Swallow's Nest

Swallow's Nest – is a wonderful castle that is located on a steep cliff, right above the Black Sea in Crimea, which belongs to Ukraine. This building always attracts many tourists, because it has an unusual appearance, which really resembles a bird's nest, stuck at 40 meter altitude. « The Lastochkin Nest » is a vivid symbol of the entire southern coast of Crimea.

Regarding the emergence of a castle in the Gothic style, there are many legends that local guides are happy to tell. The real story of « Swallow Nest » is no less exciting. The first memories of him date back to 1895, in the story of Grigory Moskvich, and the construction itself by this time already existed. The idea of such an unusual building hanging over the sea belongs to a general whose name has not been saved. Only the fact that he was seriously injured in the battles in the war between Russia and Turkey is known. At the time of construction, « The Swallow Nest » had a completely different shape and was called « Love Castle », which he called the romantic general himself. In the drawings of famous artists, which date back to 1901, the castle is imaginary as a simple wooden structure.

The next owner of « Swallow Nest » ( at that time a simple cottage ) was A.K. Tobin, who was a court doctor. After, in 1903, the cottage was sold by the wife of Tobin, whom her husband gave her. It is at this time that wooden construction over the sea acquires its glorious name – « Swallow Nest ».

But the beauty and greatness of the structure on the rock is attached by the next owner - Baron Rudolf von Stengel. In 1912, a small castle was erected here with a wonderful tower of three tiers, which is a complement to the stone cliff of Aurora over the sea. The Lastochkin nest fits so harmoniously into the rock that you can’t immediately guess about its small size. Its height is 12 meters, and the castle itself has 200 m².

Later, a restaurant was equipped on the territory of the Swallow Nest, after some time the new government nationalized it. As for the interior design of the castle, it cannot boast of luxury. The only decoration of the halls is a fireplace and wooden beams with frogs.

The observation deck and the entrance to the castle for a long time were closed, as the structure suffered as a result of earthquakes. In 1968, it was decided to restore the former beauty of « Swallow Nest ». After long risky work at the height of the bird's flight, the castle was presented at a public display.

From the observation deck of the charming castle above the sea, an excellent view of Yalta itself opens with a bay called Ayu-Dag. Near the entrance to the castle, many different souvenirs are sold, which depict the symbol of the southern coast – « Swallow nest ».

Traveling around the Crimea, getting to the fortress « Lastochkino nest » will not be difficult, because tourist routes often lead here. You can also get to the village of Gaspra, where the castle is located, using shuttle taxis from local bus stations or go by sea on a motor ship from Yalta.