The May long holidays are traditionally considered the beginning of the summer tourist season. According to experts, this year the leaders among foreign destinations are Turkey, Georgia and Israel, and within the country - the resorts of Crimea and the Krasnodar Territory. Among the latter, the tourist cluster in the vicinity of Lake Abrau is always popular. According to statistics, the lion's share of guests come there for 1–2 days. Izvestia found out what opportunities for a short but eventful vacation exist in one of the most beautiful places on the Black Sea Riviera.
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Abrau, the largest freshwater lake in the Krasnodar region, is located fifteen kilometers west of Novorossiysk. It is located in a cozy and picturesque valley, framed by hills and low mountains, on the slopes of which relict forests and vineyards grow. A unique reservoir about 3 km long, a little more than 600 m wide, and about 11 m deep is fed by several rivers and many springs. Scientists believe that somehow it connects with the sea, where excess water goes, but they have not yet been able to find underground drains. The only thing that indicates the flowing nature of the reservoir is the absence of flowering and waterlogging.
The water in the lake is greenish-milky in color due to the high chalk content, but it is soft and very clean. In summer it warms up well - to about +28 °C. It is not surprising that there are always a lot of people here during the season.
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View of Lake Abrau
Photo: RIA Novosti/Vitaly Timkiv
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In 1974, Abrau was recognized as a natural monument and given the status of a specially protected area. All types of agricultural activities were prohibited around the lake. After that, the historical vineyards (“Princely”, “Magellate’s Crown”, “Fishtail”, etc.), which had existed here since the last quarter of the 19th century, were removed from its banks. Today, the only reminders of them are the bright green “patches” of coniferous plantings. On the lake itself it is prohibited to use motorboats with gasoline engines - only sailing yachts, catamarans, rowing boats and vessels with electric motors.
Around the lake
On the shores of the lake is the village of Abrau-Durso. It is here that many hundreds of thousands of tourists come from Novorossiysk, Anapa and other Black Sea resorts up to Gelendzhik. In the village, the main system-forming institution, around which a developed tourism infrastructure has been formed in recent years, is the champagne wine factory.
The oldest winemaking enterprise in Russia will celebrate its 140th birthday in 2021. Today it is the most visited winery in the world. According to official data alone (based on the number of tickets sold), about 280 thousand people visit its legendary cellars, where millions of bottles of sparkling wine are stored. But there are, of course, much more guests in the village.
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View of the village of Abrau-Durso
Photo: RIA Novosti/Vitaly Timkiv
A visit to the historical complex of the plant, accompanied by a guide who tells in detail about all the stages of producing sparkling wine in the classical way, takes about an hour and a half without tasting and about two with tasting.
Note: during the excursion, young children can be safely left in the playroom under the supervision of teachers, and older children can be sent to one of the master classes (art, culinary, etc.).
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Production of champagne wines "Abrau-Durso"
Photo: RIA Novosti/Nikolai Khizhnyak
Taste life
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The plant operates, engaged in the development and organization of individual and group tours, as well as holding art exhibitions, concerts, congresses and festivals.
Guests of the lake resort can enjoy a variety of recreational activities on the water - from swimming and sailing to night fishing. Fortunately, the lake is home to carp, grass carp, perch, bream, silver carp, the endemic Abrau sprat, freshwater crabs and many other animals.
In addition, it is also possible to travel to the vineyards and mountains on horseback, bicycles or jeeps, and walks of varying difficulty (terrenkur). In the vicinity of the lake there are many historical, cultural and natural monuments - prehistoric dolmens, burial mounds, remains of ancient settlements, Lotus Lake, Utrish Nature Reserve, Sweet Limanik Lake and much more.
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Visitors at the wine tourism center on the territory of the Russian wine house "Abrau-Durso"
Photo: RIA Novosti/Nikolai Khizhnyak
Here you can also take riding lessons, learn how to sail a yacht (the Abrau Sailing club has experienced instructors and all the necessary equipment), attend culinary master classes, practice yoga and diving.
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And also, although for a different price, you can fly in a helicopter or ride the sea waves on a comfortable yacht.
Note: it’s just a stone’s throw from the lake to the sea. Every hour a minibus runs towards the public beach in Durso. But if you don’t want to waste time waiting, you can take a taxi. You can relax more comfortably on Abrau Beach. The beach has a lounge bar and wooden patios with sun loungers and showers. Paid entrance. A special shuttle runs here from the village.
Abrau-Durso Park
An excellent answer to the question of where to go in a wine village. The park area here is far from the “tree-planted space” typical of other cities and large towns. It was decorated artistically and in accordance with the spirit of modern art. Sculptures and various installations are exhibited. You will have to launch interactive art objects with your own hands. Even a close examination of them in their pure form does not allow one to guess what the authors and the administration meant.
- Address: Promyshlennaya, building 19.
- Mode: Every day 24/7.
Where to stay
In the village of Abrau-Durso there are several hotels of different formats. The two most comfortable, but also the most expensive, are located on opposite shores of the lake. The first is the four-star Imperial boutique hotel with its own swimming pool, SPA center and excellent breakfasts made from farm products. Price - from 7 thousand rubles for a standard room. The second is “Wings” with spacious, richly decorated rooms and a banquet hall. Accommodation here will cost approximately twice as much.
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View of Lake Abrau from the balcony of the Imperial boutique hotel
Photo: visitabrau.ru
The Laguna Hotel, clean and tidy, is, on the contrary, the most budget-friendly. The cost of living there starts from 2.2 thousand rubles.
In addition to them, you can stay directly in the village, for example, at the Edem Hotel (from 3.3 thousand rubles), at the Augustin Hotel (from 3.5 thousand rubles), as well as at the Valeria guest house ( from 4.5 thousand rubles).
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Recreation center "Round Lake"
Photo: visitabrau.ru
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Finally, 5 km from Abrau-Durso there is a recreation center “Round Lake” - with a good dining room and an impressive swimming pool. Very large and bright rooms, although rather modestly furnished, but with huge balconies, are available for rent starting from 2.5 thousand rubles.
Where to eat
There is not the slightest chance of going hungry in Abrau-Durso. Guests can choose from a wide range of different establishments. For gourmets, there is a direct route to the gastronomic restaurant “Imperial”, operating at the hotel of the same name. The menu includes a salad with goat cheese, duck leg with Provençal herbs, fried foie gras, and beef stewed in wine with gratin.
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Grand Cafe "Abrau-Durso"
Photo: visitabrau.ru
Literally across the road, a couple of hundred meters away, is Villa Rose. A completely new restaurant serving Pan-Caucasian cuisine is located in one of the oldest buildings in the village. The menu contains regional and even local dishes from different parts of the Caucasus - from Georgia and Armenia to Adygea and Kabardino-Balkaria. Here they serve incredible dolma, excellent khinkal and proper khash, treat you to cherry plum compote and brew coffee on the sand. As a bonus, perhaps the best view of the lake opens from the picturesque terrace.
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Petit Cafe
Photo: visitabrau.ru
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You can drink a cup of aromatic coffee with an intricate cake or a glass of sparkling wine with a light snack almost on the shore at the Petit Cafe next to the pier. If you want to try something more substantial, then you need to walk along the shore a few hundred meters more to the grand cafe “Abrau-Durso”. The menu features European, predominantly Mediterranean, cuisine, although not as refined as in Imperial, but very good and well-executed. Black Sea fish and seafood are excellent here. Worth paying attention to are the fried eggplant with pineapple and mussels in champagne sauce.
From May to September you can enjoy kebabs, steaks, kebabs and grilled fish at the Aqua BBQ Bar in the lakeside park. This is also a favorite place for noisy parties, since the bar is located in the very depths of the park, at a decent distance from residential areas.
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Visitors to dining room No. 1
Photo: visitabrau.ru
Finally, for those who want a quick, satisfying and completely inexpensive meal, the doors of dining room No. 1, located next to the entrance of the champagne wine factory, are open. The menu includes borscht, cutlets with pasta, goulash, casserole, and fresh pastries. In a word, everything that should be in this kind of establishment. No frills, but everything is honest and tasty.
Excursion to the Abrau-Durso winery (Novorossiysk) - reviews
Svetlana
https://www.anapabest.ru/guide/abrau-dyurso.html
We went on an excursion on March 18, 2018. Children are not allowed to attend the tasting. But excursions to the cellars are allowed with children. The children were delighted, the mysterious tunnels, huge barrels, bottles, a ghost. Our children don’t know anything about alcohol. So for them it was just an adventure. The third day at home, they were buzzing, we went on a trip to the Abrau dungeon. So we are happy, and at the first opportunity we will eat again with the children.
Mila
https://www.imho24.ru/recommendation/977/#review59437
Amazing place
Advantages:
Affordable prices
Beautiful park at the winery
Flaws:
No disadvantages
This is an amazing place where you can relax your body and soul. The wine factory was named Abrau-Durso because of the nearby lake with this name. Translated from Circassian, “Abrau” means cliff, and “Dyurso” means four rivers. On the lake you can relax and swim in warm summer weather, as well as stroll through an unusual park, where almost all the monuments are made from improvised materials (there is even a bench lined with wine bottle caps). The Abrau-Durso plant was founded under Alexander 2 in 1870 from the moment the decree was written. All wine is made from grapes that grow near the plant itself. Previously, wine and champagne produced by the Abrau-Durso plant were served exclusively to the royal court and aristocracy. Now this wine is available to everyone, since the pricing policy is very loyal to the consumer. Wine and champagne have received not a single award at Russian exhibitions, as well as at the world level. It’s worth going down to the basement and just walking between the rows of wine and champagne, it’s very mesmerizing. A beautiful place Abrau-Durso.
Andrey
https://www.imho24.ru/recommendation/977/#review19693
Interesting and informative!!!
Advantages:
Really interesting!!! Beautiful!!! Available!!!
Flaws:
No. All liked it.
Excursions every 2 hours. We were by car and arrived when the next one had just started. But while we were wandering around the neighborhood, taking photos, time flew by unnoticed. If the weather is good, you can take a dip in Lake Abrau, and it’s generally beautiful, roses, various installations, paths, cafes, souvenirs, etc. One monument to Golitsyn’s monkey, who, according to legend, opened bottles for him is worth something.
I advise you to take the excursion without tasting; they will pour 5 types of champagne, 20 grams each. - do you need it? It’s easier to then buy whatever you want at the company store, there are 2 of them. I wouldn't say the prices are cheap, but the whole range is.
Before the tour, they will show a mini-film about the history of the plant and take you through the workshops and basements. The story is interesting. Lasts about an hour.
We liked. I recommend!!
Aliya93
https://www.tripadvisor.ru/ShowUserReviews-g2641383-d8365106-r471327180-Champagne_Factory-Abrau_Durso_Krasnodar_Krai_Southern_District.html
The tour of the factory was just great
My family and I visited the sparkling wine factory in Abrau-Durso. Nearby there is a magnificently picturesque lake. I really liked the excursion itself. We were even allowed to go into the workshop itself and inspect the champagne production lines. We visited underground storage facilities. By the way, there is a champagne wine shop at the plant. In short, we didn’t think that everything would be so interesting. It was very unforgettable. I advise you to look! And after the excursion and views of the lake, you can go to the sea and continue your vacation there.
Downlagundrawled
https://otzyv.expert/ochen-interesnaya-ekskursiya-1475218
Advantages:
Interesting excursion, delicious champagne
Flaws:
Tasting ticket is expensive
We were on vacation in Arkhipo-Osipovka - the weather was bad. But every cloud has a silver lining: all the excursions were ours. I really enjoyed the trip to Abrau-Durso, to the champagne wine factory. Let me say right away that the road is certainly not for the faint of heart. And we also got caught in a downpour - to be honest, it was very scary to drive. But we got there without incident. You get to the plant after watching a short informational film and a mini-lecture - everything is somewhat formalized, the guides are a little in a hurry. But the impression was still good. We walked through the cellars and showed us the champagne bottling shop. The guide told a lot of interesting things about the production process itself, about the history of the plant and the drink itself. And then there was a tasting - several varieties, including elite ones, were poured little by little, but it was enough to get acquainted with the taste. I really liked the sweet and semi-sweet. And at the exit there is a shop where you can buy everything that is produced here. And what’s nice is that it’s a little cheaper than in other stores. So we celebrated the New Year with Abrau-Durso champagne) I would also like to say that the excursion can be taken without tasting. So maybe it makes sense to save on this and spend more on champagne “to go”
General impression:
Very interesting excursion
Guest
https://forums.kuban.ru/f1093/kto_byl_na_ekskursii_na_vinzavod_abrau-dyurso_hotim_zavtra-poslezavtra_stoit_li_otzyvy_nahodyatsya_slishkom_raznye-3100494.html
I went on an excursion three years ago and I really liked it. True, we were there as a team (it was one of the points of the corporate celebration of the day the company was founded), so there were no strangers - and, accordingly, unnecessary noise. The excursion was conducted by their guide; the girl told and showed everything in a very interesting way. At the end of the excursion there was a tasting - again, this has its own trick - you really feel the difference between the tastes of the wines offered (by the way, they pour a little at a time - you won’t be able to swell....))) And then exit through………. their store))))) Where you can stock up on champagne for the future cheaper than in the city)))))
Iru555ik
https://otzovik.com/review_5241158.html
Advantages:
Well organized and exciting excursion.
Flaws:
No
I welcome everyone to my review page.
In July 2021, we were on vacation with our child in Anapa and decided to visit the Abrau-Durso sparkling wine factory. We bought a tour in Anapa through. I liked the organization, the pleasant guide and the comfortable bus with working air conditioning. There were several options for excursions: with tasting and historical without tasting. The only downside of the excursion is that when purchasing we were a little confused with the options for conducting the excursion, or maybe this was done on purpose... now I don’t know. In general, when purchasing, we were told that this was one excursion, only with a tasting, and therefore more expensive. Since I am with a 10-year-old child, of course she doesn’t have a tasting. But already on the road near Novorossiysk, it turned out that these are completely different excursions that take place at different times and that children are not allowed into the basements of the plant at all, this is prohibited by law. But maybe it's for the better. On the territory there is a wonderful children's room and a very beautiful park in which we walked Abrau Park. The daughter was pleased.
Now about the excursion itself. Despite the large number of tourists and excursion groups, there is no crowd and the groups do not interfere with each other at all. Everything happens clearly and smoothly.
At the beginning of the tour, we were invited into a small room of the plant, where they showed a 10-minute film about the history of the creation of production. It was very interesting. By the way, this video is posted on the official website of the plant and anyone can safely watch it.
And then Golitsin cellars began, new workshops, and a lot of interesting things. It was very exciting, time flew by instantly.
And the final part is the tasting. Well, not just, you came, they poured it for you and drank it... no. They talk about each type of champagne. Everything happens slowly and in a cozy atmosphere.
At the exit you find yourself in a company store where you can purchase products from this plant. The prices there are good. The excursion left behind pleasant memories. Try it, you will like it.
Price issue
Author of the quote
Excursion to the historical cellars of the champagne wine factory - 750 rubles without tasting and 950 rubles - with tasting.
Catamaran rental - 350 rubles per half hour.
Fishing - 2.5 thousand rubles day/night.
Horse riding lessons - 700 rubles per hour.
Culinary master classes for children - 500 rubles, for adults - from 2 thousand rubles.
Accommodation - from 2.2 thousand rubles per day.
Meals - from 200 rubles for a set lunch in the dining room.
Taxi from the village to the public beach in Durso - 300 rubles.
