The whole prospect is so charming,
that it appears as if prosperity, happiness, and peace, only reigned
here.
The first villa which attracted me was that of Count Leo Potocki.
The building is extremely tasteful. The gardens were laid out with
art and sumptuousness. The situation is delightful, with an
extensive view of the sea and neighbourhood.
A second magnificent building, which, however, is more remarkable
for magnitude than beauty of construction, lies near the sea-shore.
It resembles an ordinary square house with several stories; and, as
I was informed, was built as a country bathing-place of the emperor,
but had not yet been made use of. This castle is called Oriander.
Far handsomer than this palace was the charming country-house of
Prince Mirzewsky. It is seated on a hill, in the centre of a
magnificent park, and affords a delightful view of the mountains and
sea. The principal front is Gothic.
The villa of Prince Gallizin is built entirely in the Gothic style.
The pointed windows, and two towers of which, decorated with a
cross, give to it the appearance of a church, and the beholder
involuntarily looks for the town to which this gorgeous building
belongs.
This place lies nearly at the extremity of the fine country. From
here the trees are replaced by dwarf bushes, and finally by
brambles; the velvety-green turf is succeeded by stony ground, and
steep rocks rise behind, at the foot of which lie a quantity of
fallen fragments.
Even here very pretty seats are to be seen; but they are entirely
artificial, and want the charm of nature.
After travelling about thirteen wersti, the road winds round a stony
hill, and the castle of Prince Woronzoff comes in sight in its
entire extent. The appearance of it is not by any means so fine as
I had imagined. The castle is built entirely of stone, of the same
colour as the neighbouring rocks. If a large park surrounded the
castle, it would stand out more prominently, and the beauty and
magnificence of its architecture would be better shown. There is,
indeed, a well laid out garden, but it is yet new and not very
extensive. The head gardener, Herr Kebach (a German), is a master
in his art; he well knows how to manage the naked barren land, so
that it will bear not only the ordinary trees, plants, and flowers,
but even the choicest exotic plants.
The castle is built in the Gothic style, and is full of towers,
pinnacles, and buttresses, such as are seen in similar well
preserved buildings of olden time. The principal front is turned
towards the sea.
