SOCHI

Sochi is a Russian resort city, situated in Krasnodar Krai just north of the southern Russian border. It sprawls along the shores of the Black Sea and against the background of the snow-capped peaks of the Caucasus Mountains. At 145 km (90 mi), Greater Sochi is claimed to be the longest city in Europe. The population is more than 330,000 inhabitants. The city has been selected to be the host of the XXII Olympic Winter Games in 2014.

 

Climate
Sochi has a humid subtropical climate at the lower elevations; with winter temperatures rarely falling much below freezing and with the average winter temperature of 6 °C (42.8 °F). The average summer high temperature ranges between 25 °C (77 °F) and 28 °C (82.4 °F) with occasional extreme heat in some interior locations exceeding 40 °C (104 °F). Average annual precipitation is 1,400 mm.

Layout and Landmarks
Sochi is almost alone among larger Russian cities as having the aspect of a subtropical resort. Apart from the scenic Caucasus Mountains, pebbly and sand beaches, the city attracts vacation-goers with its subtropical vegetation, numerous parks, monuments, and extravagant Stalinist architecture. About two million people visit Greater Sochi each summer, when the city is home to the annual film festival "Kinotavr" and a getaway for Russia's elite.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the 2,957 km² (730,690 acre) Caucasian Biosphere Reserve, lies just north from the city. Sochi also has Europe's most northerly tea plantations. It is served by the Adler-Sochi International Airport. The Sochi Light Metro is being built, with construction projected to be complete by 2014.

Sochi International Airport was found in 1945 in 30 km from Sochi, in town Adler. Now it is one of 10 biggest airports in Russia. It takes 7th place of passengers number, 1,6 millions passengers arrival airport in Sochi in 2008. The capacity of airport in 2014 will increase more than in two times. New airport terminal will be finished soon. First section of terminal will have capacity 1600 passenger per hour, the second section will start in 2012 and the terminal will accommodate 2500 passengers per hour. New terminal will provide the most modern technologies in passenger services: self registration terminals, 100% three-level luggage examination and automatic check-in, 24 hours monitoring of security and video navigation for aircrafts. More of that airport will be equipped with all range of IT-systems in accordance with recommendations of IATA. Terminal will be comfortable for handicapped passengers as well. Two European air companies - Austrian Airlines and AirBaltic became the partners of International airport Sochi in 2008. 39 air companies operate regular and charter, domestic and international flights to/from Adler airport. Direct flights to Yerevan, Istanbul, Vienna, Riga, Kiev, Moscow, and St.-Petersburg are available on schedule.

Sports facilities

Sochi is also known for its sport facilities: a local tennis school spawned the careers of such notable players as Grand Slam champions Maria Sharapova and Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Kafelnikov spent much of his childhood here, while Sharapova relocated to Florida at the age of 7). In late 2005, the Russian Football Union announced that it was planning to establish a year-round training centre for the country's national teams in Sochi. The city's warm climate was cited as one of the main incentives.
+Dobavit pro razvitie infrastructure dlia zimnih vidov sporta+podgotovka v OG 2014

2014 Winter Olympics
In June 2006, the International Olympic Committee announced that Sochi had been selected as a finalist city to host the 2014 Winter Olympics. On July 4, 2007, Sochi was announced as the host city of the 2014 Winter Olympics, edging out Pyeongchang, South Korea, and Salzburg, Austria.
This will be Russia's first occasion to host the Winter Olympic Games. Under the rule of the Soviet Union, Alpine skiing was considered by the ruling party to be a bourgeois and decadent sport and nobody had any Alpine skiing facilities in Russia or anywhere else. Locations like Sochi did not even apply to be the location of the Winter Olympics, and no athletes from the Soviet Union entered the Alpine skiing events. As for the Soviets, their entries in the Winter Olympics were cross-country skiing, speed skating, figure skating, and ice hockey. Hence, the Alpine skiing facilities in the former Soviet Union states are generally poor. They do not have the ski-resort tradition of places like Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, Norway, the United States, Canada, and Japan, all of which have hosted or will host the Winter Olympics on more than one occasion.
The site of a training center for aspiring Olympic athletes, as of 2008, Sochi has no world-class level athletic facilities fit for international competition. To get the city ready for the Olympics, the Russian government has committed to a $12 billion investment package, shared 60-40 between the government and private sector. By some estimates, the investments necessary to bring the location up to Olympic standards may exceed that of any previous Olympic games.

Attractions and Activities

The Mountain-Climatic Resort Krasnaya Polyana
The famous settlement Krasnaya Polyana is spread over the Mzymta river valley, 50 km away from warm seacoast. It is located high in the mountains at the altitude of 600 m above sea level in the necklace of the Caucasian mountains. You can get there by the new gorgeous highway with dizzy canyons and ravines. Resort is located in just 40 minutes from International airport by car.
This is an area with the richest hydro-mineral resources, a center of various kinds of tourism with mountain-skiing routes of world standard. The cable-chair lift takes you to 2238 m above sea level and you can admire the exciting scenery of the Main Caucasian Range. You’ll know about the unusual history of this site and its future mission to become the best Russian resort which is promoted by our President and Prime Minister.
Krasnaya Polyana is full of modern hotel complexes. We must mention "Grand Hotel Polyana" www.grandhotelpolyana.ru which offers its guests world class level of service, club atmosphere, variety of opportunities for physical development and strengthening health ; “Peak Hotel”  www.peakhotel.ru is a unique mountain resort hotel & high-class SPA; “Rai-Ski Domik" www.raiski.ru is designed and constructed in the Alpine style, in three levels, warm and cozy conditions given an opportunity to have a quiet rest with a family or in a circle of friends, after adventures during the day. Krasnaya Polyana is the best place for rest and business party or team building for a company for up to 60 participants.

Trout farm                                        
Just five minutes away from Sochi Airport is a unique, beautiful farm, which is engaged in the breeding and rearing of trout. The trout farm is the largest in Russia. You can buy live trout directly from the pools, or even fish your own, have a good rest, try the barbecue from “Royal Fish” and learn the secrets of their cooking.

 

Stalin’s Dacha
Stalin’s Dacha (Dacha Stalina in Russian) is VIP sanatorium located in unique part of Sochinsky National Park on the territory of 55 hectares. It is historical building in its original lock both inside and outside. Some subjects of interior were belong to Stalin and were made by his order. Stalin used to stay in dacha mostly in autumn, but his family preferred summer period for vacation. Dacha has apartments and museum.
Try yourself the epoch of 30th years of XX century.

Rafting
Those who seek the excitement of a keen desire are welcomed to take part in fascinating trip – rafting up the rapid mountain river Mzymta. The experienced instructors guarantee your safety aboard the raft; you‘ll be fit with life jackets.
You’ll get much pleasure and delight of mountain river descents and rapids.
The beauty of wild nature will stun you, you can see rainbow in splashes of crystal-clear water. A professional photographer fixes your unforgettable journey.
At the end you’ll be offered the Russian bunya and phyto-tea.

The Secret of Zmeikovskiye Waterfalls
Legendary mountain river Matsesta has a small tributary – the river Zmeika. It runs through a silent valley of Sochi natural national park, the river strikes you by the beauty of its waterfalls and rapids. Five picturesque waterfalls remind the world famous ones: Niagarski, Anhel, Victoriya. The staying near waterfalls and walking along the Colchis forest make you healthy and vigorous. On your way to waterfalls you can see famous Matsesta spa and know about its curative springs.

 

Matsesta
Matsesta is the heart of the Sochi health resort area. It was noted a long time ago that the local hydrogen sulfide spas had a remarkable curative power. Matsesta balneological clinic starts its history in 1902.
The Sochi-Matsesta health resort has since been developing on the basis of the local hydrogen sulfide springs of truly unique physical and chemical properties. Over 350 thousand people annually undergo treatment in Matsesta. Nine buildings with bath facilities are located in the areas of Staraya and Novaya Matsesta, in Khosta and the central part of Greater Sochi.
The balneological centers are outfitted with modern-day equipment and facilities. They daily provide up to 20 thousand treatment procedures. Matsesta can simultaneously accommodate over 1,000 people in need of treatment. Thanks to the efficacy of treatment, the popularity of the spas has been growing. Today Matsesta is the largest in Russia balneological-hydrogeological complex comprising five balneological centers.
The set of treatment procedures in the buildings accommodating the bath facilities includes, besides the traditional Matsesta hydrogen sulfide waters, iodine-bromide, radon, pearl, sea-water and pine baths; other types of treatment include inhalation, paraffin therapy, gum irrigation, various kinds of massage, and a lot more. Excellent results have been registered after treatment with sulfide baths and procedures in cases of patients afflicted with diseases of blood circulation, the nervous system, the locomotor system, the nasophatynx, the skin, neuroendocrinal disorders, and gynecological diseases. The principal indications for the use of iodine-bromide baths include atherosclerosis, neuroses, and disorders of the functional state of the thyroid gland. Radiotherapy is used in treatment of arthritis, chronic and metabolic rheumatoid arthritis, disorders of the functions of endocrine system, and other diseases.