FORMULA 1 2020 VTB RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX

SOCHI

Sochi is located on the Black Sea coast. This is a unique corner of Russia combining favourable resort and tourist aspects: a warm sea and 300 sunny days a year, clean mountain air, drinking mineral waters and a variety of historical and natural monuments.

The only subtropical resort city in Russia stretches for 145km along the Black Sea coast. The Greater Sochi area is divided into four districts: Adler, Khosta, Central and Lazarevskoye. The resort complex of Sochi is the largest in Russia. The total area of Sochi is 3,500 sq.km. The population is 524 thousand people.

In summer, the average air temperature in Sochi is 26.5°, and the sea water temperature is 24.5°. The average winter air temperature is + 8°.

Sochi has 227 different treatment and recreation facilities, hotels and tourist centres. The city is a major centre for event tourism.

Main sights of Central Sochi: Maritime Terminal, Arboretum, Arts Square, Winter Theatre.

OLYMPIC PARK

The park was created in the Imeretinskaya Lowland for the 2014 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. Its area is approximately 200ha.

It houses Sochi Autodrom and the main Olympic sports venues, including the Fisht Stadium, the Bolshoy Ice Dome, the Iceberg Winter Sports Palace, the Shayba All-Russian Children’s Sports and Health Centre, the Ice Cube Arena, the Adler Arena. There is a musical fountain at the base of the Olympic Cauldron.

During the Russian Grand Prix, there is a concert stage set up in the Central Square. Many sites with various activities for adults and children are organised in the Olympic Park, there are concessions and Formula 1 merchandise outlets.

KRASNAYA POLYANA

Tourists come to Krasnaya Polyana for its mountain landscapes, old-growth forests, clean air, mountain lakes, mineral springs, beautiful views, and its snowy slopes for skiing and snowboarding in winter.

There are three mountain resorts here: Gorky Gorod, Rosa Khutor and Gazprom with their networks of cable cars and world-class ski slopes, as well as entertainment centres and hotels.

Nearby there are several facilities built for the 2014 Winter Olympics, including the RusSki Gorki Jumping Centre and the Sanki Sliding Centre.

SOCHI PARK

After its opening, first theme park in Russia Sochi Park became one of the landmarks of the city. It is located next to the Olympic Park and attracts the attention of everyone who attends the Russian Grand Prix or watches Formula 1 on TV. Guests and residents of the resort often call Sochi Park “Russian Disneyland”.

The park has more than 20 amusement rides. Some of them are more suitable for family holidays, while others will appeal to adrenaline junkies. The most extreme amusement rides are Fire Bird, Zmei Gorynich and Quantum Leap, the latter takes its visitors down from a 58m high hill reaching 105kph in the process. The park also has cafes and other activities.

A ticket to Sochi Park allows you an unlimited number of rides throughout the day. You will need separate tickets for the Wheel of Time and some thematic sites.

SKYPARK AJ HACKETT SOCHI – AN AMUSEMENT PARK AT THE HEIGHT

Skypark Sochi has one of the longest suspension bridges in the world – Sky Bridge the length of which is 439m. Your breath catches when walking along it thanks to spectacular views.

The attractions of the park guarantee adrenaline rush. The main of them is Bungy 207 - a bungee jump from 207 metres into the gorge head-first allows you to experience free flight. Here you can also make a bungee jump from 69 metres, play above the abyss on the highest swings in the world or on a zip line at 120 kph and much more. The park has children's attractions and a panoramic restaurant.

Skypark Sochi is located 11 km from Adler on the way to Krasnaya Polyana. There are separate tickets to Sky Bridge and each of the attractions.

ARBORETUM

46.4ha of the Arboretum contain trees and shrubs brought from all over the world. Now the park’s live collection has more than 1,800 species and forms, including a huge number of rare exotics.

The park is located on both sides of Kurortny Prospekt. The upper part of the Arboretum, in addition to its historical centre, has landscape and geographical sections representing the subtropical forests of East Asia, North America, Australia, New Zealand. In its special enclosures, there are parrots, ostriches and peacocks. In its small backwater, there are swans and nutrias.

The lower part of the park is much smaller, but no less picturesque: hundreds of flowering plants, bamboo thickets, a rose garden, cascades of ponds. Decorative ducks, swans and pelicans live in perfect harmony near the water. Squirrels and nutrias can also be found here.

MOUNTAIN COASTER

There is a mountain coaster at the Rosa Khutor resort. This is a controlled mountain double sled, the top speed of which is 40kph.

The route consists of curved lines and three circles. The length of the descend section is 1,350 m. The ride is equipped with a distance and speed control system, as well as protective nets on the steep and elevated sections.

There is another mountain coaster at the Gazprom mountain climatic resort.

SOCHI CASINO

The Sochi Casino of the Gorky Gorod year-round mountain resort is one of the largest elite casinos in Eastern Europe. This is a unique entertainment centre for Russia combining casinos, gourmet and signature restaurants, trendy bars, VIP lounges with separate entrances, conference rooms, a concert hall and even a theater.

The game room features tables for American roulette, various types of poker, blackjack, baccarat. There are 442 modern gambling machines of the world’s largest manufacturers. There is the Sochi Poker Club for cash game lovers.

In the evenings, the casino’s restaurants and bars with live music open their doors and parties featuring famous DJs and music performers are held.

STAND UP PADDLEBOARDING

There are many rentals of equipment for various types of water activities along the coast of Sochi. Stand up paddleboarding is one of the most affordable ways to go out in the sea on a sunny, windless day.

You can get all that is necessary at the surf stations: boards, paddles, suits, life jackets, insurance and a camera.

For an additional fee, an instructor will go into the sea with you and help you to learn the right technique. There are also spa services and yoga classes.

ORNITOLOGICAL PARK

The Imeretinskaya Lowland, where Sochi Autodrom is located, is the habitat of many rare species of plants and animals and has the status of a key ornithological territory of international importance. And the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, in general, is a unique migratory bird route along which most European species travel on their way to wintering and nesting sites.

A natural ornithological park has been created in the Imeretinskaya Lowland. It consists of 14 clusters, with a total area of 298.59 ha, where various landscapes are represented. During its work, experts discovered 184 species of birds, 19 of which are listed in the Red Books of Russia and the Krasnodar Region.

Some park clusters are closed to visitors, and in its open clusters you can watch birds in their natural habitat. Cluster number 7 is a demonstration one.