Everywhere are the beauties, the oddities of nature,
everywhere traces of bliss and simplicity.
П. Sumarokov about Foros
Many writers and travelers have dedicated enthusiastic lines to this amazing corner of Crimea — besides P. Sumarokov, these are V. Gilyarosky, L. Ukrainka and many other servants of the pen. Inspiration, however, appears here not only for those who are no stranger to literary creativity — it catches up with all tourists in Foros, because recreation in this village gives bright and unforgettable positive emotions.
Foros — a small resort village of the South Coast of Crimea (South Coast), located 35km from Yalta and 3km from Cape Sarych. It is the southernmost point of Crimea and Ukraine, but not only this interesting fact became the reason for the wide popularity of this place. Foros has a rich history going back to the past era, is famous for its stunning sights, is considered one of the best places for recreation, one of the most ecological and warm places in the South Coast.
It is believed that Foros is about 25 centuries old! Since ancient times it has kept its original name, only slightly modified depending on the peculiarities of the language of the changing owners of these lands. This name was given to it by the Greeks, from this language it translates as «lighthouse, toll or tax, cliff, sail» — scientists still argue about which of the meanings of the word «φάρος» gave the name to the village.
Foros is one of the oldest settlements in Crimea, and, of course, it has been in the composition of many states: the field of the Greeks here lived the Romans, then the Genoese, who built their fortress here (destroyed in 1475), after — the Turks, who mastered the entire southern coast of Tauris. At that time, the main settlement, as scientists assume, was located on the seashore, and next to it in the bay there was a small port — thus, the coast of Foros in medieval times was even more populated than today. Today this is evidenced by numerous archaeological finds throughout the territory and in the vicinity of the village: on Cape Foros, Baidarskaya rock and at its foot, on the grave hill and fortress hillock, on the crest of the Baidarsky passage. Foros is a large archaeological complex that keeps the memory of times from antiquity to the XV century, evidence of such distant pages of history. For guests of Crimea it is a great opportunity to touch the past, making fascinating excursions with tourist groups.
After the Russian-Turkish war in the XVIII century under Catherine II Foros became part of the Russian Empire. At the same time here appears one of the main attractions — Baidar Gate, built in the form of an ancient portico as the entrance to the village from the Baidar Pass where the Empress observed the stunning panorama of the South Coast, ending her journey through this part of the Crimea. The status of urban-type settlement Foros gets in 1962, and today it is one of the most visited by tourists resort villages. Often it is called an elite vacation spot — their dachas here have many successful businessmen and politicians of Ukraine and Russia. Nevertheless, despite the elitism, here is a vacation for all tastes — as fashionable, and inexpensive student, and everyone can bask under the gentle sun in this magnificent corner of Crimea and see the local sights!
The most famous attraction of Foros is visible from the sea, and from the Baidar Pass, and, of course, from any point of the village — it is Foros Church of the Resurrection, located on a high steep Red Rock (Kyzyl-Kaya). The rock, on which today rises the most beautiful temple, has always been the most spectacular, memorable natural object of Foros — its height above sea level is 412 meters! Without exaggeration, this rock can be called one of the most beautiful natural objects of the South Coast of Crimea in general — it is memorable for all tourists who take water walks along the Crimean south coast. According to historical information, before the XV century there was a fortress on it, which is confirmed by archaeological finds at the foot of the rock. The church itself, which is an architectural monument and became a place where many famous people got married (A. Zavorotnyuk and P. Chernyshov, V. Medvedchuk and O. Marchenko and many others), is also interesting.
In addition to Foros Church in this wonderful village and its surroundings is a lot of attractions. These are such natural objects as the Baidar Gate Pass, Foros Park, a lot of beautiful capes, bays and cliffs with clean cozy beaches (Tikhaya Bay, Cape Chekhov, Sarych, Dragon Mountain, etc.), architectural treasures — such as the palace and park complex Kuznetsovsky Palace, Tesseli Dacha, as well as many other interesting places for tourists. In addition, here you can spend time not only exciting, visiting interesting places and relaxing on the beaches, but also with health benefits — there are many health centers in Foros, where a wide range of diseases are treated. That is why many tourists who want to spend their holiday in Crimea, choose Foros — despite the fact that it is one of the best resorts in the South Coast, it is calm, quiet and very good!