Today, environmental tourism is gaining popularity, the purpose of which is routes through nature reserves and national parks.
In this article, nature monuments of the Krasnodar Territory will be presented to you. We will admire stunning lakes, explore the system of waterfalls and caves, get acquainted with such an interesting phenomenon as the Stone Sea.
What are natural monuments?
For the first time, the term itself appeared in the famous researcher Alexander Humboldt. But later he absorbed many objects and lost his scientific character.
Today, a clear classification has been created, which shows not only the belonging of the monument to one or another species, but also makes it clear which of them need protection or are of great value.
So, the following categories are recognized: natural monuments, nature reserves, national parks and state reserves.
It is not in vain that the flow of tourists is growing precisely along the routes of natural attractions. After all, only here those who wish can relax, get a boost of vigor, stretch and strengthen muscles, calm the nervous system.
Abrau
Listing the natural monuments of the Krasnodar Territory, it is especially worth staying on Lake Abrau. This is the largest freshwater reservoir in this area. Its length is more than two and a half kilometers, and its width is six hundred meters. Approximate surface area - 180 hectares.
The lake is located above sea level at an altitude of 84 meters. It is closed, that is, rivers and streams flow into it, but further the water does not flow anywhere. The main fluid flow path is evaporation.
The maximum depth today is within 11 meters. It is noteworthy that as early as the middle of the last century, the bottom of the lake was 30 meters from the surface. But as a result of the fact that there is no flowing water, Lake Abrau is silted.
Today this is the main problem of this natural monument, as its water is used for domestic needs by local residents. Work is underway on the construction of a dam to delay sediment and prevent it from entering the lake. In addition, in some places the bottom is cleared of silt.
Judging by local legend, the lake was formed on the site of an aul that fell underground. Its inhabitants became so rich and proud that they decided to pave the road to the sea with gold and silver coins. For this, the Lord wiped the village off the face of the earth and filled the basin with water. Actually, the name of the lake comes from the Abkhaz word "abrau", which means "cavity".
Today, researchers of this natural monument are arguing about the formation of a reservoir. There are three versions in total.
According to the first hypothesis, Lake Abrau was formed as a result of the failure of the karst. But geologists do not agree with it, since karst lakes are usually located in groups, and this is presented in the singular. In addition, the nature of the bottom does not confirm the theory at all.
The second version is the assumption that the reservoir is the remnant of the once existing huge Cimmerian basin. The presence of freshwater fish partially confirms this conjecture, but does not shed light on the origin of the depression.
The main and most likely version of the earthquake, landslide or other shift of the earth's crust is considered. According to this hypothesis, a cataclysm occurred that blocked the path of the Abrau River to the Black Sea. As a result, a lake was formed.
The absence of high mountains from which a landslide could have occurred is the only reason for the existence of other versions. Therefore, for researchers this issue remains open.
Kardyvach
Anyone who decides to see the monuments of the cultural and natural heritage of the Krasnodar Territory is simply obliged to visit Lake Kardyvach. This is a beautiful pond in these parts. It is located 44 kilometers from Krasnaya Polyana, in the Adler district of Sochi.
Kardyvach is a flowing lake. The river that feeds it is called Mzymta. The length of the reservoir is about half a kilometer, width - 350-360 meters, maximum depth - 17 meters. It is located at an altitude of 1838 meters above sea level, surrounded by slopes of the Main Caucasus Range.
From the shore of the lake you can see such peaks as Loyub, Tsyndyshkho, Kardyvach (main and nodal). The southeast of the reservoir borders the Kutekheku ridge.
The origin of the lake is moraine-dammed. When the glacier moved, he created a hollow and locked it in a moraine. Over time, due to the arrival of rock fragments and sediment, the pond becomes smaller.
Although Upper Mzymta feeds Kardyvach, the lake is completely fishless, since a waterfall is located downstream.
If you go up the river, you can be near the Upper Kardyvach. In this lake, even on a hot summer day, fragments of ice float, which completely covers its surface for most months.
Agur waterfalls
Complex natural monuments of the Krasnodar Territory leave no one indifferent. Those who once visited these waterfalls will never forget their beauty and natural splendor.
They are located in the Khostinsky district of Sochi. There are a number of hiking trails whose participants can enjoy stunning views of all three waterfalls and Mount Akhun.
In general, the distance from the first to the last object is about two and a half kilometers. Let's find out more details about Agursky waterfalls.
So, the Lower consists of two cascades. The first of them is twelve meters, and the second is eighteen meters. If you go along the route that starts from the Devil's Font, then the distance to the first waterfall will be about one and a half kilometers.
Middle Augursky waterfall is located half a kilometer from the Lower. Its height is 23 meters. A little higher is the Upper Cascade, whose height is 23 meters.
The last waterfall offers stunning views of the Eagle Rocks. It is believed that it was here that Prometheus was once chained, and the eagle tortured him. During the route, you can even see the monument of this mythical hero.
Natural monuments are sometimes complemented by the cultural heritage of mankind, which creates an amazing effect.
Salt Lake
The next facility is located on the Taman Peninsula. It is fully consistent with its name, because the amount of salt in it is 350-400 ppm. That is, a liter of water will produce about 400 grams of salt. For an example: in the Dead Sea the same salinity of water.
Once a part of the Kuban estuary, due to the shallowing of the sea and the decay of the latter, this lake illustrates the formation of the sea lagoon.
On the maps of the nineteenth century, this is still part of the Kuban estuary, later - part of the Bugaz estuary. On the maps of 1850-1912, this is already a lake, however, it was then called by the name of the bay. Already in the twentieth century, when its value was proved in the course of the research, the reservoir was called Salt.
A stunning view of it opens from the nearby hills. Further, some more natural monuments will be considered. Protected natural areas, as you will soon see, rarely display their treasures.
When viewed from a hill, the lake seems large and deep. Its length is about one and a half kilometers, and its width is a kilometer. You will understand all the comic nature of this monument when you go down closer. The depth of the Salt Lake is only 10 centimeters!
But the reservoir’s treasure is not in the coarse-grained mineral deposits. The main value of the lake is a sixty-centimeter layer of healing mud.
When scientists discovered and explored these deposits, the reservoir immediately passed under the protection of the state. After all, it contains more than 200 thousand cubic meters of hydrogen sulfide therapeutic mixtures!
The beauty of this natural sanatorium lies in the beach that separates the lake and the Black Sea. Its width is about one hundred meters, and its length is 40 kilometers! It stretches to Anapa and is covered with the finest quartz sand.
Khan lake
Mentioning protected natural monuments, it is worth stopping at Lake Tatar. It is located on the banks of the Beisugsky estuary and is managed by the Yeysk sanatorium.
In fact, it represents an early stage in the formation of the Salt Lake.
It is also a part of the sea, which, in the process of shallowing of the latter, first separated into the bay, and then became an independent enclosed body of water.
The length of Khan Lake is almost sixteen kilometers long and six to seven wide. Its depth is 80 centimeters.
Water enters the reservoir using rains and occasionally from the estuary, in the case of strong winds.
According to legend, the lake was named because of the Crimean Khan, who built a palace here to use the healing power of local mud baths.
Pshad Falls
The local waterfall complex includes more than one hundred cascades, but thirteen of them are the most popular.
The natural monuments of the Krasnodar Territory are often referred to as resorts and are equipped with picturesque tourist routes. They pass through a section of the valley called Bases. The main thirteen attractions are located at an altitude of 245 to 270 meters above sea level. They are grouped within one kilometer.
Eight waterfalls from the Pshad complex are located on the Red River. The largest of them and the lower stream is Olyapkin or Bolshoi Pshadsky. Its height is about nine meters. It is approximate, because one of the banks is sloping and the stream partially falls on stones, and not directly on the water surface.
The second highest is located at the mouth of the Grape Stream. It is also a closing chain of eight cascades and is located at an altitude of 270 meters above sea level. His own jet falls seven meters down.
The remaining waterfalls are located between these giants. Their height ranges from 4.5 meters to 30 centimeters.
Kochkareva gap is known for its reclaimed stalactite, which resembles a crocodile in shape. Upstream, the Gorlyanov Stream flows into the Pshada River. It has about ten waterfalls. Here the heights range from four to ten meters.
The next stop is the gorge of 40 waterfalls, the upper course of the Thab. Here you have to walk through hard-to-reach places to see objects up to twenty meters high.
Next, it is worth turning towards the Papayka rivulet, which flows into Pshada. She has a tributary - the Black River. At the last is a gorgeous complex of natural attractions called Papaya Falls.
The route starts from the Black Aul and goes up the gorge. You need to walk about three kilometers to the first cascades. Then just a mess of waterfalls begins. Gradually, their height increases.
The first significant waterfall, eight meters high, is surrounded by a stunning rocky amphitheater. Ten meters upstream is the second - seven-meter.
Next is a series of lower cascades. If you get here, it means that you are near the tourist base "Mountaineering". Nearby is the Monastery complex, and if you go up the mill stream (a tributary of Pshada), you can meet another complex of waterfalls.
Thus, if you can appreciate the beauty of a fancy game of rocks and streams, you should definitely visit these places.
Vorontsov cave
Natural monuments of Russia are often struck by their history and bizarre forms of different entities. Our next attraction is the stunning complex of underground halls. It is part of the Vorontsov cave system.
This monument received its name not from the surname of the famous prince of the 19th century, but from the nearby settlement - the village of Vorontsovka.
The cave system is located in the Adler district of Sochi, not far from the upper Kudepsta River.
Under the ground there are about ten entrances, which are located at an altitude of approximately 400 to 700 meters above sea level. There is such a term among cave researchers - “fracturing”. It shows the level of solidity of formations.
So, where the walls are less homogeneous, that is, there are many cracks, there is a complex of underground halls that simply fascinate with their beauty.
Among them, the most famous are the following: Bear, Oval, Hall of Silence and Prometheus Grotto. Some of these rooms are dangerous. Due to many cracks, collapses are not uncommon. For example, in the hall of the Underground River you can find debris up to 50 cubic meters in volume.
In addition to such collapsing sections, there are halls with stalactites and stalagmites. The most famous is Lustrovy or Variety. Its width ranges from eight to nine meters, and its length is twenty meters. Anyone who comes here finds himself in the bizarre realm of karst formations.
The longest hall is the Prometheus Grotto. Its length is 120 meters.
Archaeologists in this cave system found the remains of primitive bears, as well as the Paleolithic sites of ancient people.
Friendship tree
Natural objects and natural monuments are not always formed independently. An example of this could be our next attraction.
This plant is already eighty years old. Once (in 1934) wild lemon was planted by the scientist Zorin F.M. The aim of the researcher's work was to develop citrus fruits that would not be afraid of Russian frost.
About 45 different fruits were grafted in succession. Different varieties of tangerines, oranges, grapefruits and other citrus fruits.
Once in 1940, Otto Schmidt visited this institute and was shown a garden tree. A polar researcher vaccinated another twig. Later, in 1957, a similar procedure was repeated by senior guests from Vietnam.
Today, over 630 different fruit varieties are tied to this miracle plant, and famous guests from 167 countries of the world participated in the grafting process. Near it grow 60 "kids" - trees that were planted by foreign rulers, ambassadors, astronauts and other figures.
Today, a museum is open here, which stores more than twenty thousand exhibits in the form of souvenirs from different cultures. It is customary to give some remarkable national gizmos when visiting.
