On the south slope of Mt Mashuk, the Proval natural spring lies hidden inside a cavern. There is a religious icon on the wall inside. Outside, a bronze statue of Ostap Bender, the fictional fraudster who ran a ticket scam here in the popular Soviet-era film and novel The Twelve Chairs, greets guests.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
21.48 MILES
Founded in 1823 and covering 1340 hectares, this hillside park is among the largest in Europe. It's riddled with walking trails past rivers, ponds,…
0.68 MILES
There's a fantastic view of Pyatigorsk, and all the way to Mt Elbrus on good weather days, from the 993m summit of Mt Mashuk. You can reach here either by…
1.33 MILES
Many Pyatigorsk attractions revolve around larger-than-life writer, poet, painter, cavalry soldier, society beau and duellist Mikhail Lermontov. Chief…
21.78 MILES
This graceful, well-preserved 1850s building recalls the spa town of Bath in England. Inside, the rich, carbonic Narzan Spring bubbles up inside a glass…
1.16 MILES
This lovely wooded park with many architectural and monumental features forms a 1km-long arc around the eastern end of pr Kirova on the lower slopes of Mt…
21.95 MILES
The highlight of this museum, which is based in three attractive wooden houses in lovely gardens, is the 'White Villa' (Belaya Villa), housing a small but…
24.15 MILES
Around 8km west of Kislovodsk is this rugged gorge. It's an attractive spot that trades on a legend about a boy who leapt from the nearby cliffs out of…
1.53 MILES
In a clearing on the forested western flank of Mt Mashuk is a monument marking the Lermontov duel site. The exact spot is unknown, but it is thought to be…
Nearby Mineral Water Spas attractions
0.68 MILES
There's a fantastic view of Pyatigorsk, and all the way to Mt Elbrus on good weather days, from the 993m summit of Mt Mashuk. You can reach here either by…
0.93 MILES
This attractive classical building is perched above the eastern terminus of pr Kirova. It was built in 1851 to house one of Pyatigorsk’s best-known…
0.93 MILES
This small museum houses a small collection of critters (spiders, snakes, frogs) as well as a lovely butterfly collection from around the globe.
1.16 MILES
This lovely wooded park with many architectural and monumental features forms a 1km-long arc around the eastern end of pr Kirova on the lower slopes of Mt…
1.26 MILES
A network of paths in Park Tsvetnik leads to this much-photographed bronze eagle sculpture at the top of a hill.
1.26 MILES
You can sample the local mineral water (small/large cups R2/5) here. It tastes rather sulphurous, but the best reasons for dropping in are the wonderful…
7. Lermontov & Yerrmelov Baths
1.29 MILES
The baths were built in 1831 and 1810, respectively. The latter is now a treatment centre.