On the Volga there is a peninsula formed by a large bend of the river. It is called the Samara Luke. Here, in the Zhiguli Mountains, there is the Stone Bowl - a depression in the form of a cauldron created by five ravines and slopes of the mountains. This natural formation is a landmark of the state reserve. The tract "Stone Bowl" in the Samara region has become popular among local residents due to the spring, which is considered one of the oldest sources of the Zhiguli Mountains.
How to get to the Stone Bowl
The places here are truly protected - the Volga River, picturesque, forested Zhiguli Mountains. Excursions to the Stone bowl of the Samara region have three routes:
- The first is by bus to reach the village of Shiryaevo, then through the Shiryaevsky ravine to the mountain source. The path is 10 km.
- The second is to get from the city to the village of Solnechnaya Polyana, then go through the pass on foot. Walking takes a little over 1 hour. This is the shortest way.
- The third - to cross the Volga by ferry to the village of Shiryaevo, then through the ravine to the source of St. Nicholas.
The magnificent natural landscape will allow you to brighten up all the difficulties of the crosswalk. The back road will seem shorter, because all the time you have to go downhill. You can also get by car to Shiryaevo or Solnechnaya Polyana.
Popular route
If you want to make your visit to the Stone Bowl unforgettable and have a lot of fun, you can advise the route Samara - Solnechnaya Polyana - Stone Bowl in the Samara Region. The route takes a full day. The route begins from the river station in Samara, from where it is necessary to swim to the village of Solnechnaya Polyana. Here you have to buy a ticket to visit the reserve (50 rubles) and go on foot to the Stone Bowl. A river trip along the beautiful Volga River, magnificent landscapes and a forest hike along the path will bring a lot of pleasure for those who love hiking crossings.
Miraculous source
Hikes to the Stone Bowl in the Samara region are carried out with the aim of visiting a mountain source, which believers consider sacred. They say that his water has the power of healing from many diseases, gives health and gives people energy. There are three springs in total. One of them is considered miraculous and received the name "Source of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker."
The spring begins in a forest ravine. Around it are a large number of uplifted stone blocks. A small stream of water breaks out from under the stone ridge, falling on a stone slab, drains along the groove washed with water and forms a small pond with a diameter of half a meter. Water, accumulating, flows down the gutter.
The second time a spring appears after about a hundred meters. It flows out from under the stone blocks of the left corner of the cave. Its jet is more watery and flows into the substituted trough.
Further along the mountain, a wall appears, having many gaps from which water appears. There are two entrances to the cave, in the floor of which two streams flow from the crevices, connecting into one. Flowing down stone ledges, they fall into a wooden gutter. All the water of this spring, breaking through the rocks, is collected through gutters.
Other sources
As mentioned above, the Stone Bowl in Samara Luka was formed as a result of the merger of several ravines formed in the Zhiguli Mountains. On the south side in different ravines there are two more springs that are in the thickets of the forest. Their slopes are steep, so the path to them is quite difficult. Emerging from rocky crevices, they flow into a ravine with the strange name of Decks.
Scientists believe that the aquifers and water-resistant layers from which the springs flow were formed by the ancient seas: Akchagyl and less saline Khvalynsky. This is reflected in the composition of the water in the springs. In some sources, water with a high content of chlorides, in others - a smaller composition of carbonates and chlorides.
Title "Stone Bowl"
Making a trip to the Stone Bowl in the Samara region, many want to find out where the name of this tract came from. There are two versions of its appearance. According to one of them, the name of the tract gave a cauldron mountain formation that appeared as a result of the merger of ravines.
According to another version, such a name occurred as a result of the transformation of the Turkic word "chalma", which means "spring", "source" in translation. Both versions seem plausible.
Chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
Many believers who live near the Stone Cup made a pilgrimage to the sources of miraculous water. For a long time there has been a rumor about the power of water originating in the Zhiguli Mountains. In the nearby village of Solnechnaya Polyana there is an Orthodox church in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The source is named after him. Archbishop of Samara and Syzran Sergius blessed the inclusion of a visit to the source in the pilgrimage routes to the holy places of the Samara region.
With his blessing, in 1998 a wooden chapel was built here, burned by vandals in 2000. Believers of Zhigulevsk and Togliatti built a stone chapel on the site of the arson, which organically fit into the natural landscape. Building materials were brought to the foot of the mountain, and every believer going to the cup had to carry some part of them upstairs. A wooden bathhouse was also built, tables and benches were built.
