Sochi is a Russian resort city, situated in Krasnodar Krai, near the southern Russian border. It is located among the snow-capped peaks of the Caucasus Mountains overlooking the shores of the Black Sea. At 147 km, Greater Sochi is the second longest city (after Honolulu) in the world.
The resort has a temperate climate and boasts many sanatoria and mineral baths. There are also tea plantations, the most northerly in Europe.The city is home to the annual film festival "Kinotavr" and the vacation place of Russian leaders. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve, sprawls just north from the city.
Apart from the majestic Caucasus Mountains, pebbly and sand beaches, Sochi attracts vacation-goers with its subtropical vegetation, numerous parks, monuments, and extravagant Stalinist architecture. The local markets are made primarily of kiosks grouped together in areas with pavilions and more permanent larger structures.