Located on the slopes of a hill, Sochi Arboretum is a delight to visit. It is popular among tourists and locals alike as the beautiful park is the only one in the region that takes you on a botanical journey around the world with more than two thousand species of plants and trees from different continents.
History
The arboretum has a history of more than 125 years. It was founded by famous playwright, Sergey Khudekov, in 1892. He funded it using his money and made it a passion to develop the beautiful garden where he also built his summer residence.
The Dendrary park
Known as the Dendrary park, the arboretum is a subtropical haven located on the coast of the Black Sea. The park is divided into two sections, known as dendrariums, which is the Greek word for a "collection of trees." The upper dendrarium is landscaped in classical style with fountains, ornate sculptures, and terraces. The lower dendrarium has nature at its forefront with ducks and swans swimming around in ponds. Around the park, you will also find pelicans, ostriches, and flamingos among other birds and wildlife.
The flora
The park is home to over two thousand types of plants and trees, including exotic and rare plants, trees, shrubs, and other vegetation. Locals have named this park the "Museum of Nature" as its diversity is so rich that plant species from most of the continents are represented here. There are 24 kinds of palm trees, 80 kinds of oaks, 76 kinds of pines as well as a lot of subtropical plants, such as breadfruit tree, soapbark tree, coral tree, argan tree, strawberry tree, and more.
The cable car
The best way to visit this park is to take the cable car to the upper section of the park on the hill and walk down the hill admiring the flora from around the world. Keep your camera ready as you climb aboard the cable car as the views of the park during the ascent are going to be beautiful, however, it is surpassed by the sweeping panorama that greets you at the top of the park. Take breather here as you admire the breathtaking vistas of the coastline, the Black Sea and the Caucasus mountain region. The downhill walk is long with lots of steps. Therefore, remember to wear comfortable shoes.
