Arboretum Park in Sochi

The Sochi Arboretum is one of the most recognizable and picturesque parks in Russia, located in the very center of the resort. It is a wonderful combination of flora from all over the world and elegant architecture, creating an ideal place for walking and relaxing. Visitors can walk along the alleys with snow-white magnolias, admire the giant eucalyptus trees, take photos in a unique bamboo grove, as well as see an unusual marmalade tree and enjoy the delicate blossoming of sakura. This spacious and well-kept park has long been a symbol of Sochi and a must-see for tourists. In our review, you will find useful tips on how to get to the arboretum, what time of year is best to plan a visit and what attractions here cannot be missed.

• Arboretum on the map
• Prices and opening hours
• Features
• Park territory
• Sculptures, gazebos and fountains
• Villa "Nadezhda"
• Bald Mountain and mysticism
• Cable car
• History of creation
• Walking routes
• Arboretum at different times of the year
• Plants
• How to get there

The Sochi Arboretum is located in the Khostinsky District of the city on an area of ​​46.4 hectares - this is approximately 90 football fields, densely planted with rare and exotic trees. The entrance to the park is from Kurortny Prospekt, from where you can get to the Upper and Lower parts of the arboretum. This is not just an ordinary garden, but a protected area as part of the Sochi National Park, where a strict regime is in place - visitors are prohibited from breaking plants, picking flowers or fruits, playing on the lawns and walking dogs in order to preserve the unique ecosystem. The main value of the park is more than 2,000 species and forms of rare trees and plants brought from South and North America, Australia and Southeast Asia. Thanks to the subtropical climate and soft, moist soil of Sochi, ideal conditions have been created here for plants that do not survive in colder regions of Russia.

The Arboretum in Sochi is open to visitors all year round, but opening hours depend on the season. In summer, the park welcomes visitors daily from 8:00 to 21:00, in the off-season - from 9:00 to 18:00, and in winter, opening hours are reduced to 17:00. The ticket offices are open from the opening of the park and close an hour before closing. To avoid unpleasant surprises, we recommend checking the current schedule on the official website in advance.

The main entrance and ticket offices are located opposite the residential complex "New Alexandria". The cost of an entrance ticket for adults is 320 rubles, for children aged 7 to 14 - 150 rubles, and for children under 7 years old, admission is free. You need to pay an additional fee for a guided tour - 200 rubles. For those who want to go up to the park together with the cable car, a combined ticket is available: 700 rubles for adults and 400 rubles for children aged 7-14. A visit to the lower part of the arboretum will be cheaper - 150 rubles for adults and 70 rubles for children.

In addition, a number of categories of visitors can enter for free: these are children under 7 years old, disabled people of the first and second groups with accompanying persons, veterans of the Great Patriotic War and military operations, victims of radiation disasters, Heroes of the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation, as well as large families.

The Sochi Arboretum is one of the oldest and most picturesque botanical gardens in Russia, whose history began almost 150 years ago with the private villa of businessman Sergei Khudekov. Today, this park is a real green oasis with a unique collection of plants from all over the world. The arboretum contains cypresses, sequoias, magnolias, firs, Himalayan cedars, sakura and even a marmalade tree - in total, more than 1,800 species and forms of plants are collected here. This park not only symbolizes the natural wealth of Sochi, but is also an important part of the Sochi National Park, often called the "green heart" of the resort.

The Sochi Arboretum is a spacious park with an area of over 45 hectares, which is divided by Kurortny Prospekt into two parts - the Upper and Lower Arboretums. Despite the division, both parts are connected by an underground tunnel, and the common entrance and ticket office are located at the same address. To get to know the park, it is recommended to start your walk from the Upper Part - it is much larger and richer in attractions.

The Upper Arboretum is famous for its picturesque alleys, a rotunda at the main entrance, gazebos and fountains. Here you can visit the villa "Nadezhda" - a beautiful mansion with a museum exhibition dedicated to the entrepreneur Sergei Khudekov and his hobbies. On the territory of the Upper Arboretum there are unique landscape and geographical zones with plants from North and South America, Southeast Asia and Europe. Among them are sequoia groves with majestic trees over 30 meters high, palm alleys (there are 54 species of palm trees in the park), a garden of continuous flowering, a Colchis forest and the famous eucalyptus grove - a natural "inhaler". Particular attention is drawn to the spring Alley of Magnolias, the summer blooming rose garden and the Japanese-style garden with sakura and a pond with goldfish, especially spectacular in golden autumn.

The Lower Arboretum, on the contrary, is more compact and cozy, which makes it ideal for family walks with children. Here you can stroll through a picturesque bamboo grove, walk along the Maly stream and admire the cascades of water. The park's reservoirs are inhabited by swans, pelicans and decorative ducks. In addition, the Lower Arboretum has an aquarium with inhabitants of the Red Sea - moray eels, stingrays and piranhas. Rabbits, squirrels, turtles and beavers roam freely around the area, adding to the park's liveliness and coziness.

The Upper Arboretum offers an impressive panoramic view of the city, the sea coast and the Caucasus Mountains. On the observation deck, designed for about 80 people, you can use paid binoculars for a detailed overview of the surroundings. A cable car and electric cars are available for easy ascent and descent along the slope.

It is worth noting that there are no cafes or restaurants on the park's territory, and a walk through both parts takes about three to four hours. Therefore, visitors are advised to take water and light snacks with them, especially in the warm season. There are few benches for rest in the Arboretum, so you should be prepared for an active tour.

One of the main attractions of the Sochi Arboretum are its elegant architectural elements - sculptures, gazebos, fountains and viewing platforms, which fit harmoniously into the natural landscape of the park. Guests are greeted by a snow-white rotunda with columns and antique vases - the main entrance to the Upper Arboretum, built in 1935. Its classical lines continue in the Moorish gazebo, the gazebo with eagles and the Pueraria gazebo, creating a complete architectural ensemble.

Particular attention is drawn to the sculptures of Hippomenes and Atalanta, located at the foot of the main staircase. This story, based on the ancient Greek myth of the race, adds a special romantic flavor to the park: Hippomenes, in love with the huntress Atalanta, threw golden apples at her feet to distract and overtake her, and in the end, fate turned the lovers into lions. Another popular object for photographs was the Cupids fountain, a symbol of love and beauty, located nearby.

The heights of the relief in the arboretum allow you to observe the sculptures from different angles - for example, the statue of the Swan Princess on top of the Fairy Tale fountain is at the level of the tree crowns, and from the nearby observation deck it is easy to see "in the eye". Nearby is the Literary Bench - a stone semicircular structure with semi-columns and marble busts of outstanding Russian writers Pushkin, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Gogol. This composition reflects the love of the park's creator for literature and art.

Each element - from sculptures to fountains and gazebos - organically complements the natural landscape, creating an atmosphere of harmony and inspiration for all guests of the arboretum.

Одной из главных архитектурных жемчужин Сочинского дендрария является вилла «Надежда» — изящный особняк с колоннами и ажурными балконами, построенный в конце XIX века по заказу основателя парка Сергея Худекова в честь его любимой супруги Надежды. Их история — это пример настоящей любви и упорства: Надежда вышла замуж по любви, несмотря на сопротивление родителей, из-за чего лишилась наследства, и вместе с мужем они собственными силами создали успешное хозяйство и культурное пространство. Помимо литературной деятельности, Надежда принимала участие в сельскохозяйственных экспериментах, в том числе разведении редких пород домашних птиц, за что получила золотую медаль на международной выставке.

Вилла всегда была центром светской жизни парка — здесь устраивали приёмы и концерты, а утром гости наслаждались завораживающим видом на море и парк с просторной смотровой террасы. В наше время «Надежда» восстановлена с особой тщательностью к сочинской Олимпиаде — по старым фотографиям и чертежам, чтобы сохранить исторический облик здания. Сейчас в вилле открыт музей, посвящённый жизни и творчеству Сергея Худекова, а также истории русского балета. В залах проходят экскурсии, выставки и творческие вечера, продолжая традиции культурного центра дендрария.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the territory of the arboretum was decorated with a vast Colchis forest: at the foot grew alder, and on the southern slopes spread oaks, beeches and hornbeams. Today, part of the park is occupied by spacious lawns, which may have given the name to the local peak - Bald Mountain.

In folk legends, Bald Mountain in Rus' is associated with the place of witches' sabbaths. According to ancient beliefs, such a clearing can be found by special signs - twisted ears of corn, a "witch's circle" of mushrooms or a bare "bald" hill. However, Sochi's Bald Mountain has nothing to do with mysticism and witches' gatherings. Its name appeared relatively recently - at the end of the 19th century, the northwestern slope of the mountain was divided into plots for summer cottages, and the trees in this area were cut down, leaving a "bald" peak from the forest.

You can conveniently and picturesquely climb from the Lower part of the arboretum to the Upper section using the cable car, built in the 1970s and recently completely renovated. The length of the track is about 900 meters, and the capacity of the cabins is up to 15 people.

The upper station is located at an altitude of about +130 meters above sea level. From here, a breathtaking view of the resort area of ​​Sochi, the endless sea and the majestic peaks of the Caucasus Mountains opens up. The cable car ticket is valid in both directions, and the ascent or descent itself takes only about 7 minutes, which makes the trip not only convenient, but also a pleasant part of the walk through the arboretum.

The history of the Sochi Arboretum begins at the end of the 19th century, when in 1889 the publisher, collector and playwright Sergei Khudekov purchased a plot of land on the slope of Bald Mountain, then the outskirts of the future city. In 1892, a park and orchard were laid out here in the style of European terraced parks of the 19th century. To create the arboretum, plants were purchased from nurseries in the Caucasus, Crimea and Europe, and soon more than 400 species of trees and shrubs blossomed on the territory. In the central part of the park, the villa "Nadezhda" was built - named after Khudekov's wife, Nadezhda Alekseyevna, who is today considered one of the architectural symbols of Sochi and functions as a museum of Russian ballet.

The park was famous not only for its rich collection of plants from all over the world, but also for its exquisite hand-made design - cast iron sculptures and decorative vases were ordered from France, and the sketch of the famous "Cupids" fountain was created personally by Khudekov. In 1922, the arboretum was nationalized and transferred to the management of the Sochi Research Station. In the mid-20th century, new territories were added to the historical part, organizing landscape-geographic zones with plants from different corners of the planet. Since 1977, for the convenience of visitors, a cable car has been operating, which, after reconstruction, continues to transport park guests. In 2012, the arboretum became part of the Sochi National Park and remains one of the most popular and picturesque places for walks in the resort capital.

The best way to get to know the Sochi Arboretum is to start your walk from the Upper Park, which is designed in the style of the subtropical forests of Australia, North America, East Asia, the Caucasus and New Zealand. The best option for going up is a cable car, which allows you to enjoy the picturesque views, and for going down, you can leisurely explore the sights.

The upper observation deck offers an impressive panorama of the city, the port, the bay, the mountains of the Caucasus Range and Mount Akhun. From here, you can choose your own route: walk through a grove of sequoias and eucalyptus trees, look into the Garden of Continuous Bloom, visit the Chinese Courtyard and the Japanese Garden, and then go down to the Nadezhda Villa. Don't forget to take beautiful photos at the Moorish Gazebo, one of the architectural decorations of the park.

For families with children and lovers of the animal world, the Upper Arboretum offers an ostrich farm, peacocks and an ornitharium. You can continue your walk through the park by going through the underground passage under Kurortny Prospekt to the Lower Arboretum. Here, guests will find a fragrant sea of ​​flowering plants, quiet pergolas, dense bamboo thickets, and cascades of ponds with waterfowl.

The Sochi Arboretum is beautiful at any time of year - even in the cold autumn and winter months, you can see the bright colors of nature here. Some plants begin to bloom as early as January, for example, the silver acacia, better known as mimosa, adding lightness and tenderness to the park.

With the onset of spring, the arboretum literally comes to life: from the end of February or mid-March, sakura blossoms here, which bloom until the end of May, turning the park into a real pink paradise.

The greatest scope and lush flowering of the arboretum are observed in the summer and early autumn - at this time, many species of plants open up, creating a unique aroma and colorful design. It is during this period that it is best to plan a visit to enjoy all the beauty of the subtropical oasis.

One of the main prides of the Sochi Arboretum is the metasequoia, a rare tree that scientists considered extinct for a long time. In 1944, several specimens of this species were discovered in China, and in 1952, the seeds were brought to Russia. Metasequoia quickly took root in the Sochi climate: today, these majestic trees reach a height of up to 31 meters, and the diameter of their trunks exceeds a meter.

No less impressive giants of the park are cypresses, the height of which can reach 40 meters. Also, the attention of visitors is attracted by the Chilean jubaea with a massive trunk, reminiscent of an elephant's leg in shape - it reaches more than half a meter in diameter.

Particularly popular among guests is the "prickly oleaster" or barberry, which, due to its funny name, often becomes the subject of photos. To avoid misunderstandings and maintain the integrity of excursion groups, guides often call this plant in Latin - eleagnus.

There are several ways to get to the Sochi Arboretum. The entrance to the park is located at 74 Kurortny Prospekt, near the noticeable rotunda with the sign "Dendrarium" - next to the public transport stop "Circus".

It is convenient to walk to the arboretum from the city center - the journey from the railway station will take about 40-50 minutes. For those who prefer public transport, numerous buses and minibuses pass through Kurortny Prospekt and the park: from the center there are routes No. 2, 3, 12, 19, 22, 23, 41, 50, 86, 87, 88, 94, 95, 103, 120, 121, 37, 38, 43, 45, 48, 83, 98 and 113 - they all stop at the "Circus" stop.

If you are arriving from Adler, Khosta, Matsesta or Krasnaya Polyana, you can take buses and minibuses No. 105, 105s, 125s, 125p, and get off at the stop "Sanatorium Yana Fabritsiusa".

For the convenience of guests, there are parking lots near the Festivalny Square, on Deputatskaya Street and Pushkin Avenue. You can also get there by taxi or your own car, which is especially convenient when traveling with family or a group.

If you want to see the Sochi Arboretum accompanied by an experienced guide and in a comfortable format, we recommend joining a sightseeing tour from Mantera Travel. In one day, you will get acquainted with the main natural and urban attractions of the resort, including a walk along the famous arboretum - its picturesque alleys, where exotic plants from all over the world grow.

The tour also includes a tour of the Sochi seaport and impressive panoramic views of the coast, and will end with a romantic boat trip. Such a rich route will allow you to get the most out of your experience, enjoy the clean air and take bright photos that will remain as a keepsake of your vacation.

A visit to the arboretum as part of a tour is a convenient and educational way to discover the "green heart" of Sochi and its natural beauty.