The Tsar's Path or the Solnechnaya Tropa is a scenic walking path that runs along the edge of the Crimean Mountains near the city of Yalta, in southern Ukraine. The path starts out at the Livadia Palace and runs west to its finish at the Swallow's Nest in nearby Gaspra.

The path was built in 1861 by for recreational use by the Russian Tsar Alexander III near his Crimean resort at the Livadia Palace. It was built upon the family doctor's recommendation due to its healing and therapeutic elements that are attributed to the local climate which would help with the family's tuberculosis health problems. Its construction finished in 1901, and it remained one of the Romanov family's favorite relaxation spots. Because of the name of the path and its references to Imperial Russia, the path was renamed to the Solnechnaya Tropa (or Sunny Path) during Soviet times.

The path runs for 6.35 kilometres (3.95 mi) at an average of 150 metres (490 ft) above sea level. The path was constructed with no major gradient changes and laid completely horizontally, despite its location among the rugged Crimean terrain, as differences in elevation will have an adverse affect on those with medical conditions. The path itself is landscaped with rare and exotic fauna and lined with various sculptures and monuments.

Built in 1861 for Russian Tsar Nicholas II and his family to take their daily walk, the Tsar’s Path stretches a distance of more than six kilometers along the Crimean Mountains, linking the Tsar's summer retreat, Livadia Palace, with the majestic Swallow's Nest castle. The views of the coastline and the city of Yalta in the distance are spectacular and along the pathway are various monuments and sculptures, with the surroundings beautifully landscaped.

The pathway was built at the suggestion of the Romanov family’s doctor, as the combination of exercise and the therapeutic climate of the Crimean coast would ease the tuberculosis problems experienced by the family. It is due to these health problems that the path itself has no steep gradients requiring exertion by walkers, and remains at an average of 150 meters above sea level. The construction of the path was completed in 1901, and remained a favorite leisure spot for the Tsar and his family.

During the Soviet era, the name of the pathway was changed to Solnechnaya Tropa, or Sunny Path, to eliminate any reference to Imperial Russia. In fact, Tsar Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, as well as being the Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. He ruled from 1894 through to 15 March 1917, when he abdicated his throne. Together with his family and members of his staff, Tsar Nicholas II was murdered by the Bolsheviks on the night of 16 July 1918. His critics referred to him as Bloody Nicholas because of conflicts during his reign, and he is said to have brought Russia from being one of the great powers of the world to the point of military and economic collapse.

While Tsar Nicholas II may have fallen from grace by the end of his life, he left behind many reminders of a time when Imperial Russia ruled supreme. The Tsar's Path is just one of these reminders, and visitors to this beautiful part of Ukraine can enjoy the view the pathway offers, as well as the Crimean attractions of the Livadia Palace and the Swallow's Nest that are linked by the path.

The Sunny Path (or the Tsar Path), connecting Livadia Park with the town of Gaspra, is one of the most famous paths in Crimea.

The Path is almost 6.711 kilometres in length (at 133 to 203 metres above sea level) and almost completely horizontal with no great differences in gradient, and no steep ascents or descents. The entire length of the Path is well-landscaped, decorated with sculptures, rare exotic trees and bushes, and unique benches to rest on.

Even on the very hottest days you can feel the breeze of the pleasant fresh air in the hornbeam-oak forest. It is not for nothing that the Path is also referred to as a healing path or path of health since all the therapeutic elements of the local climatic resort also take effect here.

At the viewing points along the path beautiful panoramas of the south coast of Crimea open out in front of you. The Path was a favourite place for walking for the Tsar's family.

The main viewing points are situated at the beginning of the route, near the village of Nizhnyaya Oreanda, but you can walk the rest part of the Path for fun. To make your journey even more interesting, you can turn off onto one of many other paths crossing the Sunny Path that lead to the health resorts or bus stations. For example, the town of Verkhny Miskhor can be reached in about two hours.

The Path begins at the Livadia Palace and passes through Oreanda, near the mounts of Krestovaya, Ay-Nikola, Khachla-Kayaksy (Mount Belogolovaya), and Pirozhok, as well as many health resorts, the Church of the Archangel Michael, and the Swallow's Nest Castle.

A map of the route is provided at the beginning of the Path next to a sundial that is unfortunately no longer very accurate. In addition, you will find route markers informing you about the sea level and the distance walked and left to go as you continue along the Path.

The Path was laid from Livadia to Oreanda in 1861, previous to which it had passed only above Nizhnyaya Oreanda, a stretch of the Path that first appeared in 1843.

In 1861, the Imperial family bought the Livadia estate from the heirs of Count Leo Potocki.

One day Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich Romanov went for a walk with Nicholas II and showed him a path laid on his order from his estate "Ay-Todor" towards Livadia. The path passed through vineyards, mountain forests, overhanging cliffs, and every path bend opened up onto a new inimitable view of the sea and the ridge of the Crimean Mountains. Despite the very rugged mountain terrain, the Path was laid so as to avoid any real ascents or descents, hence the other name of "Horizontal Path". The Path was made horizontal intentionally, as differences in level (pressure) can have an adverse effect on those with pulmonary medical conditions.

When Nicholas II, who loved to go for long walks, left for St. Petersburg in 1900, he ordered the manager of the Livadia estate L. D. Yevreinov to lay a horizontal path from the "Pink Gates" in Livadia to the junction in Verkhnyaya Oreanda that met the path leading from Ay-Todor.

In 1901, the work was completed and the path (measuring 6 verst and 143 sazhen long and 1 sazhen wide) became one of the Romanov family's favourite places to relax. They were always riding horses and walking along the Path either just with each other or visiting their neighbours since the path had good trails down to the estates belonging to Grand Dukes "Chair" and "Charax".

The name "Sunny Path", first coined in the Soviet times, is not really appropriate, as can be said of any new name that is thought up in a hurry. In the first place, a Sunny Path has long existed in Lithuania connecting the town of Druskininkai and the village of Yaskonis and secondly, the Tsar Path is actually very good for shade, being almost completely hidden from the sun…

The Tsar Path joins and intersects with many other paths, park alleys, and descents down to the health resorts and beaches. It provides infinite opportunities for educational family walks and to learn much more about botany, geology, geomorphology, history, and archeology while walking. Finally, bearing in mind the inspiration that this place has given to whole generations of Russian and Soviet writers, poets, artists, and composers, it is the perfect place to develop one's aesthetic taste and sense of beauty. You can get there by direct flight to Simferopol or through Kiev or Odessa.