Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Its name meaning New World, the beautiful bay of Novy Svit used to be the realm of
Prince Lev Golitsyn - an idealistic aristocrat turned winemaker. Obsessed with changing
Russian drinking culture, he spent all his fortune selling wine and sparkling wine at
cheaper prices than vodka. This was a noble but rather hopeless cause - innovative
drinkers soon realised they could achieve stunning results by mixing champagne with
vodka. The resulting killer-cocktail became known as Northern Lights.
Financially broke, Golitsyn was rescued by Tsar Nicholas II, who appointed him the
royal winemaker and commissioned him to build the Massandra winery.
Today buses and
marshrutky
wind regularly across the slightly hairy but breathtak-
ingly gorgeous mountain road connecting Sudak with this popular satellite. Each bus is
jam-packed with day-trippers coming to do Golitsyn's favourite walk and sample some
bubbly from his winery.
Activities
Golitsyn's Path
WALKING
(Tropa Golitsyna; admission 30uah)
Starting at the far (western) end of the beach, this trail
takes you on a picturesque, if rather slippery, seaside walk through Novy Svit Botanic
Reserve. Winding around the base of Mt Orel, the path leads to a seaside grotto where
local Prince Golitsyn used to hold high-society parties. You can plunge into the crystal-
clear water of the Blue Bay before ascending the headland for the view of Tsar's Beach,
once favoured by Nicholas II. It is, however, off-limits to visitors (what else can you ex-
pect from such a VIP beach?) and there is a surly police officer to enforce this arrange-
ment.
Novy Svet Winery
WINERY
(
www.nsvet.com.ua
;
ul Golitsyna 21; tour & tasting 110uah; at least five tours per day)
As in
Massandra, the tour through the winery's museum may seem boring if you don't under-
stand Russian (and even if you do), but champagne sampling sessions in the chilly wine
cellar, accompanied by live classical music and a hilariously sombre presentation, are
fun. Since five small glasses of the bubbly that you get during the sampling session seem
extremely insufficient to some visitors, you can buy bottles in the local shop and open
them right in front of the winery. Here is your chance to have a tipple with total
strangers.
Sleeping
