New Athos Monastery

New Athos (or Novy Afon) is a town on the Black Sea Coast of Abkhazia, northwest of Sukhumi.

Understand

Town exists since the 3rd century when it was a large ancient Greek port town of Anacopia. And its ruins still could be found in outskirts of New Athos.

The town is named after Mount Athos, an autonomous monastic territory in Greece, where the founders of the local monastery resettled from in 1874.

Get in

By bus

By bus from Sukhumi (50 руб, 20 km (12 mi), 45 min), Gudauta (17 km (11 mi)) and 84 km (52 mi) from the Russian border at Vesyoloye, near Sochi.

1 Bus stop. All buses are transiting through the town. They make a stop at this bus stop. 

By train

• 2 Main Railway Station. A few long-distance trains connecting Sukhum and Russia call at this stations. 
• 3 Psyrzcha station (Russian: Псырцха, Abhazian: Ҧсырӡха/Psyrdscha Georgian: ფსირცხა/Psirzcha).  

See

Anakopia fortress

Ptsyrtskha Railway Station

Remains of Soviet sculpture in the park of New Athos

• 1 New Athos monastery. Established by Russian monks who came from Mt. Athos in Greece at the end of 19th century. 
• 2 New Athos Caves (under the Iberian mountain, in the vicinity of New Athos). Summer Tu-Su, rest of the year - W Sa. There are a number of karst caves, including Athos Cave opened in 1961. There is a small tourist train passing through caves. 500 руб. 
• 3 Ruins of an ancient temple and Anakopia fortress (on top of a nearby Iveriis hill). Ruins of the 8th-century fortress of Anakopia (8th-century capital of Abkhazia). There is a good paved road uphill, it takes about an hour to get to the top. 

• Temple of Theodor Tiron (Anakopia fortress). The first church on top of the Anakopia mountain was built in 6th and 7th centuries and was dedicated to Virgin Mary. However, it was rebuilt in the 11th century and became being dedicated to the Holy Great Martyr Theodore of Tyrone. Which is evidenced by epigraphic monuments found in the citadel. Besides, temple still operates now and there is a copy of the Iberian Icon of Mother of God, while the original is kept in the Iberian monastery on Mount Athos, Greece. 
• Ruins of the 19th-century chapel (Anakopia fortress). 

• 4 Church of St. Simon the Zealot (in the gorge of the river Psyrtsha). Built in the 10th century AD on the same spot where, according to the legend, St. Simon the Zealot was killed. 11th-century frescoes were discovered under a layer of church plaster. 
• 5 Grotto of St. Simon the Zealot (follow the brick road that starts near Ptsyrtskha railway station). 100 руб. 
• 6 Ptsyrtskha railway station. Old Soviet railway station, heavily damaged now but still shows signs of its previous glory. 
• 7 Park of New Athos. Famous seaside park with a system of ponds, fed by the waters of the river Psyrtsha. 
• 8 Stalin's summerhouse (near the monastery). 
• 9 Waterfall. Waterfall and a power plant built in 1902. 

Museums

• 10 Museum Of Military Glory, Heroes sq.. Dedicated to the events of 1992-1993 military conflict. 
• 11 Museum of the Abkhazian kingdom, ☏ +78402458130, info@afon-abkhazia.ru. 
• 12 Ethnographic museum of Kuchi Lakrba. Depicts life and culture of Abkhazia. 

Further afield

• Old steam locomotive (5 km from New Athos on top of the mountain). It was used by the monks of the New Athos monastery for transportation of timber in the late 19th century. 

Do

• Swim in the sea at local Akhali Atoni Beach

Buy

• 1 Bank "Sberbank". There is a currency exchange office inside. 

Eat

• 1 Cafe "Tri Platana". Coffee, alcohol, some simple snacks. 
• 2 Cafe "U Lebedya". Very simple cafe serving coffee. 
• 3 Restaurant "Guada". Upscale Italian restaurant. Very nice interior, tasty food, but extremely pricey as for Abkhazia. 300-600 руб per meal. 
• 4 Restaurant "Abkhazski dvor". Proper restaurant of Abkhazian cuisine. 

Drink

• Local wine
• Beer: Sukhumskoe Pivo

Sleep

• 1 Hotel "Abkhazia", 20 Lakoba st.. In a park with exotic plants and a pond, 30 m from the sea. Operates May-Oct only. 
• 2 Mini-Hotel "Anakopiya", ☏ +7 940 7-1-26 - 726, anakopia.info@yandex.ru. On the cypress avenue in the heart of New Athos, on the banks of a mountain river Psyrtsha. It stands right at the foot of the mountain Apsarskoy leading to the New Athos monastery. Single 600 руб, double 1200 руб (2015). 
• 3 Pension "Waterfall" ("Vodopad"), 4 Ashba st., ☏ +7 940 997-7-997, info@vodopadhotel.ru. Comfortable guesthouse is to be commissioned in summer 2010 after overhaul. Located in a picturesque location at the foot of Mount Athos in 250 m from the sea. Double 1300 руб (2015). 
• 4 Resort complex "Kamarit", 21а Lakoba st. (located at the entrance to the city of New Athos, on the beach), ☏ +7 940 772 54 45, +7 940 997 97 17, kamarit-hotel@mail.ru. Wooden housing complex cascade down the landscaped park area with shady cypress avenues. The resort complex is styled in a nautical style and looks like a fishing village. Single 1100 руб, double 1300 руб (2015). 
• 5 Mini-hotel "Prime". New cozy mini-hotel is near the New Athos station, 50 meters from the sea. Single 500 руб, double 1000 руб (2015). 
• 6 Hotel "Lebed", 1, Kurortnaya st., ☏ +7 940 995 78 73, otel.lebed@yandex.ru. It also has restaurant attached. Double from 600 руб (2015).