Pizunda: Nature and History

Pizunda offers a variety of ways to focus your trip on nature and history. The Pitsunda pine forest, the Pitsunda-Myussera State Nature Reserve, archaeological sites and churches appeal to different interests. If you are looking for a hotel in Pizunda, you can plan your trip around whether you want to focus on the landscape, early settlement history or buildings from different periods.

Pine Forest, Cape and Nature Reserve

The Pitsunda pine forest is a relict of the ancient Crimean-Caucasian flora. It covers around 200 hectares and stretches for seven kilometres along the Black Sea coast. Lake Inkit lies on Pitsunda Cape. This gives you two distinct natural features to consider in your plans: an extensive coastal forest and a lake on the cape.

The state-protected area of the Pitsunda-Myussera Nature Reserve covers 3,770 hectares, of which just under 3,553 hectares are forest. This is on a significantly larger scale than the pine forest. The area includes oak forests, clearings, ravines, rocky scree slopes and sandy beaches. Its plant life comprises more than 800 species, including 24 rare and endangered plant species listed in the Red Book.

Archaeology and Churches in Pizunda

The city developed on the site of ancient Pitiunt, founded by Greek merchants from Miletus. Archaeological remains of an ancient settlement and a temple in the nature reserve date from the 1st to the 4th century AD. Archaeologists have also found the remains of seven Christian churches in Pizunda. The Pitsunda Patriarchal Cathedral was built in the late 10th or early 11th century on the ruins of an older cathedral. The dates differ significantly: the finds in the reserve are ancient, while the Patriarchal Cathedral is medieval.

The Great Pitiunt complex preserves temple buildings from different periods and architectural styles. The oldest structure in the complex is the episcopal seat of Bishop Stratophilus, who took part in the Council of Nicaea in 325.

Planning Your Visit

You must arrange a pass in advance to visit the Pitsunda-Myussera State Nature Reserve. In the reserve, you must follow the route agreed with the administration. Check the current access procedure before travelling.

A dolphinarium opened in Pizunda in 2016. Dolphins and seals may be part of the show programme; the programme may change. The Kurort Pitsunda complex offers excursions around Abkhazia, and the selection may change. A modern water park has also opened on the complex grounds as a family recreation facility. Before your trip, check the current operating status of the dolphinarium, the excursion options and the water park's availability. The requirements differ: the reserve requires a pass and an agreed route; for the dolphinarium, excursions and water park, check current operations, options or availability.

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