When traveling across Crimea, be sure to find an opportunity to visit the Grand Canyon of Crimea, which is located a few kilometers from the village of Sokolinoe (Bakhchisarai district). The Grand Canyon of Crimea unique place created by nature. The canyon was formed about 2 million years ago as a result of a tectonic fault that occurred. Then the skillful craftswoman, nature, got down to business, and with the help of her tools, water and wind, she created this miracle, which does not cease to delight the eyes of people to this day.
The canyon stretches for three and a half kilometers in length, its depth is over 300 meters, the width of the canyon in some places reaches only three meters. Being in such narrow corridors, the rocky sheer walls of which rush up to three hundred meters, you experience not transmitted sensations. There is silence and twilight around, only a narrow strip of sky serves as a source of light, in such a place you can feel all the unprecedented power of the mountains and understand that a person is just a small grain of sand. There are four such corridors in the canyon, with a length of 20 to 200 meters. The canyon itself is a giant crack, at the bottom of which there are placers of blocks and boulders, in some places harder rocks, the so-called rapids, come to the surface. As we know, the Crimean Mountains are of sedimentary origin and consist mainly of limestone. Several rivers flow along the bottom of the canyon. The largest is called Auzun-Uzen, which is cut off in several places by waterfalls, the height of which reaches 3-4 meters. As a result of the fall of water in the canyon, erosion cauldrons were formed, which are called baths. There are more than 150 such baths, the depth of which reaches three meters, and the width and length up to ten, on the territory of the canyon. canyon of Crimea.
Another attraction of the Grand Canyon of Crimea is the Paniya spring. The source is one of the most powerful in Crimea. Its average annual debit (water consumption) is more than 350 liters of seconds. Readers who are strong in mathematics have probably already calculated that over 1200 cubic meters of water flows out per hour. This amount of water is enough for a large village.
So, the shoes are in order, the environmental fee has been paid - it's time to go. There is a huge poster with a diagram at the entrance. The trail goes through a valley overgrown with forest. The first stop is the Postal Oak. Rather, what is left of it is a huge stump. Nearby, enterprising locals have set up a mini-base. There is an opportunity to drink tea with mountain herbs, refresh yourself and relax in the shade of trees. The next point of the route is Blue Lake, then, after passing Yablonevy ford, we go to one of the scenic spots- the source of Pania. According to legend, this place once stood a chapel in honor of the Holy Mother of God.
in the gorge
As you move into the canyon, the vegetation becomes less and less. More and more steep cliffs are exposed. The Grand Canyon of Crimea appears in all its beauty and leads us to its next attraction. Here is one of the largest baths - the Bath of Youth, into which a waterfall flows. This magnificent place with a beautiful surrounding landscape is always quite crowded. The fact is that according to the legend, who bathed here, youth is bestowed. But, in my opinion, the whole thing is in the cold water (temperature is about +10 degrees). Indeed, quite old people jump out of the bathtub, which is filled with crystal clear water popping up as young. I don't know about youth, but you will definitely get a lot of adrenaline and impressions for a lifetime. For lovers of mountains and coniferous foxes, the article will be interesting.
A visit to the Grand Canyon of Crimea will not be complete if you do not look at it from above. Climbing up Mount Boyko, tourists have the opportunity to contemplate the vastness of the canyon canyon from above. It was here, Professor Puzanov, who was one of the first to explore this canyon, and admiring its beauty and grandeur, gave it its current name.
You can get to the canyon by bus, following to the village. Falcon on the highway - Bakhchisarai. The road runs along a picturesque plateau. For owners of navigators GPS coordinates waypoints: Blue Lake: N 44 ° 31'12, E 33 ° 59'51, Pania spring: N 44 ° 31'20, E 34 ° 0'12, Bath of youth: N 44 ° 31'31, E 34 ° 0'29.
And in conclusion, I suggest you watch a short video about the Grand Canyon of Crimea.
Hello friends!
The Grand Canyon of Crimea, whose photos are adorned with tourist sites, souvenirs and printed publications of the peninsula, is a very impressive attraction. A kind of aesthetic picturesque crevice with icy water - a crack on the body Crimean mountains.
And to tourists who exclaim "Are you seriously! A collapsed waterfall, underwater caves and holy springs - what's going on with you in Crimea ?! " I answer - you just start your journey along the Crimean paths, and already six months before your vacation, you will begin to pack your backpack and wait for a meeting with them!
Who cares - join and let's go!
On a timescale, the Grand Crimean Canyon is still young. It is only about 2 million years old.
After the formation rocks preceded by a long period the struggle between the ocean and land, complete immersion under water, geological and other natural processes, rise above the deep sea, a tectonic fault occurred in this part of the peninsula.
After that, already the waters of the mountain river and time worked to create the image of the Great Crimean Canyon, creating a kind of nature reserve with a unique microclimate, flora and fauna.
Short story
The first explorer of the amazing cleft, who gave official name Professor II Puzanov became the "Grand Canyon" in 1925, to whom the local peasants proved that this place was not a good place, strange sounds were heard from there at night, just like "the shaitans celebrate their weddings ...".
But botanists, ethnographers, geographers and other interested societies studied the canyon even before the revolution, they say about it topographic maps that time, with plotted coordinates of the gorge.
Since the 1930s, the canyon has been part of tourist routes, and in 1947 received the status of a natural monument.
Since 1974 the Grand Canyon is a nature reserve and is under the protection and supervision of forestry personnel.
What is the uniqueness of the canyon: description
The Grand Canyon stretches for 3500 m. Winding and winding, its path runs between the massifs of Ai-Petri and Mount Boyka at a depth of 320 meters. The width of the gorge in some places is only 2 to 3.5 m.
For many centuries, the crevice has established its own microclimate. It is always cool and humid here, thanks not only to the high "walls", but also to the plants growing on the slopes and in the gorge itself and the reservoirs located at the bottom.
Here you will find a rich collection of Crimean trees - pine, oak, linden, hornbeam, beech, ash, maple, mountain ash, berry yew and many others. In addition, the canyon is home to unique shrubs and flowers, such as rare species of ferns and orchids.
In addition to the usual inhabitants of the Crimean fauna - hedgehogs, lizards, rodents, here you can meet roe deer and badgers, and brook trout splashing in the cold and clear water!
Where is the Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is located in the Bakhchisarai region, 5 km from the village of Sokolinoe.
Our natural landmark perfectly complements the landscape of the main ridge of the Crimean Mountains. And to be more precise, it is the property of the northeastern part of the Ai-Petrinsky massif.
What awaits us on the way
Tourist routes have long been laid along the Grand Canyon. Where necessary, bridges or handrails are installed, steps and paths are laid out, signs, information boards and warning signs are placed.
But, despite this, the path will still not be easy, and in the rainy season it will be completely dangerous, since the rivers are filled with water and even huge and heavy boulders are blown away by a stormy stream, and stone avalanches can break down from the slopes of the canyon.
It's good to go with a guide for the first time, get to know the route, don't miss important points and hear a detailed and engaging story.
To understand what the Grand Canyon of Crimea is, it is not necessary to walk along its bottom. There are a calmer and safer excursion - on the right slope. In this case, you will admire the surrounding beauty from observation platforms and continue your journey along comfortable and wide paths.
Great excursion under the majestic walls of the Crimean gorge
So you've decided that you need to explore the bottom of the canyon. What surprises and amazing moments will meet on your way, what to see and where to look without fail.
Start of the excursion
The trail through the beech forest will lead you to the first and famous landmark - the Postal Oak, or rather what is left of it.
Unfortunately, the age-old oak, which became the place of secret correspondence of the partisans (the notes were hidden in a hollow), burned down for some unknown reason. But the scorched driftwood that remained from it still serves as a storehouse of letters, now tourist letters.
You can also drop a couple of lines with wishes or parting words for the travelers following you.
Waterfalls, ice baths and ... bungee
Pay attention to what you need hiking trail will be accompanied by marks on the trees so you don't get lost.
A little higher is waterfall "Silver streams". Wooden paths lead to it, there is an observation deck and a tourist parking (meadow with benches).
Not so long ago, this waterfall was beautiful and gentle against the background of gray giant stones and emerald foliage. But a few years ago, due to severe frosts, the "cap" collapsed, and now it has changed somewhat.
On the way on the cliffs (if you get here in season) surprises await you - attractions. And what about without them in Crimea - pay money!
- To rush from one ridge to another at a height of 70 m at a speed of 10 m / s - please! You will be put on a bungee or, as they say now, a zipline.
- Walk 100 m on a staggering and absolutely "alive" suspension bridge- no problem! You will be strapped to a rope and pushed in the back.
- Do you dream of feeling like a tough climber - dreams come true! You will be given equipment and will be launched down the slope on a rope!
If you haven't gotten some impressions yet, let's move on.
The holy spring, the bath of youth and the search for apples
On the log bridge across the Yablonevy ford, all the travelers turn up their heads, trying to find the miracle apples in the variegated foliage. But there are no apples over the ford of the same name. Fruit trees grow up the river, and the stream bears fruit and leaves to this place. It will be possible to see wild apples in the water only in autumn.
After Yablochny ford, the trail will lead you to the holy spring of Pania (Panagia). This is a fairly full-flowing and turbulent source on the site of an ancient chapel.
And finally, the final point on the map of the Grand Canyon will be. A deep pit with ice water and a waterfall at the base attracts the bulk of tourists.
After all, you can guess that this icy natural reservoir is called "Bath of Youth" for a reason?
If there are no contraindications, feel free to dip! Where else will you get the opportunity to experience the forces of a life-giving mountain spring.
What's next?
At this point, the Grand Canyon does not end with a blank wall or abyss, just further the route becomes very difficult and unsafe.
And ordinary tourists without training or an experienced guide should not go there. The main route will take you from 2 to 4 hours, depending on which walking pace you choose.
Impressions and reviews of visitors
Surely, lovers of a sofa-beach holiday are unlikely to dare to take such a march along a rocky and river gorge on their only week-long vacation.
But connoisseurs hiking and Crimean natural beauties are happy to share their emotions regarding the Grand Canyon excursion. Here's what they say:
- amazing place, clean air and breathtaking landscapes;
- good physical activity, new sensations, strong natural energy;
- the best photos, great health and the desire to come back again.
The list of reviews can be continued, but there are also negative aspects. They are associated with some of the difficulties encountered along the way.
- First, it takes a long time to get there on your own.
- Secondly, after the rains, a rockfall is possible.
- Thirdly, there will be no infrastructure along the way, for example, the same shops with snacks or water.
Information for visitors
The Grand Canyon in Crimea is a nature reserve. For visits and excursions, a fee is charged:
- adult ticket - 100 rubles;
- child ticket - 50 rubles.
Extreme entertainment:
- zipline - 500 rubles;
- suspension bridge - 500 rubles;
- descent down the slope with climbing equipment - 500 rubles.
In the summer, visiting the sights from 9.00 to 19.00.
Official site: grand-canyon-crimea.rf
Forbidden! Set up tents, burn fires, pick flowers, plants, litter, drink alcoholic beverages.
How to get there
Sports tourists can go to the Yusupov trail in the area of the Sokolinoye village and walk 5 km to the canyon along the slope of the Boyka mountain range.
The Crimean peninsula is an absolutely amazing and unusual area that can surprise even the most experienced travelers. There are many unique attractions that will delight the eye and excite the imagination. Natural attractions are especially popular, because they give tourists an unforgettable experience. One of the most famous places on the peninsula is the Grand Canyon of Crimea. It is his photos that often adorn souvenirs and travel sites.
The Grand Crimean Canyon impresses with its primeval beauty and rich nature. It is rightfully called the heart of the local mountains. It allows you to touch the world of the present wildlife and get a lot of vivid emotions. When visiting Crimea, you should definitely take time for such a picturesque natural site like the local Grand Canyon.
The Grand Canyon of Crimea: features of the territory
The history of this object goes back more than one millennium, because it was formed with the help of water erosion at the site of a tectonic crack. That is why, at present, this deep depression has smooth walls, boulders at the bottom, sparkling waterfalls. The gorge has its own microclimate and unique nature that creates breathtaking views.
The main feature of the Grand Canyon of Crimea, the photos of which amaze with their unusual panorama, is the presence of rare plants. The specific microclimate, characterized by higher humidity and cooler temperatures, has become the main factor for the successful growth of certain plants. There are many types of trees, flowers and shrubs. Many of them are endemic and very rare.
On the territory of the depression there are such familiar Crimean trees as beech, pine, mountain ash, linden, ash, hornbeam, maple, etc. Of the rare species, there is an amazing yew grove in which berry yews grow. They are very ancient and their girth can reach 1.5 meters. There are also unique species of ferns and Crimean orchids, among which there is an unusual variety "Lady's slipper".
In addition to the rich flora, there is also an interesting fauna. Tourists can meet various rodents, hedgehogs, lizards, badgers, roe deer. In addition, brook trout can be observed in the water. Also, travelers will find an abundance of waterfalls, lakes, stone pools, caves. Also provided observation platforms that allow you to enjoy the splendor of the wild.
How to get to the Grand Canyon of Crimea?
A fascinating attraction is located in the Bakhchisarai region, namely, 5 km from the village. Falcon. It practically lies under the Ai-Petri mountain. There are several ways to get to the canyon:
- Use public transport. Tourists should take a bus "Bakhchisarai - Yalta" to the stop "Grand Canyon of Crimea". Then you will have to walk about 5 km more on foot.
- Get to the Great Crimean Canyon by car. This can be done from Yalta or Sevastopol - to overcome the ascent up to Ai-Petri, cross the plateau, go down to the reserve. There are clear signs on the track.
- Take advantage of the hiking trails.
- Join a group of tourists who go to the canyon with a guide. This option is the most optimal for those who visit the facility for the first time. The cost of such excursions includes a comfortable return trip, as well as an interesting presentation of facts and information by an experienced guide.
Vivid impressions, magnificent views and wonderful nature worth the effort. Visiting the canyon is free.
The Grand Canyon of Crimea: routes
For a long time already, tourist routes have been laid to the Great Crimean Canyon, which allow you to explore the beauty of the territory. On such routes, handrails, bridges, signs, information boards were installed, paths and steps were laid out. Therefore, the trip to the Grand Canyon of Crimea will be as safe as possible, but not entirely easy. To feel more confident, you can purchase an excursion to the Crimean canyon and walk the path with professionals.
Tourist routes run both along the bottom of the gorge and along its right edge. Both options differ significantly from each other, which allows tourists to choose their ideal path. The route, which runs along the right slope, is absolutely safe and allows you to go at any time of the year. There are wide trails and comfortable viewing platforms. However, it is less picturesque, although it also has its own charm. The path that runs along the bottom is quite difficult and will require much more effort from travelers. In the rainy season, it is even dangerous.
Any of these routes starts from the village of Sokolinoye. After about 5 km from it, the road will turn to the gorge. If tourists have to explore the bottom of the canyon, then the excursion trail will pass through beech forests and lead to a clearing with a Postal oak. Here tourists often leave letters with wishes or parting words. Then you need to turn onto the path to the right, which will lead to the Blue Lake. It is small enough, but very transparent and clean. The water in it is always cold - 9-11 degrees.
A little higher is the Silver Stream waterfall, to which wooden paths lead. Then travelers will have to walk along the amazing Yablochny ford, the path from which will lead to the holy spring of Pania. The next stop will be the famous Bath of Youth, which will complete the excursion. Those who wish will be able to swim in a pit with cold water and experience the power of a life-giving source. The whole journey will take 2 to 4 hours.
Where to relax after walking along the Grand Crimean Canyon?
A hike along a rocky gorge requires a considerable expenditure of energy, so after visiting an attraction you need a good rest. Hotel Villa Elena will be an impeccable place for perfect holiday in a pleasant atmosphere of hospitality. Guests will enjoy 24/7 service, the opportunity to enjoy authentic local cuisine, visit the spa center, and relax in the heated pool. You can actively relax on the tennis courts. Villa Elena also provides exclusive opportunities for relaxation, which include gastronomic tours, culinary master classes, personal catering.
The Crimean theme never leaves my thoughts. I was sitting here reviewing the photos from the hike in 2010, when we were walking through the Grand Canyon of Crimea, and realized that not all of them were posted, the report on the hike was big, it was necessary to write about many places and show them in photographs. But in fact, this attraction is worthy of a separate article. Moreover, to see her it is not necessary to be a hiker and go to hiking trip... It is enough to sit on public transport and on the usual asphalt road from Simferopol (from Yalta it is more difficult) to get to the canyon. Of course, you will not go through it all, but this is not necessary :)
I remember when we were walking with backpacks along the top of the canyon and somewhere in the middle of it we went down to wander through the bizarre stone recesses formed by the water, we met a group of ordinary tourists in flip flops and swimsuits that were walking from the very bottom. True, they were already decently tired and obviously it was time for them to come back. I'm sure they didn't get less impressions than we are. So this is the natural attraction in Crimea, which must be seen first of all.
Sometimes the channel narrows
How to get to the Grand Canyon in Crimea
The Grand Canyon of Crimea how to get there (clickable)
It is called the heart of the Crimean mountains. The Grand Canyon of Crimea is a lost world of primeval beauty. A grandiose three-kilometer depression, filled with boulders, teeming with picturesque waterfalls and baths, amazes the imagination of the most sophisticated travelers. The unique landscape reserve is strictly protected by the state. It is forbidden to pick flowers, cut trees, light fires, spend the night and set up tents on the protected lands ... Visiting the canyon is paid and regulated, which does not prevent thousands of tourists from traveling to this outlandish place. Received vivid impressions pay off all the difficulties and costs!
And the rocks parted ...
"The Heart of the Crimean Mountains" is located 3 kilometers from the village of Sokoliniy, Bakhchisarai region. There are many paved paths and paths leading to the northern part of the Ai-Petrinsky massif, so anyone who wants to get into the holy of holies can do it. True, it is best to choose a dry season, since during the flood period the Canyon can absorb uninvited guests. After all, his heart is stone, and it knows no pity.
The Grand Canyon is relatively young - only about 2 million years old! Once upon a time in the place where it is located, the ocean depths raged. Nature sculpted the local landscape, then raising mountains to the skies, then casting them into the sea abyss. Once, during the next restructuring, one of the colossal blocks broke, resulting in a giant crack. A tectonic fault divided a single mountain range for two - Ai-Petri and Boyka. The work on the formation of the depression was continued by the river Auzun-Uzen. For many millennia, the river "drilled" the rock mass, forming a canyon gorge. At the bottom of the canyon, many rapids, waterfalls and erosion cauldrons, the so-called baths, have appeared. Today the channel is a three-kilometer depression with smooth walls along the sides, cluttered with boulders and boulders. Maximum depth its - 320 meters, width reaches from 3 to 5 meters.
First " lost World"Crimea was described by Professor I.I. Puzanov in 1925. One fine day, traveling through the Crimean mountains with a friend, the scientist made an amazing discovery.
“Having climbed around the Boyka massif, the rocky surface of which was no different from the Ai-Petrinskaya, of which it is an outpost, we decided to go straight to Ai-Petri. ... After walking for half an hour, we suddenly found ourselves on the edge of a bottomless cleft, stretching parallel to Yayla. Looking with bated breath into the abyss that blocked our path, we saw that a river was flowing at its bottom. The opposite edge of the cleft was also absolutely sheer like the one on which we were standing. The direct distance to it was no more than 200-250 m. White-bellied swifts whistled through the abyss dividing us, ”- this is how the traveler described his impressions.
Perhaps the author of these lines was a little cunning. It's nice to feel like a discoverer of new lands! The gorge, of course, was well known before Puzanov local residents... Other researchers and local historians also knew about its existence. In 1906, botanist I.V. Vankov mentioned the canyon in a scientific article. In 1915, N.V. Rukhlov described in detail the main rivers in the mountainous Crimea, including in the area of the Grand Canyon. The Crimean Society of Naturalists, shortly before the First World War, publishes a Crimea guidebook, which mentions that there is ... “interesting mountain gorge"Canyon". The unique depression was drawn on topographic maps of the Crimea, published before the revolution. Puzanov popularized the exotic corner of the Crimea even more. After his article and the film "Along the Grand Canyon of Crimea", shot by F.F. Schillinger, natural monument began to gain wide popularity. In the 30s of the last century, an excursion to the Canyon was included in the plan of the Kokkoz tourist base, and its description appeared in all Crimean guidebooks.
Grand Canyon nature
High humidity and low temperatures have created a special microclimate in the Grand Canyon. The vegetation here develops 3-4 weeks later than the surrounding forests. Small groups of pine trees can be found on the local limestone slopes. Deciduous forests grow in the lower part of the gorge. Age-old hornbeams, beeches, ash trees, oaks, maples, mountain ash and linden are the eternal inhabitants of these places. The undergrowth is represented by a variety of shrubs. Hazel, dogwood, barberry, buckthorn feel great here ... The peculiarity of the flora of the Canyon is the presence of one and a half thousand trees of the Tertiary relic. Among them, a bright representative is the berry yew. There are real giants reaching 1.5 meters in girth and 10-15 meters in height.
During the Ice Age, the well-isolated canyon became a haven for thermophilic plants. The depression warmed rare species of ferns, relic hyoid butcher, endemic saxifrage, more than two-thirds of Crimean orchid species, among which there is a very rare flower called Venus's slipper.
Brook trout splashes in the cold, oxygenated water of the rivers of the gorge. Travelers often see hedgehogs, and if you're lucky, you can see a weasel, badger or roe deer. The most common birds are the titmouse, woodpecker, redstart, robin, warbler and jay. And, of course, a nimble lizard is the mistress of the stone jungle.
The unique nature of the canyon requires reverent protection and protection. In 1947, the Grand Canyon of Crimea was declared a natural monument, and since 1974 its territory (more than 300 hectares) was declared a landscape reserve of republican significance by a decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR. Today, it is forbidden to pick flowers, cut trees, light fires in the protected lands, in general, roughly interfere with the ecosystem of the area. The state of the reserve is monitored by employees of the Kuibyshev forestry enterprise. They also developed special routes for tourists.
In the heart of the Canyon
The journey to the heart of the Crimean Mountains begins not far from the Postal Oak. During the Great Patriotic War partisans left secret messages in the once powerful tree. V Peaceful time this tradition was continued by tourists. As a result of the fire, only a part of the trunk remained from the oak. Tour guides suggest that the tragedy was due to a lightning strike, although it is quite possible that the main reason is human negligence.
There are two paths leading from the Post Oak. The first goes to the bottom of the gorge, the second, the "Winter Trail" goes up and follows along the right slope. The first option is convenient for a summer walk, it is interesting and not so difficult. This is the path followed by the main tourist routes.
Travelers who have chosen the summer trail will soon find their first attraction - Blue Lake. The reservoir is shallow in depth and is the widest in the Canyon. For those wishing to swim, a surprise awaits - the water temperature in local springs, the river and the lake, even in the hottest months, does not exceed 11 ° C. Blue Lake is the largest karst spring in Crimea. It brings about 370 liters of water to the surface every second.
Walking along the bottom of the Grand Canyon of Crimea, you never cease to be amazed at the inexhaustible fantasy of Mother Nature. Bizarre sculptures, carved in stone by water, are found here and there, evoking various associations.
Small waterfalls are unusually picturesque. The water falling from the stones washes away the basins under it, forming stone baths. One of them, the most famous, is called the "Bath of Youth". Modern name"Baths" have been known since the beginning of the 1960s, and once they were called "Kara-Gol", which means Black lake... This is the deepest hollow in the gorge, reaching 4 meters. There is a belief: they say that after bathing in it, you can rejuvenate for several years. Indeed, 9-11 degrees water is very invigorating!
The youth bath is the last point of excursions along the Grand Canyon of Crimea. To go further, you need to have climbing skills. In the spring and during heavy rains, one must be prepared to move 100-200 meters knee-deep in cold water. Do not forget about the danger of rockfalls. During floods, movement along the extreme part of the canyon is strongly discouraged. Once a gardener who worked in the park of the Yusupov tea house shared a warning with Professor I.I. Puzanov: "Our peasants tell us that at night wild screams, squeals and laughter are heard from the cleft of Auzun-Uzen - the shaitans celebrate their weddings ...".
Those who are not afraid of shaitans and witches and nevertheless decide to go further, fantastic beauty corners of nature and unforgettable adventures await!
