsesta springs, or to the local oceanarium.

Matsesta Resort

Taste Abkhazian mandarins and feijoa “from a branch”

“Don’t touch, it’s for the New Year!” – those who have heard this phrase from their parents at least once in their lives, it is vital to come to Sochi in winter. To be exact, not in Sochi, but in neighboring Abkhazia. The season of mandarin picking starts already in late November, lasts all winter and ends only closer to spring. So there are about as many chances to eat fresh fruits as there are fruits themselves. The situation is similar with feijoa. In general, to get a great gastronomic pleasure, it is enough to go to the nearest market or bazaar – no one has ever left the Caucasian markets empty-handed.