Krasnaya Polyana (or rather Esto-Sadok) is the most popular and respectable ski center in Russia.
Preparing for a trip to Krasnaya Polyana, whether for 1 day or more, future guests face several questions: what mountain resorts are there in Krasnaya Polyana? What are their differences and similarities? Which resort and cable car is better to choose and visit? Where are the ski slopes in Krasnaya Polyana? etc.
The answers to all these and some other questions can be found in this article.
To begin with, it should be noted that Krasnaya Polyana is a village where there are no ski (mountain) resorts, as well as cable cars. All ski resorts with lifts, which are year-round and are called mountain resorts, are located in the village Esto-Sadok. However, for the general definition of resorts, such names are used as: "mountain resorts of Krasnaya Polyana" and "ski resorts of Krasnaya Polyana". Therefore, to visit the resorts of Krasnaya Polyana, it is necessary to go to Esto-Sadok, and not to Krasnaya Polyana itself.
In Krasnaya Polyana (Esto-Sadka) there are three mountain resorts, which are independent full-fledged complexes, each of which has its own infrastructure: trails and areas for skiing, a network of cable cars, accommodation facilities (hotels, apartments, chalets), as well as parks, museums, places for recreation, winter and summer entertainment and services, shops and salons, cafes and restaurants.
The Krasnopolyansky mountain cluster consists of the following mountain resorts:
- Krasnaya Polyana (formerly Gorki Gorod)
- Gazprom, consisting of two slopes: "Laura" and "Alpika".
The most visited and crowded mountain resort is Rosa Khutor - it is the most advertised. Nevertheless, the Krasnaya Polyana resort is not inferior in any way, and, perhaps, even more interesting. Gazprom Resort is good for summer hiking and horseback riding, and all year round-for a relaxed holiday in the mountains. !A subjective opinion.
If you decide to spend a few days in Esto-Sadka, then, most likely, you will not even face the question - Which of the resorts to choose? - You will visit them all: take a ride on the cable cars of all resorts, if you are a skier or a snowboarder, then you will try all the trails that suit you in all resorts (in the winter season), use certain services and entertainment at each of the resorts - in general, enjoy all the delights of the so-famous Krasnaya Polyana to the fullest. In the end, you will decide for yourself which of the resorts you like.
If you are planning to visit Krasnaya Polyana on a one-day trip, for example, from Adler or Sochi, then you probably face the question: - which of the resorts to choose?
When choosing a resort, you can give only one piece of advice - do not listen to anyone, do not read personal opinions and reviews (this never works, because we are all different). It is better to study each of the resorts from the technical side, find out what entertainment and services are available at a particular resort and, at the same time, knowing what you love and want, make your personal choice.
To facilitate your choice of a specific resort in Krasnaya Polyana, below are data on all mountain resorts in Krasnaya Polyana.
All resorts have lower stations of cable cars, which are located in the village of Esto-Sadok, close to each other (walking distance of one resort from another).
The resorts of Rosa Khutor, Krasnaya Polyany and the Alpine slope of the Gazprom resort are located on the same side of the Mzymta River, on the slopes of the Aibga ridge.
The Laura slope of the Gazprom resort is located on the Psekhako plateau, on the opposite side of the Mzymta River from the other resorts. The slopes of Alpika and Laura of the Gazprom resort are connected by the A3 cable car.
Each of the resorts is not connected with other resorts, so to visit the resorts you need to move around Esto-Sadok (on foot, by bus, by car or by taxi - the choice is personal).
The longest distance between the lower stations is between the resorts of Rosa Khutor and Krasnaya Polyana-the distance is 3 kilometers. You can move between the lower stations of the cable cars of the resorts on foot along the equipped sidewalks and the embankments of the Esto-Sadka.
For the purpose of just walking, taking a ride on the cable cars and the initial inspection of the resorts , it is best to allocate 1 day for 1 resort. And so, of course, at each of the resorts there is something to do much more time than 1 day.
Each of the resorts has its own independent cable car network from other resorts.
At each of the resorts of Krasnaya Polyana there are several types of ski lifts:
- gondola cable cars, which are closed cabins with seats, with a capacity of up to 6-30 people. These cable cars are the main ones in the resorts and work all year round;
- chairlift cable cars, some of which operate all year round;
- tow rope roads, which are used on small, more often gentle slopes of resorts, in particular educational slopes. Such lifts work only in the winter season and lift skiers and snowboarders;
- travelators that run along the children's and some educational slopes. These lifts are open only in the winter season and are available to skiers and snowboarders.
You can climb on the lifts to a particular height of the resorts:
- during the winter season, guests on ski passes (skiers and snowboarders) can use all the open cable cars of the resorts. To do this, you need to purchase a ski pass (ski pass; ski-skis, pass-pass);
- if there is no skating, then guests of the resorts in the winter season can only use gondola cable cars, and in the summer + some chairlift. To do this, you need to purchase a walking ticket (visiting resorts without skating). At the Gazprom resort, walking tickets are called "Sightseeing tours".
Each of the resorts of Krasnaya Polyana has its own combinations of ski passes and walking tickets, the variations of which vary from season to season. We recommend checking all the variations and the cost of ski passes and walking tickets on the official websites of each of the resorts (the sites are listed at the end of this article). Learn more about ski lifts in Krasnaya Polyana…
Choosing a cable car
If you want to climb on the best cable car in terms of picturesque views, then you should pay attention to the resorts of Rosa Khutor and Krasnaya Polyana (Gorki Gorod).
On Rosa Khutor-this is a lift on gondola cable cars "Olympia", "Zapovedniy les" and "Kavkazskiy express" to the mark Rose Peak at an altitude of 2320 meters, where there is an observation deck and a restaurant.
On Krasnaya Polyana, this is an ascent on the gondola cable cars "Krasnaya Polyana" (K-1), "Relict Forest" (K-2) and "Vershina" (K-3) to the height of "Polyana 2200", where there is a panoramic observation deck and a panoramic restaurant with a viewing terrace.
In the winter season, according to walking tickets, Rosa Peak and Polyana 2200 are the highest points to which you can climb.
In the summer season, you can climb higher on foot or on chairlifts + on foot:
- to Rosa Khutor - to the top of the Stone Pillar, located at an altitude of 2509 meters above sea level;
- on Krasnaya Polyana-to the top of the Black Pyramid, located at an altitude of 2375 meters above sea level. On Krasnaya Polyana, from the site of 2350 meters to the peak of the Black Pyramid itself, at a height of 2375 meters above sea level, you can only climb on foot with a climbing insurance and a helmet, which can be purchased here-on the spot (the cost is 500 rubles; for children from 10 to 14 years - 400 rubles, the ascent is only accompanied by adults).
Also in the summer season:
- on Rosa Khutor, you can go down from Rosa Peak on the Edelweiss chairlift to the park with the Mendelikha Waterfall and walk around the park. To do this, you need to purchase a walking ticket including the Mendelikha Waterfall Park;
- on Krasnaya Polyana on the gondola cable car "Vostochny Forest" (K-10) from the second height of the resort, called "Polyana 960", you can climb to the Eastern sector of the resort at the level of + 1000 meters. In the Eastern Sector, the Champion's Start chairlifts and the Polikar Waterfall are available, where you can climb up to +1370 meters, and then walk along mountain trails to one of the highest and most beautiful waterfalls in Sochi - the Polikar Waterfall.
The longest cable carKrasnaya Polyana is a gondola lift A3 (3S), which connects the slopes of Laura and Alpika of the Gazprom resort. The A3 is the world's longest lift in its category according to Doppelmayer.
You can take a ride on this cable car using ski passes and walking tickets.
At the Gazprom resort on the Alpika slope there are cable cars K1-K5, which connect the lower station of the Alpika cable cars with the Shelter of the Winds station, which is the highest point of the slope and is located at an altitude of 2256 meters above sea level.
On the Laura clone of Gazprom, cable cars connect the lower station with the Mountain Shelter Pikhtovy Station, which is the highest point of the Laura slope and is located at an altitude of 1660 meters above sea level. There are no particularly picturesque viewing platforms on Laura, but there are three-dimensional platforms between the stations where you can walk and enjoy the fir forest of the ridge.
The cable cars of the Gazprom resort can be visited by ski passes or walking tickets, both separately from the Laura or Alpika slopes, and you can buy a single walking ticket for both slopes.
All conditions are provided for skiers and snowboarders at the resorts. At various heights there are ticket offices, luggage storage, medical centers, cafes and restaurants, instructor services and ski equipment rental.
All resorts have trails of all levels of difficulty, ranging from light (green) to very difficult (black) trails. There are also educational and children's slopes; trails with artificial snow and lighting, suitable for evening skiing.
The resorts of Rosa Khutor and Krasnaya Polyana have snow parks, flight zones and freeride trails.
There are two Olympic slopes on Rosa Khutor. There is a ski and biathlon complex on the Laura Gazprom slope, where you can go cross-country skiing.
Each resort has different combinations of ski passes: from midday and evening to multi-day and seasonal. There are also educational and children's ski passes.
You can purchase a single ski pass, according to which skiers and snowboarders get the right to ride, as well as use the infrastructure and services of all the ski resorts of Krasnaya Polyana (Esto-Sadok): Rosa Khutor, Gazprom MTC (Alpika and Laura slopes) and Krasnaya Polyana.
Learn more about the trails and ski areas of the Krasnaya Polyana resort…
Learn more about the trails and ski areas of the Rosa Khutor resort…
Learn more about the slopes and ski areas on the Laura Gazprom slope…
More about the Alpika Gazprom slope…
All resorts have their own accompanying infrastructure, as well as entertainment and services located at different heights of the resorts.
There are year-round entertainment, winter and summer.
All three resorts have year-round theme parks: Northern Husky dogs and Deer Farms. In the winter season and with a sufficient amount of snow, you can ride on sleds in dog and deer sleds.
In winter, snowmobiling is possible at the resorts. All year round, these are winter and summer tubing.
Evening is possible at Rosa Khutor winter alpine sledding, there is a year-round entertainment rodelban, high-altitude swing and entertainment suspension bridge. In There are museums in the Valley (museum of Archeology and ethnopark My Russia), go-karting, indoor skating rink; in summer + trolls, rafting on the Mzymta River on inflatable kayaks and a recreation area "mountain mini-beach".
Hot air balloon flights, high-altitude swings and a zipline are available all year round in Krasnaya Polyana . In summer, this is a suspension bridge over the abyss, a bike park and excursions on quad bikes or buggies.
The resorts of Rosa Khutor and Krasnaya Polyana have beaches on the Black Sea, located in the Imereti resort: Adler, Imereti Lowland, near the Olympic Park and the Sochi Park theme park. Transfers are organized for guests of the resorts to the beaches and back.
On Rosa Khutor and Krasnaya Polyana there are summer rope adventure parks with trails of different difficulty levels. On Rosa Khutor it is Yeti Park. On Krasnaya Polyana - rope park +1460.
On the Laura slope of the Gazprom resort, summer excursions on quad bikes or buggies are possible,as well as horse riding, bike rental and a rodelban. In winter-walking on tourist snowmobiles.
On the slope of the Gazprom Alpik there are the highest mountain baths of Krasnaya Polyana and the sledding center "Sledge" with a bobsleigh track, where the extreme attraction "Fanbob"is available. You can also visit the bobsleigh complex without riding on the attraction.
In summer, hiking trails run through all the resorts. And all year round there are places for recreation, playgrounds, parks, exhibitions, cafes and restaurants, shops and souvenir shops, baths and spa centers.
Two casinos - Sochi Casino and Bemerang Club-Casino are open all year round; two multifunctional concert venues - Rosa Hall and WOW Arena; two shopping and entertainment centers with water parks and cinemas - Gorki Mall and The galaxy.
You can buy ski passes and walking tickets both at the ticket offices or terminals of each of the resorts, which are located at the lower and second stations of the cable cars, and in advance online - on the websites of each of the resorts. !!! When buying online, the prices for ski passes, walking tickets and some entertainment are usually lower than when buying at the ticket offices or terminals of resorts. At the Gazprom resort, tickets in terminals are cheaper than at the ticket offices and when buying online.
A single ski pass for all resorts of Krasnaya Polyana can be purchased at the ticket offices of ski complexes.
Each of the resorts has its own ticket offices, which are located near the lower stations of the cable cars in Esto-Sadka, as well as at the second heights of the resorts:
- at Rosa Khutor - this is Rosa Dolina, Rosa Stadium and Olympic Mountain Village (Rosa Plato);
- Gazprom has the Laura slope - this is the lower station of the Laura cable cars and the Psehako station, at the Alpika slope - the lower station of the Alpika cable cars;
- at Krasnaya Polyana - Polyana 540 and Polyana 960.
You can find out the cost of ski passes and walking tickets, as well as all their available variations, on the official websites of the resorts (the sites are listed below).
The best time to visit the mountain resorts of Krasnaya Polyana as ski resorts is from December to March (April). Sometimes the season starts in November and ends in May (June). But there are also rains at the height of the season, then the snow lies only on the upper slopes of the slopes of the resorts. The longest ski season, as a rule, is at the Krasnaya Polyana resort.
The summer season starts somewhere from June (May) and lasts until October.
The opening and closing dates of the seasons are determined by the administrations of each of the resorts of Krasnaya Polyana individually, depending on weather conditions, and in the winter season, the level of snow cover. Also, the administrations can determine the dates and terms of routine maintenance. Information about determining the start and end dates of the seasons is posted on the official websites of resorts.
Attention! During the seasons, lifts, entertainment at resorts and trails in the winter season (one or another, or all) may be closed due to weather conditions. We recommend that you check the information before visiting the official websites of the resorts in real time (you can download the mobile application of each of the resorts).
Website of the Rosa Khutor mountain resort: discoverrosa.
Website of the mountain resort Krasnaya Polyana: krasnayapolyanaresort.
Website of the Gazprom Mountain and Tourist Center (Laura and Alpika slopes): polyanaski.
Each of the mountain resorts (Krasnaya Polyana, Rosa Khutor and Gazprom) has two levels, in which all accommodation facilities are located-hotels, chalets and apartments.
The first levels of resorts (lower), which are located directly in the village of Esto-Sadok, and where the most accommodation facilities are located.
The second levels of resorts (second heights), where the accommodation facilities are also located:
- near the resort Rosa Khutor is a Mountain Olympic village (Rosa Plateau), located at an altitude of 1170 meters above sea level. You can get to the height from the lower level by the gondola cable car "Olympia" or by car. All accommodation facilities at Rosa Khutor (first and second level) can be viewed and booked here
- the Krasnaya Polyana resort has a mark "Polyana 960", which can be reached by the Krasnaya Polyana gondola cable car (K-1), as well as by car;
- at the Gazprom resort, the second level is available on the Laura slope - this is the "Psekhako Mountain Shelter "(Green Glade), located at an altitude of 1440 meters above sea level. There is one resort hotel on Psekhako - the 4-star hotel and spa "Polyana 1389". You can get to the height of Psehako by the A/A1 gondola cable car, as well as by car. On the slope of the Alpika of the Gazprom resort, there are no accommodation facilities at heights.
For everyone who stays in the accommodation facilities on the second levels of the resorts, free unlimited access is provided to the cable cars of a particular resort (depending on which resort you are staying in), which lift and lower guests to the lower levels of the resorts; transfers also run. That is, if you live in the Mountain Olympic Village of the Rosa Khutor resort, then you use the Olympia cable car for free; if on the Psehako of the Gazprom resort, then the A/A1 cable car; if in the Glade 960 of the Krasnaya Polyana resort, then, respectively, the K-1 cable car.
All accommodation facilities in Esto-Sadok (on the first and second levels of the resorts) can be viewed and booked here
The nearest airport to the resorts of Krasnaya Polyana (Esto-Sadok) is located in the city of Sochi (Adler), 43 kilometers from Estosadka. Flights to Sochi (Adler) →
The fastest and most convenient way to get from Sochi airport to any of the resorts of Krasnaya Polyana (Esto-Sadka) is a taxi. You can order a taxi / transfer in advance, even from home. At any time of the day, at the airport, a driver will be waiting for you with a sign where your first and last name will be written. To order a taxi is enough to inform your flight details.
If you come by car, you can leave it near the lower stations of the cable cars of the resorts. There are also parking spaces on the territory of the second heights of the resorts (parking is paid).
More information about how to get to all the mountain resorts of Krasnaya Polyana (Esto-Sadok) can be found here →
