Monastery in Novy Afon
Novy Afon Monastery
The multi-gold-domed Novy Afon Monastery, founded by Russian monks in the 1870s, stands out on the hillside, about a 15-minute walk up from the main road. Its cathedral, often thronged with worshippers, has wonderfu…
Ruins in Novy Afon
Novy Afon Train Station
This now-abandoned but elaborately decorated neoclassical train station on the main coastal road through town has some absolutely wonderful Stalinist bas-reliefs and is a photographer's dream.
Historic Building in Novy Afon
Stalin's Dacha
Sitting proudly overlooking the sea and within earshot of the bells of Novy Afon Cathedral, this dacha (country cottage) regularly hosted Joseph Stalin during his summer holidays, during which time the entire surrou…
Fortress in Novy Afon
Anacopia
From Novy Afon Caves it’s 2.5km uphill to Anacopia, capital of Abkhazia in the 8th century AD. Taxis can take you halfway up for R100. Inside the hilltop citadel are the ruins of an 8th-century cathedral and a recen…
Cave in Novy Afon
Novy Afon Caves
This enormously popular and deep series of karst caves is traversed on a small train line that takes visitors on a 1.4km, 1¼-hour underground journey through a series of impressive chambers.
Cave in Novy Afon
Simon the Zealot's Cave
From Psyrtskha train station you can walk 20 minutes up a pretty river valley to Simon the Zealot’s Cave, where the saint reputedly lived.
Church in Novy Afon
Church of Simon the Zealot
The 10th-century stone Church of Simon the Zealot stands on the spot where the eponymous apostle was reputedly killed by Roman soldiers.