Sochi – a hub of cultural, social and leisure activities

Sochi is a popular Russian resort city on the Black Sea coast. Protected from the cold north winds by the Caucasus Mountains and open to the warmth and moisture of the Black Sea in the south, Sochi has a surprisingly warm climate for the latitude.

Sochi was established in 1896 on the site of the former Navaginskoe fort and began developing as a resort area in 1902.

The presence of mineral springs, attractive coastal and mountain scenery, long beaches and subtropical climate have made Sochi a large and popular health resort in Russia.

Today Greater Sochi is officially one resort area which stretches for 145 kilometres along the Black Sea coast but splits into distinct holiday places: Sochi proper, Adler and Lazarevskoe.

Sochi proper is a hub of activity with concert halls, theatres, restaurants and nightclubs. Different events including Russian film and music festivals, fora and exhibitions take place throughout the year but mostly in summer.

Sochi, which in 2007 was selected to host the 2014 Winter Olympics, has always been well known as a summer resort and has no world-class athletic facilities for Winter Olympic Games.

Many changes will have to take place to bring the location up to Olympic standards, both in the city and in the mountains.