Treatment is treatment, but still, being in a sanatorium, you want to relax your soul and see the sights of the places that surround you. And even more so if there are mountains around. And they, combined with clean mountain air, treat better than any ultra-modern clinic with sophisticated equipment and world-famous professors.
It’s not for nothing that until 1917, all the bourgeoisie, so unloved by us in the recent past, were treated in these places - Zheleznovodsk, Kislovodsk, Pyatigorsk, and even Essentuki with Mineralnye Vody. By the way, for some reason now, every second person has noble roots?
Signpost for the start of the path around Mount Zheleznaya.
But let’s finish with the preludes and today we will walk on foot along the third route of the Zheleznovodsk health paths. For those who have not read the previous articles, be sure to read them, otherwise much will be unclear:
— a trip to honey waterfalls, a simple, inexpensive, but very interesting excursion;
- sanatorium 30 Let Pobedy, Zheleznovodsk - where to relax during treatment.
There is also an article called - health path routes of the Zheleznovodsk mountains for hiking with children. Although it is intended for parents, this does not change the routes themselves, which is suitable for children and, undoubtedly, suitable for those recovering.
Saltpeter rocks.
And so let's walk along the third route of the health path around the Zheleznaya and Razvalka mountains , see the saltpeter rocks, visit the cave of an ancient man and his camp site at the foot of Razvalka mountain. Moreover, this excursion will not require money from you.
Mountain Honey
If you take a minibus from Kislovodsk or Essentuki, then when entering the city of Zheleznovodsk, Mount Medovaya will be visible from the window as you move on the right. The final stop is “Railway Station”. A minibus passes through the city through the stop “Chapaeva Street”. Ask the driver to stop; this stop is the beginning of the route.
Stop "Chapaeva Street". View of Mount Medovaya from the road
If you take a minibus from Pyatigorsk, then you enter the city from the opposite side, but the final stop is also “Zheleznodorozhny Vokzal”.
Railway station Zheleznovodsk
From the train station you can get to the Chapaeva Street stop by public transport. Or walk from the train station on the left side of the street. The street goes straight and down, past the Dubovaya Roshcha sanatorium.
Sanatorium "Oak Grove" of the Presidential Administration
Mount Medovaya is located opposite the Ulitsa Chapaeva stop. It is so called because wild bees were once found on its tops. But half of the top of this mountain was demolished during the mining of natural stone here. However, the part that remains to date amazes with its grandeur and beauty. The height of Mount Medovaya is 725 meters
Along Chapaeva Street you go to the forest. At the end of the street, a forest path begins up the mountain. The climb is quite steep, but does not require any special hiking equipment. Enough trekking poles. The trail will lead you to the foot of Mount Medovaya, to a small clearing with a place for a fire. You can have a snack in the clearing; it is clearly used for recreation.
Glade in front of Mount Medova
You can climb the mountain along a narrow path, but you cannot reach the top without climbing equipment.
However, this is not necessary. You can take some very spectacular pictures from the accessible slopes of the mountain.
Ostrovsky baths
Ostrovsky Baths is a beautiful 19th century building, built in the Moorish style, located in the very center of the city, named after the brother of the great playwright, who invested a lot in the development of Zheleznovodsk. Because of the round domes, it somewhat resembles a mosque with a minaret. But now you can’t get inside the ancient hydropathic clinic; it is under restoration.
Where is it located: opposite the railway station
Panorama from Mount Medovaya
From Mount Medova you can see the Razvalka and Zheleznaya mountains.
On the other hand, our next goal: the Tupaja and Ostraya mountains. The forest spread out like a beautiful carpet.
After enjoying the views from the mountain and taking pictures, we go down into the forest. We will see a forest road coming from Mount Medovaya.
It goes back behind Mount Medovaya to the Dubovaya Roshcha sanatorium, the Office of the President and the railway station. She leads us forward from Zheleznovodsk to Lermontov. Our immediate goal is to reach Mount Kabanka (Tupaya) along this road.
From Mount Medovaya to Tupoya
From the point of view of orientation on the ground, the most difficult section of the route from Zheleznovodsk to Lermontov is the forest road from Medovaya to Tupaya.
Under the forest trees
From Mount Medova everything seems simple. Mount Tupaia is ahead, opposite Medovaya. But as soon as you descend into the forest, the mountains become invisible. You need to move in an arc, slightly bent to the left. The road gradually rises, crossing small streams. You won't have to walk for long. On the right, in the direction of travel, the massif of Mount Kabanka (Tupaya) should begin to be visible through the branches. We leave the mountain massif on the right behind. We look carefully at our feet and a little ahead so as not to miss the path to the mountain. Along this narrow path we must turn sharply off the road to the right.
Mount Kabanka (Tupaya)
It is easy to guess that Mount Kabanka looks like a wild boar. But apparently I have a bad imagination, and I don’t see a boar in her. But the second name (from my point of view) really corresponds to the shape of this mountain. True, this name is not romantic. The top of this mountain is a fairly large uneven area. The top has clearings, and part of it is overgrown with forest and bushes.
In the clearings at different times of the year, forget-me-nots and yellow primrose bloom, and anise grows. The rocky slopes, especially along the path to the summit, are covered with low bushes and nettles.
The slopes are stupid
Walk along the slopes of Mount Tupoy
There is beautiful, colorful moss on the stones.
The height of Mount Tupoy is 765 meters.
The top of Mount Tupoy is a wonderful viewpoint. It offers a wider and richer panorama of the KMV mountains than from Mount Medova. Walking around the peak, you can see and take beautiful photographs of the Medovaya, Zheleznaya, Razvalka and Zmeinaya mountains.
Mountain Honey
Mountains Zheleznaya, Razvalka, Zmeinaya
The massif of Mount Beshtau looks close and grandiose.
Mount Beshtau
And of course Mount Ostraya is visible.
Mount Sharp
From the top of Mount Tupoy you can see Zheleznovodsk, if you look towards Medovaya and Zheleznaya. And under Mount Ostroy there is the city of Lermontov.
The top of Mount Tupoy is a great place to spend a weekend in nature.
Collection of linden blossoms on Mount Tupoy
You can pitch a tent here.
Drinking water is not far away - a source of fresh water is located under Mount Ostra.
The ascent to Mount Tupaya along the trail is easy and accessible at any age. The main thing is to take this path, it is alone. The climb is on one side of the mountain. Opposite this side of Mount Dumb, about a 15-20 minute walk, is Mount Sharp.
Resort lake
The lake has an observation deck overlooking the Cascade Staircase itself and Iron Mountain. There is also a concert and dance floor here, and on the tiles under your feet are the names of the chemical elements of the local mineral waters. What else does the lake have? Sculptures: Girl on a Bicycle, Fisherman and Fishing Cat, Eagle and Pyatigorye. If you don’t know where to go to sunbathe, swim, or ride a catamaran, then this is the place for you too. In short, a place for relaxation and entertainment that is easy to see on your own.
Monument to fallen soldiers
No matter how intoxicated the beauty of the mountains is, you still have to go down. We continue to follow the route from Zheleznovodsk to Lermontov. We descend from Mount Tupoy and return to the road from which we turned off. We move forward along the road for a few minutes and notice a good path going to the left. We follow it and come out to a flower garden to the left of a huge stone lying in the forest to the side of the mountain. We come closer and see in the middle of a site fenced with stones and planted with flowers with the 1942 burial of Soviet soldiers of the Great Patriotic War - the defenders of Zheleznovodsk.
The monument is a rock with the image of a soldier in a helmet. There is also a memorial plaque on the rock with the words: “Let's remember everyone by name, let's remember with our grief. The dead don’t need this, the living need this.”
The names of the victims are not indicated on the monument. On the left, almost nearby, is the massif of Mount Ostroy. The grave is always well maintained.
Palace of the Emir of Bukhara
The building, built in 1912, is a fabulous palace ensemble in an oriental style. The building went through many different events after it ceased to be the residence of the emir: there was a sanatorium, an infirmary during the war, and a hotel. Now it is an architectural monument; part of the territory belongs to the Ernst Thälmann sanatorium.
Right next to the palace of the Emir of Bukhara there are two more interesting objects: The Musical Pavilion. The gazebo was built at the end of the 19th century for musicians - before, live music was often heard in the resort park. The gazebo not only replaced the stage, but also contributed to good sound. Thanks to a special acoustic system, the sound was amplified and spread over a long distance.
The sculpture of the zodiac signs is no less interesting. It depicts all the signs of the zodiac, including the eastern ones. In the center there is a large oval stone, which is called the “wishing egg”. Yes, you guessed it right: if you make a wish and turn the stone, it will come true. But this is not so easy to do, the stone is quite massive.
Mount Sharp
We go up along a wide forest road, turn left and go out to the foot of Mount Ostraya. The height of Mount Ostroy is 871 meters.
She's from the peaks of Sharp Mountain
Mount Ostraya has two sharp peaks that look like gates.
Two peaks of Sharp Mountain. View from Dull Mountain in autumn
From the sharp peaks to the right there is an almost vertical stone wall,
to the left is a flat-topped mountain overgrown with an oak grove.
The left part of the Ostroy mountain massif
It's easy to climb to the oak grove. The view from this part of the Ostroy mountain massif is not so impressive, but still interesting.
The most difficult and dangerous climb is to the right side of the Ostroy mountain massif, to the stone wall. It is more correct to call this stone wall a rock cliff. This rocky cliff is more than one hundred meters long.
Cliffs of Sharp Mountain
Basically, there is a place on the right side of the mountain that is accessible to climb the ridge without climbing equipment. If you stand on the ridge facing the abyss you can see Small and Big Tau - the peaks of Beshtau. True, the view from there seemed gloomy to me. The descent increases adrenaline in the blood. I don’t consider myself a coward, but I only went up and down this stone wall three times. The first time was particularly memorable. She crossed herself when she found herself at the bottom. The path is steep, there is practically nothing to grab onto, the soil is rocky. You walk along the path almost on scree. This is a case that is well known to mountain lovers: when the ascent is much easier than the descent.
How long does it take to explore Zheleznovodsk?
Zheleznovodsk is conditionally divided into 2 parts - tourist and residential. The tourist part of the city is a resort park, on the territory and next to which all the attractions are located. They can be viewed in 1 day. Another day is required if you want to explore the mountain. In this situation, you will need overnight accommodation. Here are some options:
- hotel "Pearl of the Caucasus" (3 stars);
- sanatorium Plaza (3 stars);
- hotel “Slavyanovsky Istok” (4 stars);
- sanatorium "Rafael" (4 stars);
- guest house "Paradise Corner".
When I come to a city for only 1–2 days, I try to stay in a hostel. Prices for hotel rooms depend on geographic location and star rating, and I don’t like to overpay for one night. The neatest and most budget hostels are usually located on the outskirts - away from resort and student areas. A hostel is the same hotel, only with a shared kitchen and bedroom for several people. If I come with a child, I rent a family room.
Under Mount Ostraya
The lower part of the stone wall of Mount Ostra has long been mastered by rock climbers; there are routes from 5 to 7b+ difficulty categories here. On a stone wall, not high above the ground, there is a memorial plaque to the deceased mountaineer and rock climber Andrei Kruglov (1967-1997). He was one of the strongest rock climbers and mountaineers in the Stavropol Territory. At the age of 23 he became a “Snow Leopard”. He made a great contribution to the popularization of rock climbing on the CMS. Author of climbing routes on the CMV, including Ostroy. Died during training on Mount Ostroy.
There is a road under the Ostroy Mountain massif, along which there are cozy clearings with the remains of bonfires.
To the left the road leads through the Ostraya Mountain, passing between the Ostraya and flat peaks. To the right the road goes down to the city of Lermontov.
Mount Ostraya is the last of the mountains on our route from Zheleznovodsk to Lermontov.
Smirnovsky and Slavyanovsky springs
There are always people hanging out near the two main mineral springs. The Smirnovsky spring is located right next to the fountain, and is very interestingly decorated. The water here is warm with a mineralization of 3.6 g/l, making it a pleasure to drink. the Slavyanovsky spring between the fountain and the Pushkin Gallery. It is the hottest of all - water temperature 55 degrees, mineralization 3.4 g/l. It was named after the hydrogeologist Nikolai Slavyanov, who discovered it. These mineral waters help with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract; each pump room has signs with detailed information about the properties and dosages of the water.
Way back
We are returning back from the route from Zheleznovodsk to Lermontov. Variants are possible. If you started this route early, you can return back to Zheleznovodsk
along the same road. Since there is time to climb Mount Zheleznaya
Top of Mount Zheleznaya
and visit the cave in Mount Razvalka.
Didn't catch the last minibus? You can call a taxi and go to your city. It is also possible to get to Pyatigorsk or Inozemtsevo by public transport. And then return home by rail. If you spent the whole day on the route, had a picnic, rested for a long time on Tupoy, etc., then quickly along the road you go down to the city of Lermontov. From there, if it’s not too late, you can take a minibus to Pyatigorsk. And then get to your resort town by rail. In extreme cases, you can always call a taxi. The time spent on the route depends on the purpose of your stay at the resort. In the case of your active treatment, remember to adhere to the mineral water intake regimen.
Purchases
A popular purchase in Zheleznovodsk is mineral water, which can be given as a useful gift. Several companies located in the resort town bottle the healing drink. Famous ones are “Slavyanovskaya” and “Smirnovskaya”. The most popular drink is with, which has been familiar to consumers for 100 years. Water from Zheleznovodsk is natural, fakes are excluded. “Lysogorsk water” is unique. Firstly, the product is extremely rich in magnesium, and secondly, it helps fight extra pounds.
A wonderful souvenir is a porcelain sippy cup. This is a special mug that has a spout for convenience. Cosmetics sold in the resort town are used for various procedures and are very effective. These are soaps, balms, creams, cosmetic masks. All of them are made using therapeutic mud from the lake. Taboukan. This souvenir will be useful for health and beauty.
The nature in the resort area is wonderful, which is why it attracts numerous artists. Tourists have the opportunity to buy a unique work of art. Southern hotels - almost no guest of the city leaves without them. The choice is large: traditional sweets, delicious natural honey, teas and herbal infusions.
City of Lermontov
The city of Lermontov is located on the CMS, but is not a resort. This is an industrial city. In 2022 the population was 22,891.
city of Lermontov
The city was founded in 1953 during the construction of the Mining and Chemical Ore Department. City status was granted in 1967. In Soviet times, until 1967, the city was closed. The fact is that Lermontov initially developed exclusively for industrial activities. The city was home to the country's first enterprise for the extraction and processing of uranium-containing ores. Raw materials were mined here without which the security of our country was not possible.
During geological exploration work on Mount Beshtau in 1951, deposits of radon waters were discovered. They served to build a radon hydropathic clinic in the city of Pyatigorsk.
In 1967, the specialized significance of the city was lost; enterprises of the radio-electronic industry, instrument making, automation equipment and control systems, etc. appeared.
In 1974, ore reserves in the upper Beshtau mines ran out. And in the lower part of the mountain, ore mining work was completely stopped. Since the continuation of work threatened to disrupt the routes along which mineral waters pass. But the plant's activities continued for another 20 years. The plant worked on imported raw materials.
In 1987, the village of Ostrogorka became part of the city.
Pushkin Gallery
The Pushkin Gallery is an architectural symbol of Zheleznovodsk. A long building in blue tones with a light dome and colored glazing is located in the very heart of the resort part of the city. This is where we will begin our walk. The building was built in 1902 and was originally intended for entertainment: a small theater was installed in the left half, and in the right there was a hall for dances and exhibitions.
At first the gallery was called Zheleznaya, but soon it was renamed Pushkinskaya (in memory of the great writer’s arrival for treatment in 1820 ). Previously, the gallery was bustling with life - famous performers of those years gave concerts there, performances and dance evenings were held. Now events are held periodically, and the right part is given over to exhibitions of paintings by local artists.
In the early 2000s, a park and a small monument to Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin was erected. There are also stunning flower beds, plant statues and flower clocks. This is one of the main attractions of Zheleznovodsk.
From Zheleznovodsk to Lermontov in reverse order
Once I tried to walk the route from Zheleznovodsk to Lermontov in the reverse order from Ostroy Mountain. I took a taxi from Essentuki, where I was resting, to a clearing near Ostroy Mountain. The driver took me to Dubravnaya Street in the city of Lermontov. Having learned the purpose of my trip, he brought me straight to the place. And I didn't have to walk. But something strange happened to me there. Knowing the road well, I got lost. Repeatedly I tried to go from Tupoya to Medova. But she always went out to Beshtau.
Mount Beshtau
Then I went to the lower spring near Mount Beshtau.
And went up to the Eagle Rocks guest complex.
Guest complex "Eagle Rocks"
From there we had to call a taxi, since it was autumn and it was getting dark. And there was no point in going to the public transport stop. The last minibus left for Essentuki.
Beshtau
Zheleznovodsk is surrounded by small mountains of the North Caucasus. The easiest and most accessible road to Mount Beshtau begins from the Zheleznovodsk railway station. This mountain is the highest on the CMS - 1401 meters. The climb from the indicated place to Beshtau is long. More than half of the way you walk through the forest. In terms of physical fitness, it requires, above all, patience and endurance. The road to Beshtau from the indicated place passes through a fresh spring. This source is captured and has the taste of narzan. The difficulty is the steep but short climb to the saddle. And also the ascent from the saddle to the top along a path with scree. Roads lead from Mount Beshtau to Pyatigorsk and Lermontov. Therefore, from Zheleznovodsk to Lermontov you can walk through Mount Beshtau. I’ll tell you about the climb to Beshtau another time.
