Mineral Water Spas
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,…
Must-see attractions in Russian Caucasus
Black Sea Coast
Stalin's dacha, Zelenaya Roscha, is a fascinating place, built specifically to accommodate a small, private and paranoid man. Tours are in Russian but…
Russian Caucasus
The two peaks of Mt Elbrus – the western at 5642m and eastern at 5621m – bulge nearly 1000m above anything else in the vicinity. This volcanic cone has…
Sochi
How about this sparkling, red, 8m-high head shot of Ilyich as a backdrop for your holiday photos? This beauty was unveiled in 1980 to mark the 110th…
Mineral Water Spas
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…
Mineral Water Spas
Many Pyatigorsk attractions revolve around larger-than-life writer, poet, painter, cavalry soldier, society beau and duellist Mikhail Lermontov. Chief…
Mineral Water Spas
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…
Russian Caucasus
Around 7km north of Karachayevsk, a dirt road leads uphill from the Ossetian village below to this early 10th-century Alanian church, one of the oldest,…
Russian Caucasus
This is an excellent little regional museum, located a few steps from Krasnaya ul. Exhibits feature some impressive archaeological finds; Cossack history…
Russian Caucasus
East of Voroshilovskiy pr, this idyllic promenade is blissfully free of traffic and sprinkled with fountains, sculptures, cafes and restaurants, with…
Mineral Water Spas
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…
Russian Caucasus
The northeastern reaches of the Ancient Greek Empire extended to the Don River delta, which was then at the mouth of the Sea of Azov. The sea has receded,…
Russian Caucasus
The large Central Park of Culture and Recreation (to give it its full name) offers forest lushness, small green lakes with paddle boats, an amusement park…
Mt Bolshoy Akhun Lookout Tower
Black Sea Coast
Popular with day trippers, this 30m-high lookout tower offers great views of the Caucasus Mountains. From the entrance of Sochi National Park, follow the…
Russian Caucasus
Once the living quarters of the Cossack chiefs, the Ataman Palace now houses an exhibition that traces the development of Don Cossack culture from the…
Russian Caucasus
Expert skiers relish the moguls, steeps and glades offered by this ski area on the south side of the Baksan Valley. The piste occupies the lower reaches…
Black Sea Coast
About 40km from Sochi, this chain of caves is a popular and worthwhile excursion. Some 12km of the cave system is mapped, but tourists have access to 500m…
Mineral Water Spas
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…
Black Sea Coast
Located in the former Olympic park, this sprawling funfair is sometimes called Russian Disneyland, with 20 'European-standard' rides (including Russia's…
Mineral Water Spas
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…
Mineral Water Spas
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…
Russian Caucasus
Worth a stop en route to the Cherek Valley are these small karst lakes with water in various shades of blue. The largest of the three lakes, which is deep…
Mineral Water Spas
This naturally formed archway, in a limestone cliff 10km north of central Kislovodsk, is an intriguing sight, despite the abundance of graffiti. At the…
Russian Caucasus
The 'Square of Soviets' is dominated by a colossal monument commemorating the Red Army soldiers who took part in the 1917–23 Russian Civil War. Prior to…
Chaliapin Dacha Literary Museum
Mineral Water Spas
The legendary Fyodor Chaliapin (1873–1938) lived in this palatial wood and stained-glass villa in 1917. Now a museum, it features paintings and photos of…
Russian Caucasus
At the eastern end of ul Sovetskaya, the Resurrection Cathedral contains a soaring golden iconostasis, a baroque chandelier and an unusual floor of metal…
Russian Caucasus
Leafy Gorky Park is home to blooming gardens, open-air cafes and plenty of cheerful kiddie rides. An impressive monument to the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution…
Vladimir Vysotsky Alpine Museum
Russian Caucasus
This small but interesting museum, 7km east of Cheget, is named after the Soviet-era singer-songwriter and actor Vladimir Vysotsky, who was a great fan of…
Russian Caucasus
A modern replica of a Byzantine style stone chapel marks the spot on the main road from where pilgrims climb a set of metal stairs to view this ancient…
Russian Caucasus
These three 10th-century Byzantine-style stone churches are thought to be located in what was once the capital of Alania, a Christian state destroyed…
Sochi
On the southeastern edge of town, Sochi’s lovely arboretum is lush with more than 1500 species of trees and shrubs, including numerous species of palm. It…
Mineral Water Spas
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…
Mineral Water Spas
The Moorish exterior of the Narzan Baths, dating from 1904, is looking very handsome after a recent restoration. Unfortunately, the building has been…
Kabardino-Balkaria National Museum
Russian Caucasus
Local natural and man-made history is covered at this reasonably interesting museum. Labels are in Russian, but it's mainly a place for visual…
Mineral Water Spas
With five gold domes, this is a 1999 reconstruction of the original 19th-century orthodox cathedral destroyed during Soviet times in 1936. The interior…
Sochi
Park Rivera is a small but lively greenscape that's criss-crossed with walking paths and dotted with games and kiddie rides. It's a pleasant place for a…
Russian Caucasus
From the top of Cheget’s lower chairlift, it’s about a one-hour walk around the side of the mountain to this lake. Check conditions before starting off …
Russian Caucasus
A statue of And Quiet Flows the Don author Mikhail Sholokhov depicts the writer gazing thoughtfully at the river that helped make his name. Nowadays, the…
Teberdinsky State Natural Biosphere Reserve
Russian Caucasus
This park has a small museum with stuffed animals and info on wildlife and geology as well as a mini zoo with deer, foxes, wolves and other local fauna.
Mineral Water Spas
A highlight of Kurortny Park is this formal planting of roses. A long avenue of pines trees frame a huge ground design in the shape of a single rose –…
![Western Siberian Eagle Owl [Bubo Bubo Sibericus] in full flight](https://lp-cms-production.imgix.net/2019-06/531770715_high.jpg?auto=format&fit=crop&w=360&ar=1:1&q=75)
