Sochi is a multicultural city of 400,000 inhabitants representing more than 100 nationalities. Often referred to as the «Russian Riviera», Sochi has a rich heritage as the nation’s major Black Sea port city, resort destination and a prominent cultural centre.Set between the golden shores of the Black Sea and the soaring snow-capped Caucasus mountains, Sochi offers visitors a unique taste of coastal and mountain living, all with a distinct Russian flavor. Sochi is a treasure among winter sport enthusiasts, who return every year to explore its pristine alpine valleys and skiing trails. Beautiful weather and an abundance of powdery snow are not the only reason to visit Sochi. The area’s endless beaches, national parks, imposing architecture, mineral baths, arts festivals and lively café culture have made the city an elegant haven for artists, executives, families and athletes alike. Located on the coast of the Black Sea, Sochi is in close proximity to both the European and Asian continents and is a convenient gateway to Eurasia. As such, Sochi has hosted a number of regional and European meetings, including the Russia-EU Summit last year. Today, with passion and commitment, Sochi is seeking the opportunity to host the biggest event in its history, the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, which will transform the city into a world-class destination and Russia’s first-ever winter sport capital.

Krasnaya Polyana has a unique mountain-sea climate. Warm sea air lingers in the mountains, bringing soft snow in the winter and warm sunshine in the summer. Even in the winter the weather is so clear that you get a tan on the mountain slopes. The average temperature in summer is +24-28 degrees Celsius. By height and duration of snow cover Krasnaya Polyana surpasses the resorts of France, Switzerland and Italy. The uniqueness of this fantastic place lies in the wonderful combination of amazing landscape with the wide variety of wildlife. In the valley of the beautiful mountain river the flora and fauna of all climatic zones, from subtopic to Alpine, live harmoniously. Besides fantastic nature, Krasnaya Polyana has unique mountain-skiing infrastructure in Russia. It is the top resort in Russia and is in the top ten mountain ski resorts of the world with an overall height of 1698m (540m-2238m). And the unique snow cover guarantees stable skiing from December until May. In connection with carrying out the Winter Olympic Games 2014 in Krasnaya Polyana large-scale construction of new hotels, ski lifts, mountain-ski runs, tourist and entertainment infrastructure etc are being developed. The planned increase in the total length of mountain-ski runs to approximately 200 kilometers is comparable with the largest mountain ski resorts in the world.