Nikitsky Botanical Garden is one of the oldest botanical gardens. It is located in Crimea, Ukraine, close to Yalta, by the shores of the Black Sea. It was founded in 1812 and named after the settlement Nikita, Ukraine. Its founder and first director was Russian botanist Christian Steven of Swedish descent. The total area is 11 square kilometres. It is a scientific research centre, a producer of saplings and seeds, and a tourist attraction.

The gardren is the part of the Ukrainian Academy of Agrarian Sciences. It has subsidiaries in Crimea and Kherson Oblast. Its collection counts over 50,000 species, sorts and hybrides. Its scientific work consists in study of natural flora, collection of gene fund, selection and introduction of new agricultural plants for south Ukraine, Russia, and other countries.

Nikitsky Botanic Garden is one of the most prominent sights of the South Coast of Crimea. It is located close to Yalta, by the shores of the Black Sea. Here you can visit either Livanian cedar forest or Caucasian brushwood or bamboo forests of Vietnam. You’ve just seen the Italian landscape and in some steps you’re in the forest of Himalayas. You’ll hardly find the place on the earth where the Asia unites with the South America and on the background of the European flora emerges the Indian lilac.

In galleries and hothouses there are a lot of rare tropical plants: azaleas, camellias, orchids, palm trees. Flowerbeds are always full of tulips, narcissus, hyacinths, lilies, fuchsias, carnations, chrysanthemums. Great impression makes the gallery of cactuses especially in the period of flowering.

Nikitsky Botanic Garden is often called the green pantry of the Crimea. It is one of the oldest botanical gardens in Ukraine. The botanic garden was founded in the autumn 1812 and named after the settlement. The post of the director was offered to 30-years old Christian Steven. He was well-educated, conscientious person who was aware of the needs of the agriculture in the south of Russia. He considered the main aim was to draw in different foreign plants. Nikitsky botanical garden became the ancestor of the parks and gardens created in the subtropical regions of our country. Nikitsky Botanic Garden is also considered to be the founder of the scientific and industrial wine-growing in Crimea.

Nikitsky Botanic Garden is particularly rich in medicinal plants. You should not try to collect them yourself — they are offered for sale dried and packed, and also you can buy booklets that provide exhaustive information on the plants you buy. Herbs, teas, and preparations made from the medicinal plants are offered in most of the sanatoria, rest homes and health-improvement centers. The Crimean medical plants are good not only for treating internal diseases but for improving the skin condition as well.

Today Nikitsky Botanic garden is not only a park-garden but also scientific-academic statement of Ukraine. Its employees are working hard to give visitors knowledge about nature and scientific achievements of Nikita.

The Botanical Gardens of Nikitsky were founded by Christian Steven in 1812. Steven became the Botanical Garden's first director and there is a monument in the garden that has been dedicated to his memory.

The Nikitsky Botanical Gardens is no small park, it covers a region of 1100 hectares. The Botanical Gardens are organized into 12 scientific departments and it also boasts one of Europe’s largest herbariums. The Nikitsky Botanical Garden houses a scientific museum where you will be able to view collections of more than 50 thousand species and forms of plant hybrids from many different countries around the world.

The Cacti Greenhouse in Nikitsky Botanical Gardens has a display of succulent cacti. The cacti collection contains about 600 different species and variations of cactus. This succulent collection is presented with various other succulents growing in open ground.

The Nikitsky Botanical Gardens is considered one of Europe’s most superb gardens of all time. In the year 2000 the Nikitsky Botanical Gardens was given the status of National Center of Science of Ukraine. The park has a fascinating design with an open-air museum, which has more than 18,000 species of plants from Mediterranean countries such as South-East Asia and South America.

The Nikitsky Gardens also boast a large scientific-research establishment. The Gardens belong to the Ukraine Academy of Agrarian Sciences (UAAS), whose members study the natural vegetation and are responsible for the collection of plants, along with many other new plants. The Botanical Garden of Nikitsky has 50,000 different species that include different varieties of flowers, fruits, olives, nuts and medicinal plants, as well as rare and endangered species.

The Nikitsky Botanical Gardens also has two hotels complete with stunning health facilities, so visitors can come and find some relaxation. The Nikitsky Botanical Gardens are an absolutely awesome place for visitors and tourists to come and view the many beautiful species of plants and shrubs.

The fastest way to get there is by flight to Simferopol and after that by car to Yalta.