Black cave Crimea. Snake - a cave of sacrifices. Marble Cave - "world star"

Nature was unusually generous to the Crimea. On a small area of ​​the peninsula, you can see everything: the sea and estuaries, wide sandy and tiny beaches lost among the rocks, gentle hills and impregnable mountains, steppe and forests with relict plants, waterfalls and mountain rivers with the purest water. Marveling at the beauty Crimean nature, people often do not suspect that a whole world is hidden under their feet - the mysterious and wonderful world of the Crimean caves, created by nature for millions of years. It is not easy to get there, it is dangerous to explore them on your own, but thanks to the work of speleologists, the Crimean caves, open for inspection, will reveal their secrets.

Which Crimean caves should tourists definitely visit?

• Emine-Bair-Khosar

Known as Mammoth. The Crimean caves are very old, Mamontova is 10 million years old, people knew about it for a very long time, but it was possible to get there only through a well 16 meters deep. In the last century, a convenient horizontal tunnel was laid and, after studying the cave, it was equipped for visiting. In the first hall you can see the skeleton of a mammoth (unfortunately, without a skull), which fell into this well millions of years ago, and the guide will tell you about the bones of which fossil animals were found when this cave was discovered in Crimea. Further, a convenient staircase leads to the halls of the Idols, the Treasury, the Kecskemét and the Pink Grotto. Skillful illumination snatches out of the darkness amazing sintered columns, crystals and stalactites and stalagmites striving towards each other. There are halls available only for speleologists. This Crimean cave is a natural monument and is very strictly protected.

• Marble

The most beautiful cave Crimea - Marble - got its name when it was found that almost all of its surface consists of marble-like limestone. Its age is estimated at millions of years, its depth is 60 meters, and the length of all the halls of this cave in Crimea known to speleologists is more than two kilometers. It is very easy to breathe inside, and the air temperature is always plus 9 degrees, regardless of the season.

Many halls richly decorated with nature open stalagmite fairy-tale figures, frozen waterfalls, bizarre stone “flowers” ​​before people. This is one of the most popular.

• red cave

Of all the caves of the Crimea and Europe, Red is the longest, its halls and galleries stretch underground for 26 kilometers. This name is big cave Crimea received due to the high content of iron oxides in the rock. A river flows through the lower galleries, constantly washing away rock, so the length of the corridors becomes longer, new halls with sinter formations appear. In this cave in the Crimea, there are six levels, floors, closing in a huge labyrinth.
Archaeologists claim that the site of primitive people was located here. There, to this day, fragments of arrowheads and ceramics are found. For tourists who are interested in the caves of the Crimea, two routes have been created: an extreme one, which involves descending to the lower gallery and crossing an underground river, and the main one, which runs along convenient paths.

• three-eyed

On the Ai-Petri plateau, very close to the cable car, there is a small, relatively young cave in the Crimea - Three-eyes. It got its name because of the presence of three entrances resembling eye sockets. One entrance is an almost vertical well through which daylight enters the cave, and snow in winter. The snow does not melt even in summer. Slightly thawing, it freezes again, forming ice. Hence the second name of the cave - Ice. Archaeologists claim that this cave of the Crimea, like a refrigerator, was used by hunters of the Stone Age.

This amazing Crimean cave is equipped for visiting, but excursions are held only in summer. In winter, the entrances are closed.

• Skelskaya

A relatively small karst cave was formed as a result of a limestone fracture under the influence of groundwater. This Crimean cave has several levels, which are connected by vertical wells 25-45 meters deep. At the very bottom there are several underground lakes and rivers that feed the waters of the Ai-Petri plateau. In the spring, when the snow melts, there is so much water in the underground lakes of this cave in the Crimea that it rises to the surface.
Only a little more than 600 meters of the cave area has been explored, further water blocks the path, but cavers are confident that they will be able to move forward. This Crimean cave has been repeatedly examined by biologists: here they found the bones of long-extinct animals and the richest speleofauna, many of whose representatives were preserved only in this place.
Skelskaya, like other equipped caves of the Crimea, is open for excursions. Tourists can visit the upper and middle levels with halls decorated with sinter formations, inhabited by creatures and animals from fairy tales.

• Geophysical

Another of the caves of the Crimea, lying on the Ai-Petrinsky plateau. It is special in that it refers to the opened caves, that is, the entrance to it was opened due to a natural process: the failure of the dome, corrosion or washing the entrance with water. These caves make it possible to restore accurate history of its occurrence. You can go down
a spiral staircase installed in a vertical shaft - a natural entrance. At the bottom, the mine passes into a hundred-meter passage, which, either narrowing or expanding, takes tourists to large halls decorated with sinter formations and stalactites. This Crimean cave is unique in that its sinter formations emit a bright green glow when the lamp flashes.
Geophysical - one of the caves of the Crimea, which belong to protected, protected areas.

Inaccessible caves of the Crimea - a godsend for speleologists

Most of The caves of Crimea are concentrated in the mountain ranges of Ai-Petri and Chatyr-Dag, many have long been explored by speleologists, but Crimea is rich in inaccessible places, and they become a kind of magnet for cavers.

• Soldier's

Located on Yaila Karabi. Of all the caves in the Crimea, Soldatskaya is the deepest (517 meters) and the most difficult to pass, although small in size. Almost immediately at the entrance, the cave ends with a deep abyss, at the bottom of which an underground river was discovered. You can reach the bottom only with scuba gear. It is recommended to visit this cave in Crimea only for experienced speleologists.

• thousand-headed

One of the sad famous caves Crimea. They knew about it for more than one century, but it became popular with local residents only from the middle of the 19th century. There it was discovered a large number of human skulls, which were popular with the then tourists as souvenirs from Chatyr-Dag. Local legend tells of those who did not submit to the barbarians local residents who preferred death to captivity. But archaeologists have proven that the dead were buried in the cave. This Crimean cave was the best suited for this purpose: a wide platform at the entrance turns into a narrow passage, which again expands into a hall adorned with stalactites and stalagmites.

• Cold

So named because of the constant low temperature of 6 degrees. This Crimean cave looks like a rather long, sloping tunnel (210 meters). After passing it, tourists find themselves in a suite of halls 23-25 ​​meters high. In this cave of the Crimea, there are many sinter baths with the purest water.

The entrance to the cave is free, the authorities do not look after it, which, of course, affected its safety.

• bottomless well

This Crimean cave is located on the Chatyr-Daga plateau and is a deep karst well, going to a depth of 140 meters. At about a depth of 30 meters, there are karst pockets in the well. Three horizontal passages 200 meters long depart from the bottom to the sides. One of the passages ends with a well, at the bottom of which two halls were found. There are almost no in-situ education here.

This Crimean cave is considered difficult to pass: only those who have special equipment can go down. And even such a descent provides for the mandatory accompaniment of an experienced speleologist.

• golden burrow

This legendary Crimean cave is located on steep slope White rock at a height of 52 meters from the foot. Only climbers can get there, the ascent is so unsafe. This Crimean cave is known for its artifacts. Scientists have found bones of long-extinct animals there: mammoth, cave bear, bull, saiga. But the most amazing find was the bone remains of Neanderthals, the age of the remains was determined to be 150 thousand years. It has been proven that later unique cave Crimea was chosen by the tribe of Sarmatians - after them there were tribal signs, tamgas.

In the middle of the last century, a thirty-meter cave with a height of 4 to 10 meters was discovered on the slope of Demerdzhi. At the very end of the cave there is a well 30 meters deep, the first finds at its bottom turned out to be the bones of various animals. Above the landslide there is a sacrificial stone, so archaeologists consider this cave of the Crimea an ancient sanctuary of the Taurians.
visit this dangerous cave Crimea without a guide is strictly prohibited even for experienced cavers.

After historical vicissitudes, Crimea has again become popular with tourists. Russian resort famous not only for its picturesque coastline, mountain range, healing air and original seascapes small towns. Crimea is known for its caves and grottoes: the number of objects open to the public has reached 1000.

A number of natural creations are equipped for excursions. Most of them are concentrated in the region of the Ai-Petri, Chatyr-Dag, Karabi, Dolgorukovskaya mountains. The caves in the Crimea are real stone palaces, and excursions to them are remembered for a lifetime.

Yalta

It was opened by a child. More than 20 years ago, a boy threw stones into a crevice and noticed that the sound of their falling was not heard for a long time. Then the speleologists began to work, having determined that in this place during the Neolithic period, the sites of ancient people were organized. Having explored and prepared the grotto for visiting, they opened it in 2007.

The stalactite cave consists of two halls, but only one is freely accessible, 180 m long. Daredevils can get into the second by breaking a 40-meter well. The entrance to the first hall is open in summer, in winter there is too much snow in this area. But the guides recommend not to forget to take warm clothes with you, even if the tour is planned in the summer.

You can get to it by cable car, sitting in a booth in Miskhor and reaching the last station. From there, following the signs to reach the object will be easy.

Kiik-Koba near the Zui River

The rocky natural structure of Kiik-Koba also belongs to the caves of the Crimea, open to the public. The grotto was discovered by archaeologists in the first quarter of the last century under the guidance of the scientist Gleb Bonch-Osmolovsky.

The remains of a woman and a child, as well as flint tools became evidence of the organization of the camps of people who lived in the era of the Mousterian culture in this place. Bones of rare animals were found in the grotto, including a cave bear, a giant deer and a saiga antelope. The dimensions of Kiik-Koba are small: only 50 square meters, the grotto consists of two halls.

The stone dungeon is located 8 kilometers from the village of Zui and the river of the same name, not far from Belogorsk. You can get to the sights by bus from the village of Kurortnoye, but it is better to use your own transport.

Emine-Bair-Koba on Chatyrdag

A rocky dungeon is located on the Crimean plateau Chatyrdag, it is sometimes called the "three-eyed" because of the three entrances resembling eye sockets. The first mention of the grotto dates back to the middle of the 20th century. Crimean caves hold a lot of surprises. In the unequipped part of the dungeon there are two mountain lakes. There are two ways to visit the underground creation:

• pass the excursion route: 70 meters in 20 minutes;
• overcome the speleological route twice as long using special equipment in an hour and a half.

The route is overcome by a group of no more than ten people, the participants communicate with each other by special phones.

The Chatyr-Dag Plateau is located between Alushta and Simferopol. It is possible to get to the cave only with an excursion group or by your own car. Experienced travelers it is advised to drive using the navigator to the village of Marble, from this point start the path upward following the signs.

Icy - Big Buzluk

The Karabi massif has concentrated many underground structures created by nature on its foothills. One of them: the Ice Cave, named so for a reason, it is constantly cold in it. Stalactites and stalagmites hang over the heads of visitors, forming an ice pillar. The second name: Big Buzluk comes from the old word for a bracket.

The caves in the Crimea are surprising, excursions to Ledyanaya will open the ancient grottoes with time. At the bottom there is a well, where, according to legend, Austrian livestock breeders who rented land in those areas stored meat, which was then successfully sold in the markets of Taurida.

Reach the wonder of nature direct route without a personal car it will not work, if only by taxi from Simferopol, but the price will be rather big. Experienced travelers advise getting by bus to Belogorsk, and from there to the village of Pchelinoe, from this point the path will be 25 km long: you need to negotiate with private traders or organize a hike.

Marble

According to the descriptions, this is the best cave in Crimea, the most beautiful, and the photos testify to this. It is located on Chatyr-Dag: it is a complex of three underground grottoes, considered one of the most famous in the world. The grottoes, the total length of which is 2 km, are millions of years old, and they were discovered 30 years ago by a shepherd who lost part of his flock in these places. Speleologists, studying the miracle of Chatyr-Dag, found that almost all of its space consists of marble limestone, hence the name. The upper terrace of the shelter consists of halls:

• gallery of fairy tales, in which visitors are greeted by frozen fairy tales sculptural compositions: Mammoth, Santa Claus, Princess Frog;
• the tiger side hall, named after the remains of a tiger found in this place;
• perestroika hall, where tourists admire the Minaret stalagmite
• the palace hall, where a meeting with royal persons carved from marble awaits.

Halls available on the lower terrace:

• Theatrical.
• Luster.
• Pink.
• Hope.
• named after Vernadsky.

Stone walls exude eternal cold, so tourists are advised to dress warmly.

When tourists are looking for which Crimean caves are open, the guidebook suggests this one. You can get to the place along the Simferopol - Alushta highway by bus. According to the signs, he turns to the village of Marble, and from there 8 km to the place on foot.

Ozernaya - Danilcha-Koba

A small natural shelter, its length is only 12 meters. The cave is called St. Daniel, otherwise it is called Weeping, in front of it tourists will find evidence of existence in this place ancient temple. Parking is prohibited here, and it is impossible: it is too cold in Crying. Located inside small lake where pearls were mined. The stalagmite, 280 cm high, located at the entrance, will resemble a giant mushroom.

The road to Danilche-Kobe begins along the Yalta highway, along which you need to get to Grand Canyon, and there along the Yusupov road - a path, go up to Danilche-Kobe.

MAN on Mount Demerdzhi

The cave on the geophysical map of Crimea is found on Mount Demerdzhi. It got its name in 1963, when it was opened by young enthusiasts who were members of the MAS - the Minor Academy of Sciences. The grotto is not equipped for organized visits, but has historical value. Once it was a holy place. Here the people who inhabited ancient Taurida worshiped the gods and made sacrifices.

Archaeologists found here cave drawings, the likeness of an altar and many remains of animals that served as sacrifices to the ancient gods.

This is one of the caves in the Crimea, which can only be reached by car. The landmark of the rocky dungeon MAN will be the Angarsk Pass, from which Demerdzhi is within easy reach. At the foot of the mountain, a fork will begin, you need to turn right, go around the slope and MAN will soon appear.

Kizil-Koba

Red caves: business card peninsula, a real underground 6-storey mansion with an area of ​​64 thousand square meters. Its walls are painted in brick color, due to the content of iron oxide in them. Harmony reigns in Kizil-Koba: an underground river flows along its bottom, and a waterfall greets guests at the entrance.

On the route, tourists will visit the halls:

• Griboedovsky.
• Indian.
• Chinese.

Their eyes will open bizarre stalagmites, such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Santa Claus.

Previously, there was a sanctuary in a rocky shelter, it became a tour in the 90s of the last century. Those who wish can not only go through the route, but also swim the rest of it in special wetsuits, the water in the river and channels is cold.

Kizil-Koba for last years has gained extraordinary popularity, so trolleybus routes lead to it. In Simferopol, tourists can take trolleybus number 1 and get to the village of Krasnoe, from there a 30-minute walk will lead to the Kizilkobinka River, which has an underground structure.

Three-eyed on Ai-Petri

There are many caves on Mount Ai-Petri, but one of the most noticeable is Three-Eyes. It is a huge cavity with three dips, each of which you can go down on an excursion.
Three-Eyes is well known to historians: the ancient hunters kept their prey under its vaults, and pure ice from its depths was delivered to the table of Count Vorontsov. Therefore, the Three-Eyes has long been also called Icy: a huge snowdrift grows inside, where visitors throw coins for good luck, and the floor resembles a winter skating rink.

You can get to Trekhglazka along the Bakhchisaray highway. However, usually tourists choose a more colorful way: by cable car. The beautiful caves of Crimea, including Ice caves on Mount Ai-Petri, are available on video.

Iograph

The Crimean caves on the slopes of the Yalta Mountains are very famous, as evidenced by their pictures and descriptions. One of them: Iograph, named after St. Evgraf, is a functioning Christian church.

The length of the shelter is 18 meters, Iograph is located at the very top of the mountain, representing a vertical shaft. Once below, visitors will see a mass of stalactites and stalagmites, as well as natural recesses in which pearls were previously hidden.

Climbing the Yalta Mountain starts right from the city of the same name along the Uzenbash trail.

Emine-Bair-Khosar

The name translates as “well near the oak”, it is also called Mammoth because of the discovery of the remains of this ancient giant in it. Emine-Bair-Khosar stretches for 2 km and consists of five levels. The names of the halls are impressive: Crystal, Nocturne, Lake.

In the Mammoth Cave, the paleontological and mineralogical museums are open to the public in the upper halls. It is cold in the underground labyrinth: about 4-5 degrees.

You can get to the sights along the highway from Simferopol, having reached the village of Marble and go up the dirt road past the quarry to the top, Emine-Bair-Khosar will soon appear.

Soldier's

Crimea is a storehouse of sights and caves among them. Where they are, a mysterious atmosphere reigns. This applies to the underground gallery Soldatskaya, a natural creation named after the heroes who died in the wars. It was discovered in 1969 by Feodosia speleologists from the Kara-Dag society. Soldatskaya is famous for its records: the highest difficulty of passage, the deepest: 517 meters. IN underworld it is not easy to get in: right at the entrance there is a deep well, at the depth of which a stormy river roars.
The main landmark from which it is easier to get to the object will be the city of Sudak. From it, tourists will reach the Uskut River, then there will be a turn to the village of Krasnoselovka, not far from it is Soldatskaya.

thousand-headed

Caves in the Crimea hide a lot of interesting things under their arches. Excursions to Binbash-Koba or the Thousand-Headed Cave will show the place where, according to legend, the population of an entire village died. People hid in it from the invaders, but no one survived, they suffocated. The invaders tracked down the people and lit fires at the entrance, it is said that 1000 people were in the shelter at that time, hence the name.

Almost all roads to underground shelters lead from Simferopol. Tourists go to Binbash-Koba to the village of Krasnolesye, where they go further on foot to the Chatyr-Dag plateau.

Skelskaya

The caves of Crimea are mainly located in the Ai-Petri area, information on how to get to them by car is available in guidebooks and on the Internet. Skelskaya stands a little apart, is located in Baydarskaya valley, at the foot of the Kara-Dag mountain. The cave consists of three levels, the lower one is almost flooded, and the upper ones are accessible to tourists: the route is 250 m. The attention of tourists will be attracted by unusually shaped stalactites resembling a church, a Phoenix bird. In Skelskaya there is a hall of ghosts, where bats circle under the ceiling.

Get to excursion object you can drive from Yalta or Sevastopol along the south coast highway to the village of Goncharnoye.

Emine-Bair-Koba - the ancient cave of Chatyr-Dag

Emine-Bair-Koba cave is located near the famous Crimean village of Marble. Sometimes you can hear the name Three-eyes, which arose due to three exits, 2 of which resemble a nostril in shape, which gave life to another name. The grotto became widely known in 1927, when a scientific article about it appeared in the journal Krym.

It is proved that the Emine-Bair-Koba cave was formed due to mountain river, which flowed through Chatyr-Dag more than 10 million years ago. Now only cavities remained from it, thoroughly washed out by powerful water flows.

For excursion groups and individual visitors, access is possible only 70 meters deep into the cave. Professionals can go further and see another 140 meters of underground beauty, but you will need special equipment. Apart from safety rods, rope handrails and low lighting, there is nothing there.

Usually tourists are shown 2 halls, which are located near the main entrance on 2 levels. Sinter formations are similar to corals. Somewhere you can see pebbles. Speleologists are still trying to figure out how she got there.

Below is a catalog where you can choose and book excursions to the caves of Crimea

Red Caves - Kizil-Koba

More than 27 kilometers of beauty offers to see the Kizil-Koba cave. It was formed about 2.5 million years ago. During this time, even an ancient man managed to settle there. Historians have proven that this happened 70 thousand years ago. You can also find the name "Red Caves". It appeared due to the reddish tint of the deposits and several entrances providing access to each of the 6 levels.

The Kizil-Koba cave is located near the village of Perevalnoye, Simferopol region. Inside you can see the mountain river Kizilkobinka, whose waters serve to fill the Su-Uchkhan waterfall. The miraculous sculptures-stalagmites are impressive: the Master, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Dwarf.

It never gets hot in the cave labyrinths: the temperature is +10 degrees all the time, so you need to dress warmly, because the tour usually lasts an hour. Tourists are guided along a route half a kilometer long. It is also possible to order an extreme tour, which will take about 6 hours. To overcome this path, you will need special suits and equipment.

Skelskaya - four-tiered cave

At the beginning of the last century, a grandiose discovery was made near the village of Skelya near Sevastopol: a local teacher accidentally discovered a huge underground cavity, which later received the name Skelskaya cave. Access to its bowels was not opened immediately, but only after half a century. During this time, smooth paths, steps and lighting appeared there, which was a prerequisite for accepting tourists.

The length of the passages is almost 700 meters, while total area The cave is 1500 sq. m. Halls and galleries are located on 4 tiers. Their height is so great that it made it possible to make 3 observation platforms. From there you can admire the overall picture, which is made up of sinter formations and huge stalagmites. Particularly impressive is the "Knight", whose height exceeds 7 meters. Watch an interesting video tour of the sights:

If you are going to visit the Skelskaya cave in the Crimea, you should prepare for the fact that it is very damp and cold inside. The temperature is kept at around 12 degrees all year round. Tours here last about 50 minutes, so you need to take warm clothes with you.

Geophysical - a cave with a luminescent glow

On the territory of the Yalta mountain forest nature reserve on Mount Ai-Petri is Geophysical Cave, which was opened to tourists only in 2009. It was here that the luminescence of the formations was first noted: due to the fact that they contain manganese and copper, when light from the flash hits, the growths and influxes begin to glow with shades of green, yellow and blue.

To get into the halls of the cave, you have to overcome the 28-meter spiral staircase, which is located in a vertical shaft 60 m deep. The grotto has a length of 140 meters. You need to be prepared for the fact that the temperature inside will be about 10 degrees.

Below, complex galleries and halls open up before the tourist. Zhemchuzhny surprises with numerous pointed formations on the walls and vault, which have a pleasant green color. A geophysical cave in the Crimea attracts travelers who want to look at a 6-meter stalactite. That's great rarity. Also in one of the halls there is a bizarre sinter formation very similar to a tiered wedding cake.

Many stalactites, united with stalagmites, turned into stalagnates. Due to the peculiarities of the breed, they acquired a yellow-mustard color. There is even a small lake with clear water at the bottom of the cave.

Yalta - cave with stone jellyfish

The Ai-Petri mountain range contains many cavities, but not every one of them has been fully explored. More recently, at the end of the 20th century, the Yalta cave was discovered. And the first tourist went there only in 2007, when the conditions for receiving visitors were created. There are 2 rooms inside. For ordinary people there is only access to the main gallery. The second, which is at the lower level, requires special training and equipment.

The entrance to the dungeon is very convenient: the steps go very shallow. Usually the tour lasts 25 minutes: the area of ​​​​the equipped area is only 180 meters, so this time is enough to take a close look at everything. The vault is decorated with pasta stalactites of different lengths and thicknesses, and on the walls there are stone jellyfish. Special lighting creates a sense of magic.

Three-Eyes - Ice Cave

There are many different grottoes and cavities on Mount Ai-Petri. Three-eyed cave is one of the most famous and visited. It is named so because of the presence of three cavities that resemble the eye sockets, however, empty. To get inside, you have to overcome a long staircase leading to the bottom.

You can also find the name Ice Cave. It was given because of the huge snowdrift that formed in the main hall. Over the years, the snow turned into ice, some of which was taken out to be used as a cold accumulator. With its help, food and wine were cooled, located in the cellars of Count Vorontsov.

The main hall of the Three-Eyed Cave occupies 150 sq. m. Walls and vaults consist of rock layers and sand-colored sinter formations. There are also ice stalactites that grow at high speed. The grotto is equipped for tourists. There is lighting and comfortable handrails. The only difference is that it is very cold there. Going on an excursion to ice cave You should bring warm clothes with you.

Iograph - cave-temple

The southern side of Mount Ai-Petri is known for the natural monument of Crimea located there. Iograph Cave has long been used for Christian worship. In a spacious hall measuring 18x10 meters, a temple was equipped with an altar, icons and lamps, where believers gathered.

Nearest locality- Yalta, so tourists heading to the Ai-Petrinsky plateau have the opportunity to visit this attraction. Not far from the entrance rises the Poklonny cross. There was a time when the grotto fell into disrepair - an accumulation of garbage appeared there and even cattle were brought in to wait out the midday heat. But in the 90s of the last century, the group caring people she put the cave in order - they took out the rubbish, icons appeared on the walls.

Cave Iograph in Crimea refers to karst formations. Initially, water accumulated in the cavity, but then the rock parted. So the entrance appeared, and the liquid left the tank. Inside there are recesses in which cave pearls were found. The walls are decorated with stalactites, and in one sinter formation, the outlines of a human face are clearly visible.

Bottomless well - Tupsuz-Khosar cave

Not far from the village of Marble, which is located between Simferopol and Alushta, there is an amazing underground cavity in the mountain Chatyr-Dag. It attracts those who want to penetrate into hard-to-reach places and discover something new in Crimea. The Bottomless Well Cave is a real treasure trove with natural pearls and 10-meter icicles on the walls.

Grotto Tyupsyuz-Khosar (this is his middle name) is available only to people with special training and equipment. And although you can go down the stairs a little there, you won’t be able to reach the bottom without protective equipment. The lowest point of the cave is at a depth of 195 meters. From the main shaft there are 3 horizontal tunnels. At the end of the last century, a well with 2 halls was found there.

Cave The bottomless well has the shape of a jug, expanding towards the bottom. Its "walls" are dotted with various cavities-pockets. Snow drifts can be seen there all year round. Snow, getting inside, is perfectly preserved. At the bottom point, a 15-meter snowdrift even formed.

The grotto is famous for its abundance of cave pearls. And although visually it looks like a sea one, it is formed with the help of ordinary calcite, which is layered on grains of sand. Its diameter can reach 3 cm. Once cavers managed to find more than 15 thousand of these pearls.

Snake - cave of sacrifices

Not far from Simferopol, near the village of Chistenkoe, there is an unusual karst formation - Snake Cave. Its name is rather symbolic, because there are no reptiles in these places. And they called it that because of the long, narrow and winding passages, which have some similarities with snake holes.

This is a three-story cave, over 300 meters long. The lower tier is rich in crystalline calcites, which in the light of lanterns begin to play with different colors. Unlike other caves, not a single sinter formation can be found here - stalactites and other growths cannot form here. Too dry and warm.

During the study of the cave, fragments of dishes and many animal bones were found. Thanks to this, it was concluded that the Serpent's Cave in the Crimea was used as a place where sacrificial rites were performed.

It's pretty quiet there now. And if you take a few powerful lanterns with you, you can admire the unusual tunnels and bends. You just need to be prepared for the fact that on the way you can meet a tiny bat with a big name - a big horseshoe. Fortunately, she does not pose a threat.

Big Buzluk - Ice Well

The east of Crimea is famous for its interesting and huge mountain range Karabi-Yayla. It is of interest due to the huge number of various karst formations. One of them is the Big Buzluk cave. The nearest settlement is the village of Generalskoye, from where excursions usually start.

The grotto is a vertical 20-meter funnel that descends 81 meters. You can't get there without equipment. Its length is not more than 160 meters. The second name of the cave is Ice well. Inside you can see ice growths, stalactites and columns. The temperature stays around 0 degrees.

A couple of centuries ago, the Big Buzluk cave in the Crimea was used as a cold store. Livestock breeders stored sheep carcasses there, destined for sale to Europe. Researchers have proven that the age of ice in certain places exceeds 50 years. For the Crimea, this is a rarity.

Despite the abundance of ice and snow, at the bottom of the cave, in a kind of well, you can see a small underground river. Due to the constant movement, the water in it never freezes.

Binbash-Koba - Thousand-Headed Cave

The Binbash-Koba cave is one of the least visited places in Crimea - 2 centuries ago, many human bones and skulls were found in it. This fact contributed to the emergence of another name - the Thousand-Headed. Now there is no trace left of the remains. They were barbarously plundered. People did not hesitate to take with them cave stalactites, which were cut down with a special hatchet. And for the heritage left "memorable" inscriptions on the walls.

The Binbash-Koba cave is located in the lower part of the Chatyrdag plateau, not far from the village of Marble. The entrance to this grotto is rather inconspicuous and resembles an ordinary crevice. But, after going a little inside, you can get into a huge hall 7 meters high. The total length of the passages is just over 100 meters. Everyone can go there - admission is free.

The peculiarity of this grotto is in a special shade of sinter formations. In appearance, it resembles soot, which is obtained after a fire. It is still not known whether the cave was really set on fire, according to the legend, or whether it was a special reaction of the rock to oxygen. Black stalactites and influxes look gloomy, but you should not be afraid - this is just a special, unlike other karst cavity.

Grotto Shaitan-Koba - the dwelling of an ancient man

Not far from the village of Skalistoye, Bakhchisaray district, the river Bodrak flows, on the right bank of which there is a mysterious cave Shaitan-Koba. In the Crimea, it is of particular value: in the 30s of the last century, a parking lot was discovered there. ancient man. Upon closer examination, it became clear that people lived there in the Paleolithic era.

The size of the cave is small. It goes into the rock for 4 meters, gradually narrowing. The height is only 2 meters, and the total area does not exceed 28 square meters. m. Archaeological excavations yielded colossal results: the cultural layer 30 cm deep contained tens of thousands of things valuable for science, which were once used by primitive people. These were flint tools (about 25 thousand) and bones of birds and animals that were hunted in those days - magpies, donkeys, mammoths, bison, arctic foxes and others.

The Shaitan-Koba cave is translated from the Crimean Tatar as “devilish”, but there is nothing frightening or mystical in it. picturesque surroundings attract no less than the ancient grotto, so tourist groups often come here, accompanied by guides.

What impressions will give excursions to the caves?

Acquainted with wonderful world, which is carefully kept in the caves of the Crimea, unforgettable pictures created by the forces of nature will remain in your memory. Stone flowers, jellyfish, stalagmites impress with their different shapes and sizes, unusual colors and age. Tourists return to some of the caves more than once to inspect every corner more carefully.

You can get into many caves of the Crimea throughout the year. According to statistics, in the off-season there is a slight decrease in tourist activity and you can walk through the underground labyrinths as part of a small excursion group. But there are also grottoes that are closed for the winter. Therefore, before visiting, it is advisable to clarify the work schedule of the ticket office and guides.

Fortunately, there is no need to pay for the opportunity to see many Crimean caves. The main thing is to try to keep natural resources and not leave traces of being in them, so as not to disturb the natural course of events.

Rest in Crimea is a problem of choice: places, accommodation, restaurants, excursions. Having got rid of the first lines of this list, and having approached the item “ Excursions in the Crimea”, we again find ourselves faced with the need to choose from an immense number of options: there are hundreds of tourist routes on the peninsula. Someone is going to see the former royal palaces, someone is beckoning mountain gorges and waterfalls, someone likes leisurely walks through ancient parks and museums. We will go with you to virtual tour By Crimean caves.

Famous caves of Crimea

It seems that by choosing the “Caves of Crimea” tour, you can “relax” and start preparing for the trip. However, your carelessness will disappear as soon as you find out how much Crimea caves. If you are standing, then it is better to sit down: in Crimean mountains there are about eight hundred caves! Fifty of them are recognized as natural monuments and are under state protection. How do you like this range of choice?

visit all Crimean caves It’s impossible for one vacation, so we will walk through the damp twilight of the most famous “underground mountain kingdoms”.

Let's start the journey from the most beautiful cave not only on the peninsula, but in the whole world. This beauty is called marble cave. It is located in the Chatyr-Dag mountain range, not far from the village of Marble on the lower plateau. It took nature thousands of years to create a cave in a layer of marbled limestone. They learned about the unique Marble Cave only in 1987, but after only 5 years (in 1992) it was accepted into the International Association of Equipped Caves, being included in the list of the most visited caves on the planet. Rest in Crimea and not make an excursion to marble cave- crime!

is a complex system of galleries and halls in which tourist routes with a total length of about 1.5 kilometers. What can be seen in the cave:

• Gallery of fairy tales;
• calcium carbonate crystals;
• stalagmites and stalactites (many of them have "names" and names, for example: Minaret, Queen, King);
• fantastic streaks and drawings on the walls;
• corridor "Tiger move";
• a huge hall that would fit a 9-storey building (height 28 meters, length 100 meters);
• Palace Hall.

The entrance to the cave is 920 meters above sea level. Go on a tour of marble cave without a guide it will not be possible - it is forbidden. excursion route is divided into three parts: "Tiger move", the lower and main galleries. The duration of the caving walk is 1 hour 20 minutes. For 10 hryvnia you will be allowed to take pictures in the cave.

red cave

If - the most beautiful cave of the Crimea, then red cave (Kizil-Koba) is the largest "limestone" cave in Europe: its length is about 21 kilometers. The area of ​​the Red Cave is about 53 thousand square meters, and the volume is about 200 thousand cubic meters. Kizil-Koba is an extensive system of long galleries, flooded areas, and vertical wells. The structure of the Red Cave includes the cave-source Griffin and Pigeon Cave. The river Su-Uchkhan flows along the first tier of Kizil-Koba, thanks to the patient centuries-old work of which the cave appeared. What attracts tourists to the Red Cave:

• 6-storey galleries;
• spacious underground halls 145 meters high and up to 80 meters long;
• corallites, stalagmites, stalactites;
• cave pearl.

The entrance fee to the Red Cave is 30 hryvnia, the duration of the tour is 40 minutes.

mammoth cave

Mammoth Cave(it is also the cave of Emine-Bair-Khosar) is interesting because bones of prehistoric animals are found in it. The well-shaped entrance to it was discovered in 1927. The researchers who descended into it were amazed by the large 100-meter hall. Total length of halls and galleries mammoth caves is 1.5 kilometers. Scientists who discovered the first remains of a mammoth in the cave kept the discovery secret for 50 years, protecting the cave from the invasion of curious "guests". Then a paleontological museum was opened in the cave, which is closed today due to ongoing archaeological work. Walking through the cave takes place in comfortable conditions: recreation areas and concrete stairs with railings are equipped. Attractions of the Mammoth Cave:

• "Treasury";
• underwater lake;
• hall of idols;
• Kecskemét hall;
• Hall "Monomakh's Hat";
• "White Speleologist" - the good spirit of the cave;
• "God's Finger"

A tour of the Mammoth Cave lasts about 2 hours and costs 70 hryvnia. Additional expenses: photography - 10 hryvnia, rent of warm linen - 3 hryvnia (constant temperature in the cave + 5 ° C).

Thousand Head Cave

Thousand Headed Cave Binbash-Koba. The name of the cave is associated with a beautiful legend. In the old days people from local village hid in a cave from hostile nomadic tribes. Many days passed, and thirst made itself felt - the children were crying, and the old people were dying. There was one brave girl who began to quietly go for water to a source in the nearby Cold Cave. Every time she returned, the water from her jug ​​would pour over the ground, causing grass to grow on it, forming the "Green Path". This path showed the enemy the way to the shelter. They killed everyone who was hiding in it, and put their heads in a cave. Thousand Headed Cave...

The cave has a length of 110 meters. Interesting objects in it:

• Big hall;
• tight tunnel;
• fragments of stalactites.

We have considered only four Crimean caves, but they also allow you to get a clear idea that the Crimean land is rich in exotic not only on the surface, but also in its most hidden, underground corners. Everyone who has visited the mysterious bowels of the Crimean caves will forever keep their amazing aura in their hearts. And in your heart there is a place for at least one of eight hundred caves of Crimea.