Alupka, Coastal resort town in Crimean Peninsula, Ukraine
Alupka is a coastal resort town in the Yalta Urban Okrug on the Crimean Peninsula, sitting below the steep southern slopes of Mount Ai-Petri and facing the Black Sea. The town spreads along the shore and up into the hills, with sanatoriums, old villas from the imperial era, and modest residential neighborhoods mixed together.
The settlement was first mentioned in the 10th century in Khazar documents under the name Alubika. In the 19th century, Prince Vorontsov built his estate here, turning the place into a fashionable destination for Russian aristocrats.
The name probably comes from a Turkic word meaning "fox," reflecting centuries of settlement by different communities. Today, people from across the former Soviet lands live here together, and many work in tourism or in the sanatoriums that line the waterfront.
The town is easy to walk around, with most sights concentrated along the waterfront and the lower hillsides. Those planning to visit the palace grounds or higher viewpoints should wear sturdy shoes, as paths can be steep and uneven.
The palace was built entirely from diabase, a greenish volcanic stone quarried from the nearby mountains, giving the walls a special color and texture. Edward Blore, the architect, worked from England and never visited Alupka in person.
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