Gelendzhik's Amusement Park: A Family-Friendly Destination with a Price Tag

I've been to Gelendzhik's amusement park with my kids a few times, and it's always a must-visit spot when we're in town. We're always on the lookout for new ways to keep them entertained, and this place delivers. All the photos are fresh, so you can see exactly what to expect.

Last summer was no exception. If you like strolling along the promenade, you can head to the park during the day when it's hot and then again in the evening when it's cooler. But, like anywhere, not everyone's a fan. I'll give you the lowdown on the pros and cons, as well as how to get there and who it's suitable for.

You can see the Ferris wheel from all over the city

We ended up spending around 7,000 rubles last time, but it was worth every penny. Of course, if you're on a tight budget, you can always spend more – it's all about your financial situation.

The main draw is the variety of rides and attractions for all ages. It's a real treat for the whole family, especially for kids who are old enough to enjoy the more intense rides without getting bored.

The colorful, vibrant, and fun rides for kids I've noticed that for younger kids, the smaller rides like carousels and train sets are a bit more budget-friendly. They're still a few hundred bucks, but it's worth it for the little ones. As someone who doesn't really ride anything in Moscow's parks, I'm not a regular, but I do enjoy strolling around. You've got to keep moving, even if it's just walking a few kilometers.

The go-kart track - the kids' favoriteThe Central City Amusement Park has two entrances - one on Kirov Street and the other on the waterfront, near the Delfin Beach.

If you're coming from the city, the first option is to walk across the intersection and follow the waterfront on Kirov Street. You'll arrive at a small, compact market before entering the park.

I'd recommend checking it out - they've got everything you need for a family day out, including swim gear, shoes, inflatables, and more. If you don't want to lug it all from home, you can find it here, but be prepared for higher prices. If you're looking for a better deal, head to the Central Market near the Piatnitskaya Alley instead.

Not exactly a bustling marketplace. The market entrance seamlessly transitions into the Amusement ParkAfter walking about 200 meters through the market, which felt like a corridor of goods, we ended up directly in the City Park of Recreation. That's what everyone here calls it, but to be honest, you won't be relaxing here, especially with kids. There aren't many benches to sit on, and you'll get tired walking and standing in line for each attraction.

The theater starts with a coat hook, and the park begins, of course, with the ticket booth. There are several of them scattered throughout the territory, but when we were there, only one or, occasionally, two were working. But that's perfectly normal and understandable, given the lack of people in the park and at the ticket booths. One of them is conveniently located in the middle of the roller coasters.

The ticket booth - prices have skyrocketed! The 'House Upside Down' ride is nearbyOne thing that's changed is the names of the attractions, which seem to be constantly changing, with some added and others removed. What was here last year is gone this year, but new, unknown types of entertainment have been added.They've also been categorized into three groups: 1. Children's attractions - for the little ones. 2. Attractions for the whole family, including adults. 3. Extreme attractions - for our brave youth.

This makes it much easier, especially with kids of different ages: you don't have to search through the entire list to find out who can go on what and where adults can join in on the fun.

The entire park is situated on an open space. To the right – the shade, and that's already the exitI've taken a closer look at the prices in the amusement park. They've skyrocketed compared to last year, not to mention the prices from earlier years. I still have some old photos from back then, with colorful price lists on the shields that are still hanging near the cash register today.

The prices vary, and sometimes they're almost double what they used to be. What's interesting is that the kids' rides, designed for little ones from 3 years old, don't differ much in price from the more advanced and adult attractions. They're all around 500 rubles.

Indoor Play AreaTake a look for yourself. The indoor play area, 'Igroteka', used to cost 50 rubles per person and was dependent on how long you stayed. Now it's 100 rubles. This is a semi-circular, open-roofed space.

I like that it's a great place for the whole family, with activities that are both fun and educational – more like table games and puzzles: hockey, ball games, there are swings, toy cars for the little ones, and various simulators.

You can even experience virtual reality in goggles and on a spinning chair.

Virtual Reality My kids love the "Autodrome", but they only let little ones in with an adult, so you'll need to shell out 500+500 rubles.For the same price, we've also ridden the "Dalmatian" or "Typhoon" roller coasters, which aren't as intense. There's nothing bigger or faster here, except for the extreme swings, which were closed when we visited.

The restroom is 50 rubles, which is standard in the city. To the right is a small sapling of the Mountain Pine tree Our go-to attraction is the "Ferris Wheel" for the same 500 rubles per person. It's a park landmark because you can see it from anywhere, and even if you've left the park or are on a boat in the sea, it's still visible.I'm not a fan of the enclosed cabins, which can be claustrophobic for some people. However, the views from the top are incredible: the Maricotkhsky mountain range, the entire city of Gelendzhik, and on the other side, the sea and the two capes - Thin and Thick.

For the little ones in our family, they love the "Carousel on Chains" for 350 rubles, and a bit older kids enjoy the "Trampoline" for 500 rubles.

A Water Park for the Little Ones I was really looking forward to taking the kids to the "Water Ball" attraction. It's a big, transparent, and sturdy ball that they can climb inside. They close it up and inflate it with air, then seal it tight, and the kid gets to bounce around in it for about 7 minutes on the water in the pool.

The price used to be super reasonable at 250 rubles, but now it's listed for 500 rubles, even though it's not even available.

On the left, a photo with the 2024 water ball. Many of the attractions just weren't working this year All the attractions are new, bright, and nicely painted, making for some great photos of the kids.

The park isn't super crowded, so the staff aren't waiting for a big crowd to show up. They just let the kids go straight on the rides. Even if it's just one kid going around on a horse, it's actually kind of nice because you can take a clear photo of your kid without all the chaos. A second entrance and exit to the waterfront. A monument to the Warriors of Glory, with a free beach called 'Dolphin' nearbyBy the way, the payment is made immediately for a certain amount in the cash register, which you plan to spend. Cash or card – it doesn't matter. Plus 50 rubles is the cost of the electronic card itself as a deposit. With it, you can walk around the entire park of attractions without paying a single ruble in cash. They don't take payment at the attraction itself.So, after payment and adding money to the card, we often gave each of our kids a plastic card, and we went calmly to the beach for an hour. Why calmly? Because they can't lose the card: each of them has a special pouch on their belt where they keep it, and there are also additional cash funds. Because there are snack stands right there with ice cream, they sell corn and various drinks – all for cash.

There's a bench to rest near the Crocodile Farm, and trash cans in the shape of fun animal toysThe park's territory is not very big, but it's well-maintained. This is a great place even for a simple walk, I love to track my steps here. It's especially beautiful in the evening when they turn on the lighting. The park transforms and becomes wonderfully magical.Maybe 'Parachute Drop', 'Mirror Labyrinth', and 'House of Fear' will attract some new visitors, but we've been there before and have been several times, so we don't go there now. Everything is still 500 rubles.

The park map is available at the entrance. It's easy to figure out where everything is located. I was surprised to find that almost all the more interesting rides in this park will cost you an arm and a leg, per person - whether it's a kid or an adult. There are no discounts for anyone, except in the case where the kid is so small that they'll be riding the slow-moving kiddie planes and similar 'chains' under adult supervision.

The not-so-scary House of Horrors, but the atmosphere is impressive My family - kids and adults alike - thought the card system was convenient, because you don't have to carry a bunch of individual tickets in your hand, which can be confusing and get blown away by the wind. Now, you just approach the ride, and if you have the last 500 rubles on your card, you can ride any attraction worth that amount for the time specified - that's the good side.

But the downside is that the money on your card always seems easy to spend, because it's virtual, and you can quickly and quietly spend it without even realizing it - but that's bad news for parents.

I love taking photos with the giant statues in the park - they make for some awesome selfiesOff to the side, there's a separate building called the 'Crocodile Farm' - it's basically a mini-zoo where you can see all sorts of exotic animals like crocodiles, monkeys, and even some birds and butterflies. You've got to pay extra for that, though. Sliding around the Crocodile Farm on a hot day is a real treatGetting a foot massage with the fish is a really relaxing and rejuvenating experience. Fish spa treatmentFor just 700 rubles and 15 minutes in the fish tank, your feet will feel like a baby's. The snack bar on the right is only open until eveningThere are trash cans shaped like cute animals near the solitary benches. There's also a coffee and pastry stand, but for some reason, it only opens at night.

This amusement park in Gelendzhik is a must-visit during the summer season - it's a guarantee of some unforgettable emotions for the whole family. Everyone will find something that suits their taste.

You can buy souvenirs on the way in and out of the park I didn't get a big adrenaline rush like in the capital, but I got plenty of other exciting experiences. The park is clean and beautiful, and there's always something new to offer. But this experience comes with a price tag, at least 4-5 thousand and up per visit, especially if you're traveling with family or have a lot of kids. That kind of money can add up fast, especially if you're planning to ride the attractions.

MINUSES:

- The cost of the attractions is pretty steep now - it used to be more budget-friendly.

- Each attraction has rules that nobody seems to read, but they still enforce height, weight, and age restrictions.

- Some attractions don't allow kids under 8-10 years old, and you have to pay for the adult too. It's like double the price. The kid wants to ride the 'Lightning' machines, but you're not sure if it's a good idea, and the seats aren't exactly designed for everyone.

- During the summer, especially on really hot days, not all the attractions are working. They're just sitting there, but the operators are nowhere to be found - either they're taking a break or chatting with their colleagues. It was really disappointing that the swings and the boat ride weren't working. I was looking forward to experiencing the thrill like in the movie 'Valerka-Ramka'.

- There used to be some fun perks like live animals, animators at the entrance, and free/paid photo opportunities. Now, the photographers aren't even chasing you down.

- The restroom is paid - 50 rubles, just like everywhere else in the city. It would be nice if they offered it for free for park visitors with a card.

- I'd love to see more benches and gazebos in the park. The park has been here for years, but there aren't any trees overhead, so there's no shade to sit in.

- There aren't any snack stands, except for the ones I mentioned in my review: corn, ice cream, and water.

- There aren't any fountains, which is pretty weird. And this year, there aren't any water rides either.

xa0

PLUS:

+ If you hate the heat and crowds, come here in the evening. The rides light up, and the whole park is lit up. There are fewer people on the rides, and more people just walking around. The only exception was this year - there were hardly any people (day or night) in the park.

+ The view from the Ferris wheel at night, during the summer until around 8 pm, is stunning - you can see the beautiful blue-green sea and its amazing scenery lit up by the setting sun.

+ Now you don't have to wait for a crowd to build up. I walk up to the ticket booth, and they let me on right away.

+ There's no noise in the park at all - no music playing, and it's not annoying.

+ There are some nice flowerbeds with unusual trees, palms, and plants, but they're all really small, and the whole park is paved with tiles. The plants are in little pots in the flowerbeds.

+ There are some life-size animal statues around which you can take a lot of free photos.

+ You can buy souvenirs and magnets with views of the park and the city on the mini-market.

xa0

Also check out Gelendzhik.

Where else to relax:

Parus - Parus, which doesn't wait for the wind

One of the things that really stood out to me was the way the parasol on the beach added to the overall ambiance of the place.

I also loved exploring the river, waterfalls, and ancient monuments that Gelendzhik has to offer.

And of course, the arena was a highlight of my trip.

xa0

Where to cool off:

I highly recommend checking out the Dolphin Beach for some sun, sand, and surf.

The Central Beach is another great spot, with a wave pool, sun loungers, and a scenic promenade.

For some action and adventure, head to the Sports Beach.

And if you're looking for a more secluded spot, try the Lermontov Beach, which is a bit narrower but has a lovely pedestrian walkway.