Bolshoy Kichmay offers two distinct ways to explore local subjects: at the “AdamChay” tea plantation, the focus is on tea cultivation, processing and tasting; at the “Shapsugskiy bereg” ethno-complex, the emphasis is on the crafts and heritage of the Adyghe-Shapsugs. For planning, a simple distinction can help: are you looking for a guided introduction to tea processing, or are you particularly interested in craft techniques and cultural traditions?

Tea plantation: tour, tasting and master class

The “AdamChay” tea plantation offers year-round tours that include a visit to the tea-processing factory. Book the tour in advance and check the current arrangements with the operator. The one-hour tour provides information about the introduction of tea to Russia, as well as the right way to pick leaves and make tea. This combines historical background with practical steps involved in processing tea leaves.

The tour includes a tasting of five types of tea and jam, as well as a master class on picking tea leaves and making tea. So, alongside the explanations, the programme includes tasting and hands-on activities involving picking and production. The tour is especially suited to a visit where you would like to learn more about tea and try different varieties. Its one-hour duration gives you a clear indication for planning your time; remember that advance booking is required.

Crafts and heritage at the ethno-complex

At the workshop of the “Shapsugskiy bereg” ethno-complex, visitors can watch potters and embroiderers create handmade work, as well as observe glass fusing. The focus is therefore on visible craft techniques. The museum at the same complex is devoted to the family and community traditions of the Adyghe-Shapsugs, their national code of conduct and hospitality, as well as old legends and heritage.

The workshop and museum have different emphases: the workshop is about craftwork, while the museum explores traditions, social values and stories. This makes it easier to choose based on your interests, without treating the two offerings as the same. If you are interested in the museum, check the schedule provided by the operator before your visit.

Krasnodar Krai: wine route and coastal landscapes

For a broader look at Krasnodar Krai, the region’s attractions cover different themes from the tea plantation and ethno-complex. The “Vinnye dorogi Krasnodarskogo kraya” route presents more than 2,500 years of wine-growing and winemaking history, from antiquity to the present day. Interactive exhibitions and installations are also part of the offering described. The route runs through Anapa, Taman, Golubitskaya, Sennoy, Moldavanskoye, Novorossiysk, Abrau-Dyurso, Fedotovka and Gelendzhik. It lists 20 wineries as places to visit; this number may change. Check the route and current operating status before planning your trip.

The coastal landscapes of Krasnodar Krai offer another connection with nature. In the “Azovskiye kosy” nature park, sea waves and currents shape sand and shells into spits and islands with varied outlines. Shallow waters near the coast, the tips of the spits and sandy islands are home year-round to colonies of various gull, tern and cormorant species; their presence varies by season. At the “Anapskaya peresyp” nature park, visitors can walk along the coast on wide, golden beaches. Farther from the sea, the sand forms a series of tall dunes. The region’s nature attractions therefore have distinct features: at the Azov spits, landforms and bird colonies define the landscape, while at the Anapa Spit, the focus is on a walk along the beach and dunes.

Discover more destinations: Trudovoy, Yuzhnyy, Za Rodinu, Verkhnevysokoye, Arkhipo-Osipovka, Gruzinskaya Mamayka, Taman, Mezmay.

For the broader travel overview: Krasnodar Krai.