Abkhazia , often called the "Land of the Soul," is a stunning but politically complex region on the eastern coast of the Black Sea. Known for its dramatic landscape where the meet subtropical shores, it has served as a "Russian Riviera" since the 19th century. A "Paradise Lost"
: The region is famous for its abandoned Soviet-era palaces, villas, and industrial sites, like the ghost town of Tkvarcheli , which attract "urban explorers" and photographers.
: Highlights include the high-altitude Lake Ritsa and the massive New Athos Cave complex, one of the largest in the world. The Abkhazian People & Culture
Modern Abkhazia is a place of striking contrasts, defined by and the melancholy of post-Soviet ruins .