Yalta

Full of fortresses and palaces, Yalta has always had a reputation as the most beautiful resort on the southern tip of the Crimean Peninsula. Vorontsov Palace, which was built by Prince Vorontsov (the Governor-General of Novorossiya) in the 19th century, is a remarkable piece of architecture and not to be missed. Yalta is also well known due to the role it has played in politics, particularly as the location for the famous Yalta Conference in 1945, when Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin met to decide the future of Europe. Yalta has always been beloved by Russian politicians; hence, the large number of fancy dachas (villas) and brownstone houses. And like most Crimean cities, its proximity to sophisticated vineyards such as Massandra, Inkerman, and Koktebel makes it an important wine destination.