Yalta Mountain and Forest Nature Reserve

The reserve stretches along the Black Sea coast for 49 kilometres (from Gurzuf to Foros, surrounding Yalta). The reserve mostly covers mountainous areas above the coast, and in some places reaches the sea. The highest peak is Ay-Petri Mountain (1234 m). Mountains, rocks and elevated plains, karst depressions and cavities, potholes and hollows, the sea coast – the landscape of these picturesque areas was formed as a result of complex and long geological processes associated with the deposition of sedimentary rocks and the uplift of the earth’s crust.

 

Here you can admire pubescent oak forests with areas of Greek juniper (Juniperus excels) and Cyprus turpentine tree (Pistacia mutica), forests of Crimean pine (Pinus nigra), Рinus kochiana Klotsch (near Gurzuf) in combination with European red pine (Pinus sylvestris) and typical beech forests, occupying plane areas, as well as relict forests with Greek juniper. At the top of the elevated plain there are peculiar meadow steppes, which are replaced by groups of shrubs on steep slopes, and by meadows in karst depressions