YALTA, UKRAINE

On this excursion we will discover why Yalta was liked so much by the Russian Tzars. Our coach will take us through the town offering a picturesque panorama of the beautiful sea front before we head eastwards to the Massandra.

On this excursion we will discover why Yalta was liked so much by the Russian Tzars. Our coach will take us through the town offering a picturesque panorama of the beautiful sea front before we head eastwards to the Massandra. In 1881, Tzar Alexander III commissioned master builders from France and Germany to construct his summer mansion in Massandra. It was completed almost twenty years later. Originally built as an estate for the Tzars, it became the summer dacha of the upper echelon Politburo members, including Stalin, Kruschev, Gorbachev and until very recently, remained closed to tourists. At the main gate, we will be transferred to a mini coach that will take us up the narrow road, through a lovely pine-covered park that surrounds the Palace. During our visit to the Palace, we will admire its beautiful interior, decorated in Renaissance style with a few baroque elements. There are original 18th century furnishings and art pieces as well as memorabilia such as letters, photo’s and documents. Back on our main coach we travel further along the coast to the Livadia Palace, formally the summer residence of Tzar Nicholas II. Set in beautifully landscaped gardens, the Livadia Palace was built in 1911 in early Italian Renaissance style for Tzar Nicholas II. The White Palace became famous as the venue of the Yalta Conference. In February 1945, Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin met here to outline and co-ordinate plans for the allied defeat of Germany. Guidelines were also established here for the foundation of the United Nations. During our guided tour of the palace we will be shown the restored meeting room, Roosevelt’s headquarters and the Tzar’s study. We will also visit the upper floor and see the Romanov apartments, now the Tzar Nicholas Museum. Following our tour we will listen to a concert performed by a Kalinka Folk Group while enjoying a Russian tea ceremony arranged especially for us in the gallery of the Italian courtyard of the palace. We will then re-board our coach for our drive back to our ship in Yalta. The order of stops may vary. This tour is not suitable for passengers with wheelchairs or passengers with limited mobility. There are approximately 90 steps to encounter.

DESCRIPTION CORRECT FOR 2007 CANARIES & MEDITERRANEAN CRUISES