Yalta one of best Russian resorts
Town damaged only slightly by Nazis
By the United Press
Yalta is probably the most beautiful of the Russian Black Sea resort towns.
It is situated in a narrow sloping cleft on the cliff-studded southeast coast of the Crimea.
The cliffs rise sheer from the area into towering 8,000-foot mountain peaks, crowned at this season of the year with snow. At Yalta itself there is a sandy curving beach, lined with villas and resort hotels, many of which date from Czarist times.
Occupied two years
Yalta and the whole resort coast of Crimea was occupied by the Germans for about two years, but damage when the Nazis were ousted last spring was comparatively light. In the town of Yalta itself, windows were blown out of a good many seashore buildings and some of the shops were wrecked. But many of the villas and palaces were intact or suffered damage which could be repaired easily.
Winters are mild on the Crimean coast, not unlike those on the California coast. Days are generally warm and sunshiny, but the nights are cool.
The steep, stony land running back up to the mountain crags is covered with vineyards. Crimean champagne and fine wines are famous in Russia and many consider their quality second only to the wines of France.
Sevastopol visit hinted
Above the vineyards the hillsides are deeply forested with pines and other evergreens stretching up to the timber line. Clouds often hang over the high peaks above Yalta, obscuring the mountain crests.
It is probable that the conferees took time out from their deliberations to visit Sevastopol which lies about 40 miles from Yalta on the southwest corner of Crimea. Sevastopol has been back in Russian hands about 10 months.