Alupka park: description, sights. The monument of landscape art

Alupka Park is an unsurpassed work of art, with exotic vegetation, wonderful grottoes, springs, ponds. What is the history of this park? What are the attractions in it?

Alupka park: attractions, description

The palace and park complex is perfectly inscribed in the south-shore landscape, against the backdrop of the overhanging and impregnable Ai-Petri wall. The Alupka park occupies 40 hectares. It was founded in the beginning of the XIX century. The park was created on the principle of an amphitheater, in order to supplement the surrounding nature. In its territory there are many different kinds of exotic plants.

The park area is divided into two zones: Upper and Lower Park. The northern part of the Upper Park is represented by large and small chaos, between which are three beautiful ponds. From the ponds, the paths lead to the Vorontsov Palace. On the way to the palace is a ten-meter rock called the "Moon Stone".

The western part of the park is decorated with the fountain "Trilby". The composition of the upper part of the park is composed of Chestnut, Solar, Contrast and Platan Glades.

The lower park is the palace part. There are several terraces and marble fountains. Here, too, there is an alley with Chinese fan palms, roses, quince, and fortifications. Below a very different story begins - the landscape part of the park, which descends directly to the sea. On the slopes grow high cypresses, plane trees, and below about the stone blocks are broken waves.

History of the park

Even in the XVIII century, instead of the park, near the sea coast there were settlements of people. They were located right among the stones, which often served as houses roofs. Even then the travelers romanticized these places, with silk, peach and pomegranate gardens that bordered on the rocky cliffs of the sea shore.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, landscape art was popular, and Count Vorontsov was looking for a place to establish a grand park. The choice, of course, stopped at Alupka with many sources and picturesque landscapes.

In 1824 the foundation of the park was laid. The main gardener of the park was chosen by the German Karl Kebach. A very complex and lengthy work began, which was carried out by peasants under the leadership of Kebakh. The site of the future park was cleared of stones and bushes, and in their place brought black earth from the southern part of Ukraine.

Out of foreign regions, exotic plants were actively brought. Most of the plants brought to the Nikitinsky Botanical Garden were immediately sent for planting in Alupki Park. The trees and bushes growing in these places were not uprooted by all. Many of them were transplanted to other parts of the park. There remained in the park and the oak, and the Crimean pine, a poppy pistachio, a pomegranate tree. And old and hollow plants were used as a support for climbing plants.

By the end of the XIX century the picture of the park began to loom, but this was only the beginning. Plants developed, and their growth required careful observation. After his death, the establishment of the park lasted another 40 years, gardeners Bischenko and Galushchenko.

Park style

Alupkinsky Park was planned as a landscape. This means that it had to differ significantly from classical parks with trimmed lawns and shrubs, flower beds and zones of geometric shapes. The main aspiration was to show harmonious relations between man and nature, their interaction and coexistence with each other.

The park did not have to contrast with the surrounding area. The paths that have long existed here turned into park paths, and among the native trees neatly sprinkled new plants. Ponds, fountains, lawns grew where the landscape and trails allowed. Not nature obeyed the park, and the park was subordinate to it.

The mountainous terrain significantly contributed to the design of the park. The rugged terrain allowed to divide the park into several landscape zones, each of which differed from the other. The upper park has a rather steep terrain. In this part of the park has a more natural and natural appearance. Huge trees, shady paths, ponds, mysterious grottoes, cool.

The lower park begins with a more gentle topography. The lower part of the park borders the Vorontsov Palace and is decorated in a classic park style. Here there are even terraces, with an abundance of flowers and evenly cut bushes - in the best traditions of European parks. After leaving the palace area, the guests of the park again find themselves in captivity of natural greatness. Terraces and alleys grow into trails with springs and waterfalls, surrounded by tall pines. The terrain becomes rocky and steep, and the style of the park again returns to naturalness.

Vegetable world

Plants Alupkinsky Park were brought from different parts of the world, today there are growing about 200 species of heat-loving plants. Trees were brought from the Mediterranean, North America and East Asia.

To buy a tree for the park, the conditions for its cultivation were studied, and, most importantly, the peculiarities of its appearance. Each tree should ideally match the height, size and appearance of the crown.

In the park grows a Japanese sophora, persimmon, palms. Indian lilac pleases small delicate pink flowers in August, and in June you can see orange flowers of a coral tree brought from South America. From there arrived in the park and Chilean araucaria.

Majestic sequoias, cypresses, and pines of Montezuma were brought from North America. Here, too, grow the clay-plane trees and cork oaks, laurel, stone oak and strawberry. In the lower part of the park grow large-scale magnolias and hemanthus. The palm grove is dotted with roses of various varieties.

Fountains and ponds

The fountain of tears is most famous in the park located on the terrace, near the library building. It is a small cascading fountain, in the blossom of lilac bushes, laurel, fotini and viburnum. Water calmly and smoothly flows from one bowl to another. At the retaining walls of the terraces there are two more marble fountains "Shell" and "Fountain of Cupids".

Ponds are bright attractions of the park. These are artificially created ponds, quite similar to natural ones. Around are scattered stone blocks, and swampy cypresses surround it with a wall. Because of their beauty and atmosphere of tranquility and tranquility, they were often described in poetic lines.

Above one pond, the tree trunk hangs, almost adhering to the water and reflecting in its mirror-like surface. On another lake there live swans and ducks. And in the middle of the largest pond there is a stone from which streams of water are pierced.

"Cats" of the park

The Vorontsov Palace park is inhabited by cats, but not alive. Directly to the main entrance to the palace is a diabase staircase, on both sides of which there are sculptures of lions. This place is often called the "Lion Terrace".

Three pairs of lions are made of white marble. Each pair is different in mood. At the very bottom of the stairs are sleeping lions. Folding their paws on their paws, they buried their faces in them, and indulge in dreams.

Next are the lions waking up. They rest their paws on the ground, raising their heads up, and greet visitors to the park, with a proud lion's eye.

Near the entrance to the palace is a pair of awake "kittens." With one paw, they rest on a marble ball. Their claws are released, the open mouth shows fangs, and the sight is directed towards the stairs, as if waiting for new guests.

Park glades

Alupka park, in the upper part of it adorn the picturesque glades. The Platan Glade is next to the ponds. In the clearing, not only plane trees grow, but also 40 meters high in redwood. Here you can see walking peacocks, who were once brought to the park.

Immediately after Platanov, the Solar Glade begins. It contrasts significantly with the previous glade and lake area in the abundance of sunlight. From here the best view of Ai-Petri opens in the park. The sunny meadow is surrounded by pyramidal cypresses, Italian cypresses and Montezuma pine trees.

Next are the Chestnut and Contrast Glades. The chestnut glade completes the Upper Park area with Italian pines. Next to it is a grove of stone oak, which is more than 120 years old.

Its name Contrasting glade has received because of sharp change of vegetation after Solar meadow. In the center of the glade grow two species of strawberries, which show then olive, then coral-colored trunks, depending on the season. Here is located and Himalayan cedar with a spreading dark green crown. Surrounded by a clearing of silvery firs, cypresses and oaks.

Chaos

In the northern and western parts of the Upper Park there are amazing natural formations - Small and Great Chaos. They look like heaps of stone boulders. This work was created by nature with the help of frozen volcanic magma, which collapsed from the influence of earthquakes more than 150 years ago.

Karl Kebah led the boundaries of the park to chaos, writing them into the park composition. Here are embodied ancient legends, telling about the creation of the world from chaos.

Small chaos adjoins the palace and is on the hills with its descents and ascents. Overgrown with moss stone blocks, grottoes and lianas curling over them, awaken romantic and exalted feelings among notorious snobs and skeptics.

To the Great Chaos you can get on the path that leads from one of the lakes. Here, with the hands of gardeners laid stone steps and small observation platforms. Through the stone cracks, strawberries, lianas make their way, and on the summit the Apennine pine trees rise. From here you can see wonderful landscapes of the sea, the palace and the whole park.

Alupka park: address

The park is located on Dvortsovoye shosse, 10.

The park can be reached by the Alupka buses 102, 107, 115.

From the city of Yalta to the park, you can get to Alupka Bus Station by transferring to regular buses, or by minibus number 27, which leaves from the upper platform of the Yalta bus station.

The entrance to the park is free, but the entrance to the Vorontsov Palace is paid.

The Vorontsov Palace is open to visitors from 9.00 to 17.00.

Conclusion

Alupka Park is a true masterpiece of landscape art. Every day he proves to his guests that nature and man-made work can co-exist in complete harmony and understanding.