Bolshoy Kichmay: Tea, Crafts and Shapsug Culture

Bolshoy Kichmay can be explored through hands-on experiences: at the «AdamChai» tea plantation, learn how tea is processed; at the «Shapsugskiy Bereg» ethno-complex, the focus is on crafts and the traditions of the Adyghe-Shapsugs. A guided tour with a tasting pairs with a look at workshop crafts and cultural heritage.

Tea from leaf to processing

Guided tours of the «AdamChai» tea plantation, including a visit to the tea-processing factory, are available year-round; book in advance. The one-hour tour covers the introduction of tea to Russia, as well as the proper way to pick leaves and make tea. Historical context and practical questions about tea leaves are part of the tour.

The tour includes a tasting of five types of tea and jam, as well as a masterclass on picking tea leaves and making tea. The experience combines tasting with learning about the steps involved in working with tea leaves. Check with the operator before your visit for the latest details on the tasting and masterclass.

Crafts and heritage

At the workshop of the «Shapsugskiy Bereg» ethno-complex, visitors can watch potters and embroiderers at work, as well as glass fusing. Pottery, embroidery and glass fusing give the visit a different focus from the tea plantation: here, the attention is on a variety of crafts.

The complex’s museum presents the family and community traditions of the Adyghe-Shapsugs, their national code of conduct and hospitality, as well as ancient legends and stories passed down through generations. Its cultural themes range from community traditions to oral heritage. If you want to plan for the different sides of the complex, you can treat the workshop and museum as separate parts of your visit; check the museum’s schedule in advance.

Landscapes and wine experiences in Krasnodar Krai

Within the wider destination of Krasnodar Krai, «Azovskie kosy» Nature Park showcases a distinctive coastal landscape: waves and currents shape spits and islands from sand and shells, creating varied outlines. Bird colonies of various gull, tern and cormorant species can be found year-round on shallow coastal waters, at the ends of the spits and on sandy islands; their presence varies by season.

Another perspective comes from «Anapskaya peresyp» Nature Park: visitors can walk along the coast’s wide, golden beaches, while farther from the sea the sand forms a series of high dunes. Another regional highlight, the «Vinnye dorogi Krasnodarskogo kraya» route, traces the more than 2,500-year history of viticulture and winemaking in Krasnodar Krai, from antiquity to the present day. Check the route’s current operating status and planned itinerary before making plans.

Choose accommodation based on your itinerary

When looking for a holiday rental, it helps to set a clear priority: will your plans focus mainly on the tea tour and ethno-complex in Bolshoy Kichmay, or would you also like to include nature and wine experiences in Krasnodar Krai? These are different ways to approach planning your trip. Tailor your search to whether Bolshoy Kichmay itself is your main focus or you are planning a broader trip through the region.

Discover more destinations: Ilyich, Shapsugskaya, Novomikhaylovskiy, Kabardinka, Temnolesskaya, Timashevsk, Proletariy, Leningradskaya.

Back to the main travel overview: Krasnodar Krai.