One of the most popular and frequently visited places there is Yalta. Yalta is a city in the Crimea, on the north coast of the Black Sea. It is located on the site of an ancient Greek colony, said to have been founded by Greek sailors who were looking for a safe shore (yalos in Greek) on which to land. Situated on a shallow bay facing south towards the Black Sea, the city is surrounded by wooded mountains. It enjoys a warm Mediterranean climate with many vineyards and orchards in the vicinity.
A well-known Crimean resort, Yalta is also an administrative, cultural and scientific centre of the Crimean Peninsula. It is the gateway to Southern Black Sea coast and an international port of Ukraine.
During the last three years the Yalta’s local authorities have been working on town-planning to make the “heart of the Crimea” a city of European standards. This is one of the provisions of a general plan for boosting investments to the economy of the Autonomous Republic of the Crimea. The general plan is intended for twenty to twenty-five years. According to the plan, the territory of the Southern Black Sea coast is an exclusively resort area that can accommodate almost 70 000 holidaymakers simultaneously. The capacity of Yalta only is really extraordinary. It can accommodate annually up to 36,5 million of tourists a year.
All year around tourists can be seen strolling along the beautiful Yalta embankment, talking or just enjoying the surroundings. The Yalta sandy beaches and the clear sea water provide a wonderful environment for getting suntan and go swimming. Some hardy souls even do swimming in the winter. Stretching along the embankment are hotels and parks. In addition, the city has several movie theaters, and many restaurants and cafes, as well as a large open-air market.
There are few places in the world that could be compared to Yalta. And they are Margate, Kent, in England and Santa Barbara in the USA.