Yalta has always been an important place for the people of Russia, but the city became world-famous in 1945 when it hosted the Big Three allies during World War II: Great Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union. Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin met here to decide the fate of Germany and all of Eastern Europe.

In the 19th Century, this area was a fashionable resort for the aristocracy. In the 20th Century, Yalta with its Mediterranean weather and beautiful beaches was the #1 holiday resort for the Soviet Union since foreign travel was forbidden to all but a few.

But this all changed after that Union collapsed in 1991. Now many of the nouveau riche now had the freedom and money to go to other European holiday resorts. But most of the other ex-citizens of the Soviet Union no longer could afford to go to Yalta. After the collapse, Yalta's economy was badly hurt and only now is coming back.

Our cruise ship was docked at Sebastopol in Crimea, and because of the rough weather we couldn't sail around the southern tip of the peninsula to Yalta. So we were bussed back and forth for several days to see some magnificent palaces that were very prominent during that famous Yalta Conference sixty years ago.