Sochi

Sochi is one of the most famous resort cities in Russia. It is situated in the Krasnodar region on the Black sea coast. It sprawls along the shores and snow-capped peaks of the Caucasus Mountains. With the length of 145 km, Greater Sochi claims to be the longest city in Europe.
The population of Sochi is 411000 people.
Sochi enjoys a humid subtropical climate-Mediterranean-type.  Its average annual temperature is 14 °C: 18.2 °C during the day and 10.8 °C at night. Yearly sunshine hours are about 2,200. Summer season lasts 6 months (from May to October). December, January, February and March are the coldest months, with average temperature 10.6 °C during the day and 4.1 °C at night.  Sochi is situated at the same latitude as Nice but strong cold winds from Asia make winter in Sochi less warm. In fact, temperature in Sochi drops below zero every winter for one or two days.
All year round Sochi amazes its guests by the greenery of parks, covering 80% of the total territory of Sochi. More than 3000 species of plants grow in Sochi and most of them are in botanic gardens. Subtropical climate, long beaches, natural beauty of mountain landscape of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range have created in Sochi an ideal atmosphere for tourism, all-year recreation and health-resort treatment.
The city has been selected to be the host of the XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games in 2014.This will be the first time for Russia to host the Winter Olympic Games, and the first time to host the Paralympic Games. To get the city ready for the Olympics, the Russian government has committed to a $12 billion investment package, shared 60-40 between government and private sectors.
The Olympics also urges the construction of a medium capacity rapid transit system of Sochi Light Metro. The current alignment would connect the Sochi Olympic Village, Sochi International Airport, two major railway stations of Northern Caucasus Railway, the downtown of Sochi, and the Alpine skiing area Krasnaya Polyana.
Sochi is a unique city. It attracts tourists by its pebble beaches, beauty of subtropical nature, numerous parks, monuments and extravagant Stalinist architecture. About two million people visit Greater Sochi each summer. It is also a very popular destination during the annual film festival "Kinotavr".
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the 2,957 square km (731,000 acres) Caucasian Biosphere Reserve, lies just to the north from the city. Sochi also has Europe's most northern tea plantations.