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Pictures of Balaklava, Crimea

Few places in Ukraine were as off-limits during the Soviet era as the small town of Balaklava on the Black Sea coast south of Sevastopol. Here the Black Sea submarine fleet was housed in the sheltered harbor. The town was closed to everyone but locals until several years after the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Minibuses run to Balaklava from the "5th kilometer" bus station in Sevastopol. It's also not far off the Yalta-Sevastopol highway.

Today the town has become a popular tourist destination and somewhat of an elite resort frequented by rich people in fancy cars. Tours to Balaklava are also organized for vacationers based in Yalta, Alupka, and other South Shore resorts. You can rent a sailboat or have a fancy seafood dinner on a yacht. Boats take vacationers to remote, pristine beaches down the coast. And, of course, you can climb up to Chembalo Fortress, built by Italians (!) 500 years ago.

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This harbor in Balaklava used to be a secret submarine base. Now it is open to the public. Here it looks fairly decrepit in 2004.	Above Balaklava rises the Chembalo fortress, built by Genoan settlers in the 16th century.	The Genoans came from present-day Italy. Just one of the countless ethnic groups that held power in Crimea at one time or another.	Across the inlet you can see empty buildings where submarine maintenance equipment probably used to be held.
In 2007, Lenin still stands in front of the town hall.	View of the harbor	In just three years, Balaklava has become a trendy tourist destination.	This is even considered an "elite" vacation spot, and many apartments and homes have been renovated. A few new buildings have been built on the hill.
View from higher up the high	The harbor's narrow neck protected ships from waves and storms.	The Chembalo fortress is being restored here in early 2007.
Here you can see the yachts and sail boats that have replaced the rusty fishing boats that used to be here.	Taking pictures above a stormy sea	This fence keeps tourists from falling down 150 m cliffs. Nearby are several secluded beaches reachable only by boat.	Rumor has it that the fortress will be completely restored like the one in Sudak. That would be a ton of work.
View of the fortress

All photos are the original work of Rick DeLong. To learn about purchasing originals, go here. Please contact me at before using my pictures for any purpose.