At one's own risk. How I was a tourist in the North Caucasus
The Caucasus is one of the best places to relax in our country. Here you can simultaneously breathe in the mountain and sea air, get incredible emotions from contemplating the majestic peaks and enjoy the sun and sea on the beach.
Fans of sightseeing will also not be bored.
For those who like mountain holidays, the Elbrus region will be the best place. Elbrus, which has two vertices, is the most high point Russia. Its height is more 5500 meters. But not only climbers like this place. Here you can go skiing, snowboarding, horseback riding tours, walks on winter forest, tours.
The main peaks of the Caucasus Mountains:
- Elbrus is a two-headed peak, the height is more than 5642 meters.
- Dykhtau, height 5204 meters.
- Pushkin Peak, height 5100 meters.
- Kazbek 5034 meters.
Fans of winter holidays in the Caucasus mountains are also in great demand Dombai, Arkhyz, Krasnaya Polyana. According to skiers, Caucasian slopes are not inferior to European ones in terms of safety and service. Children and beginner skiers will feel great here, because. they are separated from the flow of trained skiers. On the slopes of the mountains there are cafes, places for recreation, in some places you can even sunbathe on special sunbeds. A few dozen meters from the ski lift you can stay at the hotel.
In the summer, the North Caucasus attracts with the opportunity to relax on its amazing beaches. On the Black Sea coast, beaches in the cities are invited:
- Anapa
- Gelendzhik
- Adler
- Tuapse
Do not also forget about Dzhugba, Gagra, Pitsunda. On the shores of the Caspian Sea are located resort towns Dagestan. The variety of beaches is amazing. There are also equipped beaches for those who love comfort and service, as well as wild corners. sea coast, untouched by the influx of tourists, where you can enjoy a magnificent view azure sea, rocky cliffs, and just relax in solitude. Plenty of entertainment for lovers active rest offered in these areas. Various water attractions, water parks, zoos, dolphinariums, an oceanarium, boat trips and jet skiing will not leave indifferent either children or adults.
Extreme vacation
Do not ignore such a type of recreation as extreme. For example, the extreme attraction of the Adler region is skypark. Here you can walk on a suspension bridge stretching across deep gorge between the mountains, swing on giant swing, which are located at a height, jump from the bridge on a rope, climb the climbing wall. In the North Caucasus, fans of extreme types of recreation will find entertainment for every taste.
Worth noting organization excursion tours in the North Caucasus. For example, a trip to the Chegem Gorge, which is located in Kabardino-Balkaria, will delight you with unforgettable impressions.
Here you can see famous Chegem waterfalls which are good not only in summer, but also in winter. Frozen ice streams resemble giant candles.
Fascinated by their beauty and famous Blue Lakes, the deepest of which is Lower Lake.
Its approximate depth is 368 meters. There is a diving center on this lake.
The famous waterfall "Maiden's Braids" located a little away from the road to the observatory "Peak Terskol". This waterfall got its name because of the unusual shape, which resembles the flowing hair of a girl. This attraction is often visited by tourists and climbers who train before climbing the main Caucasian peak - Elbrus. You can go fishing and catch Eizenam trout on Lake Kazenoy-Am, which is located in a mountainous area on the border of Dagestan and the Chechen Republic. This lake is unique in its beauty, covered with many myths and legends.
Kazbek
In the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, the most famous attraction is Mount Kazbek. Kazbek attracts climbers from all over the world. But, it is not necessary to be a climber to enjoy the mountain scenery, all this is available to ordinary unprepared people. In addition, in this part of the republic excursion routes pass through the Uastirdzhi monument, the Davgas necropolis, the Mykalgabyrt sanctuary, the Dzivgis cave fortress, the Midagrabin waterfalls.
The Republic of Dagestan also offers a rich excursion program. It is impossible not to visit the sand dune of Sary-Kum, the Sulak Canyon, which ranks second in the world in its depth, the village of Gunib, famous for the fact that during the Caucasian War the famous Imam Shamil was captured here.
Derbent
Separately, I want to say about Derbent - the most ancient city Russia. This is one of the main attractions North Caucasus.
This city is over 2000 years old. Fans of antiquity will enjoy an excursion to the Naryn-Kala fortress, the main attraction of Derbent. It was built in the 6th century AD.
Very often people come to Derbent with an important mission - to shake an ancient stone cradle. Women who want to have a child come here from neighboring republics and cities. It is located in the Kirchlyar cemetery among the sarcophagi. The special spirit of Derbent is conveyed by its magals. The old quarters are very colorful. Here you can easily become a witness or a participant in some Caucasian custom, according to tourists, this leaves the most favorable impressions.
The Republic of Ingushetia can be traveled in its entirety in just a few days, but the positive emotions and energy received here will last for several months ahead. Here are located medieval fortresses and towers: Vovnushki, Tsori, Furtoug, Erzi, Targim, Egikal, Khamkhi. If you are in Ingushetia in early July, you can visit the mulberry grove, which just bears fruit at this time.
In the Chechen Republic the most beautiful place is the Argun Gorge. Caravans from Chechnya to Georgia passed through this gorge in the old days. At the crossroads of the main roads there are watchtowers, which were built by the inhabitants of the gorge in order to protect against nomadic raids. Now the territory of the gorge is a reserve, in which, in addition to historical towers X-XVIII centuries, unique flora and fauna have been concentrated here, cave grottoes, ground burial grounds, castle complexes and family crypts, ancient sites and tombs are located here. Excursions in the Argun Gorge are carried out through the crypt dwellings of the 10th-15th centuries: Khoysky, Khimoysky, Pakochsky, Maistinsky and Tsekaloysky. Excursions in the mountains of Chechnya is an exciting and unforgettable journey.
On the right bank of the Argun River there is a Guchan-kale tower, 17 meters high. One of the commanders of Tamerlane called it "winged" for its inaccessibility and remoteness.
In addition to natural and historical sights, the capital of the Chechen Republic, the city of Grozny, deserves special attention. There is also a complex of high-rise buildings "Grozny City" and the mosque "Heart of Chechnya" named after Akhmat-hadzhi Kadyrov, which became one of the leaders of the Internet voting "Russia-10", in which Russians chose the 10 best sights of our Motherland.
Do not forget that the North Caucasus is one of the best places for medical and restorative rest, because it was not for nothing that in the recent past these places were called the “all-Union health resort”. Those who have undergone a course of treatment in the clinics of the Caucasian Mineral Waters leave only positive feedback, because the state of health of people is seriously improving after a complex of all procedures.
Essentuki
The resort of Essentuki is famous for its drinking springs. The famous mineral water of the same name is known all over the world for its healing properties. Several balneological clinics are located here, where they specialize in the treatment of disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and metabolism.
Pyatigorsk and Zheleznovodsk
Hot springs and springs attract vacationers in the sanatorium of Zheleznovodsk, most of which specialize in the treatment of the urinary and digestive systems. Pyatigorsk hospitals are referred to as multi-profile resorts; almost all diseases are treated here. No wonder this place was enthusiastically described by the great Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov. In this city, his memory was immortalized by building a memorial at the site of his duel with Nikolai Martynov on the northwestern slope of Mount Mashuk.
Kislovodsk
Kislovodsk is another city of the eco-resort region Caucasian Mineral Waters. Local hospitals specialize in the treatment of the endocrine, respiratory, genitourinary, cardiovascular, nervous and musculoskeletal systems of the body. In general, for those who want to relax with the benefit of their health, Caucasian mineral waters is the best place.
Caucasian kitchen
In the North Caucasus, for a tourist, the question will not arise of where you can eat well. Caucasian cuisine is presented here in all its diversity. Many restaurants and small cafes, often family-run, offer mouth-watering dishes at any time of the day. Having once visited the North Caucasus and seen its greatness mountain peaks want to come back here again and again.
Were in Sochi in winter. Ride on Krasnaya Polyana. I liked everything, the slopes are prepared, the service is on top, the prices are the same as in Europe.
As a psychotherapist, I know better than anyone that in our life each person can be inadequate. But I never thought that my wife and I, a professional psychologist, were capable of an endless series of crazy actions like crazy. In short, judge for yourself.
The history of our move from Siberia to the Caucasus is so chaotic that I will present it not in chronological order, but in the course of the arrival of fragmentary memories. I will leave without describing 3 years of slavery for the time being; 3.5 years of life without a passport and how my former student, a young and beautiful university teacher, refuses to defend her PhD, leaves the department and becomes my wife. I won’t tell you how I got an American driver’s license earlier than a Russian passport, and for free.
My wife Svetlana and I lived on the outskirts in a small house, which I managed to purchase, despite the fact that I had no rights. I was drawn very strongly to the Caucasus, to my homeland. My former Grozny patients, having found me on the Internet, gave me a small house in a small village in the Stavropol Territory.
I sold my house near Kemerovo, if it can be called a sale: I gave the documents for the house to the buyer, who promised to pay off in May. Naturally, I was going to leave in May in my Moskvichonka-412. Alas, the dream was not destined to come true in time, because. constantly and well, my buyer ran from me until November, until it dawned on me that I was a sucker and “waiting for weather from the sea is useless.”
What would a normal person who was left without money do in our place. He would have sold the property, sent the container to its destination and calmly boarded a passing train. But we were not destined to avoid difficult adventures, because. I decided in November to drive my workhorse car, packed only with summer tires, not liking high speeds and guzzling gasoline like a Japanese truck.
I must also say that we have two dogs: one - Dina, a piebald hound, was presented to me as a small puppy. The second - Ryzhik, who looked like a fox, left his owners and quietly moved into our house, having previously made friends with Dina. Naturally, we could not betray and leave the dogs.
And so, 3 years ago, having decided to leave, in the afternoon we packed our Moskvich: 2 computers and 2 monitors were loaded onto the roof. In order not to beat them around and between the "iron", they laid bed linen, clothes, shoes and other shukhr-mukhr. We covered the resulting pyramid with polyethylene, covered it with adhesive tape and tightened it with ropes. It turned out something caricaturely reminiscent of a Subarik minibus. I threw out all the spare parts from the trunk, filling it with important things, according to my wife.
The journey began at about ten o'clock in the evening, in complete darkness. My Moskvich started up easily, despite the November frost. The dogs settled down in the back seat, the wife sat down next to him, and the wheels spun in the direction of Yurga, away from the “Tuleyev Khanate”.
I'm glad - goodbye Kemerovo!
Having passed Yurga, I was glad that I had jumped out of the Kemerovo region. The wheels of my car turned, taking me further away from the cold edges towards the Caucasian sun, and the thoughts in my head went to memories, to the fact that my driver's license obtained in the United States was not a document allowing driving in Russia.
There was an order from Mr. Nurgaliev, which sounded something like this: "If a person is a citizen of the Russian Federation, registered in it for more than two months, then he must travel with national rights." I was stopped twice by GAI officers and fined 1,000 rubles each, indicating in the protocol: “I was driving without a driver’s license.” Then let go - go on. They were not interested in the old man and his "Moskvichonok". How could I not be delighted and not remember America and Canada, where I freely rented a car with the help of an old Russian license that looked like a tattered piece of paper. I calmly crossed the borders, and no one stopped me.
So, during the night I got to the interchange leading me towards Omsk. My joy was so great that I didn’t fit into the turn on the ice and my Moskvich-412 flew past, and when I slowed down, it performed a dance on ice, spinning around its axis, five times. The only thing that saved us from the accident was that there were no oncoming trucks in the early morning.
Having gone through a little stress, having caught my breath a little, I drive onto the viaduct and press on the gas. Omsk is a thousand miles away. The car runs forward, winding kilometers. The road is slippery, but for some reason I'm not worried and I'm driving at high speeds. The speedometer needle runs between 100 and 120 kilometers. There are many traffic police posts along the way. But they don’t want to slow me down, defiantly turn away, seeing the brand of the car, its awkward staffing and realizing that there is an old man on whom you will waste your nerves and not get rich.
So I flew another 600 kilometers, with two stops for a snack and a dog toilet. I feel tired and now I'll pass out. I press on the gas to overcome another hundred kilometers. But here my "horse" could not stand it - the gasket under the head of the block burst. Got up. Slept for a couple of hours. I vote to be taken in tow, but cars fly by without slowing down. Stopped voting, cursing. Frost began to get. Rides "Mercedes" - a minibus. I stand with my hands hopelessly lowered, thinking that the bourgeois, on such wheelbarrows, do not pay attention to those in need of help. "Mercedes" braked, passed back and a black-haired young guy gets out of there: "Get the cable. And let my wife sit in my cabin, warm up.
Having dragged me 150 kilometers to the campsite, he helped to push my cripple into a car service workshop. Having agreed with the masters on replacing the gasket and oil, I entered the hotel. The guy who called himself Mykola was standing next to his wife and they were talking about something with my half: “Get settled in the room, go downstairs in half an hour, we’ll have dinner together,” he said.
The world is not without good people
I don’t know what they were talking about in the warm cabin of the Merc while I was cold in my car. But, most likely, my wife told me about me that I graduated from the Lviv Medical Institute, I know Polish and Ukrainian languages and much more, in beautiful colors. This became clear to me when we went downstairs and sat down at a table in a cafe: the table was laid.
In the middle was a decanter with half a liter of vodka, and my savior spoke to me in a Western Ukrainian dialect. He said that they are in a hurry to go home, because. they got a call that a child was ill; his wife is Moldovan and traveled to Siberia to visit her relatives.
For dinner with vodka, he paid in advance. Mykola did not drink, and I credited the entire decanter. From his responsiveness and hospitality, I smelled of my native Grozny, where I, like my friends, could invite them to a restaurant and quietly pay the waiter; where I could enter any house and be sure to be fed; where my children rushed about with a crowd of their peers and they emptied my and any other refrigerator from top to bottom.
Waking up in the morning, my wife and I, without breakfast, went to a car service. I started the car and drove to the track. Just turned onto the road - the car stalled. After fiddling with it for about 10 minutes, I realized that I would not start it and went to the service. There I saw a mocking attitude, unwillingness to do anything, I realized that it was useless to speak. Returning to his wheelbarrow, unsuitable for continuing the journey, he decided to vote, hoping for a tugboat. At this time, my rescuers, having had breakfast, got into their car and drove to the track. Mikola, apparently immediately guessing what had happened, braked and said to me with a laugh: “Come on the cable. Here, 150 kilometers to Omsk. Don’t start the engine, I’ll drag you to the turn into the city, there will be 15 kilometers left. From the turn I’ll rush towards the house. We drove forward to continue the adventure.
Stopping at the turn to Omsk, I warmly thanked the savior angels and we said goodbye, never to meet again, but to remember the adventure and each other.
It didn't take long to vote. At the wave of my hand, ZIL stopped, took me in tow, and my wife went back to the warm cabin. Once again, thanks to my wife's colorful narrations, a kind person appeared on our way. He dragged me to the house where my mother-in-law lived, but refused the money.
My father-in-law and mother-in-law, my peers, received us perfectly. They talked to a neighbor. He went to a car repair shop, then hooked my "bucket" to his "Toyota" and we arrived at the place of repair. They agreed to sort out the engine for 6 thousand domestic rubles in two days, because. oil was in the crankcase, and the liner turned. The repair took up to ten days. The father-in-law and the mother-in-law received us perfectly, shared some money, the dogs were settled on the balcony.
Ten days later we went to the Urals, to new impressions. I did not draw conclusions from past adventures and still put pressure on the gas. It ended up that before Chrysostom, the gasket was broken again, antifreeze began to fill one cylinder. Sneezing and coughing, my Moskvich reached the city in the dark. I put the car in front of the station and went to look for an overnight stay. Seeing the police station, he looked there, asked for help with an overnight stay, because. at the station they said that there were no places in the hotel, and the station was closed for the night. I looked at the animals, which, having checked my documents, began to be rude. My endurance and calmness nevertheless led to the fact that my wife and I were allowed to change corners at the station. In the morning I found a taxi driver who took us to the parking lot of an auto repair shop. The watchman phoned the owner and they gave us a room for the night. The only thing they asked was to heat the room thoroughly, which I gladly did. There were some holidays, and we had to wait 3 days, having tea with the watchman.
When the owner appeared, I told him that I could not allocate more than a thousand rubles for repairs. He called the master and the next day, in the morning, I went towards Bashkiria, swearing to myself not to gas again and not to force the engine.
Adventures in Bashkiria
The road ran across the plain. I kept the speed no more than 100 km. I rode all day without getting tired, and stopped at a “fun” car camping. I parked the car among the trucks, and he went to the administrator about an overnight stay. The circle was full of drunks: someone was bawling songs, someone was persuading a girlfriend to give it to him, someone was sorting things out with their fists.
Having paid 500 rubles, my wife and I went to compartment carriage standing on the foundation. In the corridor lay impenetrable dirt, in some compartments the doors were knocked out. From behind one door there was a scandal, ending in caresses with kisses and oaths of fidelity, and then again turning into an op with selective abuse. This free concert continued tirelessly until morning.
In the morning the car didn't want to start. The truck drivers had not yet woken up, there was no one to ask for help. Suddenly, a company, six people, fell out of the administrator's door. Among them was a senior lieutenant of the traffic police officer in uniform and with a token. I approached and asked: “Guys, can you help me start my car?” They started the conversation with the question - where and where I'm going. When he said that from Siberia to the Caucasus, they respected him, saying that in order to decide to overcome five and a half thousand kilometers on such a technique, one must be a hero. After talking, the guys with frantic force began to push the "Moskvichonka". Being hungover and having done ten laps in the parking lot, they were thoroughly exhausted and wanted to quit this idea. But the starley said that he would not go anywhere until he started the car. Having rested, the guys began to ride me again and my technique, sneezing a couple of times, purred contentedly, intending to continue the journey.
Thanking the guys, I went to the track and drove forward, towards the dream. Without exceeding a speed of more than one hundred kilometers per hour, I drove three hundred kilometers and ended up in Bashkiria. Thinking about my own, I did not notice how a traffic police officer came out onto the road and waved his staff at me, ordering me to stop. With a sharp brake, I rolled straight into the ditch. Getting out of the car, I thought: “Well, everything! The pipe is business!
Two lieutenants approached me and asked where I was in such a hurry. He gave documents to one of them and said that he was very tired, because. I get from afar, home, to the Caucasus. They looked at me, at the car, shook their heads and offered to drive. One of them pulled the patrol car closer to mine and pulled out his cable. The second one got under my car and secured it there. Pulling me out of the pit, they gave away my American license, PTSku and registration certificate without looking, while saying that I should sleep for a couple of hours next to them, and then continue on my way.
Half an hour passed. I couldn't fall asleep. Getting out of the car, I went to the officers and said that I couldn’t sleep, I’d better go further. The guys didn't mind, just asked me to be careful. Thanking them, I rushed on, not imagining what "joy" was waiting for me ahead.
I really swore. "Free Circus"
In vain I swore that I would no longer step on the gas. Such Ural steep descents and ascents began that at low speeds it was not possible to climb these hillocks. In addition, a strong snowstorm swirled, and I no longer saw which side I was going on. A truck was speeding towards it, and it drove past. - Ugh! - I exhaled, - Thank God, it passed! I'm going up another pass. The motor began to sneeze and stalled almost at the very top. The handbrake did not want to keep on a steep slope. Turning the steering wheel, I reversed and propped up the car on the side railing of the road.
My wife and I got some sleep. Then we felt that we were starting to freeze. The car didn't start. We had three gas cartridges with us, and they began to burn them. It helped for a while. When the cold began to overcome, another portion of the gas was burned. Fortunately, by morning the blizzard stopped, the frost began to weaken. After waiting for dawn, we decided to pick up the things that we could carry, and leave the car along with the computers and the rest of the berths.
The released dogs ran away for a long walk. Armed with a knife, they began to cut the ropes and adhesive tape. They stripped the polyethylene from the car. They removed the computers and processors, carefully placing them in the snow behind the fence. Boxes with CD / DVD discs were placed next to them - someone will come in handy. Following this, they began to sort out the rest of the things - we put the necessary things in bags, we throw the “unnecessary” over the fence.
A traffic police car drives up in the opposite lane and two officers get out of it. They don't come close.
I have been serving in the police for twenty years, but this is the first time I see this?!? Get your car out of the way! One policeman shouted.
My nerves were strained so that I didn’t care who to recoup, and I answer him:
- Get down, slow down the movement. I will push her now, and she will fly over the fence at the turn.
- Are you crazy? he is outraged.
“Anything is possible,” I answer.
At this time, a "sprinkler" drives up, processing the road, from icing. The officer slows her down and says to the driver:
- Take them in tow, drag them to the gas station. We'll figure it out there.
The policemen get into the car, turn around and leave.
- You don't need it??? Can I take? the driver of the self-propelled barrel asks, looking at the computers.
He quickly began to place our things in his cabin. There was not enough space there, and he began to attach them near the tank. I called the dogs, attached my unfortunate “Moskvich” to his “ZIL” and we drove off. On the way, my car started up. At the top, I deliberately braked sharply, the cable broke. I overtake the "sprinkler" and soon I stop at a gas station, where the traffic police are waiting for me. As if nothing had happened, I ask them how to get to locality. They told me to follow them and set off. Far ahead of me, they stopped at a crossroads. One of them got out of the car, and when I drove up, he showed me with a stick to drive to the right. So they got rid of incomprehensible people, sending them to Tataria, neighboring Bashkiria.
Farewell, my friend, "Moskvichonok". I'm going on the train
I mentally thank the policemen for sending me not to the left, to Abdullino, from where trains went to the Caucasus, but to Bugulma. My car briskly ran towards Bugulma, sneezing, coughing, but not stopping. After driving 25 kilometers, I ended up in the city center, where - at the crossroads, my faithful friend, stalled and finally died. People came up to offer their help. I asked them to help get the car out of the way and they pushed it to the side of the road.
A guy came up to me, about twenty-eight or thirty years old. We talked to him. They called him Victor. He called on his cell phone and soon a Gazelle arrived. My car was taken in tow and we were on station square. The guy said that he had a parking lot and a car repair shop outside the city, and the tow truck would be free only in the evening. When he found out that I had to leave, he and my wife went to get a veterinary certificate for the right to travel with dogs on the train. After 15 minutes, the certificate was in my hands. I asked him how much it costs. He laughed and waved his hand, saying - nothing.
Come on, Victor suggested to me: you leave the car with me, I leave you the address, you will come and pick it up. I will repair it so that it will even run to Vladivostok. I replied that she served me well and died.
- OK, as you want. Wait here for twenty minutes, I'll come.
About half an hour later he returned with a man in a foreign car. Taking me aside, he said that this man, named Mikhail, would take us to Abdullino. He does not need to pay anything, only to fill the car. I gave Viktor the title, registration certificate and did not take off the numbers. Victor, pointing to the Moskvich, said: “You take off the numbers and take the TCP. Maybe you'll change your mind and take it." I just shrugged it off in response. On the way, Mikhail told me that Victor was a local authority.
An hour and a half later we were in Abdullino, at the station. I thanked the driver and went to the ticket office. Bought tickets. I leave the building. A policeman and an errand boy of a sly appearance come up to me. We checked the documents. Gave away. They saw how many bags we had and approached again: "Let's go to the linear department."
Ten minutes before the train leaves. The captain comes out onto the porch, looks at the documents, asks where I'm going. I explained everything to him and said that if I did not leave, let him explain it to the prosecutor. He looked at us, at the dogs and handed over the documents, letting go with God.
We ran to the train. Knowing that, according to the rules, dogs are transported in the first vestibule from the locomotive, I run to the first carriage. The conductor, a fat, stupid and angry aunt, resisted: “I won’t let you in, that’s all!” Fortunately, the head of the train took us to the eighth car and ordered the young conductors to sit down.
With dogs, we were on duty in turn in the vestibule. The passengers turned out to be normal people and did not make scandals, did not look askance, although Dina was angry and few people barked at. So we got to where the countrymen warmly welcomed us and took us to the village.
I went through a lot in my life: I worked in Moscow and abroad; rested on the best resorts; left so much money in taverns that it would be enough for more than one foreign car. But my wife and I can safely say that we would not exchange our little house near the cemetery for any good. After living in the village for three years, they clearly appreciated how much more pleasant it is to take care of goats and birds than to live in society and pretend to be something!!!
The North Caucasus is a land of unforgettable impressions, where, once you get there, you will want to return again and again. The Caucasus is the splendor of nature, which has conquered more than one generation of tourists, talented people, historical figures. This is the purest mountain air, azure lakes, sparkling transparent rivers, sources of healing mineral waters, rebellious peaks of the great Caucasian ridge, untouched forests, breathtaking canyons, caves, waterfalls... The Caucasus is not only rich in nature! From time immemorial, its lands were inhabited by a variety of peoples who created their own history and spread their culture. The Caucasus is a whole encyclopedia of nationalities, their rich history and cultural diversity.
Currently, the tourism potential of the Caucasus is greatly underestimated by travelers. The reasons for this are the lack of awareness about recreation opportunities, existing stereotypes (a la “the Caucasus is a hot spot” or “They say wild people live in the Caucasus”), the high cost of recreation, weak developed infrastructure and service, the habit of "package" rest, which spoiled our compatriots in Turkey and Egypt. Each reason can be devoted to a separate post, but we will limit ourselves to the main theses.
As for awareness - the Internet is full of information about the tourist Caucasus, there would be a desire to search and read. This post is also helpful. A single portal where all detailed information for a tourist, alas, so far no one has created it, although the idea has been repeatedly voiced.
As for stereotypes - just throw them out of your head. There have been no hostilities here for a long time, special operations, I will not conceal, occasionally happen in certain areas, which, rest assured, are often not included in the tourist zone. As for the "savagery" of the local population - also an old myth, Caucasians are a very cultured and hospitable people. However, remember that everyone has a layer of ill-mannered haml.
For the majority of Russians, holidays in the North Caucasus can hardly be called budgetary. A significant part of the cost of the trip will be the cost of transport. Well, if you live in the North Caucasus or South Federal District, you will spend less than, for example, tourists from Siberia or the Urals (I am silent about Far East). Low-cost airlines do not fly to the Caucasus. An air ticket from Moscow to any Caucasian city will cost an average 5000 rubles one way. It is worth waiting for the sale of tickets or special promotions for the necessary destinations. For example, in October of this year, I purchased a ticket "Mineralnye Vody - Moscow - Mineralnye Vody" for only 6500 rubles.
With regards to service and infrastructure, the situation changes from region to region, from resort to resort, and "package" vouchers are sold only for spa treatment, which is also not offered by every region. I will break the post into sections, each of which will be devoted to recreation in a particular region of the North Caucasus Federal District. All the mentioned hotels and resorts were visited by me personally, what I liked - I recommend it to others. You can also recommend places that you like in the comments.
For the lion's share of what I saw, I thank the North Caucasus Resorts company, which, through a series of blog tours, showed bloggers the most best places regions of the North Caucasus Federal District and allowed to "test" the rest in the North Caucasus.
1. Karachay-Cherkess Republic
TOP 5 places: Dombay, Arkhyz, Teberda, Honey waterfalls, Khabez district.
Nearest airport: Mineral water.
There is no own airport in KChR, so get ready for a long road. For a transfer from the Minvod airport to Cherkessk - the capital of the KChR and the largest transport hub of the republic - 1500 rubles, and in time - 1.5-2 hours drive. There are not many places for recreation in the city, but there is a bus station from where you can go to the glorious resorts of Karachay-Cherkessia. I advise you to use Yandex.Schedules to plan your trip.
If you still want to stay in Cherkessk, I recommend the Grand Caucasus Hotel for accommodation. It is located near the center and has a good level of service. Almost all the sights of Cherkessk are within walking distance from you. This is Pervomaiskaya pedestrian street, Victory Park, Green Island, Cathedral Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker. In the near future, the construction of the Cathedral Mosque will be completed. On Pervomayskaya, be sure to go to the cafe "Dakhanago" (the average check is 500-1000 rubles), where you will find delicious cakes of our own production. "Glamorous" youth of Cherkessk gathers in a cafe "Richie"(average check - 1000-1500 rubles), where sometimes visiting DJs play club sets in the evenings. You will find a slightly different flavor (a la east) with hookahs and private booths in the only 24-hour restaurant "Padishah"(average check - 1000-1500 rubles) . On weekend nights, a concert or humorous program awaits visitors, on other evenings - live music performed by our friend, the permanent host of the Arkhyz 24 TV channel and theater actor Aslan Astezhev.
In general, we rested in Cherkessk - it's time to get out to the big resorts. Two competing tourist meccas Karachay-Cherkessia - Dombay and Arkhyz. They are located in neighboring gorges, but have completely different nature and different resources for recreation.
Dombai is probably one of the most popular ski resorts in the North Caucasus. There are several cable cars - the price is here. Climbing to the top will cost 900 rubles. Several ski slopes of different difficulty levels - for beginners, amateurs, experienced skiers and snowboarders, and for professionals. The season starts here in mid-December, in mid-April - ends.
As for accommodation in Dombay, I can not recommend anything. I lived in a Dombay hotel once and I remember it as a nightmare, so I will not advise anything. The village itself is built up with private mini-hotels, so if you wish, you can easily find an acceptable option.
On the way to Dombay, you can stop by Teberda, as well as the Ossetian village of Kosta Khetagurova (this is a great Ossetian poet) and see the Shoanin temple with your own eyes, sending you back to the 10th century. Teberda will delight you with stunning nature, clean air and mild climate. Teberda is a resort city, a center of mountaineering and hiking. It also houses a number of sanatoriums for those who are interested in improving their health.
In Arkhyz, the tourist village Romantik is developing at a powerful pace. The hotel complex "Romantic" has been launched there, a service center has been opened and a cable car launch station is operating. So far, there are only two hotels in Romantik - "Romantik-1" 4* and "Romantik-2" 3*. I lived in the hotel "Romantic-2", now there is a double one-room (standard twin) room 3300 rubles for two per day, including breakfast. The hotel is nice, comfortable and brand new.
What to do in Arkhyz? There are many options for both winter and summer programs.
In winter, it is, of course, skiing and snowboarding. There are great trails of different difficulty levels. The season here also comes in December. You should not be afraid that the weather will let you down with snow - now artificial snow systems are being installed on Arkhyz. There are gondola and chair lifts (at a cost of 150-200 rubles for lifting).
Horseback riding is popular in summer 350 rubles per hour), passing rope park (200-300 rubles per person) hiking to Sofia lakes and waterfalls, sightseeing - Byzantine temples, the Face of Christ, the observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences, jeeping ( 400 rubles per person).
At an altitude of 1750 meters above sea level in the summer you can live in a tent camp. It will be much cheaper than staying in a hotel: per day per person - 450 rubles+ for 450 rubles You get three meals a day. The territory of the camp is provided with the necessary sanitary and hygienic facilities (showers, toilets, washbasins), water and electricity, and wireless Internet. There is a cafe of Caucasian and European cuisine, snack bars.
On the way to Arkhyz you will pass Khabezsky district. Why is he remarkable? The most beautiful mosque of the republic was built there, the Adiyuh tower rises on the mountain, covered with myths and legends. Under the tower there is a hotel and recreation complex "Adiyukh Palace", which has long become a venue for elite weekends among the Circassian beau monde.
For more budget vacation you should go to Honey Waterfalls. Here you can walk under the spray of cool waterfalls, try dishes and drinks of the national Karachay cuisine (khychin, ayran, susab), saddle a horse. By the way, this small place is full of events: horse riding championships, ayran festivals and other celebrations are regularly held here.
2. Caucasian Mineralnye Vody (Stavropol Territory)
TOP 5 places:Kislovodsk resort park, Mount Mashuk, Mount Beshtau, Proval, Kurortny Boulevard in Kislovodsk.
Nearest airport:Mineral water.
By rest in the Stavropol Territory, I can only mean rest in the Caucasian Mineral Waters: where, if not there, are all the recreational resources of the region collected? For a long time known fact: Caucasian Mineral Waters - a national granary and health resort. During the Soviet Union, streams of holidaymakers from all over our vast Motherland flocked here. The intoxicating magic of the Caucasian Mineral Waters was clearly felt by the very first "brand manager" of this region - the famous poet and writer M.Yu. Lermontov. In the monologues of his protagonist in "A Hero of Our Time" we are imbued with the same love that Lermontov felt for the elite resort city of Pyatigorsk at that time.
“Yesterday I arrived in Pyatigorsk, rented an apartment on the edge of the city, at the highest point, at the foot of Mashuk: during a thunderstorm, clouds will descend to my roof. This morning at five o’clock in the morning, when I opened the window, my room was filled with the smell of flowers growing in a modest front garden. Branches of flowering cherries look out my windows, and the wind sometimes strews my desk with their white petals. The view from three sides is wonderful. To the west - the five-domed Beshtau turns blue, like "the last cloud of a scattered storm"; Mashuk rises to the north like a shaggy Persian hat, and covers this whole part of the sky; it’s more fun to look to the east: below, in front of me, a clean, brand new town is full of colors, healing springs rustle, a multilingual crowd rustles, - and there, further, an amphitheater - mountains are piled up more and more blue and foggy, and on the edge of the horizon stretches a silver chain of snowy peaks, beginning with Kazbek and ending with the two-headed Elbrus... It's fun to live in such a land! st and fresh as the kiss of a child; the sun is bright, the sky is blue- what would seem to be more? Why are there passions, desires, regrets? .." M. Yu. LERMONTOV. "Princess Mary" May 11, 1838
Magic lines, right?
Traditionally, 4 cities are attributed to the CMS cities - Pyatigorsk, Kislovodsk, Zheleznovodsk, Yessentuki, but geographically much more territories are included in the Kavminvody. In these four cities there are strings of sanatoriums, drinking galleries, healing baths, healing parks. It is believed that each resort city has its own medical profile, however, modern equipment and the desire to withstand a competitive race have forced most sanatoriums to practice treatment and rehabilitation for the widest range of diseases. Unfortunately, there is not yet a single portal that would collect and organize all the information on the health facilities of the Kavminvod, so the sanatorium will have to be selected through an independent search for official sites or with the help of an agency.
At one time, I made a good choice in favor of the sanatorium "Elite" (from 2900 rubles per person per day). This is real Turkish" all inclusive", though in Kislovodsk. The mentioned cost includes accommodation, three meals a day, treatment, free access to the SPA (pool, hammam, Finnish sauna, jacuzzi with hydromassage), gym, air solarium (this type of summer you can sunbathe on the sunbeds on the roof) , free use of fireplace halls for your needs, cultural program The sanatorium is private and new, without "sovietness", accommodates up to 80 guests, which means that your vacation will be almost like a family.
And my soul still lives in the city of Pyatigorsk. This is my favorite city. There is more life here compared to other cities of the CMS due to the younger population (in Pyatigorsk there are many universities) and the status of the capital of the North Caucasus Federal District near the city, which makes it the center event tourism in the North Caucasus. Here I recommend hotels "Pyatigorsk" (from 1300 rubles), "Nautilus" (from 2000 rubles), "Intourist" (from 2200 rubles), "Beshtau" (from 3100 rubles) and "Golden Hotel" (from 3500 rubles). All of them are located in the city center and have a fairly pleasant number of rooms for every taste and pocket. I especially appreciate the last three hotels for the gorgeous view from the window / balcony.
From catering establishments, I can also advise a lot of things, but the art club "Picasso" immediately comes to mind (live program, creative audience, excellent service), summer lounge cafe "Big Balcony" in the shopping center "Gallery" (outdoors, beautiful view on the city, author's cuisine), not bad "Rendezvous" in "Intourist", "Khantama" on Ordzhonikidze and "Proval" near Proval. Price tags are different, geography too. In general, restaurant life in Pyatigorsk is in full swing, so over the weekend you yourself will be able to make your own shortlist of your favorite establishments.
However, you did not come to the Caucasian Mineral Waters to eat and sleep. In Pyatigorsk, a lot of attractions are waiting for you - Lake Proval, where at the entrance to the grotto the sculpture of Ostap Bender is still collecting money from tourists; the grotto and the Lermontov Museum, the Aeolian Harp, the Chinese gazebo, drinking galleries, the famous sculpture of the eagle - the symbol of the Caucasian Mineral Waters, "Broadway" - Kirov Avenue with mass celebrations of holidaymakers, mountains Mashuk and Beshtau. A hint for those who want to be in trend: morning jogging on Mashuk and hiking on Beshtau are popular among Pyatigorsk youth.
You will feel a different spirit in Kislovodsk: life here flows more measured and calmer. Fewer opportunities for parties, more kilometers for walking: at your disposal is the second largest in Europe - the Kislovodsk resort park. Walk to your health! Also remember that Kislovodsk is the birthplace of "Narzan": you can follow it to the Narzan gallery on Kurortny Boulevard. There you can also find the building of the Narzan baths - a magnificent architectural monument. It is a pity that the institution is not working today. In the suburbs of Kislovodsk, you can visit the Ring Mountain - a gate formed by nature. From there, a stunning view of Kislovodsk opens up. Another interesting place is the Castle of Treachery and Love, full of legends. True, now there is a restaurant ... :(
3. Kabardino-Balkarian Republic
TOP 5 places: Elbrus, Blue lakes, Chegem waterfalls, Upper Balkaria, Dolinsk (Nalchik).
Nearest airport: Nalchik.
Kabardino-Balkaria is a territory of world-famous beauties and upcoming amazing discoveries. The most high peak Russia and Europe - the handsome Elbrus, the unexplored depths of the Blue Lakes and the unexplored paths to the Shadkhurei lakes, the grandiose Chegem waterfalls, Upper Balkaria - the land where mountains meet the sky. Such is the amazing beauty of Kabardino-Balkaria, in short.
In the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria there is a resort area - the Dolinsk region. There are many sanatoriums, recreation centers, a huge park area. If you need to stay in Nalchik for a couple of days, I recommend the Korona Hotel (from 1500 rubles per day). In the city, I advise you to visit the Atazhukinsky Garden, observation deck near the restaurant "Sosruko", to see the sights of the main avenue of the city. You will like the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria - it is a pretty, cozy garden city with a measured life.
But you should not stay too long in Nalchik, since you have already decided to come to Kabardino-Balkaria. In the Chegem Gorge, Chegem waterfalls are waiting for you - one of picturesque places republics. In the Cherek Gorge there are popular Blue Lakes, a group of 5 karst lakes. The most interesting is the Lower Lake. It houses a diving center, but despite this, no one has ever reached the bottom of the lake. According to approximate data, it is 368 meters. If you want to see more than the average tourist, I suggest you go in search of the Shadhurey Lakes, which is in the Zolsky district of the KBR. It's underrated, unpopular tourist destination, but the beauty of the lakes, rest assured, will win you over. Other interesting places are the remains of ancient settlements in Upper Balkaria, the crypts in the village of El-Tubyu, the healing lake Tambukan and the Djily-Su waterfall.
Regarding the organization of recreation in Kabardino-Balkaria, I recommend contacting the tour operator "KBR Travel". I trust these people.
Well, and of course, what kind of vacation in the KBR is without visiting the largest tourist and recreational complex in the North Caucasus "Prielbrusye"? It is a world center for tourism, mountaineering and skiing. Both amateurs and professionals of mountaineering and winter sports come here. In the Elbrus region there is also a balneological zone - Polyana Narzanov, famous for its carbonic mineral waters. In the Narzanov Glade, you can enjoy the mountain beauty and clean air, try the healing narzan straight from the spring spring.
I recommend staying at the new European-class hotel Azau Star (from 3000 rubles per day per room) in the village of Elbrus. The hotel is located near the gondola cable car station on the Azau glade at the foot of Elbrus (2200 meters above sea level). It is possible to ski from the door of the hotel. The hotel has its own SPA-center and a cozy restaurant with delicious cuisine. Many windows, a lot of light, a magical atmosphere is created by the radio "Relax FM", enveloping the corridors of the hotel with melodic sound.
Single subscription for cable car costs 400-500 rubles. There are four stations on the slope of Elbrus: the starting station is Azau (2300 m.), the second is Stary Krugozor (3000 m.), the third is Mir (3500 m.) (the second and third can be reached both on the gondola, and on the chairlift), the fourth - "Garabashi" (3780 m.) (only on the chairlift).
4. Republic of North Ossetia-Alania
TOP 5 places:Kazbek, Uastirdzhi monument, Dargavs necropolis, Midagrabin waterfalls, historical center of Vladikavkaz.
Nearest airport:Vladikavkaz (Beslan).
Long before I moved to the Caucasus, I felt at home on Ossetian soil, and even now I like to come to this beautiful republic. Accordingly, as in Pyatigorsk, I have several hotels here, in which I constantly stop. This is "Planet Lux" (from 1600 rubles per day) near SOGU named after Kosta Khetagurov and "Vladikavkaz" (from 2450 rubles per day ) on the banks of the Terek near the Sunni mosque - an architectural monument. The first option is cheaper, and the second one I love for the incomparable view from the window (you need to ask at the reception for a room with a view of the Terek) and cheesecakes for breakfast :) The panorama from the balcony of the room in Vladikavkaz noisy waters and the Costa Khetagurova Park, and if you're lucky with good weather, then Table Mountain.
If you have free time in Vladikavkaz, then I suggest you go for a walk around the city. There is a wonderful hiking route along the most beautiful streets: from the monument to Isa Pliev - over the bridge to the other side of the Terek - past Armenian Church, then - along Prospekt Mira (pedestrian zone, trees, benches, scurrying trams, city radio that sets a great mood) or through the Kosta Khetagurov park - and again through the Terek - to the Vladikavkaz hotel and the mosque. Or you can continue your journey along Prospekt Mira, reach the Evgeny Vakhtangov Theater and the monument to Mikhail Bulgakov.
Be sure to try the famous Ossetian pies. And - Ossetian beer, which leaves indifferent even the opponents of beer. Of the catering establishments where I have been, I will recommend "White Cafe" (average check - 700-1000 rubles), "Salvadore" (average bill - 1000-1500 rubles) and "Our" (average bill - 500-700 rubles).
Probably the most famous landmark of North Ossetia is Mount Kazbek, the highest peak in the republic and a popular destination for climbers from all over the world. From the Russian side, climbing it is possible from the Genaldon Gorge through the villageKarmadonNorth Ossetia. This route can only be mastered by physically prepared climbers.
But in order to love the mountains, it is not necessary to be a climber. The magnificence of the nature of the mountainous North Ossetia is also available to a simple tourist. Moreover, in this part of the republic, a lot of surprises await you - the Uastyrdzhi monument, the Dzivgis cave fortress, the Mykalgabyrt sanctuary, the Dargavs necropolis, the Midagrabin waterfalls and much, much more.
If you want to stay overnight in the mountains, I recommend going to the Fiagdon Gorge. Firstly, it is fabulously beautiful there, secondly, you can visit the holy places (Alan Assumption Monastery and its font), thirdly, there is some kind of tourist infrastructure, though for lovers of high-comfort rest. You can stay overnight at the Fiagdon Art Hotel (room - from 6000 rubles per day). Here I recommend visiting the restaurant "Valley of the Sun" (average bill - 750 rubles) with a picturesque view outside the window, delicious cuisine and a cozy atmosphere.
5. Republic of Ingushetia
TOP 5 places:Armkhi, Vovnushki, Erzi, Magas, Memorial of memory and glory.
Nearest airport: Magas.
What can be interesting for a tourist in Ingushetia? The republic has its own all-season resort - Armkhi. The vast territory of Ingushetia - the Dzheirakhsky district - can be safely called a museum under open sky for its countless tower complexes and ancient temples. And, finally, it is a pleasure to look at the new capital of Ingushetia - the city of Magas with its majestic sights. An important point is that you can travel around the whole republic in a couple of hours, so even over the weekend you will have time to enjoy the first, second, and third.
From 3500 rubles worth a night in one of my favorite hotels - Artis Plaza in Magas. The rooms here are reminiscent of the Sultan's chambers. In addition, the hotel has a sauna, a hot tub, a Turkish bath and a massage room - for a fee, you can feel even more like a sultan.
Before reaching Nazran, it is worth stopping at the Memorial of Memory and Glory. This object will tell you about historical events that the Ingush people had to endure - deportation, participation in various military operations. On the way to the Armkhi resort, you will pass many places in the Dzheyrakhsky district that are also worth your attention. These are the ancient Christian temple of Thaba-Erda, the tower complexes of Vovnushki, Erzi, Egikal and other tribal villages.
And when you pass the strongest tests of beauty national treasure Ingushetia, the doors of the medical and health-improving complex "Armkhi" at the all-season resort of the same name will hospitably open before you. This is the oldest health resort in the Caucasus: for the treatment of ailments, hydrotherapy, mud therapy, massage and much more are practiced here. In the rooms, the cleanest flowing from the tap spring water, and the air "overboard" is especially healing - due to the maintenance of linden and coniferous trees in the park of the resort. Room prices here start from 1500 rubles, separately 1475 rubles there is a day of spa treatment with three meals a day.
For entertainment - a swimming pool, a fitness center, a Russian bath, in winter - skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling, in summer - a rope park and walks along the health paths. There is a cable car.
6. Chechen Republic
TOP 5 places: Grozny City, the mosque "Heart of Chechnya", the mosque named after Aimani Kadyrova, Kezenoy-Am, the memorial complex "Walk of Glory".
Nearest airport: Grozny.
Recently, a tourist complex of the same name was opened on Lake Kezenoy-Am. So far, guests can only entertain themselves by visiting a restaurant, a gym and walking around the lake. Also on the territory of the complex is a mosque. Work on the development of the resort is no end, but there is already a place to stay on the popular lake. Lake Kezenoy-Am - incredible beauty, is considered the largest alpine lake in the North Caucasus. And the most beautiful, I think.
In the tourist complex, prices do not bite yet. For example, in an economy class room, you can stay for 700 rubles from a person. If I'm not mistaken, the price includes half board meals (breakfasts + dinners).
Kezenoy-Am is located two hours drive from Grozny, and, of course, it is worth starting any trip around the Chechen Republic from it. In the city itself you can find a lot interesting places. Firstly, this is the Akhmat-Khadji Kadyrov Mosque called "Heart of Chechnya" - one of the largest in Russia and one of the leaders of the sensational Internet voting "Russia 10", in which the country's 10 best sights were chosen. Secondly, this is a complex of high-rise buildings "Grozny City" - there is a hotel, and a business center, and an apartment building, where the famous citizen of the Russian Federation Gerard de Pardie now has housing. Thirdly and fourthly - Memorial complex "Walk of Glory" and National Museum Chechen Republic - places where the history of the Chechen Republic and the entire North Caucasus is carefully preserved.
In the spring, one of the most beautiful mosques in Russia was opened in Chechnya - the mosque named after Aimani Kadyrova in Argun. However, do not think that all the sights of Chechnya were built in recent times. On the territory of the republic, very ancient monuments history - the crypts of Tsoi-Pede (14th century), Pkhakoch Castle (12th century), and only recently the Ushkaloy towers (12th century) were reconstructed.
If you want to see the sights mountainous Chechnya and traveling without a car, I recommend contacting the tour operator "Chechnya Travel". In addition to individual excursions, they will be happy to offer you package tours in Chechnya with accommodation, meals, excursions, cultural programs and transfers.
For those who want to improve their health in Chechnya, there is a resort "Sernovodsk-Kavkazsky". There are many treatment profiles, but the main therapeutic factor is the hydrogen sulfide thermal springs.
7. Republic of Dagestan
TOP 5 places:Caspian Sea(!), Derbent, Sary-Kum dune, Sulak canyon, Irganai reservoir.
Nearest airport: Makhachkala.
I put an exclamation point in front of the Caspian for a reason: Dagestan is the only republic in the North Caucasus with access to the sea. While other subjects of the North Caucasus Federal District are busy building and developing their ski resorts, Dagestan is calm: it has no competitors in a beach holiday with its sea and climate.
As an option for accommodation - the base of FC "Anji" in Kaspiysk. The base consists of several apartments, a swimming pool and bars on site. The beach is within walking distance. You can also look at other offers - in Kaspiysk, Makhachkala and Derbent. I warn you right away: this is not Spain or even Turkey, so do not expect high-class service.
In Makhachkala, you can comfortably stay at the Abu Dagi Hotel ( 3000 rubles per day), which is considered one of the the best hotels capital of Dagestan. Here are spacious rooms, luxurious interior of the premises, own fitness room and SPA-center. A significant minus: it is still far from the city center and the Gorsky beach.
It is worth going to Dagestan not only for beach holiday, but also for a wide excursion program. Probably, you still have no idea how beautiful Dagestan is and how rich its history is! Places to visit:
- Sand dune Sary-Kum - a sudden discovery among the mountains of Dagestan;
- Sulak Canyon - the second deepest canyon in the world;
- Derbent is the most ancient and Southern City Russia;
- Gunib - a village with breathtaking views of the surroundings, as well as an important historical place: the legendary imam Shamil was captured here;
- Chirkeyskaya HPP - the largest hydroelectric power plant in the North Caucasus;
- The Irganai reservoir - not inferior in beauty to the Chirkey reservoir ...
... and many many others!
And further:
1) In any city you can find accommodation options for any pocket.
2) The Caucasus is a great option for a weekend getaway, but for this option it is reasonable to spend money only for residents of the North Caucasus and South Federal Districts. I advise Muscovites to catch discounts on air tickets.
3) If you are going to the Caucasus on vacation in the off-season, it would be great to combine visits to several regions in one trip. The distance between major cities- small, 1-2 hours drive. The exception is Makhachkala. I planned my first trip to the Caucasus in this way: I arrived by train to Kislovodsk, spent 2 weeks on rest and treatment at Kavminvody with excursions to neighboring Karachay-Cherkessia, then by bus to North Ossetia, spent one day there, the next day - in Ingushetia , in the evening she stopped in Grozny, in the morning - flew from Beslan to Moscow.
When traveling in the Caucasus, remember that you are exploring the most popular tourist destination in the country. The development of engineering infrastructure is in full swing here, new hotels are being built, new resorts are being launched, new tourist trails are being laid. If you have ever been to the Caucasus, do not dismiss the idea of visiting it again - it changes from year to year, and, perhaps, having arrived at familiar places, you will no longer recognize them!
So, welcome to the resorts of the North Caucasus! :)
Question to the psychologist:
Hello, I feel like I'm not living my life. Everything is in order in my family, my parents are together, I have a younger sister. I am 20 years old, I study, I work. My parents are both Russian, and so am I, but the fact is that I feel like a Caucasian girl. At the age of 17 I converted to Islam. I feel “hot blood” inside me, I feel native in music, language, land, mentality. I am drawn to the Caucasus. I want to move there for permanent residence, learn the language, absorb traditions, but there is fear and resentment that people will not accept me. Nobody is waiting for me there, neither relatives nor acquaintances are there. I regret that I have already wasted 20 years, not for myself. I understand with my head that no matter what I do, the fact cannot be changed, I am Russian and everyone else does not care what I have inside, no one will delve into this with a banal acquaintance. I am afraid that I will have to come to terms with the fact that I was born in the wrong place and the wrong one.
Tell me, please, how can I live with this, with the fact that I will constantly have to explain something to people, provided that I have always lived without giving a damn about everything and everyone, according to the law “I do what I want”. And is all this normal from the point of view of psychology?
The psychologist Unterova Victoria Vladimirovna answers the question.
Hello Rita! They say: "Be afraid of your desires - they can be fulfilled." And indeed, not always when our dreams come true, we are ready for change. Sometimes it turns out that in a past life there were many pluses, that everything seemed completely different. It is worth remembering that any change carries its own characteristics, some of which will be positive, and some - minuses, the "shadow side" of the situation.
And in order to judge whether it is worth changing your life radically, you need only one thing - to try on this new life on yourself for a while.
What prevents you from going to the Caucasus for a while? For 3 weeks, a month? Talk to local residents, assess how things are going about employment, look around. And only after several such trips to make a global decision.
You don't have to explain anything to anyone. And decisions that are not to the detriment of your life and health, and the life and health of other people are completely normal.
You have the right to live the way you want. But it pays to think well and realistically. Perhaps there are other people with the same desires as you. Try to meet like-minded people on thematic forums, talk with them. All this will help you to get the most complete picture of future actions.
5 Rating 5.00 (2 votes)
"Komsomolskaya Pravda" tells how to spend a vacation with benefit
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Arkhyz, Elbrus, Dombay: for tourists, the North Caucasus is first of all skiing and snowboard. But winter is over, folks! And the tourist season in the Caucasus is just beginning. We will prove to you that it is worth going to these beautiful places not only in winter. You can get from Moscow to Nalchik, Vladikavkaz, Makhachkala by plane in about 2.5 hours, a one-way ticket costs from 4 - 4.5 thousand rubles. One of the main issues that worries tourists is safety.
For tourists, the North Caucasus today is one of the safest regions of the country, this is evidenced by the statistics of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (out of 85 subjects, they occupy the last places in terms of the number of crimes, including serious ones), and our experience in operating resorts, - said Ekaterina Zhigalo, head of the press service of the "Resorts of the North Caucasus". - Employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations are on duty at the resorts, rescuers of the security service are on the slopes, mounted police, cynologists work. But it is important to remind vacationers that when going on a trip to mountainous areas in summer, especially when it comes to “wild”, natural tourism, groups must register routes and report them to the North Caucasus Regional Center of the Russian Emergencies Ministry
Scuba diving in the mountains
Blue lakes in the Cherek region of Kabardino-Balkaria are a popular place for divers: the water is so clear that the bottom can be seen up to a depth of 22 meters. True, none of the extreme sportsmen has yet reached the bottom of the deepest Lower Lake. Even the famous Jacques Yves Cousteau, who was here on an expedition in the 1960s. More suitable for fishing upper lakes. Trout, carp, grass carp are found here.
Road and prices
From Nalchik to the lakes an hour by car, a taxi will take you for 500 rubles. You can stay at the camp site, the price of a room per day is from 500 rubles. Dive into the lake - 3 thousand rubles (includes instructor services and equipment rental).
On a note
Scuba diving is possible from the age of 14. If you want to dive without an instructor, a certificate is required
We love the waterfalls
Experienced "walkers" in the Caucasus say that they are more beautiful than Midagrabin mountain waterfalls not to be found anywhere near Vladikavkaz. Best of all here in July, August, early September, when they are full of water. In height, these waterfalls are second only to the Venezuelan Angel (979 m) and Norwegian (860 m).
Road and housing
Almost all local travel agencies organize excursions here - about 3 thousand rubles per person. 2 hours drive along the steep serpentines of the Kurtatinsky Gorge, another 2 hours on foot and you are there. You can stay in the hotels of Vladikavkaz - a room from 1700 rubles per day.
On a note
Midagrabinskie waterfalls - the border zone with Georgia, you need to take your passport with you. On weekends and holidays You can get a pass at the checkpoint. On weekdays, contact the FSB Border Guard in Vladikavkaz.
Tour of the city of the dead
The Dargav necropolis in North Ossetia is listed as a UNESCO heritage site and has been compared to the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. There are almost a hundred stone crypts here. The more noble and wealthy the family was, the higher the family crypt. The deceased were placed in it in their clothes along with weapons and small household items. The microclimate in the gorge is such that the bodies mummified themselves.
Road and prices
The village of Dargavs is two hours away by bus "Vladikavkaz - Dzhimar". Departs from central market at 16:30. From Dargavs to the necropolis, a little over a kilometer on foot. The cost of the entrance ticket is 100 rubles. Opening hours - from 10:00 to 18:00 daily, except Monday.
On a note
The crypts are very dark, if you want to look inside and see the burials, take a flashlight. And do not listen to the stories of the locals about the danger of contracting the plague. As early as 1967, researchers found that there were no plague pathogens in the burial.
Walks around the Museum-Reserve
The Dzheirakhsky Gorge in Ingushetia is a whole architectural and natural museum. It takes at least a week to see all the monuments. These are the medieval tower cities of Egikal, Khamkhi and Targim, the Christian temple of Tkhaba-Yerdy (VIII century), the castle complexes of Vovnushki and Erzi. The latter has almost 60 towers, 30 meters high. And also mountain rivers, gorges, springs, pine forests and rare animals - tour, chamois, bezoar goat, forest cat.
Road and prices
From Vladikavkaz to Dzheyrakh there is a regular bus, the ticket is 100 rubles. From here, for 500 rubles, taxi drivers will take you to the villages of Egikal, Targim, Erzi, Vovnushki, where the tower complexes are located, to the temple of Tkhaba-Erdy. You can walk: it's 6-12 km depending on what you want to see. Guide services - 3-5 thousand rubles.
How to get there
Regular buses and minibuses go from the Makhachkala bus station to the village of Korkmaskaly, the price is 100 rubles. But it is most convenient to take a taxi (500-700 rubles) federal highway E50/M29. At the village you need to turn onto a dirt road and after 2 km you will see Sarykum.
On a note
Bring sunglasses and cream, hats, so as not to burn. The sand of the dune warms up to +60 degrees, the air - up to 40.
