What plants grow in the canoe valley. Baydarskaya valley: the unique nature of the mountainous Crimea. Chernorechensky canyon and the route along it

"The word Baydar, meaning a rich gorge, clearly certifies that it was produced by people who realized the beauty and advantages of this valley on the Crimean peninsula. The Baydar valley is one of the most profitable areas in the Crimea for living for people and animals. Being distinguished by a healthy climate, it abounds in beautiful forests, springs of water, excellent pastures..."

"Universal description of Crimea"

traveler V.Kh. Kondaraki, 1875

It would seem that this is a thankless task: to write about the Baydarskaya Valley, a valley that was described and praised by such titans as Pushkin and Mickiewicz. Griboedov and Bunin, Vladimir Vernadsky and Alexei Tolstoy, Catherine the Second and our recent leaders Leonid Brezhnev and Nikita Khrushchev have been here, and others have lived for a long time. There is a lot of literary and scientific literature about these places. I will try to say a few words and I, after an excursion to the valley with a group of associates in yoga classes. I'll tell you how we saw this place now, in the fall of 2012, especially since I also had questions related to geology.

Whatever epithets were awarded to the Baydar Valley: both Crimean Switzerland and the pearl of Crimea. Indeed, the place is amazing. A small valley 16 * 8 km, located near the coast, the slopes of the mountains are gentle, covered with forest. There are 16 rivers and many artificial lakes in the valley. The climate is mild, in summer there is no such sweltering heat as on the coast, because. the valley itself is located at a level of 300-400 m above sea level, and the small mountains surrounding it are at the level of 800 m. It would seem: life should be beautiful and carefree in this fabulous place. But not everything is so simple. There are a lot of problems here today. I recall in this connection the verses of Robert Rozhdestvensky:

“... Our land

extensively forested,

successful meadows,

plentiful streams,

and it's just embarrassing

that there is no order in it,

and people are tired of pointlessly suffering,

live unrighteously."

There are 12 villages in the valley. All of them have two names: the old Tatar one and the new one, received in 1944. Then settlers from the Voronezh region came to the valley and gave their new villages the Voronezh names: Rossoshanka, Novo-Bobrovka, although there are no beavers in the valley. Since the end of the 80s, the Crimean Tatars have also returned to their homeland. In some places, even their pre-war houses have been preserved, but completely different people have been living in them for more than half a century. In 1986-87, migrants from the Chernobyl zone also appeared here. Under socialism everyone was busy. They grew vegetables, tobacco, and were engaged in animal husbandry. Everywhere along the valley are scattered the skeletons of former farm buildings, vegetable stores, tractor stations. Now all this is destroyed, only the walls remain.

Previously, there were huge collective farm gardens, but over time, the gardens had to be uprooted. The fact is that after the construction of the Chernorechensky reservoir, the climate has changed, fogs have become frequent. And fogs in the spring interfere with pollination. The trees are blooming, but there are no bees, and there is no harvest.

To date, all the land has been sold and is in private ownership, but its purpose - agriculture - has not changed. No one cultivates the land, everyone is waiting for changes in the law, when it will be possible to build hotels here. So the former collective farm fields are standing, waiting in the wings. In some places, a dense forest has already grown on them. Reservoirs, if the mirror area is less than three hectares, can also be sold. Therefore, almost all lakes are also private. In the villages, houses are for sale, signs “For sale” hang across the house. Moreover, both new houses and very old ruins are for sale. There is no gas in the valley, the heating is stove. There is no sewerage either. Yes, we live in strange times. Schools and hospitals were closed, but the church was built.

But the main thing that is not in the valley is work. Everyone survives the best they can. Some go to work in the city, others try to make money on tourists: they lead excursions. Appeared in the valley and his philanthropist named Ulyanov. He is respected in the valley. He came from the Baltic States, set up a farm in an old cowshed, breeds horses, organized horse rides, competitions, and training of athletes. Apparently, tourism is the future of this valley. There is where to relax and what to see. Tourists are shown the road laid by the Roman legionaries, and perfectly preserved to this day. We also saw the Skelsky menhirs: these are stones dug into the ground vertically. According to the guide Pavel, our menhir is the best in Europe. Firstly, the oldest one, it is 5 thousand years old, and secondly, it stands in its original place and has not moved anywhere in its long life. Height is 2.5 meters, and the same underground. It looks really old, the stone itself is marble-like limestone. It was not possible to find out which tribes and peoples put it, for what purpose.

No one can say how many peoples and tribes considered this land to be their homeland, and then disappeared, blown away by the wind of history. Even now representatives of more than 20 nations live in the valley: Muslim women in headscarves, Slav women in miniskirts. It is rare that anyone remembers the cheerful collective farm past, as well as the troubled war years, when the Germans took pictures at the menhirs, and the locals signed up some as partisans and some as punishers. This too has passed. I wonder who will be living here in "a ridiculously short time, well, let's say a thousand years?"

In another part of the valley, we were shown dolmens - stone boxes dug into the ground. Previously, they were covered with stone lids, but the lids did not survive the change of eras and civilizations, and the boxes themselves were very well preserved. According to Paul, the ancient tribes planted their elders in these boxes, they lived there for a long time and even gave advice to their fellow tribesmen.

Whether it was actually impossible to verify, but lovers of all sorts of esotericism and unconventional energies love this place very much. According to them, here they are charged with energy and cured of all diseases. Dolmens are made of local stone - pelitic limestone. Everything around is covered with forest, I did not see any outcrops. In the rubble on the road I found several pieces of milky veined quartz and pieces of siderite concretions. I also failed to learn anything about local lovers of mineralogy. But I managed to visit the Skelskaya cave, again the best in Europe, according to the same guide. The cave is equipped and illuminated, the entrance fee is 60 hryvnia. It is said that the sense of time and space is lost in the cave. And I experienced this to the fullest. It seemed that we were there for about 15 minutes, but it turned out that for an hour. The height of one hall seemed to me 7-10 meters, but in fact it is 30 meters. In general, the karst of the Crimean Mountains is a huge topic, very interesting.

One of the most beautiful places and lies away from tourist routes, at least away from the paths of beach lovers. This place is known to lovers of hiking and connoisseurs of pristine nature. It is called Baydarskaya Valley.

A bit of history

The name was given to her by the old name of the largest village - Baydar (now it is called Eagle). People have always lived here: archaeological finds claim that the first settlements arose here more than 5 thousand years ago. The old names of the villages - Sakhtik, Savatka, Haito - still cannot explain anything to scientists, because they do not belong to any language known now. Perhaps the Taurians were the first to live here - scientists know their ancient burials. Many left their traces: cave sites of the most ancient people, the remains of ancient settlements of the Scythians, skelsky menhirs, ancient dolmens, roads paved by Roman legionnaires, ancient burial grounds of the Greeks and Goths.

In ancient times, hunting trails passed through the valley, then they were replaced by paved roads, this was the only way from the steppes of Crimea to its southern coast. Until now, the Kalendskaya path has remained, connecting once Chersonese and the same ancient fortress of Kharaks on Cape Ai-Todor.

To see the true beauty of the Baidar Valley, you need to climb the mountains. A sea of greenery and the blue surface of the Chernorechensky reservoir opens up from Sandyk-Kaya Mountain and from Kara-Dag. The forests and meadows of the valley are still full of birds, animals and lush vegetation. The Baidar valley in Crimea is surrounded by mountains, so it has its own microclimate: often clouds cannot cross the mountains, and then they spill onto the land of the valley with rain, which is why everyone always chose this place to live.

What to admire in the Baydarskaya Valley?

Many of the natural beauties of the Baidar Valley can be called natural monuments. Here are amazingly beautiful gorges-canyons, rivers and lakes: the longest - Chernorechensky and the smallest - Uzundzhinsky, Ai-Todorsky and Sukhorechensky; waterfalls "Kozyrek", "Thorn dew" and "Fatma", the Baga River, Mulovskoye Lake and Chernorechenskoye Reservoir.

The historical sights of the Baydarskaya Valley are also interesting:

Skelsky menhirs- the astronomical structure of the ancients. Such places are called places of Power, they say that they heal;
Skelskaya cave. Located at the foot of Kara-Dag. Equipped with stairs and illuminated, well-preserved sinter formations can be seen;
Tash-Koy- an ancient Taurus burial ground;
Foros church. It was built on the sheer Red Rock in 1892 in honor of the miraculous rescue of the imperial family;

Roman military road. It led from Chersonese along the pass to the South Bank, paved areas and retaining walls are still preserved;
Baydar gates. Built on the pass in honor of the opening of the Yalta-Sevastopol highway, which connected the western and southern parts of Crimea;
The Baidar Valley in Crimea is also known for its spring in the village of Orlin. According to legend, A. Pushkin drank water from it when he traveled along the South Coast.

The new time has brought a new name to the ancient Baydarskaya Valley in Crimea, now it is also called Crimean Switzerland for its wonderful climate and unique nature.

general description

The average height of the valley is 300-400 meters above sea level, while the mountains that surround it are 600-800 meters high. The Chernaya River flows through the Baidarskaya Valley with one man-made dam in the area of the Chernorechensky Gorge. The length of the valley is 16 km, and the width is about 8 km.

Due to this location, the microclimate here is milder and more humid. In summer there is no such heat as on the coast. However, in autumn and spring the temperature in the valley is also lower than in most of the peninsula. The snow melts later in the spring. Thanks to such a climate and fertile soil, various vegetables grow well here, and during the Soviet era, even tobacco was grown.

The Baydar Valley is one of the most picturesque places in Crimea. The most beautiful views of the spacious meadows covered with greenery, through which the river flows, and at a distance there is a mountain range, few people are left indifferent. Often this place is called Crimean Switzerland. Now a significant part of the valley is part of the Baydarsky reserve.

History of the Baidar Valley

Archaeological finds indicate that people have settled here since ancient times. From the ancient peoples remained mysterious structures - stone menhirs and dolmens. At the end of the 19th century, scientists discovered numerous Neolithic and Paleolithic sites. Tauris, Scythians, Greeks left their mark here. In memory of the Romans, the remains of an ancient stone road that connected Charax and Chersonese have been preserved.

The main attractions of the Baidarskaya Valley

In a relatively small area of the valley, there are many different attractions, among which there are both interesting historical monuments and natural beauties.

Pass - opens the way to the valley. It is located at an altitude of 500 meters. From here, impressive views of the surroundings and mountain ranges open up. A particularly strong impression is made by the view of the famous Resurrection Church, which from this place looks like it is hovering over Foros.

The arch of the Baydar Gates is a real architectural monument. The structure was built according to the project of K.I. Ashliman in 1848 in honor of the opening of the road between Sevastopol and Yalta, linking the southern and western parts of Crimea. Directly on the roof of the arch is an observation deck.

A significant part of the ancient Roman road is well preserved to this day. In ancient times, the path from the large policy of Chersonese to the southern coast of Crimea passed through the valley. Part of the road, known as the Kalendskaya trail, is located between the modern village of Podgorny and the famous Devil's Stairs near Mukholatka. Usually this road was used in winter, when strong storms made sea navigation between the large Roman fortifications in Chersonese and Charax on Cape Ai-Tudor dangerous. Now a well-known tourist route runs along it.

- has a rather impressive size and is interesting to visit. It is well equipped - there are lighting, stairs and passages. Inside there are many beautiful natural formations of various shapes, several spacious halls - Dolphin, Fireplace. In the main hall - Knight's, there are miniature copies of the Swallow's Nest, Foros Church and other interesting objects.

It is considered one of the most beautiful in the Crimea. Not far from the village of Peredovoe, the Kubalar-Su mountain stream rushes down from a great height into the gorge below. Thanks to the stone ledge that hangs over the gorge, the waterfall has a characteristic appearance. This place is especially attractive in the spring, when numerous flowers bloom.

One of the most famous sights of the valley are the Skelki menhirs, also known as Tekli Tash. Scientists estimate their age at 4 thousand years. The origin and purpose of these huge stones is still unknown. Not far from them, archaeologists have found numerous burials.

In translation - Extinct, located near the village of Novobobrovskoye. Traces of Bronze Age people were found here. Later it was used as a pagan temple and temple.

Video review:

How to get there

The easiest way to get to the Baidar Valley from Sevastopol is by car or regular buses. Local buses depart from the city to the village of Peredovoye. From the other part of the peninsula - the southern coast of Crimea, you can get here by car through the Baydar gate pass.

Baidarskaya Valley on the map of Crimea

GPS Coordinates: 44°28’00″N 33°47’39″E Latitude/Longitude

The Baidarskaya valley is more like a hollow stretching between the mountains for 16 km, its bottom is flat, and sometimes it is up to 8 km wide. From the mountains surrounding the valley, many rivers flow down into the Black River. Here is the largest freshwater reservoir in Sevastopol - the Chernorechenskoye reservoir. Primitive man inhabited this territory more than five thousand years ago, which is confirmed by Skelsky menhirs - vertical stone blocks near the village of Rodnikovskoye

Our journey began spontaneously, we were just going to go fishing at Toropovy Dachi, a favorite vacation spot for many Sevastopol residents. After lunch, the question arose of how to go back to Simferopol, on the same road through Sevastopol, or lay a new route .. It was decided to go through the Baidar Valley, the map showed that there was a road there, and it leads just to Bakhchisaray.

Turning off the Sevastopol-Yalta highway, we found ourselves on a narrow path that led up into the mountains in a serpentine

The nature is amazing and untouched, the views are simply breathtaking. There are almost no cars, and very few settlements. We go further, the first village through which we passed was the village of Shirokoe (in the photo below the main street). I was simply amazed at how godforsaken this place is, dilapidated houses, old mud huts, rickety electric poles. Nature here takes precedence over people, everything blooms and turns green against the backdrop of total devastation and poverty. Later it turned out that in comparison with the villages that are deeper, Shirokoye is just a metropolis, but more on that later.

We go further in order to get closer to the Chernorechensky reservoir, which supplies water to the entire Sevastopol. The reservoir is the largest in the Crimea. The construction of the first stage was completed in 1956. The 28 m high dam allowed collecting 33.2 million cubic meters of river water. Water was received not only by the Sevastopol water utility, but also by the Chernorechensk irrigation system. In 1977 - 1984 the dam was extended to a maximum height of 36 m, with a total reservoir capacity of 64.2 million m3.

It is almost impossible to drive up to the dam, everything is blocked for safety reasons. Special attention was paid to safety several years ago, when Sevastopol was deprived of water for three days due to pollution. Managed to take a few pictures.

When the reservoir overflows, excess water goes here:

Reservoir outlet channel:

Lots of tourists, most on foot, some on bikes:

Unfortunately, we did not manage to get closer, there is barbed wire and barriers everywhere.

We stopped by the road and took a few pictures of this beautiful reservoir, located in the heart of the Baidar Valley:

Herds of cows, horses and sheep graze peacefully here. The view of the entire valley opens up from the track, which plunged me into delight. Breathed freely and easily, crystal clear air gives a feeling of freedom and expanse. The smell of fresh grass made me remember my childhood when I helped my grandfather in the hayfield :)

After enjoying the air of the Baydar valley, we go further, and we get to the village of Peredovoye

There is a fork in the center of the village, one road goes up, another to the left, and the third to the right. The GPS stubbornly tells us to go up, but we did not trust him, because the dirt road leads up, while the other two are asphalt. First we turned right, and got to a dead end:

We turned around and drove along the road that led to the right, after driving 5 kilometers we realized that we were going the wrong way again

### Page 2

We ended up in a village with a funny name Novobobrovka Baga :)

Life in the villages Baidarskaya valley flows slowly and smoothly, no one is in a hurry, because there is nowhere to hurry. The bus passes here twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. Local residents move mainly on the old bikes "Ukraine". Here is a dilapidated building of the former state farm, and a tractor against its background, also dilapidated, but it seems to be in working order. Most likely this is the only thing left of the once prosperous economy.

We turned around again and drove back, deciding to still listen to the GPS. This is the road that led up, where we initially decided not to go

Gradually, she became narrower and narrower, from all sides trees approached closer and closer to her, I remembered the horror movie “Wrong Turn”)

Having stopped, we went out to take a picture of the forest, and suddenly a Mercedes S600 with headlights on swept past us at high speed, catching stones and clay on the bottom. It was the only car on our way, that people on this car forgot here can only guess. We were driving an off-road vehicle, and in some places we scooped up earth. The only option that came to mind: hiding from someone. Therefore, I did not dare to take a picture of them, but I took a picture of the forest :)

In the end, we crossed the pass and left from there. It turned out that we were driving along the MAIN !!! road, look at the sign:

Bakhchisaray met us with a thunderstorm, the rain poured so that the road ahead could be seen only a few tens of meters away. Then the rain ended as suddenly as it began. I had only positive impressions from this route, it was very interesting to get to know Crimea from the other side, the way few people know and saw it. Someday I will definitely repeat this trip!

At the northeastern junction of the Sevastopol region and the Bakhchisarai region of the autonomous "resort" republic, there are areas of rugged terrain. Sandwiched between the southern yayls, the Black River (together with two reservoirs) forms a unique landscape, of which there are quite a few in Crimea. The Baydar Valley - and this is exactly what this place is called - is famous for the fact that it once passed here, and deep caves are not uncommon on the sheer surface of the local mountains. It is important that there are already seven objects for excursions.

Where is the valley in the Crimea?

On the map of Crimea, the Baydarskaya valley is marked by a winding hollow. It seems to connect the mountainous area (at the junction of the Bakhchisaray and Balaklava regions) with Foros and (the conditional border of the South Coast and the Sevastopol region).

Baydarskaya on the map of Crimea

The history of the canyon

The intermountain basin in question was formed several millennia ago - at one of the stages of the melting of the last glacier. In fact, this is the catchment bowl of the Chernaya River, which has a variety of winding spurs.

In ancient times, it was used for trading purposes. The Romans paved a road here, which also has military significance. Archaeological research is being carried out in some areas of Baydar - many rarities associated with the history of the ancient world have been found here (remains of houses, temples, columns and other structures, coins, fragments of household utensils, jewelry, harness, weapons and tools).

However, many traces of the residence of the Turkic peoples were also found here. For example, the toponym itself appeared with the advent of the Tatars: "baidars" (roughly translated - "navigable") - the original name and Chernaya. The river and settlement indicated here are the main landmarks of the canyon.

Since 1991, the Baidarskaya Valley has been a protected natural reserve "Baidarsky", stretching for 15 km, covering several protected areas. It is also a rather popular object of excursions and photo shoots today.

What attracts tourists to the Baidar Valley?

On many satellite photos, the location of the spacious canyon is immediately apparent. You just need to find the points with the inscriptions "Advanced", "Rossosha", "Rodnikovskoe", "Eagle", "Pottery" and "Rear". All these are the names of the largest settlements located in a mountain tract, the height of which ranges from 300 to 400 m above sea level.

Smaller villages (former Tatar auls) have also been preserved here - Baga, Uzundzha, Kizilovoye, Ozernoye, Sakhtik, Kalendo, Buyuk-Muskomiya. Although now they have other names, they still have an ethnic flavor. Here, travelers buy food and even rent housing. Each of the natives knows the location of observation platforms and caves,
but it's better to come here by bus with a guide (you won't get confused).

There are several beautiful reservoirs in the valley - the Goncharninsky reservoir, the pond near Peredovoye, the lake near Orlinoye and many small ones. Of the rivers, its tributaries are also represented here. In some areas they are rapids - their channels become even more picturesque. Baidary is a huge source of clean underground water, so precious for the Crimean peninsula.

There is also a large forest and hunting farm in the basin, where dove, pheasant, fox, hare and wild boar live. In the vastness of the valley grows high juniper and comperia compera - a bright and beautiful fragrant plant. 67 species of the local flora are listed in the Red Book. The climate here is coastal-steppe, that is, trees, as a rule, of deciduous species, grow only on mountain slopes.

Among the local attractions are the Baydar Gates, and two narrow canyons - and. Along the most convenient part of the valley - through the Foros Descent, under the Church of the Ascension of Christ, the Shalash restaurant, through the villages of Orlinoe and Goncharnoe - the Old Sevastopol Highway passes. It connects with the South Coast Road one and a half kilometers from Goncharny.

How to get (get there)?

You can get into the valley from three ends. From here they pass along the highway to Goncharnoye (then follow another road - to Rear). From the sea they rise through. The inhabitants of the resorts of the South Coast pass here through: the ascent to this kind of "entrance" is found in the saddle between the mountains of Chelebi and Chkhu-Bair, towering high above Foros, the stairway starts almost from the bus station.

From Sevastopol, you can get to the Baidar Valley in this way:

You can get to the sights from Yalta like this:

Note to the tourist

Address: Orlinoe settlement, Sevastopol, Crimea, Russia.
Coordinates: 44.466645, 33.796931.

The Baidar Valley is extremely interesting on the Crimean peninsula. Reviews of people who visited this tract indicate that the rest here is full of discoveries. Visitors will find many natural and historical "pearls". The Baydar Gates, for example, are visited annually by 30-40 thousand vacationers or researchers. At their service is a restaurant, hostels, a gas station and an excellent observation deck overlooking the village and!