Rosa Dolina is the first level of the Rosa Khutor resort, and at the same time its only (conditionally) free part. Above it is the Olympic Village (1100 m), the peak of Rosa Peak (2320 m) and some other popular locations. But to get there you will already have to buy a ticket for the cable car. The cost of complex travel passes starts from 2050 rub, so you can decide for yourself whether to go there or not.
In this article, I will tell you about the locations that are located on the lower level of the resort. I can tell you what to do in Rosa Dolina, and what attractions are there? And I will also write where to try Sakhalin crabs, how to find the Buryat monastery among the Sochi mountains, and where to look at the skull of a prehistoric bear, which is more than 27,000 years old? But first, some practical information. It’s like oatmeal in the morning – boring, but useful.
How to get to Rosa Dolina?
1. The easiest option is to buy an excursion from Sochi or Adler. You will be picked up directly from the hotel, taken to the mountains of Sochi, and along the way you will also be shown the “Singing Fountains” of Sirius, the mineral springs of Chvizhepse, Akhshtyr Canyon and many other popular locations. Such excursions cost from 450 rub (almost the same as a ride on a regular city bus). You can view all the options here.
2. Another budget option is a ride on a regular city bus. Buses No. 535, 105, 105e and some others run to Rosa Khutor. You can view all the details on the Yandex Maps website. The fare: 196 RUB (when paying in cash) and 176.40 RUB (when paying by card).
3. You can also get to the Sochi mountains by train. They don’t get as seasick as buses. And they drive faster. But there are relatively few flights themselves. Therefore, it is better to plan a trip and buy tickets in advance (for example, here). One–way fare is 650 rub..
Rosa Dolina: What to see and do?
All buses from Greater Sochi arrive at the venue at the Rosa Hall concert hall, very close to the embankment of the Mzymta River. A little to the left of the pedestrian bridge will be the local Town Hall. Therefore, it is most reasonable to start a walk around the city by exploring this place.
I read somewhere that the authors of the Rose Valley concept were inspired by the views of Karlovy Vary. I have already visited 30 countries, but I have not reached the Czech Republic. Therefore, if you have been there, write in the comments, is it similar or not?
Right there – a 2–minute walk from the local Town Hall – is the Museum of Archaeology Rosa Khutor resort. If 400 rub for a ticket you don’t mind, then I recommend going there. Look at the remains of Stone Age animals, including the skull of a cave bear, which is more than 27 thousand years old.
Photo from the website rosakhutor.com .
If you walk in the opposite direction, you will soon see a small beach marked on the maps as Rosa Beach. It is located behind the Barsov Bridge, literally a 3-minute walk from the Radisson Hotel.
The entrance to the beach is absolutely free. In the center there is a small lake with mountain water. There are sun loungers around (400 rub), a cocktail bar and a separate pool for children.
Everything seems to be fine, but there is still one drawback. Rosa Beach is just tiny. And it is forbidden to swim there. Therefore, it is not a beach in the classical sense of the word, but rather just a pleasant place where you can lie on a sun lounger by the water and drink cocktails with a view of the mountains.
Right behind the beach begins the “Health Trail”, passing through the mountain forest, along small streams and waterfalls. She has three options for passing, but I myself (honestly) passed only a small circle.
Therefore, my most vivid impression here is this snag with teeth and signs saying that bears roam somewhere nearby.
FinalThe point of our route was this bench by the Mzymta River.
We sat there for a while, and then went back to the bridge of the Leopards to cross to the opposite side of the river. There are two more attractions near the embankment Rosa Dolina:
- Concert hall “Rosa Hall” (where Leps and the Quartet “I” performed during our trip);
- And also ethno-park “My Russia”.
The poster of the concert hall can be viewed on the website rosahall.com . There you will find announcements of upcoming performances, hall plans and a page for buying tickets.
In the meantime, I’ll tell you about the ethnographic park “My Russia”.
When I read about it on the Internet, I thought it was a cool place. Of course: an interactive park “showing the architecture and flavor of different regions” of this country – from the wooden log cabins of Siberia to the traditional Dagestan towers. I went there hoping to see a kind of big open-air museum. But in reality, it’s more like a huge fair , where they are constantly trying to sell you something.
You pay 600 rubles for admission and you get into a big store (with honey, moonshine and plastic Faberge eggs). If not everything, then almost everything is for an additional fee.
However, the ethno-park also has its advantages. Firstly, outwardly everything looks pretty nice…
And secondly, there is a pavilion of Buryatia (the only one that I really liked). There is also not a museum inside, but a store. But the store is very colorful – with singing bowls, Buryat fairy tales and a girl who told us about shamans and spirits of Lake Baikal in an interesting way.
The complex itself was built in the form of a Buddhist datsan. Colorful ribbons hovered at the entrance. And against the background of the surrounding mountains, there seemed to be something magical in this place. I even wanted to go to Buryatia. And I hadn’t noticed this about myself before.
For more information about the museum, see the websitemyrussiapark.ru . You can also buy tickets there with a 20% discount.
Where to stay in Rosa Dolina?
If you want to stay at the Rosa Khutor resort for longer than 1 day, then below I will give you a small selection of the three most inexpensive housing options near the embankment of the Mzymta River.
For example, the Nevsky Boutique Hotel, located right on the territory of the My Russia Park.
The cost of rooms here starts from 5000 rub, which is quite inexpensive by local standards.
Also, inexpensive options include:
- three-star Tulip Inn hotel (room rates here start from 4000 rub);
- and these apartments under the name “Walset”, located right behind the Rosa Khutor Town Hall. Cost at the time of publication: 4,300 rub. But, of course, it can change depending on the season.
As for me, my wife and daughter and I lived on a higher level – in the Olympic Village, at an altitude of 1100 meters. The hotel was called Rosa Springs. It is quite expensive, but it is worth every penny spent.
Where to eat in Rosa Dolina?
I must say right away, there are only two really budget options here. These are: the restaurant “Delicious and period” and the culinary department in the Perekrestok store. Therefore, you can’t tell much about economy class establishments here.
Even the chain cafe “Surf Coffee” (which made a pleasant impression on me) cannot be fully attributed to the budget category (at least because coffee costs 1.5 times more expensive here than in Minsk).
There are several good establishments in the Olympic Village (at an altitude of 1100 meters). But they don’t fit the topic of our article today. Therefore, I will tell you about them some other time – in a large article about all establishments (and all levels) of the Rosa Khutor resort.
As for the “Valley” and the embankment of the Mzymta River, here I liked :
- Sakhalin restaurantwith Kamchatka crabs, shrimp, scallops and other amazing seafood;
- Che Kharche restaurant with Georgian cuisine and live music in the evenings;
- and Amsterdam restaurant (I remember the fact that children under 5 years old could eat here for free).
I repeat: they are not cheap. But we have what we have. What kind of resort – such are the prices. It seems to me that it is much more budget-friendly in such places to simply book a hotel with dinner and breakfast included. But that’s a completely different story. But that’s all I have for today. Thank you for reading the text to the end. I hope now you understand better what to see and do in Rosa Dolina.
You can read more about Sochi National Park and Rosa Khutor resort here.
