Starry sky of Arkhyz. Educational trip to the mountains

In mid-October, we managed to go to Arkhyz for the weekend. We had been planning this trip for a very long time, we postponed it several times for various reasons, and finally we told ourselves that if not this time, then in the near future it would not work. We were not even embarrassed by the fact that the weather forecast was not very happy - rain was promised, but we relied on the error of the forecast and did not lose, although the weather was cloudy, but there was no rain, only occasionally drizzling.

Trip to Arkhyz

Arkhyz is mountainous area in Karachay-Cherkessia. Actually, this is the name of a small village in the Zelenchuksky district, but in a broad sense, this is the name of a fairly large tourist area, starting from the very village of Zelenchukskaya (named after the mountain river flowing here) and up to Caucasian ridge. That is, it begins in the foothills, and ends already high in the mountains. It is immediately noticeable that they want to attract tourists here - the roads are new all the way from the village of Zelenchukskaya to Arkhyz itself, in some places there are still sections under repair, but there were no traffic jams, the roads were not loaded.

I will not be original if I say that I love mountains madly. If I see mountains in front of me, then neither any inconveniences, nor weather vagaries, nor distances overcome are of particular importance to me. But the mountains of Arkhyz are something amazing. Terrible, powerful, majestic - it is difficult to find epithets to describe them.

Trip to Arkhyz

You can go to Arkhyz at any time of the year: in spring, the green mountains are decorated with flowers, the aroma of herbs, and young vegetation; in summer it is very beautiful here and much cooler than on Black Sea resorts; open here in winter ski season- Arkhyz, by the way, is recognized as the best young ski resort in the country. But I love the mountains in autumn - it's such an amazing riot of colors! Therefore, this year I fulfilled my old dream - a weekend in Arkhyz.

Trip to Arkhyz

Trip to Arkhyz

We planned the weekend program in such a way as to see both sights and natural beauties.

Travel plan to Arkhyz

On the first day, even before settling into the camp site, we stopped at Nizhne-Arkhyz settlement looking at what's left of ancient capital Alanya; then we went up to the famous Face of Christ, which is located on the other side of the road and the Zelenchuk River. These two attractions deserve to be told about them in a separate review, which I promise to do in the near future.

Beforehand, of course, I consulted with those who visited Arkhyz, read on the Internet what you can see there, so the Lower Arkhyz settlement and the Face of Christ were in my first place in the mandatory program. In second place, fortunately that all this is nearby, was the famous observatory, which is called the "Eye of the Planet".

Trip to Arkhyz

Trip to Arkhyz

Sightseeing tour of the astrophysical observatory

Founded back in the 60s, this astrophysical observatory is still the largest ground-based space observation object in our country. Even at school, being a very inquisitive child, I attended an astronomy circle, so I heard about it more than once, but seeing it with my own eyes is fantastic.

Trip to Arkhyz

The observatory itself is located high in the mountains - the height is more than 2 km. above sea level. To go up to it, you need to turn left at the sign, this will be a check-in to the Lower Arkhyz settlement (it is immediately behind the barrier), and to the road to the observatory.

Trip to Arkhyz

The road takes about 20 minutes along the mountain serpentine. Of course, there will be sharp turns, and terrible cliffs, and stuffy ears, and most importantly, stunning views. Behind one of the turns is an observation deck, from where gorgeous views: you can see not only the mountains, including snow-covered ones, but also the road that repeats the bends of the Zelenchuk River. On the other side you can see snow-capped peaks.

Trip to Arkhyz

We will then have to return to this road in order to drive to the village of Arkhyz, but this is later, and now the observatory is waiting for us. After driving a little more, we went up to the observatory. There were several more tourist buses, including those brought schoolchildren on an excursion. It also offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains.

Trip to Arkhyz

But the main thing, of course, is the astrophysical observatory, which is considered the largest in Europe. Here is the tower of a large telescope (its diameter is six meters), which has a fixed shape, next to it is a large crane, which is mounted on rails leading to a large tower. All this creates some fantastically unrealistic picture. Plus, just a terrible wind that knocks you down, and a strange silence - only the wind is buzzing and metal structures “groan” and creak from the wind. A little creepy, the impression that you are at least on the set of a science fiction film.

Trip to Arkhyz

Caused a special delight in all optical illusion created by moving clouds. Someone from the group noticed that because of the clouds quickly escaping from us, if you stand under a huge crane, it seems that it is falling. Wow, just breathtaking.
A little further there are two more telescopes - smaller, and several other objects of unknown purpose.

Trip to Arkhyz

While we were walking around the observatory, a group left the building after the tour. An excursion to the tower of a large telescope costs 150 rubles, lasts about an hour, including watching an educational film. But the guide who accompanied the group said that they did not like the tour very much, since the young man who led it was not particularly interested in attracting the attention of the listeners, he spoke in a dry scientific language, in general, not that.

We, in fact, were not going on an excursion inside, since we did not have much time - they were already waiting for us at the tourist base, but if someone gathers, maybe they will be more lucky with a guide. I think if you want, you can do amazing in such a place. interesting excursion which will appeal not only to schoolchildren, but also to adults.

Tourist base "Arkhyz"

After sightseeing tour our path to the observatory lay in the village of Arkhyz. We stopped at a tourist base with an original and unexpected name - Arkhyz. It is located on the very edge of the village, by the way, very close to the territory of the reserve. We were not particularly picky when choosing a base, we listened to the advice of friends who had already rested here.

This is enough inexpensive option well in line with the price. Pleased large territory camp sites with big amount pavilions, nearby - barbecues, there are playgrounds, a lot of swings. Several hulls. We were placed in the first two-story wooden building. There are many rooms, mostly triples and quadruples. Facilities - along the corridor. On the floor there are two toilets with several cabins, there are refrigerators, a hall, showers on the first floor. There is also a dining room and a single TV on the ground floor. The rooms are quite modest. But, in principle, we did not come here to sit in the room or watch TV. Therefore, when we returned here late in the evening, terribly tired after a trip to the White Falls (I'm getting ahead of myself a little), we were quite satisfied hot water in the shower, clean bedding and warm rooms.

When we arrived, lunch was already waiting for us. They fed us, really, very tasty: there was a delicious rich thick lagman (real), each - a large plate of hot, only from the fire, khachapuri (or maybe they are called differently) with potatoes, as well as fragrant herbal tea. The kitchen can be used at any time, there is a stove, microwave, refrigerator, several electric kettles, dishes. At any time you can ask for their wonderful herbal tea - the owners are very pleasant, hospitable. The next morning we were fed more traditionally - mashed potatoes, goulash and fresh vegetable salad. But everything is very tasty, home-style. For dessert - fried donuts with honey. Honey real, mountain. By the way, tea, honey, mushrooms picked in the mountains, even jam from cones can be bought here, from the owners, and cheaper than in retail outlets. In general, if you are not too demanding, and you do not need to provide alpine chalet, it is quite acceptable to spend the night. Tourist base - it is a tourist base, and far from bad.

But back to my story. Having settled in (or rather, leaving things in the rooms), having a delicious lunch, barely warming ourselves with tea and dressing warmly, we went on a new excursion. For our group, a large military off-road vehicle GAZ-66 was ordered, which already with its serious look suggested that the road was waiting for us to be extreme.

Trip to Arkhyz

Trip to the White Falls

From the camp site we drove for about an hour. For about 10 minutes it was a normal road, then a mountain road began with potholes, ascents, descents, fords and other delights. The driver honestly warned us that it would be great to “sausage” us. But no one was indignant, on the contrary, it was fun in the car, every bump was accompanied by friendly screams and laughter, after all, everyone understood where we were going, and were mentally ready for such a shake-up.
After an hour of such a ride, shaken up and happy, although we beat off some places a little, we stopped in the forest, in a small clearing, then we had to climb on foot. The ascent is quite steep, among the trees, in some places we had to hold on to the trees and roots.

Trip to Arkhyz

Trip to Arkhyz

In several places, we had to cross small streams, so shoes here are needed not only comfortable and warm, but also waterproof. After a few minutes of climbing, we went to the river, then we were already climbing along the noisy mountain river, along the banks of which there were many fallen trees. In spring and summer, the river is more full-flowing and stormy, often uprooting old trees.

Trip to Arkhyz

Trip to Arkhyz

In general, this place, of course, impresses with its originality, even wildness. It is immediately clear that tourists do not come here very often. The views that open up are striking in their severity. A special effect was added by the fact that all this was already in the evening, at dusk.

Trip to Arkhyz

Trip to Arkhyz

We stayed at the waterfall for about half an hour, but since it was already getting really dark and scary, we began to go down. Going down the mountain forest at night is quite an adventure, I tell you. How no one has broken anything yet, this is a question, but they fell several times. But on the other hand, the impressions are indescribable, and we stocked up on extreme sports for a long time to come.

Trip to Arkhyz

We got back late, dark. The next day we were waiting new excursion- in Sofia Gorge. We agreed with the driver for 9 o'clock in the morning, but we still had to get together, have breakfast, as a result, the rise was scheduled for 7 o'clock. So it was necessary to sleep well, relax, dry your shoes and prepare for new experiences.

We go to the supermarket, buy Arkhyz mineral water, study the label for a long time, which depicts a landscape with high mountains.

- Go? – Thoughtfully asks a friend.

- Go! I nod in the affirmative.

Let's hit the road

The story with the bottle happened at the beginning of autumn, and closer to the new year we were ready for the trip. It was not difficult for us to find a quite decent hotel via the Internet, to book rooms.
The main purpose of the trip was to learn skiing. What it is, I personally knew only theoretically, but to feel how “our cheeks are shaved with a cold sharp razor updrafts» have not yet had to.

Pictures and reality

They took a couple of bottles with the cherished image with them and set off. The road is not easy, winding, but runs through very beautiful places, everything is literally buried in snow.

Arkhyz himself struck me with the fact that he is a village! I don't know why, I expected to see huge complex with a thousand skiers, tourists from Japan, who are taught to ride by an English-speaking instructor. Do not look for logic, as I saw it. And now, all immersed in fairy dreams I find myself in a snowy village. The first person we met was a cow. She apparently ran away from her yard, and dazedly rushed down the street, she was pursued by several people and a three-story mat.

Come on, live

The hotel was good, but, as it turned out, almost the only one in Arkhyz. We were placed in a room on the top floor. The room is quite spacious, all amenities. The price is high, of course, but this is due to new year holidays. At this time, prices are always raised in places where you can relax in the winter, the peak season.

Water

The famous water is really bottled in Arkhyz itself, the plant is tiny. The water, which tastes just as good, flows straight from the faucet. There is a mountain river nearby, we tried the water from it, it is very tasty. The locals explained that the streams descend from the mountains, undergoing multi-stage natural purification. They began to get drunk for the future, almost like camels.

The meal is served, please sit down to eat

In the hotel itself and rare cafes, the prices turned out to be such that they can envy good restaurants. Fortunately, my friend and I, as experienced travelers, took with us dry rations, which consisted mainly of canned food, and they were saved by them. A couple of times, nevertheless, they pleased the local catering with their presence. However, no one got this pleasure, neither we nor their owners. We did not like the food, but the owners did not like what they ordered.

Ski in hand and…

In Arkhyz, you can rent skis, which we took advantage of. The choice is normal, at least they were able to choose the size that they wanted. We found out where the yoke was located and moved towards it. There were no Japanese there, no English-speaking instructors either. The track is small and narrow, learning to ride is quite difficult. At the bottom of the spontaneous market, where they offer to drink, eat, buy souvenirs.

Why did you come here

A good half of the people who arrived had a strange, from my point of view, goal, namely, “to eat rubbish at the foot of the mountain.” The goal was successfully achieved. What skis? Vodka is cold! They came, clustered around their cars, arranged a camp table on the hood.

Ladies First

One lady was especially pleased. And not only me, but all those present. She was no longer confident on her feet, but insistently demanded from her gentleman to rent skis, he agreed. The lady somehow climbed to the very top of the mountain. While she was climbing, it became clear from the conversation of their company that this was her first descent.

All attention was focused on her. Standing at the top, she screamed that she was dedicating her descent to Vasya, the one who took the skis, and went down. Thirty meters she rode silently and with concentration, the speed grew. It became clear that she had no idea how to slow down.

Having traveled a third of the route, she began to yell:

- Vasenka! Stop me! Vasenka!

But Vasya could no longer help.

Somewhere halfway through, “Vasenka” turned into “Vasya is a bitch!”. And completing the route, she significantly expanded my ideas about the diversity of the Russian mat, Vasya blushed, as he learned a lot of new things for himself.

In general, she flew like a bullet ski run, a clearing at the foot and safely stuck in the bushes.
There were many such skiers. Luckily, we didn't have any serious injuries.

Road to the forest

I really enjoyed walking through the snowy forest. We rented cross-country skiing and plunged into the forest paths. Air cleanliness is not inferior to local water. around mountain slopes in coniferous trees, they spread a delicate smell, one wants to live and breathe.

What to have fun

We rented a snowmobile. Not a machine, but a beast! Ride with the breeze on the snow-covered slopes. It also offers a horseback riding tour, you can rent a sled. There are no clubs or restaurants here. Yes, they are useless. All entertainment is related to active recreation.

Is it worth it to go

If you are accustomed to the benefits of civilization and cannot imagine your vacation without them, you will not like it here. Minimum comfort, service also leaves much to be desired. But these are all trifles against the backdrop of rare beauty and unity with nature. It remains to be hoped that in the near future it will develop tourism infrastructure, I really want to not to the detriment of nature.

author: Maxim Kandratyuk, for the site

In July 2017, we made a road trip to the Elbrus region, but managed to stop by Arkhyz and visit many interesting sights.

Foreword

In July 2017, we made a road trip from Ivanovo to the Caucasus. As end point chose the Elbrus region, since my husband climbed Elbrus 10 years ago and managed to forget the beauty of these places, and I have never been there at all, despite the fact that I myself come from the south of Russia. The trip lasted from 17 to 24 July 2017. It took about three days on the road itself, a little over 2,000 km long in one direction, the rest of the time was devoted to viewing landscapes and sights.

Route selection

We built the route in this way: Ivanovo - Vladimir - Ryazan - Lipetsk - Voronezh - Pavlovsk - Kamensk-Shakhtinsky - Rostov-on-Don - Tikhoretsk - Kropotkin - Armavir - Cherkessk - Arkhyz - Cherkessk - Pyatigorsk - Elbrus region. For s. Vorobyovka of the Lipetsk region went to and further to Rostov moved along it.

The way there took about 32 hours, back about the same (considering that they were already returning to Moscow). On the way there, we stopped for the night in Cherkessk with relatives, we drove back without interruptions, we only slept in the car for a few hours.

Only my husband was driving, it was hard enough for him. In principle, the distance is quite surmountable alone, given the good condition of the roads for most of the journey, but it is better to have a second driver-change.

Preparation

Before starting a trip, you need to prepare the car well in order to avoid breakdowns on the road and wasting time searching for service workshops. Ours has already been tested by long trips to Baikal and Altai, so the way to Arkhyz in 1800 km, and then another 370 km to the Elbrus region seemed like a trifle.

What we did:

• complete auto diagnostics and replacement of worn parts (in our case, brake discs, pads and front wheel hub);
• changing oil and filters.

Next, you need to think about amenities. If you plan to stay in a hotel for the night, you can consider the option of numerous hotels and motels located along the M4 (more or less decent price tags start at 3 thousand rubles) or choose a place near Rostov-on-Don.

We slept in the car even without a blanket as it was hot at night. It’s better to stop for sleep at large lighted gas stations - it’s safe, no one will kick you out of there, and in the morning you can wash your face and drink a cup of coffee in their cafe.

Road to Elbrus

From Ivanovo to the intersection with the M4 "Don" highway, the roadbed cannot be called ideal, since this is a regional road, and it is not particularly monitored. In many areas, sloppy patching, almost no gas stations, holes on the sides and middle, and, of course, only one lane in each direction. Near regional centers the situation is improving.

There are also good roads in the middle lane

Federal highway M4 from Moscow to Rostov region contains several paid sections. The plans are to fully monetize this road, but so far Rosavtodor has not had time to build all the checkpoints. As of July 2017 reverse side from the Elbrus region to Moscow, the journey cost us 850 rubles.

Advantages of M4 "Don":

• in some places the speed limit is up to 120 km/h;
• good quality canvases;
• a large number of gas stations with places to rest and food points;
• illumination at night;
• the presence of the service of road commissioners.

• due to the construction of bypasses and new sections, there may be traffic jams (we stood for a very long time near Losevo just on the toll section);
• V high season quite dirty - containers and garbage cans are full, as there are a lot of cars going south, and the services do not have time to clean up all the garbage.
• delay at checkpoints.

It should be noted that near Rostov-on-Don we again stood in a traffic jam for 1.5 hours - and this was at 2 in the morning. Further to Cherkessk went freely.

Arkhyz

After resting with relatives early in the morning we left for Arkhyz. From the capital of Karachay-Cherkessia to the place of about 120 km. The foothills begin immediately outside the city limits and then turn into full-fledged (albeit low) mountain ranges.

This happens often

Behind the village of Zelenchukskaya, the road winds along the Bolshoi Zelenchuk River. At first we wanted to get to the village itself and look at hotel"Romantic", about which they read a lot good reviews and then climb up again cable car(http://arhyz-resort.ru/), but changed their minds and decided to stay in the valley 15 km from the village.

Slopes covered with green carpet

During the day we went to the Alan settlement - slightly neglected archaeological park located on the territory of the medieval Alanian kingdom.

The territory of the park

Its most interesting objects are two churches of the 9th-10th centuries in the Byzantine style, somewhat reminiscent of Georgian temples. Once excavations were carried out here, but due to lack of funding, the place is kept only by enthusiasts.

Former cathedral church of the settlement

Nearby along the route there is a market with delicacies: honey, nuts, mushrooms, tea, souvenirs, mutton skins, wool products, hats, dishes, Caucasian daggers and other paraphernalia of the highlanders. From there, the path leads to another attraction - the face of Christ on the rock, but we did not climb there.

parking place

The rest of the time we spent along the picturesque river contemplating nature and trying to cook our own food on the coals.

grilled corn

We spent the night in a tent, not being prepared for the fact that it would be quite cold, because we were right by the water in the middle of a narrow gorge.

Made yourself a dinner

Elbrus region

Nevertheless, the ultimate goal of our trip was Kabardino-Balkaria and the Elbrus region, so the next day we went there. From Arkhyz to the glade Azau near the village. Terskol. We easily covered this path in half a day.

On the roads among the mountains

These are the views that haunted us

The road passes through the territory of Karachay-Cherkessia, captures part Stavropol Territory to detour Pyatigorsk, turns to Nalchik, turns off in the area with. Islamey and further leads to a greater tourist area, uniting several villages (including Terskol), as well as ski resorts - glades Azau and Cheget, each of which has a cable car.

By the way, it is very convenient to book a hotel through the site http://prielbrusye.net. It contains comprehensive information about prices, conditions, lifts, local restaurants, transfer, taxi services, excursions and a lot of useful information.

Not far from the hotel

We stopped here http://barsazau.ru/. A very decent place without frills at a price of 2000 rubles per day. This hotel can also be found on booking.com. I chose based on reviews that said it was clean, quiet + perfect location. True, I was not lucky with silence, since it seemed to me that there was no sound insulation at all. But otherwise - a solid "four".

Hiking routes

We climbed by cable car to a height of 3500 meters to the Mir station. The views there are simply magnificent: snow-covered mountain ranges in full view. Elbrus seems to be within easy reach, with observation deck opens a panoramic view.

At the intermediate station

At the station "Mir"

Also at the station "Mir" there is a small museum and a memorial in honor of the defenders of the passes. During the Second World War, Soviet troops knocked out the famous mountain division "Edelweiss" from here, the soldiers of which even installed Wehrmacht flags on two peaks of Elbrus.

Incomparable Elbrus

We dined in different places, but most of all we liked the Kogutai cafe, where you can choose dishes of both Caucasian and European cuisines. Later I discovered that it has an excellent rating on TripAdvisor and many good reviews.

Panorama of the Baksan Gorge

Separately, I would like to note the Baksan Gorge, through which the path leads to the peaks. This is a very picturesque area surrounded by green slopes. It stretches for about 80 km. Within its boundaries there are several villages and the city of Tyrnyauz, which makes a heavy impression. While we were driving along the canyon, I admired the beautiful views.

View from the car window

I would advise everyone traveling by car to these places to pay attention to some points.

• There are many traffic police posts on the territory of Karachay-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria, where cars are often stopped for checks. This is especially true of the KBR - there the police are on duty with machine guns at the ready. At one post, we were forced to get out of the car and checked on the computer all the documents, including passports. Everything was done quite politely and unobtrusively.
• It is better to refuel at the stations of large well-known networks, small local gas stations often provide low-quality fuel (according to residents Krasnodar Territory).
• In the high season (July - August), it is better to plan the passage of the territory of the Krasnodar Territory at night, because during the day you can get stuck in traffic jams.
• Take more time for the trip - at least 10 days, otherwise we got a "gallop", and we did not have time to see everything we wanted.

Budget

A week trip to the Elbrus region cost us a very small amount. By articles:

• diesel (average consumption 7 l / 100 km) - about 12 thousand rubles;
• meals (shopping in a store + a cafe in the Elbrus region twice a day) - about 8 thousand rubles;
• hotel - 6 thousand rubles for 3 nights;
• fare on the M4 - 850 rubles. (I counted only in the opposite direction on checks, since when we went to the Caucasus, we captured only a couple of paid sites).
• souvenirs - 1.5 thousand rubles.

Total - 28,350 rubles, even 30,000. Next year we will definitely return to those places to wander through the numerous hiking trails and, possibly, climb Elbrus.

Arkhyz - great resort North Caucasus. Once here, you can't forget majestic mountains, which frame the treasures that this wonderful land is fraught with. Songs and poems are dedicated to him, thousands of people leave their cities every year and go to look at his wonderful landscapes. What attracts people to Arkhyz, read in our material.

Nature and climate

Because of large area Arkhyz, the climate in its different parts is different. So in the northern part the climate is warm and mild, and in the highlands it is harsh. If you want to go to Arkhyz in the first half of autumn, then you need to prepare warm clothes for the evening, because the temperature in the afternoon can reach +10 degrees. During the day it is warm - up to +30. But the evening cooling more than compensate for the wonderful autumn views of Arkhyz. Around the motley mountains, the river ... and silence. late autumn it is better to take a down jacket, felt boots, well, skiing Certainly.

The nature of Arkhyz is unique. In 1957, the Arkhyzsky district was included in the Teberdinsky state reserve. One of the most interesting natural monuments- beech forest. There are trees that are about 200 years old. Their height reaches 28 meters, and the girth of the trunk is up to 3.5 meters. And in the upper reaches of the Kizgych you can find fir trees up to 60 meters in height, some of them live up to 700 years. Very beautiful in summer. With its onset, the entire territory of the Teberdinsky Reserve is filled with a thousand multi-colored herbs and plants. At the end of summer, alpine meadows turn into a lilac-blue carpet of scabiosa.

The fauna of Arkhyz is also rich. Here you can see the West Caucasian tur, in the common people - the Caucasian stone goat. IN in large numbers chamois and wild boar are found. Also living here: wolves, lynxes, martens, badgers, otters, wild forest cats, ermines, weasels and foxes. Of the large animals - yaks and brown bears.

Entertainment

If it’s not enough for you to just enjoy the beauties of the Arkhyz landscapes, but you want to actively spend time, then everything can be arranged. In the warm season, you can rent ATVs for a few hours or for a day. They can be found in almost any recreation center. You can go horseback riding or walking. It is better to go hiking in the summer, as it takes from 2 days and is quite exhausting. But you can see all the most Beautiful places Arkhyz. Horse riding costs about 300 rubles per hour.

If you do not want to pay for horses, then you can go hiking on your own two. It's even more useful. It is better not to go hiking on your own, but to take an experienced instructor who will arrange a tour of lakes, forests, alpine meadows and waterfalls.

Don't like dry land? Welcome to the water element. Rafting is the only way to go here. Mountain rivers especially dispose daredevils to this occupation. Well, doing extreme sports, thoughts about how beautiful it is around and how wonderful it is to live on this planet are felt more acutely. The cost of such pleasure depends on the level of complexity and duration of the route and ranges from 350 to 1600 rubles per person.

You can also play paintball in Arkhyz. Those who like to shoot have a place to turn around. The huge natural space will become a playground and make you feel like a real fighter. This pleasure costs about 500 rubles per person.

Those who do not want to walk, row, shoot, but just want to relax, will also be satisfied. You can order a real SPA procedure "Cedar barrel" for 250 rubles, or rent a sauna. And you can bring a bath right on the river bank. For this, there are special bath tents. After all, it is so wonderful to fry a barbecue by the river, enjoy the scenery and pamper your body with pleasant procedures.

In winter, there are also things to do in Arkhyz. Your choice: skiing, snowboarding, sledges and snowmobiles. In addition, mountaineering is developing here. Renting ski equipment here costs from 300 to 700 rubles, a drag lift is about the same price.

Attractions

There are many in Arkhyz amazing places. There are magnificent waterfalls, ancient temples, an astrophysical laboratory, the miraculous “face of Christ” and much more. But every tourist who goes to these parts should know that a border pass is required to visit some places. The list of these places is as follows: Dukka Lakes, Lake Semitsvetnoye, Ayulyu Pass, a waterfall on the White River, Dorbun and Duritsky passes, the gorges of the Sofia and Kizich rivers, the Devil's Mill tract, the Oleny, Kara-Dzhash and Irkiz passes, the valleys of the Amanauz and Psysh rivers.

You need to apply for a pass one month before the trip. Registration and issuance of passes is free of charge. But whole year you can use it. As "AiF-SK" was told at the Border Department in Arkhyz, it often happens that locals tourists who do not have passes are promised to conduct them, having agreed with the border guards. But these stories often end sadly. After all, this is an administrative offense.

You can get a pass at the border post, or call the office at 8 87-82 26-55-56 in advance and send an application by fax, or apply for a pass via the Internet by sending an application to the e-mail address [email protected]

Passes are issued daily, except Sundays. Working hours: Monday to Thursday from 9.00 to 17.00, Friday: 10.00 - 15.45, Saturday: 10.00 - 13.00.

But even if the rest turned out to be spontaneous and you did not have time to issue a pass, it's okay. There are many places in Arkhyz that can be visited without a border pass: Mostovaya glade, Taulu glade, Gabulu plateau, Moonglade, Solnechnaya (Greek) glade, the valley of the Malaya Dukka rivers, as well as Sifiya and Sofia lakes.

So without a pass you can visit the dolmens, which are located 12 km from the village of Nizhny Arkhyz. Now this place is called the Alan settlement. The tour is incredibly interesting. You can dip into ancient history Arkhyz, see the Alanian burials of the pre-Christian period, Byzantine temples, drink from the Holy Spring.

http://www.russianlook.com

For lovers of science and modern technology, it will be interesting to visit the Research Institute Special Astrophysical Observatory Russian Academy Sciences (SAO RAS), which is located in the valley of the Bolshoy Zelenchuk River. The largest telescopes in the world are located there and ground-based astronomical observations are carried out in the entire range of electromagnetic radiation.

You can see the panorama of Arkhyz by climbing the Abishira-Akhuba ridge. This range extends for more than 30 km parallel to the Main Caucasian Range.

One of the most famous sights of Arkhyz is the miraculous Face of Jesus Christ on the slope of the Matsesta ridge near the village of Nizhniy Arkhyz. The natural drawing is very similar to the famous Sinai icon of Christ Pantocrator, which, according to a very common version, was written off from the face that appeared on the Shroud of Turin.

Another mystery of nature in Arkhyz is Lake of Love. This body of water is heart-shaped and is located high in the mountains. IN clear water trout are splashing, and a ring of mountains rises around the lake. Perhaps this is one of the most romantic routes of Arkhyz. There is a belief that if you throw a coin, a ring into the lake or drink water from there, then love will never leave your heart.

There are other wonderful reservoirs in Arkhyz, for example, Sofia Lakes. They reflect the sky and the necklace of mountains around like in a mirror. Sometimes tourist groups come here with tents for the night. Sophia waterfalls are also beautiful. Their height is about one hundred meters. Formed waterfalls Sofia glacier.

Directions

From the city of Stavropol to Arkhyz is only 242 km. Therefore, most Stavropol residents go there by car. You can also easily get there by bus or even by minibus. Things are a little more complicated with neighboring regions. "AiF-SK" made a selection of routes for residents of Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar and Volgograd. It is possible to get from these regions by car, but it can be quite long, from 5 to 11 hours on the road, not everyone will survive. Therefore, you can always fly by plane to the Mineralnye Vody and from there by bus or taxi is within easy reach. You can take a train to Nevinnomyssk and from there take a bus to Zelenchukskaya. In Zelenchukskaya take a bus to Arkhyz or a taxi.

From Rostov to Arkhyz 547 km. You can take a high-speed train to Kislovodsk and from there go to Arkhyz. You can also take the Rostov-Teberda bus.

From Krasnodar to Arkhyz 562 km.

From Volgograd to Arkhyz 814 km. You can get by train to Kislovodsk, and from Kislovodsk by bus to Arkhyz.

Arkhyz is a village in the Zelenchuksky district of Karachay-Cherkessia. Geographically, Arkhyz is located in the Western Caucasus between the spurs of the Main Caucasian Range.

This is a very picturesque place, completely unadvertised, unlike the Rosa Khutor resort. There are both pluses and minuses of the resort in this. With the opening of the first cable car in Arkhyz in 2014, the resort became a ski resort and you can come here in winter and ski on snow-covered slopes.

Arkhyz is charmingly beautiful, both in summer and in winter. Gorges, overhanging mountains, alpine meadows, mountain rivers, waterfalls and glaciers annually attract hundreds of tourists. Come to Arkhyz, and this article will help you make a first impression and clarify some of the difficulties that may arise when planning a trip and finally convince you that choosing Arkhyz as a vacation destination is a very good choice.

Climate of Arkhyz

From all sides, the village of Arkhyz is closed by mountains, which makes the climate very mild. In winter, the thermometer rarely drops below -15 degrees. In summer, there is no sultry heat in Arkhyz, the air is cool and fresh, the temperature in summer does not rise above 25 degrees. Winters in Arkhyz are very snowy, making this place ideal for skiing. clear and sunny days in Arkhyz 300 in the year, it was for this reason that the observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences was built near Nizhny Arkhyz on Mount Pastukhava. Local residents also talk about the uniqueness of the weather in Arkhyz. It can be sunny in Arkhyz, even if it is raining in the village of Zelenchukskaya (50 km from Arkhyz).

Where to live on vacation?

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How to get to Arkhyz

One of the main questions that you have to solve if you do not have a personal vehicle, "How to get to Arkhyz?" As mentioned above, Arkhyz is just a village and there are no trains running here and there is no airport nearby. Only minibuses and minibuses go to Arkhyz from nearby regional centers. To orient yourself and decide on the ways of transporting yourself to the resort, you can use the schematic table below.

The table shows the most likely travel options. So you can see that if you want to fly to Arkhyz by plane, then the nearest airports are located in Stavropol and in Mineralnye Vody, from both of these points the distance to Arkhyz is approximately the same (210-225 km.). Thus, when choosing a ticket, you can concentrate only on the price of the air ticket and neglect the choice of the airport of arrival, if there is such a choice.

If you are going to use the services of Russian Railways, then the nearest Train Station is located in Nevinnomyssk, from where you can order a taxi to Arkhyz or use the services of a public carrier. But enjoy public transport to get to Arkhyz from Nevinnomyssk is extremely inconvenient for several reasons. Firstly, as already mentioned, only minibuses and gazelles go to Arkhyz, so most likely you will have to pay extra for your suitcase or backpack. Secondly, the bus on the route Nevinnomyssk - Arkhyz runs only once a day at 13.00, which makes getting on this bus not only difficult, but almost impossible. Therefore, for the transfer, we recommend using the taxi company of the official representative ski resort"Romantic". Taxi Arkhyz is a reliable and proven carrier. The site presents a price tag, so a transfer from the railway station in Nevinnomyssk to the Arkhyz resort will cost you 2100 rubles, regardless of the number of passengers.

If you decide to get to Arkhyz from one of the CMV cities (Kislovodsk, Pyatigors or Essentuki), then this can be done using the transfer of any travel agency. You just sit in tourist bus departing on an excursion to Arkhyz. This method also has its limitations, for example, excursions to Arkhyz from KMV are not carried daily, but only on weekends, and such a bus will depart at 8 or 9 in the morning. The price will vary from 1000 to 1500 per person.

Yes, getting to Arkhyz is not very easy, but it's worth it. The delightful nature of Karachay-Cherkessia will not leave you indifferent, and the mountains will forever fall in love with themselves and will never let you go.

Arkhyz settlement

There are also two hotels in the resort:

1. Hotel Romantik 3 stars, with two buildings: Romantik -1 and Romantik-2. The total number of rooms in the hotels is 105 rooms. You can book a room at the Romantik Hotel on the official website or through Booking.com.
2. Hotel Vertical 4 stars. The total number of rooms in the hotels is 80 rooms. You can book a room at the Romantik Hotel on the official website or through Booking.com.

There is a shop at the resort, and although the assortment is not very large, the prices in it are very competitive, even with prices in Arkhyz itself. In addition, there is a small market where you can buy souvenirs that will remind you of your vacation in Arkhyz, as well as try traditional Karachay khychins and drink hot tea on mountain herbs.

In addition to restaurants in the hotel buildings, the resort has another restaurant and several cafes. On this moment the infrastructure of the resort cannot be called highly developed, in terms of the number of cable cars, trails, catering establishments and shops, the resort is inferior to Rosa Khutor, but the good news is that the construction of the complex does not stop and very soon several more hotels, new cable cars and infrastructure will grow here from year to year will only develop.

The rest of the housing stock in Arkhyz is represented by guest houses and camp sites. In the Taulu glade, which is located a few kilometers from the village of Arkhyz, you can also rent a place for a tent on the territory of one of the many camp sites located near the Taulu glade. The cost of such accommodation will be 100 rubles per person. In addition to tents, you can rent a wooden house or a whole cottage with a sauna.

Taulu glade

Taulu Glade deserves special mention when talking about Arkhyz. Located a few kilometers from Arkhyz, the Taulu glade is a real tourist mecca camping enthusiasts. In addition to the turrets, tent city and a market has grown in the clearing, much more than in Arkhyz itself and in Romantika. Here you can buy everything that Arkhyz is rich in, in addition, you can try plenty of Karachai cuisine: khychins, shorpa and shulyum soups, mountain tea and kebabs. And since the Karachais are Muslims, you will not find pork barbecue in Arkhyz, mutton is widespread here.

Jeepers are based on the Taulu glade, which transport tourists to the sights of the Arkhyz valley, which are hard to reach for sedans - Sofia waterfalls and Sofia lakes. These are the most popular sights of Arkhyz, which you should definitely visit. And if the waterfalls are available already in the spring, then it is better to go to the Sofia Lakes from the middle of June, before they are still hidden under the snow.

Legal issues

If your intended route is located in Vulisi state border, and in Arkhyz it is quite possible, in order to avoid trouble, take care of issuing an individual pass to the border zone. All legal documents and the application template can be found on the official website of the FSB of Russia.

Attractions Arkhyz

Sofia waterfalls and Sofia lakes

Although the sights are located in the same direction, they are rarely combined, because it takes 3-4 hours to see the Sofia waterfalls, and it will take 6-7 hours to hike to the Sofia lakes and the way back, so there is a risk not to return before dark, but it gets dark at mountains very quickly.

Cossack waterfall

Behind the village of Arkhyz is the Arkhyz section of the Teberdinsky Reserve, where several ecological hiking trails such as: Cossack waterfall, Sleeping lake and Lake of Love. The same routes can be covered not only on foot, but also on horseback, horseback riding is provided right there. Entrance to the reserve is paid and is 100 rubles per person. The route to the Cossack waterfall is easy and will take no more than 3 hours. The route to the Lake of Love is of moderate severity and will require a whole day to pass.

barite waterfall

The route is located to the north of Arkhyz village, exit to the trail directly from the village. The route is of medium difficulty, its passage will take 3-4 hours.

Alan settlement and the Face of Christ

Sights are located in the village of Nizhny Arkhyz. A visit to the attraction will take no more than 4 hours, usually a visit to these two attractions is combined with a visit to the nearby observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

From Arkhyz on off-road vehicles they carry to many more places: Dukka Lakes, Phiya Pass, Belaya River, Semitsvetny waterfall and much more.

Excursions from the KMV are often taken to Arkhyz, but as a rule, the list of attractions on such an excursion is limited to Alan and temples, the face of Christ and the observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Karachai cuisine

Karachay cuisine is very simple. For urban conditions, it may even be too simple, but here in the mountains, where the air is saturated with oxygen, any dish seems exquisite. One might even say that Mountain air is an obligatory ingredient of all Karachai dishes.

Karachay soups are prepared from lamb, the most common meat in the Caucasus. By virtue of religion, and Islam is widespread in the Caucasus, Karachays do not eat pork and do not even try to look for pork shashlik here.

Two soups, shulyum and shorpa, are ubiquitous. The main ingredient of both is lamb, always on the bone, for the richness of the broth.
In addition to sheep meat, potatoes, eggplants, bell peppers, tomatoes and greens are added to shurpa. But if something is missing at hand, it does not matter, it can simply be excluded. The simplest shurpa that we had a chance to try consisted of lamb on the bone and potatoes, but this did not make it the least tasty. Another distinctive feature of shurpa is its spiciness, as a rule, in addition to greens, red and black pepper are added to the soup, which gives the soup a spicy spiciness. Shulyum can be even simpler than shurpa, and if you don’t throw potatoes out of shurpa, then it’s easy to get out of shulyum. There will be such lamb broth.

Traditional in our understanding of the second dish in the Caucasus does not exist. The main course is always meat, and in this case it is lamb skewers. But since the lamb does not have a lot of tender parts, everything that falls under the ax goes to the barbecue. From ribs to sirloins, so don't be surprised to see meat with tassels on a skewer.

The traditional side dish for meat is hominy - porridge made from cornmeal, almost tasteless, so as not to interrupt the taste of the main dish.

The main snack of the Caucasus is khychiny. Khychins come with meat and cheese, baked or fried. In the fried version, khychin is very similar to the usual seaside cheburek, and in the baked version, it looks like an Ossetian pie. If you are not very hungry and want to have a bite to eat literally on the go, then you can’t think of anything better than baked khychin with hot tea from mountain herbs. Mountain tea deserves special mention. In the market in Arkhyz, you can easily find herbal preparations from alpine meadows. Their aroma will warm you up on winter evenings and lift your tone on weekdays.

Separately, I would like to mention the Karachay lemonade, bottled in Karachay at the Karachay brewery. This is the real taste of childhood, and the whole Arkhyz knows it. Therefore, "Cheburashka" with the inscription "lemonade" or "pear" you will find in any store, cafe and restaurant, even in remote places such as the Ice Farm on the route to Sofia waterfalls. And the secret of the fact that these lemonades can only be bought in Karachay-Cherkessia, Stavropol and Kabardino-Balkaria lies in the shelf life of lemonade - 20 days.

Prices in Arkhyz

You can pay by card only at the hotel, on the cable car and in the store ski complex Romantic. In any other places, no other payment methods other than cash are possible.

The Milky Way gondola lift costs 700 rubles.

Excursion escort in Arkhyz in any direction costs about 600-700 rubles per person, but this price will be real only when the car is full. If there are no other fellow travelers, then the only way to go somewhere is to pay for the UAZ in full. The cost of the car is 3000-4000 thousand rubles. The average check for two in canteens and catering places will be 600-1000 rubles.