The Palace of the Prince of Oldenburg sits above Old Gagra as the clearest reminder of the town's imperial-resort ambitions. Prince Alexander of Oldenburg promoted Gagra as a Black Sea climate station at the turn of the 20th century, and the palace was part of that attempt to create a Russian Riviera.
Its condition has varied over time, and it is better approached as an atmospheric exterior and viewpoint than as a polished palace visit.