Krasnaya Polyana is a tangled tangle of names of different resorts, villages, complexes and lifts. It's hard for a beginner to figure it out! I will give you a guiding thread to help you get out of the labyrinth: I will tell you how the resorts differ, how they are arranged and which one is better to choose for a summer vacation, show a photo and share my impressions.
What is Krasnaya Polyana
First of all, you need to understand that when they say and write "Krasnaya Polyana", they may mean:
- specific residential community
- ski resort, which until 2019 bore the stupid name "Gorki Gorod"
- a resort area with all complexes and villages, or a mountain cluster.
Therefore, so that you do not get confused, I will always clarify what I am writing about. Now I'll tell you about each village and resort.
Find out how to get to Krasnaya Polyana by car.
Resorts and villages map
The village of Krasnaya Polyana
Before the Caucasian War, the mountaineers lived here, and then they were expelled. Now Krasnaya Polyana is a cute residential village with wooden chalets, shops, cozy cafes and hotels. Until recently, it was small and modest, but it was built up for the Olympics. Stay here if you want to live in peace and quiet, and not among the crowd of tourists.
It is a little cheaper to live and eat in the village, but you will have to take a bus or taxi to get to the lifts, which is inconvenient. It seems to be close, but in fact, from Rosa Khutor to the village of Krasnaya Polyana, we traveled by bus for about 30 minutes!
If you go from Sochi, the village will be the very first. To get there, you need to turn left from the modern expressway, otherwise the village will remain on the sidelines.
Esto-Sadok
About five minutes away by car, and you are already in Esto-Sadok. All Krasnaya Polyana resorts and complexes are administratively related to it: Rosa Khutor, Gazprom, Alpika, Krasnaya Polyana (formerly Gorki Gorod).
Esto-Sadok is a residential village with a developed infrastructure, so we chose it for our summer vacation in the mountains of Krasnaya Polyana. If you want to be in the center of resort life, settle here: there is a walking area, many shops, a large selection of entertainment (even casinos), cafes and hotels, including inexpensive ones. The ski lifts of the Krasnaya Polyana resort can be reached on foot, but the rest of them must be taken by bus.
In Esto-Sadok, we liked everything, except for the wide and noisy Estonskaya Street, which runs through the entire village. To get to many cafes, restaurants and shops, you need to walk along it. It is uncomfortable, and you cannot breathe the vaunted mountain air. In addition, there are few crossings, and the traffic lights for pedestrians are in no hurry to turn on.
I don't think you can sleep well in a hotel overlooking Estonian Street with open windows. In order not to hear the noise of cars from the road, look for a hotel farther from it or with windows to the other side. We chose a cozy mini-hotel "Usadba" on a quiet street, but in the center of the village.
Resort "Krasnaya Polyana"
The resort is divided into lower Polyana 540 and upper Polyana 960.
Polyana 540 is located in Esto-Sadok and is separated from it by Estonian street. On the territory of Polyana 540 there is a huge casino, 5 * Marriott hotels and 4 * Courtyard by Marriott, Gorki Gorod apartments, a bunch of cafes, restaurants, shops and even a shopping center. It is always lively, there are many lights and entertainment, music is playing.
Polyana 960 - this is a continuation of the village, but already at an altitude of 960 meters above sea level. In summer, it is quite quiet and not crowded here, so it is pleasant to live. At this altitude, there are many prestigious hotels and cafes, beautiful mountain views, clean air and no noise from cars, but prices for everything are quite high, and the choice of food is small. However, you can always go down the cable car to Polyana 540, where life is in full swing! You can get there not only by lift, but also by road. Travel by cable car from a height of 540 to 960 and back is free for guests of hotels in Upper Polyana. The most luxurious hotels: Novotel 5 *, Corporate Center of Sberbank 5 * and Rixos 5 *.
The resort "Krasnaya Polyana" interested me in picturesque eco-trails. If you also like hiking, feel free to choose it for your first acquaintance: you will find yourself in alpine meadows and see blooming rhododendrons, admire large-scale circuses, walk through a relict fir forest and see mountain waterfalls and lakes.
By the way, until 2019 this resort was called Gorki Gorod. The name is not the most beautiful, but at least it made less confusion in the heads of tourists!
"Mountain Carousel"
This is not the name of a resort, but a large ski complex of lifts, slopes, cafes, a ski jump "Russian hills" and other infrastructure on the northern slope of the Aibga ridge. On the territory of the "Gornaya Karusel" is the resort "Krasnaya Polyana". Why the complex needed a separate name is not clear to me - they just brought confusion. A summer tourist need not bother with this name.
"Rosa Khutor"
It is the most photogenic and picturesque resort with a large ski complex. To illustrate Krasnaya Polyana, the media and websites almost always use a photo of the main square of "Rosa Khutor" with the town hall. Most often, when tourists talk about Krasnaya Polyana, they also mean Rosa Khutor.
Like the Krasnaya Polyana resort, Rosa is divided into two levels - Rosa Dolina at 560 m and Rosa Plato at 1170 m (mountain Olympic village).
The valley the river Mzymta divides in half, on the banks of which there are a series of bright hotels in a pseudo-European style, a lot of cafes and coffee houses. The hotels are all solid, with a price tag above average: Radisson 5 *, Tulip Inn 3 *, Park Inn 4 *. Also, a little away from the center there is an excellent boutique hotel "Nevsky" 4 * - we even wanted to stay in it, but in the end we still chose accommodation in Esto-Sadok. There is a lake with a beach where you can sunbathe on a sun lounger with relaxing music, the My Russia ethnopark, a concert hall, the Health and Troll Trail. It is convenient to come to the Valley by swallow, because here is the final railway station, as well as a bus stop.
On the Rose Plateau there are Alpine-style hotels. The prices in them are lower than in the Valley, except for the spa resort Rosa Springs 4 *. It is quieter and less crowded than below - only mountains, greenery and clean air.
Like the Krasnaya Polyana resort, Rosa is good for the first ascent to the mountains, because it suits almost all tourists: it will impress with the views, treat with mulled wine, give adrenaline to the swing, suspension bridge and rodelbane. It will provide an opportunity to walk along mountain trails, feed deer and visit an ethno-farm. Children on the Plateau also have something to do: yeti park, kids club, husky farm.
He's Laura. A full-fledged ski resort, which is divided into two levels - a meadow and a plateau. A huge shopping center "Galaxy" with a water park, shops, cafes and other joys of life fits in a clearing, closely sandwiched between the slopes of the mountains. Also below there is a huge complex "Grand Hotel Polyana 5 *".
"Gazprom" is not very popular among summer tourists, because the end point of the ascent on the cable car is not as high as that of its neighbors - only 1660 meters. And on the way there are few interesting things. Traditionally, you can climb the plateau with a transfer, but you can also without - from the lower station "Alpiki" the way will take about 30 minutes. Upstairs there is a deer and husky farm, the Green Planet park, the Sovarium and the highest hotel, Polyana 1389 Hotel and Spa - it looks cool, and it’s probably great to live there!
Why climb Gazprom in the summer? Most just ride the cable cars. For example, there are ski passes to two peaks at once - 1660 meters and to the next slope "Alpika". A curious cable car G was opened with stunning panoramic views of the Aibga ridge. In addition, it is convenient to start some hiking trips from here - for example, to the Bzerpinsky Karniz.
We compared all the resorts and lifts and decided to leave Gazprom for later, when we go to the cornice. But this is a long hike, 8 hours or more. If you are looking for an easy one-day hiking trip, choose Rosa Khutor and Krasnaya Polyana.
"Alpika-Service"
Alpika-Service is what the history of Krasnaya Polyana as a ski resort began with. Previously, it was a separate complex and did not work for a long time, but now it has become part of Gazprom. There are two lifts from the lower station - "Alpika" to "Shelter of Vetrov" and direct "Laura" (A3) to the shelter "Pikhtovy", which is located on the Gazprom plateau.
"Alpika" is a separate slope. A cable car with wonderful views, on it you will climb to the "Shelter of the Winds" at an altitude of 2256 m. There is little interesting at the transfer stations, and at the lower station only the Art of Flight trampoline center is curious. But at the top, in addition to beautiful views, there is a #NeProstoBath with panoramic windows - you can bathe and admire the mountains! This is the highest mountain bath in Russia. It is especially beautiful when the snow-capped peaks of the mountains rise from the thick clouds that cover the valley.
Should I climb Alpika in the summer? We decided to leave it for later and climb first to "Rosa Khutor" and "Krasnaya Polyana", because these resorts have more entertainment, viewing platforms and trails for the first acquaintance with the mountains. Come up here if you have already seen everything on other slopes or want to fly a paraglider.
Conclusions: who should choose which resort
The village of Krasnaya Polyana suitable for a simple and quiet life. It is the cheapest place to live here, but you have to get to the lifts by car or bus.
Esto-Sadok will appeal to those who like to be at the epicenter of everything. There are many cafes, restaurants, shops, entertainment and hotels, including inexpensive ones. The elevator "Krasnaya Polyana" is at your side, you have to go to the rest. Noisy, but you can find the hotel further off the road.
Resort "Krasnaya Polyana" duplicitous like Janus. Polyana 540 is an active and cheerful Esto-Sadok, and Polyana 960 is a calm town at an altitude. In summer, the mountains are quiet and calm, clean air and views. The choice of cafes is less, but it is easy to go down to Esto-Sadok and eat there by the lift. There are many interesting trails on the slopes and at the top.
Rosa Khutor resort also two-faced: below - expensive hotels and an active life, above - cheaper and quieter. It is interesting to spend the whole day at the Peak.
Gazprom and Alpika - for those who want to be on their own. There are only two hotels, but what kind. There is everything for a comfortable life, and if something is missing, you can go. The resorts are not so rich in entertainment, and there are not many eco-trails.
