An excursion to the Alan settlement is perhaps one of the most interesting excursions in Arkhyz, which is taken during a vacation in the mountains. Tourists can plunge into the ancient history of Arkhyz - see Alan burials of the pre-Christian period, Byzantine temples, and drink from the Holy Spring.

The Sofia Valley keeps many tantalizing secrets: picturesque rock peaks, lakes, glaciers and waterfalls. All this beauty can be enjoyed tirelessly while relaxing in the mountains, which is why one of the most popular tourist excursions runs along the Sofia Valley towards the Sofia Falls.

Arkhyz is considered the land of lakes. And this is far from accidental: here among the mountains you can see a large number of blue bowls. All of them are so transparent and clean that in clear weather the sky and the necklace of mountains around are reflected in them as if in a mirror. Holidays in the mountains are a great opportunity to appreciate all the beauty of the Arkhyz lakes.

High in the mountains, among the sights of Arkhyz, hidden from prying eyes is a lake of an unusual shape - in the shape of a heart. It is called the Lake of Love. Transparent water symbolizes the purity and depth of this feeling.

Holidays in the mountains are a great opportunity to enjoy the sights of Arkhyz. Baritovaya Balka is visible right in the alignment of the central street of Arkhyz, leading up to the ridge. They call it that because in the 20s. In the upper reaches of the ravine, barite was mined - a heavy white mineral with a glassy sheen. It is used to produce white paints, as a filler in the paper and rubber industries, and as a weighting agent for drilling.

Arkhyz is called the land of lakes. According to some sources, there are up to 400 large and small lakes in its vicinity. Most of them are located high in the mountains and are natural attractions of Arkhyz. At one time they were formed as a result of the melting of glaciers.

One of the most interesting sightseeing excursions is an excursion to the main horizon, the Abishir - Ahuba ridge. The Arkhyz excursion goes from Lunnaya Polyana through the Fedoseev Pass to Dinnik Peak with a subsequent return to Arkhyz along the path that descends from Krugozor. Routes to the horizon are different - both on foot - from early morning to late evening, and with delivery by bus - 2-2.5 hours.

12 km from the village of Nizhny Arkhyz there are the ruins of an ancient city. Now this place is called the Alan settlement. According to scientists, the city standing here was the residence of the Alan kings, the political center of the ancient state of Alanya. Not far from the settlement there are dolmens - one of the most ancient human structures, which are megalithic, that is, made from solid blocks of stone, tombstones.

How do you like this way to spend your weekend? After working a long week of work, disconnect from all problems and cellular communications and suddenly find yourself more than a thousand kilometers from home, and even in the mountains of the Western Caucasus, amazing in their autumn make-up? Live there at a frantic pace for two days, and on Monday morning, around eight o’clock, return to your historical homeland and go to work as if nothing had happened?

Sounds intriguing, doesn't it? But not sleeping for three days in a row in order to travel such a distance there and back, and even hang out in place, is not an option, planes are a little expensive, and teleport has not yet been invented. So how is this possible? I'm telling you.


02 . Here is the solution to the problem: a comfortable bus. If you find another fifty people who want to spend the weekend with you, then such a vehicle, with the help of wheels, an internal combustion engine and two carriers steering in turn, can help complete the task for very little money. If not for one BUT. Where can you find so many fellow adventurers who are ready to take off after you?

03 . But this problem can also be solved. Residents of Voronezh are definitely on board, but for the rest it’s just a ready-made business model that helps the creators travel every weekend, and even make more and more new friends every time. So, tourist community "Neskuchny day". The photo shows everyone who got on the bus, except for the organizer and ideologist of “Not Boring Day” - Misha Glushchenko. Someone had to press the button on the camera. Although I was present on the trip in the role of an impromptu photo guide, I simply could not be absent from the group photo in this crowd of positive people.

04 . No, really, a bunch of amazing adventurers. Wearing city shoes, without trekking poles or accompanied by guides, the whole crowd made their way to the Sofia Lakes. The photo is about halfway there. By this moment I could no longer smile from fatigue.

05 . The Energetik boarding house in the village of Arkhyz, which after our arrival turned into an anthill for a couple of days.

06 . But a little background. We left Voronezh on Friday at 8 pm. At about one o'clock on Saturday afternoon we were already checking into our rooms. We dropped our things, cleaned our feathers, had a snack and went to the ski resort village of Romantik, which I’m talking about. Alas, the cable car was turned off the day before our arrival and I was not able to go up to the upper station. However, among the “non-boring” there were several individuals who went there on foot. Right through the forest. Not people, but some kind of nails! Construction work continues on “Romantic” itself, and without snow now it doesn’t look very presentable. It can’t be compared with winter, of course.

07 . But the next day the sun came out and the mountains enchanted me again!

08 . At 11, a flock of roaring “loaves” arrived and took everyone along the rough roads almost to the foot of Mount Sofia. Meanwhile, the weather got worse again, but we were unstoppable.

09 . My reward, about halfway through, was a rainbow. I took fifty identical shots, my strength increased and I moved on.

10 . Damn, the mountains are cool, guys!

11 . And mountain lakes are even cooler!

12 . Lake Aimatly-Jagaly. I will definitely write about it and the climb to it.

13 . What else to do in Arkhyz in autumn? You can watch the sunrise on the Bolshoi Zelenchuk River.

14. You can get up later and just take a walk along its banks. By the way, pretty littered. Especially near the village. I will also write about this dark side of Arkhyz and show this horror.

15 . And on the way home the next day you can stop by the special astrophysical laboratory of the Russian Academy of Sciences. I also have some good winter photos from it, so there will be a post as well. A unique building! They don't make things like that now.

16. Well, before leaving the bus for Voronezh, we stopped by the Zelenchuk temples. These are Alanian temples built in the 10th century. I’ve already talked about one of these (Sentinsky).

We arrived in Voronezh, as planned, at 8 am. This night on the bus was easier for me than on the way to Arkhyz. I got used to the situation, to the people around me, and as a result I slept more and more soundly. True, at home I was finally overtaken by a cold and now I’m sniffling and periodically coughing. Meanwhile, the guys from “Not Boring Day” are going to go to Yoshkar-Ola, Adygea and, possibly, Georgia! And behind them they already have... However,

The climate of Arkhyz is milder than in neighboring valleys. The Abishira-Ahuba ridge, having fenced off the upper part from the north with a high (3000 m) barrier, blocked access to cold winds there. The wide valley unfolded along the meridian is well illuminated by the sun (280 sunny days). Summer in Arkhyz is not hot.
In the vicinity of the village, the average daily temperature in July and August is +15.3° (up to 25° during the day). Winter is mild and snowy. The average temperature in January is -5.4°. Autumn is usually dry and warm until November. Spring is colorful, with unexpectedly changing weather. In general, the climate of the region is mountainous, moderate continental, but the higher you go in the mountains, the colder and more precipitation falls.
The nature of Arkhyz is protected by the state. In 1968, bison were brought to Kizgych from the Caucasus Nature Reserve. In this regard, the gorge has a special reserve regime (passage requires permission from the Arkhyz reserve office).

mountains and glaciers around Arkhyz - spring 2004.

The sunny valley, reliably hidden by high mountains, lush meadows, and forests rich in game have attracted people for a long time. Since ancient times (like the territory of Karachay-Cherkessia as a whole) it has been a zone where different cultures meet. In Lower Arkhyz, as well as in neighboring valleys (on Marukha, Agur and Kyafar), bronze hatchets, daggers and jewelry made by the distant ancestors of the Abazas and Circassians were discovered. The Kyafar treasure of bronze jewelry (900 BC), found near the village of Storozhevoy, is located in the Hermitage.

The largest number of monuments in the upper reaches of Bolshoi Zelenchuk were left by the Alans. These nomadic tribes appeared in the Ciscaucasia at the turn of our era. In the 4th century. The Huns invaded the North Caucasus. Some of the Alans were exterminated, some were taken by the Huns to the west (an Alan-Vandal state existed on the Iberian Peninsula for about a hundred years), the rest were forced to go to the mountains.

By the 10th century The Alan tribal union, which occupied the mountainous strip of the North Caucasus from the Bolshaya Laba River to the territory of present-day Checheno-Ingushetia, acquired the features of a centralized state. Georgian, Arab, and Byzantine authors note the power of the Alan kings.
In the X-XII centuries. Alanya has reached its peak.

Alania had close trade and political ties with Transcaucasia. Settlements and fortresses grew along ancient pass roads. The shortest and most convenient route to the Black Sea coast and further to Byzantium was along Bolshoy Zelenchuk to the Sancharsky Pass and through Pskhu to Dioscuria (Sukhumi). On this path at the entrance to the Bolshoy Zelenchuk gorge in the 10th century. a city arose (Nizhne-Arkhyz settlement) and a number of settlements in the upper part of the valley: on the site of the present village of Arkhyz, in the gorges of Sofia, Psysh and Kizgych. The ruins can still be seen in the bushes today.

The Nizhne-Arkhyz settlement is located on the right bank of the Bolshoi Zelenchuk, near the town of astrophysicists. Already from the road (at 22 km from the village of Zelenchukskaya) two well-preserved temples are visible. The length of the settlement is 2.5 km. Three streets with ruins of houses and outbuildings stand out. In addition to temples, traces of many chapels and burials were discovered. It is believed that Nizhny Arkhyz was the religious center of Alania, and its northern temple served as the cathedral of the Alan diocese. It is known that with the assistance of Abkhazia in 921-925. The nobility of Trans-Kuban Alania adopted Christianity, which was accompanied by the construction of temples in the Byzantine style and the first attempts to create writing using the Greek alphabet.

Judging by the excavations, the Nizhne-Arkhyz city in the X-XII centuries. actively traded with Byzantium, the Middle East, Russian principalities, and Transcaucasia. There is a high level of crafts. Alan iron products and weapons were famous in the Caucasus. A workshop with a forge unique for that time was discovered in the settlement. The gold jewelry found during excavations of the northern temple is distinguished by its craftsmanship (the treasure is kept in the Historical Museum in Moscow).

Located in the foothills of the northwestern Caucasus.

It consists of 10 municipal districts - Abaza, Adyge-Khablsky, Zelenchuksky, Karachayevsky, Malokarachayevsky, Nogaysky, Prikubansky, Urupsky, Ust-Dzhegutinsky, Khabezsky and two cities of republican subordination - Karachayevsk and Cherkessk.

The climate is moderately warm, winters are short, summers are warm, long, and fairly humid. The climate is characterized by a long duration of sunshine. The average temperature in January is −3.2 °C, July is +20.6 °C, the highest temperature is +39 °C, the lowest is −29 °C. The average annual precipitation is from 500 to 2000 mm.

Most (about 80%) of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic is located in mountainous areas. Within the republic there are 3 zones: the foothill plain, the foothills and the Caucasus mountains. In the north stretch the leading ranges of the Greater Caucasus, in the south - Vodorazdelny and Bokovoy, their height reaches 4000 m. The Marukhsky and Klukhorsky passes lead to the Black Sea coast. The Military-Sukhumi road, passing through the Klukhorsky pass, connects Karachay-Cherkessia with Abkhazia. On the border with Kabardino-Balkaria is Mount Elbrus, whose two peaks are the highest peaks in Europe.


The republic has an abundance of water resources: about 130 alpine lakes, many mountain waterfalls. There are 172 rivers, of which the largest are the Kuban, Bolshoy and Maly Zelenchuk, Urup, Laba; There is a Kuban reservoir. The Bolshoi Stavropol Canal system operating in the republic is the source of water supply for the Stavropol Territory.

The subsoil is rich in natural resources: coal, granite, marble, various ores and clays. There are large reserves of medicinal mineral waters, and there are many thermal springs.

Karachay-Cherkessia is located in the zone of mountain steppes and deciduous forests. The soils are mainly chernozems and gray forest soils. Rich flora and fauna have been preserved in the forests and highlands. There are a number of specially protected natural areas on the territory of the republic, including the Teberda Nature Reserve and part of the Caucasus Nature Reserve. Arkhyz

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SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PHOTO:
Team Nomads

However, there is plenty to do here even if you don't ski or snowboard. We'll tell you where to go and what to see right now.

Confluence of the Kizgych and Psysh rivers

View of the Abishir-Akhuba ridge from the confluence of the Kizgych and Psysh rivers

One of the popular walking directions is from Arkhyz to the confluence of the Kizgych and Psysh rivers. First you need to walk along the road about 300-400 meters from the border of the village towards the Romantic ski center, and then in a large clearing turn left, towards the forest. A metal fence is visible 100 meters from the road - this is the border of the reserve. Formally, entry here is prohibited, but no one is monitoring this, and you can safely move towards the merger. The wide track leads to the river, but you can turn onto one of the paths to extend and diversify the walk.

Walk through the reserve

The territory of the Arkhyzsky section of the Teberdinsky Nature Reserve adjoins the village. Here you can walk under the centuries-old pines to the observation deck at the Cossack Waterfall (the waterfall itself freezes or dries up in winter), or walk to the Chigordaly waterfall.

To get to the entrance to the reserve, go down from the central intersection (where the bus station, market and Skazka store are located) to the river and cross the bridge. The gate of the reserve is 100 meters from the bridge. There, at the gate, you can leave your car and rent horses.

BTA


BTA optical telescope at the Upper Scientific Site of the SAO RAS

BTA - "Large Azimuth Telescope" - is the most visited object of the special astrophysical observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It is located on the Upper Scientific Site, 45 km from Arkhyz and 17 km from the Arkhyz - st. Zelenchukskaya.

Tours of the telescope tower are only available on holidays and weekends, with the last tour starting at 14:00-14:15, no later. The astronomer's story about the universe, the structure of the telescope and the work of the observatory will be of interest to adults and children aged 12-14 years. It is reasonable to combine a trip to the BTA with the Nizhnearkhyz complex - the ancient settlement and the Face of Christ.

Face of Christ and Nizhnearkhyz temples

Nizhny Arkhyz is located 25 km from the village. Arkhyz and 35 km from the Romantic resort. A thousand years ago, here, along the caravan route through the Caucasus ridge, was the capital of the powerful Alanian state - the city of Meuse. Now three Christian churches have survived from the city X centuries (the oldest in Russia), remains of streets and ruins of buildings. You can walk around the site on foot or drive a car.

On the other bank of the Bolshoi Zelenchuk River, on a rock in the forest, a miraculous Face of Christ was discovered - an image of the Savior, painted on a stone in an unknown way. A staircase leads to the Face, from which you can see the cathedral of the fort.

Horseback riding

In Arkhyz you can rent horses and ride around the surrounding area - through the coniferous forest, or into the gorges of the river. Sofia or Psysh. The rental cost depends on many factors, but usually does not exceed 500 rubles/hour.

Riders who are confident in their abilities can go on an independent ride; for beginners, there are rides in conjunction with. You can find horses at the entrance to the reserve, or by calling the phone number from the advertisements: there are a lot of them posted around Arkhyz.

Skating rink and cheesecake skating

The Romantic resort has a free open-air ice skating rink and a cheesecake skiing track. There is a fee for renting skates and cheesecakes, but you can bring your own.

They ride on cheesecakes and in the Taulu clearing. It is located 1.5 km from the Arkhyz - Romantik highway at the confluence of the Sofia and Psysh rivers.

Alpine skiing and snowboarding

As we wrote in the first paragraph, winter Arkhyz is still a ski resort. There are excellent conditions for learning to ride, and after just 1-2 lessons with an instructor you will be able to ride the gentle slopes independently and with pleasure.

If you need a ski instructor in Arkhyz, leave your phone number, we will call you back and arrange a lesson. You can read in detail about the learning process.

A weekend tour allows you to explore the natural or historical sights of Arkhyz in a short time. You can see the valley in all its glory by climbing the high spur of the Abishir-Ahuba ridge. From the horizon there is a view of the entire pit: the village and the river valley stretching into the distance. From a bird's eye view you can see not only the village, but also the nearby rocky peaks covered with eternal snow. On a clear day, the highest point of the region, Pshish Peak, can be seen in the west, and the white cap of Elbrus in the east.

The main natural attractions of the region are numerous picturesque alpine lakes. According to various estimates, in the vicinity of the village there are from 75 to 400 small and large reservoirs. Not far from the settlement, in the valley of the Kizgych River, there is a drying up Dead Lake. Travelers interested in natural wonders should climb the Morg-Syrty ridge. There, among the alpine meadows, is the Lake of Love - a small body of water in the shape of a heart. The journey to it from the village will take about 3 hours.

The 12-kilometer Sofia Valley in the southwest of the village is considered a cult place here. Conventionally, it is divided into three sections. The lower one is a wide wooded part of the valley. In the center there is a narrow gorge. To the south, the valley expands again, forming the upper section - Sofia Glade. A river winds throughout the entire depression, the sources of which are pulsating, powerful waterfalls, the largest in Arkhyz. The key attractions of the valley, in addition to the mountain streams, are the Small and Great Sofia Lakes. Another waterfall that is worth a look in the vicinity of the village is Barite. It is located in a ravine, in the upper reaches of which barite, a mineral used to produce white paint, was once mined.

The Arkhyz region is famous for its diverse vegetation. In some places there are centuries-old fir forests, relict Caucasian plane trees and pines, yews, and spruces. The higher you go into the mountains, the lower the vegetation becomes: gradually majestic trees, reaching tens of meters in height, are replaced by low-growing birches. Then the grove turns into thickets of rhododendron, and then into alpine meadows approaching the snow-capped peaks.

Alan capital and center of early Christianity

Many attractions of Arkhyz are connected with the ancient history of the region. According to archaeological data, the first settlements appeared here more than 3 thousand years ago. The Alans left a huge mark on the history of Karachay-Cherkessia. On the territory of the foothills of the Caucasus, Iranian-speaking nomads founded a state. Scientists believe that the capital of Alania, Magas, was the Nizhne-Arkhyz settlement. The remains of a large medieval settlement were discovered near Nizhny Arkhyz (Bukova), an aul located 24 km from the main village. Now this territory is a museum-reserve.

The area of ​​the found settlement is 94.5 hectares. Once here, you can see the ruins of outbuildings, residential buildings, blacksmiths, a pottery workshop, the remains of a road, abandoned mines and quarries. There are watchtowers on the mountain slopes.

Near the settlement there are mysterious dolmens - tombstones made from solid blocks of stone. It is believed that they were installed on the site of an Alan burial of the pagan period. On huge, half-grown into the ground and partially destroyed slabs, drawings of animals, specific crosses, and runes are scratched.

What else can you see on the territory of the archaeological complex in one day? Other attractions of Nizhny Arkhyz:

  • Zelenchuk churches in the Byzantine style, built in the 10th century.
  • A stone circle that served as a pagan sanctuary and solar calendar observatory.
  • The Face of Christ is a cave painting created with egg tempera in the 10th century.
  • Remains of a mill and a dam-water conduit (Church beam).
  • Cave of a hermit and a shepherd, traces of destroyed masonry (Church Hill).
  • Ruins of eleven family churches, chapels of the 10th–11th centuries.
  • Phallic idol and Polovtsian statue “Bowl Holder” (right bank of the Bolshoy Zelenchuk River).
  • Church of shepherds-shepherds of the 10th–14th centuries (Church Hill).

In the 4th–9th centuries, a caravan road passed through the territory of Nizhny Arkhyz - part of the Great Silk Road connecting Europe with China. You can learn more about the events of those times and the role of the region in international trade by visiting the local museum. During the tour, the guide supplements historical facts with interesting legends. Tourists in Nizhny Arkhyz are offered to drink from the holy spring, taste national cuisine, buy mountain honey, famous Arkhyz berries and mushrooms.

Astrophysical Observatory and Academic Campus

The Arkhyz settlement attracts not only lovers of exciting hikes, interesting sights and picturesque mountains, but also connoisseurs of the starry sky. The Russian Academy of Sciences Observatory operates here, an advanced scientific center with the world's largest telescopes.

The BTA and RATAN-600 optical instruments for astronomical observations were created in the late 70s of the last century, but are still considered the best in their class. The first is installed on the spur of Mount Pastukhov, the second - on the southern outskirts of the Zelenchuk village.

During a tour of the Nizhny Arkhyz Observatory, tourists are told about the construction of the center and telescopes, and various astronomical objects. If you wish, you can watch the stars by staying at the facility overnight.

Ski and health resort

One day off, of course, is not enough to see all the sights of the Arkhyz Valley. The atmosphere in this place is so enchanting that you want to come back again and again. In order to have a good rest in the local area, in 2010 the Russian government decided to establish a ski resort. As a result, the tourism infrastructure in Arkhyz has been actively developing over the past five years.

Now a modern resort for all-season recreation has been created on the basis of five villages. There are two chairlifts and one gondola cableway between the main tourist destinations. There are 7 ski slopes of varying difficulty levels on the territory of the complex. The resort's hotel base is represented by three-star (“Romantic-1”) and two four-star (“Vertical”, “Romantic-2”) hotels. Tourists have access to equipment rental points, storage rooms, shops, and food establishments.

What can you do at the resort during the warm season? Hiking and horseback riding, bus excursions, trips on jeeps, ATVs, and bicycles are popular among tourists. Fans of various sports can enjoy tennis and billiard tables, a paintball club, and an archery range. The mountain rivers in the vicinity are suitable for rafting. Those who prefer passive relaxation will enjoy steaming in a sauna or portable bathhouse on the river bank, and taking spa treatments. For children, the resort has an amusement park, playground, and outdoor swimming pool. In winter you can go mountaineering, snowmobiling, sledding, snowboarding and alpine skiing.

Holidays in ecologically clean mountainous areas undoubtedly have a beneficial effect on well-being. Physical activity in the fresh air helps normalize blood pressure, improve respiratory function, lose weight, and increase muscle tone. Particularly favorable conditions for climatotherapy are established here from June to October - a period with moderate humidity and a lot of sunny days. For health purposes, you can drink mineral water extracted from a well in the area of ​​the village. By origin, this is the purest melt water of centuries-old glaciers, containing 18 useful minerals. It belongs to the alkaline, low-mineralized type.