Eski-Kermen is the best cave city in Crimea. First-class Crimean fortress Eski-Kermen with a gorgeous view and a valiant history

Among all cave cities and fortresses of the Crimea can be identified as the most accessible and spectacular - Eski-Kermen. Easy to get to, easy to climb, nice and spectacular trail, beautiful views. We have been there twice with our children, and once even our mother-in-law was with us. This indicates the easy accessibility of Eski-Kermen for the smallest and adult tourists.

The Bakhchisarai region is rich not only in berries, fruits, poppy and lavender fields. It has many cave cities, fortresses and very ancient buildings.

Eski-Kermen is a medieval fortified city, located 14 km from Bakhchisarai. It was founded at the end of the 6th century as a Byzantine fortification and lasted a total of 800 years.

The name is translated from Crimean Tatar as "old fortress". The territory of the city occupied an area of ​​8.5 hectares, having a length of 1040 meters and a width of 170.

Eski-Kermen. How to get there

In our opinion, it is better to drive up to Eski-Kermen from the northern part (“Dozor” on the map). Firstly, on this side there is a cafe and a shop where you can take water with you before climbing and have a snack after a walk. Secondly, the ticket office, which stands at the foot, does not work in the morning, so if you drive up from the northern part early in the morning, you are guaranteed to walk around Eski-Kermen for free 😋

How we traveled:

Highway R-260 (section Sevastopol - Bakhchisarai) - exit to Verkhnesadovoe - Pirogovka - Frontovoye - Kholmovka - northern entrance to Eski-Kermen.

After Kholmovka there is a bad country road with potholes. We have arrived, but it is better to go like this:

Highway P-260 (section Sevastopol - Bakhchisaray) - exit to Verkhnesadovoe - Pirogovka - Front - Red Poppy - northern entrance to Eski-Kermen

(You can get to Kholmovka or Red Poppy by regular bus from Bakhchisarai)

The trail and surroundings of Eski-Kermen

We started our way from the northern part of the complex, went around the ring and returned there. First you will have to climb a little, 300 meters. The ascent is steep, but not long. You will meet a staircase - this place at one time served as a "gate" of the entrance through the northern gate. Through a narrow gap it was very convenient to repel the attack of the enemy.

After climbing the stairs, you will come to a fork - go right. In this case, you will gradually get acquainted with the beauty of Eski-Kermen. Having rounded the former settlement, at the end of the path you will return along the path to the left to the same stairs.

Eski-Kermen has in its structure cliffs up to 30 meters high, so it is dangerous to approach the edges.

Cave rooms are located next to the cliffs. Most likely, there were sentinel points in these places.

caves

Eski-Kermen contains about 350 caves in its rich collection. Most of of them were used in the city as utility rooms, some - as sentinel points (the ridge goes around the road in the canyon). Of course, you cannot meet and visit all the caves, but you will definitely want to climb into those that you will meet along the path 😊

We glued short video(2 minutes)

Temples in caves

In the caves of Eski-Kermen, there are premises that used to serve as households, were grain storages, wine cellars and wineries. Now, for some reason, most of these rooms have been turned into so-called "temples".

For example, the Church of the Assumption on the east side.

Temple of the Dormition is small cave with door and window. But this room became a temple much later, at the beginning there was a grain pit.

Or on the way to the main gate - the Temple of Judgment.

Temple of Judgment - large cave temple with a baptistery in the east wall of the main street. The temple is formed by four conditional semicircles, separated from one another by columns carved into the rock mass. For its peculiar shape, the temple was nicknamed the Judgment Seat.

The total area of ​​the temple is 140 sq.m. In all four rooms of the temple, tombs were carved into the floor.

At present, services are sometimes held in the Judgment Hall. The temple also served as a film set for the movie "9th Company", which had at least one more scene filmed in Eski-Kermen 😉

"In the footsteps of the 9th company"

One of the countries where Fyodor Bondarchuk's film was filmed was Ukraine. On the territory of the Crimea in Eski-Kermen, a couple of scenes with the Mujahideen were filmed, one of them is the jumping of the Mujahideen into the holes of one of the caves.

And here are the very holes in the cave in Eski-Kermen:

In case of a long siege of Eski-Kermen, the builders arranged "grain pits". About dozens of holes in the rock have characteristic recesses along the contour, where wooden round covers covering the grain from bad weather were placed. Inside there are quite a few connected rooms. A sort of logistics complex.

It was in these holes that the Mujahideen jumped, leaving our soldiers

siege well

On the eastern side of Eski-Kermen there is an ancient hydraulic structure - a siege well. For any fortress, the most important task was to supply water to its defenders in case of a long siege. The siege well was just conceived for such purposes.

The well was built at the same time as the fortress.

In the rock mass, a six-flight staircase steeply going down, which includes 89 steps, was cut down! Platforms were arranged between the marches, a window was cut down on the middle staircase to illuminate the cliff towards the cliff.

The staircase ends with a 10-meter captive gallery (corridor), into which water seeped from the ceiling from a source that was intercepted in the thickness of the mountain. A stock of 75 cubic meters was stored in the well. m of water - the volume is sufficient for a long siege. There were no similar complex hydraulic structures in other Byzantine fortifications at that time.

The siege well played a tragic role in the history of the city. During the siege of the city by the Khazars in the 8th century, its defenders repelled all attempts to take the almost impregnable rock without much difficulty, and everything went to the fact that the nomads would leave these places with nothing. But the legend says that among the inhabitants of the surrounding villages there was a traitor who showed where the well comes closest to the rock wall. At night, the invaders made a hole in the wall of the well, and having interrupted the guards, captured the main gate. The city is deserted. Those who were passed by the sabers of the Khazars were forced to leave the city - there was no more water in Eski-Kermen ...

For the convenience of descending the stairs, a rope is provided, however, descending is still dangerous. In June 2018, the siege well was blocked off from tourists, possibly due to security concerns.

Eventually

If you want to climb through the cave city, see canyons and sheer cliffs, but are not ready for an exhausting climb, then Eski-Kermen is your choice. As you already understood, it is accessible for almost all ages, there are caves, wonderful views from above and there are no long transitions from mark to mark. Compact and spectacular!

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- an interesting phenomenon Crimean peninsula. Created by the joint efforts of man and nature, they left many mysteries to the distant descendants of their creators. Tourists often come here to try to solve at least some of them. Abandoned ancient fortresses serve as a backdrop for filming films and objects for the painstaking work of archaeologists, who alone can return soul and life to the stone. One of these fortifications cave city Eski-Kermen in the Crimea.

Where is the settlement located in the Crimea?

The cave city is located on a plateau 14 km south of. Closest to it is the village of Red Poppy. Nearby are also Ternovka and Zalesnoye. 4 km from the Eski-Kermen plateau there is another famous cave city -.

Eski-Kermen on the map of Crimea

History of appearance: Byzantine fortress

All information about its history has been obtained by archaeologists. No mention of it was found in written sources, although it was quite large, well fortified and actively traded. Its real name is also unknown. "Eski-Kermen" is a later Tatar name, it means "old fortress".

Approximately the cave city arose in the 6th century, during the rule of the Byzantines, it existed until the turn of the 13th-14th centuries, when it was destroyed by the Mongol-Tatar conquerors. The inhabitants were engaged in agriculture and trade. In case of danger, he could give shelter to the population of the nearest unfortified settlements, since he was excellently protected - it was not easy to take him by storm. But nevertheless, it was destroyed precisely in the battle, which is proved by the study by archaeologists of the remains of two residential buildings. Both were burned, in one the skeletons of a family were found: a man, a woman and a child.
All were hacked to death with sabers, as evidenced by damage to the bones of the skulls.

Now Eski-Kermen is a protected historical and archaeological monument. You can visit it without restrictions, but overnight stays, making fire, any excavations (even just a violation of the integrity of the soil) and especially tourist creativity from the series “Vasya was here” are prohibited on the territory of the city. In popularity in the Crimea, he is second only to.

Mountain screen tests in the cave city

The unusual appearance of the premises of this settlement attracted the attention of filmmakers. Unfortunately, the popularity of cinema did not contribute to the demand for the monument - the area was presented as any other regions. Views from the cave "windows" are often found in Soviet and Russian adventure films, and in F. Bondarchuk's "9th company" the Eski-Kermen plateau played the role of a mountain in Afghanistan.

General description of the fortress

The fortress of Eski-Kermen at one time should have been considered a first-class stronghold. The sheer cliffs of the plateau already served as excellent protection in themselves. The city also had man-made fortifications - walls with a rocky foundation, several gates. At the top of the plateau, the remains of a tower, almost traditionally called a girl's tower (Kyz-Kule), have been preserved. Scientists believe that there is a distortion,
and the name should be Kez-Kule, from the word "eye", that is, "watch tower".

Probably, it was precisely such distortions that led to the appearance of “maiden towers” ​​in almost all Crimean medieval fortifications. There was also a siege well here - a very deep mine with a stone staircase, at the bottom of which a spring formed small lake. There is still water here.

Today, the fortifications of Eski-Kermen cannot be seen. Presumably, they were demolished in the 8th century, after an unsuccessful uprising against the Khazars. However, stone stairs, foundations carved into the rocks and, of course, caves have been preserved. Partially they natural origin, in some places carved into limestone by human hands. Scientists believe that the townspeople did not live in such grottoes, but used them as outbuildings, defense structures, workshops, churches and tombs. They could also play the role of basements for ground dwellings.

What is interesting about Eski-Kermen?

Now you can see " main street» of the city, from which underground casemates depart in different directions, go down into the siege well, visit the churches of the Assumption of Mary and the Three Horsemen (probably dedicated to George the Victorious, and got its name thanks to the preserved frescoes depicting horsemen).

You can also see numerous pits for storing grain (they were provided with ventilation; stocks in case of a siege could be stored here for several years), and on the slopes there are wild vines that were once cultivated by the townspeople. Now the Crimean breeders are trying to restore varieties.

For the convenience of tourists in different places posters were hung with descriptions of the main objects. There is also General Map settlements. Access to Eski-Kermen is allowed both with and without a guide, but "independent" tourists should be especially careful, because you can get lost in the caves.

Photos of Eski-Kermen are very famous, but tourists prefer to take their own, which is allowed without restrictions, as well as shoot videos. The beauty of the view and the mystery ancient city dispose to this, which is what all visiting travelers who decide to conquer the ancient beauties of Crimea use.

How to get to the cave city?

Having gathered for an excursion, you should decide in advance the question of how to get there. The cave city of Eski-Kermen is unreachable for transport - it is forbidden to find anything on wheels there. You will have to take a bus from Bakhchisaray to the village of Krasny Mak, and from there go on foot. Public transport this village also goes from, Sevastopol and Yalta.

Some tour agencies organize the transportation of tourists to the very foot of the plateau, but then you still have to climb on foot. By car from Bakhchisarai you will have to overcome such a path.

Hi all! I want to tell you about the mountain route, which is very popular with tourists when visiting the Bakhchisarai region in Crimea. - amazing natural and man-made monument which can be visited by the whole family. The main thing is to keep safe!

From the article you will learn about the route itself, how to get to Eski-Kermen and a little about the history of the settlement. My review will be large, so I bring to your attention its first part.

This article is intended primarily for those holidaymakers who, in addition to South Shore and the Black Sea did not see anything in the Crimea. Thanks to our directors. After watching the movie "9th Company", the settlement of Eski-Kermen became more popular. Filming took place at 18 objects of the peninsula, one of which we will visit with you.

Our trip took place in mid-November. There were few tourists, for which I appreciate this time of year. In the Eski-Kermen season, you definitely can’t call it dead.

Settlement Eski-Kermen on the map.

View Larger Map

Near the plateau there is free parking and horseback riding. A booking tour has been created. groups on jeeps along the routes: Eski-Kermen, Tepe-Kerien, Chufut-Kale. Without leaving the cash desk, you can order a guide. Climbing up to the cave city excursion group or on your own.

Here is a picture from a helicopter, I borrowed it from the site sergeydolya.livejournal. This is what Eski-Kermen looks like in summer. On the one hand, it is certainly more beautiful in summer, but in November, thanks to bare trees, all the surroundings are clearly visible.

Northern part of the plateau. The length is a little over 1 km. See the path leading deep into the forest? This is where our ascent began.

At self-guided tour study the route carefully! We met a group that got lost and didn't know how to get down the mountain. We had friends with us who were our guides. As you can see, you can go up or down from north side and from the south.

Throughout excursion route pointers are placed, there are short descriptions of objects.

Our hike began along the rather steep northern slope of the mountain.

Turning back, I noticed the first casemates of the cave city.

We climbed to the plateau where the Northern sentinel complex is located.

View of the neighboring mountain and grottoes of Zangurma-Kobalar.

A boulder at the foot of the mountain caught my attention.

It was as if a giant took a knife and cut off one part of the common pie. :)

After looking around, we continued our way to the cave city. The path led through dense thickets.

A little history of the emergence of the city of Eski-Kermen

Presumably, the city of Eski-Kermen began its existence as a rock fortress in the sixth century, during the Byzantine Empire. In the southwestern part of the peninsula, nature has created rocks of amazing shapes, which served as protection for people from the enemy. The mountain itself steep slopes and a plateau on the surface, called a table mountain. There are beams on both sides of Eski-Kermen.

Despite quite large settlement Very little is known about the history of the rock fortress. There are no mentions of the ancient city in the ancient chronicles. Local population called the cave city "old fortress" in the Crimean Tatar Eski-Kermen.

As it is written on the sign, the city has about 500 caves and grottoes, some of which are natural, and some are carved out of limestone. In almost every cave, the results of physical labor are visible: niches, windows, doorways and entire halls with columns. Thanks to the soft rock, a fortress city was built from the rocky walls, with multi-storey caves, streets, casemates and temples.

Food, weapons, and livestock were kept in numerous caves. The outer caves served as watch posts. Combat casemates covered the approaches to the city and the most vulnerable areas of defense.

The population built their houses on the upper flat part of the rock. The impregnable sheer walls served as a good defense for the population of the cave city.

Most of the cave structures of Eski-Kermen were built already in the XII-XIII centuries.

As for ethnicity, versions are different. It would be more accurate to say that the population consisted of mixed Crimean peoples: Taurians, Scythians and Goths.

The siege well is one of the main attractions of Eski-Kermen, which has become overgrown with legends. Many claim that it was because of him that the fortress fell.

The building is quite interesting. well with drinking water helped the inhabitants of the cave city to withstand the siege.

My son and a friend tried to go down one flight below. The descent is very steep and difficult. It remains to guess how the water was raised up such steps.

According to the information on the signs, there are six such spans, and 84 steps lead down. Without a flashlight, there is no point in descending into the well. At the very bottom there was a cave with water from a spring. Some water remains to this day.

If you want to go down into the siege well, take a flashlight and a rope with you.

The excursion trail passes at the very edge of the mountain, there is another one in the depths of the thickets, but the first one is much more interesting.

Caves of Eski-Kermen

The closer we got to south gate Eski-Kermen, the more interesting were the "facades" of the caves.

Here is a two-story house, stone steps lead to it, cut down in rock manually.

The photographs came out unimportant, but in general the “design” of the cave is understandable.

Transition between the first and second floors.

As I mentioned, the main dwellings of the townspeople were destroyed long ago. The caves that you see served as utility and guard rooms.

A long and narrow cave city can be compared to a liner and cabins of different classes. But instead of the sea, endless expanses and Crimean mountains.

Each cave has ventilation holes, and upon closer inspection, prehistoric clam shells can be seen in the walls.

View from the window on the Zangurma-Bair plateau, pay attention to the thickness of the walls.

The multi-level housing of the Flintstones' neighbors. :)

Jump from cliff to cliff, and here we are new cave with a preserved column.

Stone figures of the cave city

It is difficult to say whether a person natural phenomena left behind intricate figures in stone.

You can dream up and see different images ...

But the big-nosed uncle in profile ... see? :)

Through the labyrinths of passages we get out to the surface and head to the place, thanks to which we ancient settlement learned even more tourists.

In the footsteps of the film expedition

In front of you is the set of the film "9th Company". According to the scenario, the Mujahideen jumped into the wells, but in reality they are granaries with an excellent ventilation system. Under such conditions, grain could be stored for 10-15 years. If necessary, cut holes were covered with stone covers.

The inhabitants were engaged in winemaking, cattle breeding, and thanks to the numerous fields and agriculture.

Tour groups love to take pictures here.

And here, in fact, are shots from the film "9th Company"

Be very careful and watch your children! By the way, my “baby” really made me worry….. And at that moment…. “My heart stopped soooo...then it caught my breath a little...and started again”, the son realized that it was better to go back.

Next time, the most beautiful part of the cave city Eski-Kermen is waiting for you. .

Crimea is a territory that is rich in natural and man-made attractions. Perhaps, in no other corner of the country so many masterpieces of old and new times have been collected.

Therefore, if you are not attracted to supermarket trips, go to Eski Kermen - the most "cave" of all the cave cities of the peninsula. Such beauties and secrets, bathing and legends await here, which will remain in memory for a very long time.

Where is the cave city of Eski Kermen

The medieval bastion city is located in the southwest of the peninsula, if you look for the cave city of Eski Kermen on the map, then count 14 km south from Bakhchisaray and then 5 km northwest from the equally interesting Mangup Kale. In general, the entire inner ridge of the Crimean forest-steppe is full of secrets, but the foothills are famous for just such rocky ghost towns, which have long outlived glory, but at the same time remain attractive to travelers.

Going to see Eski Kermen - a cave city that amazes the imagination, do not plan to do it quickly. Three long routes, cut in the rocks, will be taken to the entrance with a serpentine and will give the opportunity to bypass the entire settlement along the perimeter. And it is absolutely necessary to do this in order to enjoy not only stunning natural views, but also to understand how great the skill of the ancient builders was, to see the secrets of the ghost town and make sure that not everything is subject to the human mind.

Representing a table mountain with steep edges, the Iski Kermen plateau is elongated from north to south. The total length is a little over a kilometer, the width reaches 170 meters, and the height of the cliffs is up to 30 meters! This is a real impregnable fortification, which has long retained its integrity. Today, Eski Kermen is a route that gives you the opportunity to see a lot. The plateau offers a wonderful view of Mangup Kale, Tepe-Kermen, Chatyr-Dag. IN good weather the panoramas are such that it is painful and pitiful to leave here to tears, I want to stay and settle in Eski Kermen - the cave bastion rarely lets travelers go without a feeling of sadness and regret about the past.

The history of the emergence and development of the city

The old cave Eski Kermen or, as it is also called, Eksi Kermen, began its existence in the VI century, when people came to the plateau to equip another pass on trade routes. IN old times here passed the busiest trade trails leading to Tauric Chersonesus. At first it was an ordinary overnight stay, then travelers needed reinforcements in order to leave some goods in complete security. This is how the arrangement of Eksi Kermen began, a city that survived the destruction and was again restored from the ashes like a phoenix.

The first trouble came at the end of the 8th century, when there was an uprising against the Khazar Khaganate led by John of Gotha. Judging by the excavations, the nearby Doros fortress was destroyed to the ground, but Eski Kermen was a little more fortunate, not only the defensive walls were restored, but also numerous intra-rocky economic caves were preserved: barns, stockyards, and so on. The heyday begins, when new guardrooms on the cliffs, shelters for guards at all approaches and improvement of roads are equipped.

The favorable period for Iska Kermen lasted a long time, in X-XII centuries grows on the place of fortification real city with regular quarters, wide streets of 2 meters and a population of many thousands. The testimony of contemporaries suggests that Eski Kermen in Bakhchisarai could accommodate not only residents, guests, but also a huge number of livestock.

The presence of water sources, sufficient supplies of provisions - this city could resist all misfortunes for a long time, as actually happened at the beginning of the 13th century, when the countless troops of Nogai came here. Destroyers swept across the highlands in a devastating wave, sweeping away everything in their path, killing and destroying. stone caves Eski Kermen survived, but the people turned out to be weaker than the rocks - they left. After a while, life, of course, returned, but no one wanted to restore the walls, renovate the caves, and little by little the Bakhchisaray Eski Kermen began to fade away.

At the end of the 15th century, the ruins were already almost completely overgrown with shrubs, the stones collapsed, nature gradually returned the rocks to their original state, in the 16th century even the real name of the city did not remain, it was called Cherkes-Kermen, and then Eski Kermen, which literally means simply " old fortress". The true name of the city can no longer be found, and even in the annals of 1578, the Lithuanian ambassador wrote to the khan that: “neither the Greeks, nor the Tatars, nor the Turks know what kind of fortification remains are located next to Cherkes-Kermen.”

Of course, the cave city of Eski Kermen loses in area to other settlements, but only here 332 caves, manually carved into the rocky base, have survived to this day almost intact! And it is worth seeing with your own eyes. Let someone praise the temples lost in the jungle - we will not dispute their value, but our treasure is hidden in the Crimea, which can only be reached on foot or in a good car, making a distance of several kilometers. You can only find shelter if it is an excursion to Eski Kermen, otherwise you can simply get lost in the foothills without finding the right road to the cave city of Eski Kermen.

Grottoes and tombs

Eski Kermen is an excursion famous not only for the skill of the ancient people who carved the city into the rocks. There are plenty of rooms, equipped at a slightly later time, where people lived happily, enjoying the impregnability of the refuge. Two-story comfortable cave-apartments were spacious and comfortable. But after a raging fire, they turned into real tombs. Excavations of archaeologists have found in the cellars of many houses the remains of people who did not survive the elements.

In addition, the ruins of the basilica, once built in the city, today have become one of the sights, although of a slightly sad kind - a cemetery for the inhabitants of the village. For a long time the basilica was beautiful, equipped with three semicircular apses, naves, marble columns, but time does not spare such masterpieces.

Therefore, today it remains only to represent beauty, paying tribute to the dead and buried in the ruins of people. One of the naves has survived; a chapel has been built there, which is definitely worth a visit. And, of course, to inspect the siege well with a 20-meter tunnel, 84 steps and a water shaft. The steepness of the descent is great, so please be patient - this well is unique for the peninsula, it is not like it in any siege bastion city. When descending, do not look under your feet, the grottoes and tombs located in the branches and recesses of the corridor are much more interesting. That's where the scope for fantasy, legends and speculation. They say that from time to time, in especially quiet moments, you can hear the rattling of weapons and the voices of people who defended the well and the whole city from nomadic tribes.

Altars and frescoes

No less interesting for visiting the sanctuary of the city. The Church of the Three Horsemen has two entrances and a pair of windows that illuminate the entire space. Carved into the rock, the shrine is today a resting place. Two graves: one larger, the second small are located right in the temple, and between them there is a place for candlesticks and a cross. It is assumed that by big grave the temple is also named, it depicts George the Victorious, pacifying the snake, on the sides there are two horsemen, one of whom holds a child in his arms. It is possible that the fresco was painted in honor of a significant battle, of which there were plenty. Most likely, the dead were canonized as Saints, the time of construction dates back to the end of the 12th century, and the battle was with the Tatar hordes, who filled the plateau with a myriad army.

A little closer to the main gate is oldest temple, once equipped with three entrances, a bishop's chair and baptismal font. There are also tombs in the floor of the temple, but the very shape of the structure is asymmetrical, which made scientists scratch their heads. It is assumed that this place was a kind of "trial court", where not only pardoned, but also punished. Frescoes have not been preserved, but the painting is alive in the Church of the Assumption, located a little further and almost completely destroyed. This church is truly unique. At first it was an ordinary pit for pouring grain, then it was converted into a grape press, that is, a winery, and then a church was opened - apparently a time of troubles had come and the inhabitants of Iska Kermen decided that the salvation of souls was much more important than all other things.

In addition to the frescoes and altars in the bastion, there are quite a lot of interesting things: sentinel sites, loopholes, loopholes - you can’t count everything, but there is one more unique monument which deserves the attention of travelers.

Valley of the Givers

A little away from Iska Kermen was the temple of the Donators. The frescoes depicting the Holy Grail perplex scientists and make them think over and over again all the details of the construction of the temple, the events that followed. A donor is a “donor”, ​​plus such a sacred fresco – the result is almost the same lost Grail burial place!

The famous scientist N. Repnikov at one time put forward a version that once upon a time the valley and the temple of the Donators were a single entity. He also described the rich and skillful frescoes that covered the walls and ceiling of the temple. It is interesting that the frescoes were painted with a skill that was available only to students of the Constantinople school, and this speaks volumes, for example, about the greatest significance the Temple of the Donators had for the inhabitants of the plateau. Today, the frescoes are completely lost, but there is an opportunity to see the remains of the shrine and attend the liturgy, which are sometimes held here.

Lake Eski Kermen

Going on an excursion to Eski Kermen, do not forget your bathing suit, because there is a real lake here! Someone will say that there is nothing interesting in a small pond if there is a huge sea nearby, but still it is worth swimming. Lake Eski Kermen is a masterpiece of nature. The water heated from above by the sun remains cool even in the hottest summer - below the reservoir is fed by the purest springs.

They say that not only the city of Eski Kermen, the lake is also sacred. If you are not afraid of coolness and plunge into the water with your head, failures will leave a person forever. And all lovers of extreme sports should definitely visit here: the opposite rocks are considered the most convenient place for jumping into the water, the height of some reaches 10 meters, so there are enough desperate people here!

Well, whoever likes calm water is invited to splash in cool jets, admire the surroundings and forget sorrows forever, because this lake gives peace to the soul and relaxation to the body.

Hostel Eski Kermen

Do you want to go to the internet cave? Then a trip to Eski Kermen is a decided route. Tourist base is located at the base of the city and is a whole complex of convenient premises. There is everything for lovers of extreme sports and comfort. A hotel with apartments of various classes, an ethnic cave, preserved in the same ancient style.

Inside the ensemble, everything is very decent: there is a large parking lot, so you can see the Eski Kermen route on the map for an individual trip, there is also good cafe, there is a small corner of living creatures where children come, a bathhouse, camping for "savages" and a horse yard. The latter should be mentioned separately: you don’t particularly run into the mountains by car, but on horseback you can go to any secluded place, which all travelers do with pleasure. For fishing or mountain walk, ride yourself and take the kids for a ride - the horses are quiet, well-groomed and the price is affordable.

By the way, fishing in the ponds will please everyone! Carp, silver carp, crucian carp - they ask for the grill and they are fried right there, on fresh air, seizing with a tortilla and greens - tasty, healthy and very pleasant. And in order to go fishing for a day, you need to pay only about 1000 rubles, it is quite inexpensive for great pleasure and enjoyment from fishing. If you don’t want to fish nearby, go on horseback to other lakes and ponds, there are plenty of them here and fish, big and small, are perfectly caught everywhere.

How to get there?

To see all the wonder, you need to know how to get to Eski Kermen cave ghost town:

1. From Simferopol by regular bus on the route to Zalesnoye, get to the stop village of Krasny Mak;

Bus schedule from Simferopol to the stop Krasny Mak

Bus schedule Sevastopol-Red Poppy

2. By train Simferopol-Sevastopol get to the village. Front (station 1509 km), there transfer to bus number 45 and get to the village of Krasny Mak or Kholmovka;

Train timetable Simferopol-Sevastopol

3. By regular bus to Kholmovka to the final one.

Bus schedule Sevastopol-Kholmovka

And now from the Red Poppy or Kholmovka, following the signs, about 6 km on foot. Rides run frequently, so the question of how to get to Eski Kermen will not arise. But even if you choose a walk, you will not be disappointed - the places are so rich in beauty that the trip will bring pure pleasure!

By car, drive to the village of Tankovoye, and then to Krasny Mak, before which there is a turn to Kholmovka - turn left and head to Eski Kermen. How to get from the turn: drive to a large farm - its hedge can be seen immediately, turn left and the same reserved valley will open, and above it Eski Kermen - the cave city on the map is indicated by coordinates: N 44.6087 E 33.7400.

How to get by car from Simferopol to Eski Kermen (map)

From Sevastopol

From Yalta

From Sevastopol there is an electric train Sevastopol-Simferopol, get to the village of Frontovoe, there is bus 45 of the route. From Yalta by regular bus to Bakhchisaray, then on foot following the signs.

How to get to the cave city Eski Kermen from Bakhchisaray:

1. By bus Bakhchisaray - Zalessnoe to Red Poppy

2. By bus Bakhchisaray - Kholmovka to the final stop.

Going to Eski Kermen in your own car, don't worry about where to stay. There is no protected area, so you can choose a place to spend the night according to your own taste. In addition to the camp site, there are good campsites along the way, and the attraction is not so far from Simferopol that it was impossible to return at night. But what you can’t do is not to see the Eski Kermen cave city, in which the secrets of eternity have not yet been unraveled.