Russia Regions: Black Sea & Caucasus

Sochi, Russia:  

Sochi is a city in Krasnodar region, Russia, located on the Black Sea coast near the border between Georgia, Abkhazia and Russia. 

Founded in 1838, the city of Sochi lies at the foot of the Caucasian Mountains on the east coast of the Black Sea.

With 300 days of sunshine a year, the city is one of the most popular beach and health resorts in Russia and is currently experiencing a boom in tourism.

In 2014 Sochi hosted the XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games, as well as the Russian Formula I Grand Prix from 2014 until at least 2020.

It also was one of the host cities for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. 

While preparing to host the Winter Olympics in 2014, the city of Sochi went through an unprecedented makeover which turned this originally domestic resort into a world class sports center.

Tourists who visited this prestigious resort liked to wander the downtown area of this garden city where the scent of magnolia trees mingles with the tang of salt carried on sea breezes.

If crowds are not your scene one can escape into the hills and mountains.

If you are a snow bunny then Krasnaya Polyana (Red Valley) is the place to go.

The snow lingers into late spring, allowing you to ski in the morning and swim in the sea in the afternoon.

Summer season is from the end of May to the end of September.

June might be the best time to come, when the city is at its freshest.

Greater Sochi, some 150 km long, is the world's second-largest conurbation after Los Angeles.