History of Arboretum Park in Sochi
Once upon a time, this place was only Bald Mountain. But despite this name, it was quite picturesque. The history of the Arboretum Park began in 1889. Then these lands were looked after by the playwright, publisher of the “Petersburg Newspaper” and collector Sergey Khudekov. To be quite precise, Alexander III drew his attention. He intended to explore the Black Sea coast.
Khudekov bought land here and first laid out peach and plum orchards. The income from them went to the development of a park with rare plants from around the world. Plants from the south of Russia, the Mediterranean, East Asia, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand were brought here. Today, the Arboretum is supplied with about a thousand samples of seeds per year from different parts of the world!
Despite the fact that Khudekov invested a lot of money in the park, the entrance was free for everyone. Today, of course, visitors buy tickets. Among them are the residents of Bald Mountain. They have to go down the mountain to the ticket office of the park, because there is no separate entrance at the top.
What to see in Arboretum Park
The main value of the “Arboretum” is, of course, those rare plants that are brought from all over the planet. But often people come here just for a walk. Because it’s beautiful.
The lower part of the park is small. You can quickly view it. You can stay here only by the pond with white and black swans. Perhaps the children will stop to look at the marine aquarium. From here, you can get to the upper part through Kurortny Prospekt. To do this, you need to cross the road through an underground passage. Many choose another option: take the cable car up the mountain, and from there go to the exit.
Whatever route you choose, in the upper part of the “Arboretum” you will not pass by fountains, a grotto, various gazebos, a long white staircase from the Viewing Platform to the dacha “Nadezhda”. By the way, it is named after the wife of the same Khudekov, to whom this park is indebted. A publisher and collector, he was also a great romantic. I dreamed of giving my wife a country house in some beautiful place. And it happened-here, in Sochi.
The last restoration of the dacha “Nadezhda” was carried out before the Olympic Games-2014. Now the museum of Sergei Khudekov is open here.
Where to take a photo in the Arboretum Park
Pictures in the columns of the Moorish gazebo, at the central fountain “Cupids”, in the Gazebo of love, on the cascade staircase and next to the cypress trees will be available to everyone. Surprise your friends with magical shots from the giant redwood grove: they will never believe that you are on vacation in Russia! In a thicket of tall bamboo is a must. It’s like you’re on a plantation, not in a park. Well, where without photos of plates with funny names “Ginkgo bilobed”, “Liquidambar” or “Forsythia intermediate”.
Winter in the arboretum is not like the usual for the Middle zone and especially Siberia. Rather, it will seem that it is early spring. Largely due to palm trees and green lawns, when there is very little snow.
Beautiful photos of the park “Arboretum” are obtained from the observation deck, where you can climb by cable car.