Description and location of Mount Demerdzhi in Crimea

Tourist routes in the Crimean Mountains are very popular among tourists. It is no secret that many vacationers are absolutely sure that travel is much more interesting than just lying on the beach. One of the most popular routes is a hike to Mount Demerdzhi.

The Demerdzhi mountain range is a real geological mystery, here you can find truly ancient stone boulders, which age is estimated at 800 million years. It is in this place that you can see unique objects - stone mushrooms, the specifics of which can only be explained by the erosion of glacial deposits, although geologists claim that the icing did not affect this part of the Crimean peninsula. Demerdzhi is fraught with many mysteries, in the whole Crimea you will no longer meet such natural phenomena.

Demerdzhi is located just beyond the Angarsk pass and stands out sharply against the background of the surrounding landscape. The mountain stretches for 35 km from the south to the north and stretches for 55 km from the east to the west. The array is conventionally divided into two main parts:

• north - almost treeless surface, the vegetation here is extremely rare, the height of the mountain range is 1359 m;
• south - has a height of 1239 m and is a real treasure of the Crimean mountains; its plateau offers a rather picturesque view of the valley of the resort town of Alushta, the cities of Sudak and Babugan, from here you can see the sea coast and the steep slopes of the mountain Karabi.

Here, near the stones, waterfalls and caves adjoin, and the flora of the area is truly mesmerizing. The flora is very rich, near the foot of the mountain the earth is full of flowers and shrubs, which delight with their bright colors from the very first spring days until late autumn. On the slopes of Demerdzhi among steppe grasses you can find islands of beeches, hornbeam and pines. The Jur-Jur waterfall, which is considered one of the most full-flowing in the entire peninsula, is also widely known.

Tourists will not remain indifferent to the unique phenomenon of the mountain - Brokerage Ghost - when a person stands at the very top, then in foggy weather the sun behind his back creates an unusual optical effect and you can see your own shadow in the clouds. At the same time, it reaches a truly gigantic size and is sometimes surrounded by colored circles.

One can talk endlessly about Demerdzhi, but words cannot convey the fullness of emotions and impressions - therefore It is best to go there and see with your own eyes all the luxury and power of this place.

If you keep the path to the mountain Demerdzhi not from Alushta, but from more remote corners of the Crimea, it makes sense to stop for the night in the village of Radiant. In this case, you can devote a fascinating excursion all day, and the driver, if you are in your own car, will be able to rest before going back. However, in the area of ​​Demerdzhi there is one, but a very big problem with hotels - there are none, not one. However, this is not a reason to be upset - the locals offer rooms and guest houses. Considered the most popular "Demerdzhi House"located on the outskirts of the village.

Another good option is to stay. in the guest house "Mountain Antavia". The rooms here are the simplest, but they have everything they need to spend the night quietly and recuperate after a long journey in the mountains. There is a shared kitchen and terrace, as well as a children's corner and a small gym. Among other places where tourists can fully relax horse club "Golden Horseshoe", recreation center "Valley of Ghosts", as well as guest houses “Road 38” and Guest House Black Horse.

Demerdzhi - this is one of those attractions of the Crimea, which is overgrown with many secrets and mysteries, with most of them connected with the Valley of ghosts. There is a legend, according to which in this place, many centuries ago, a whole army collapsed, which came to the local blacksmith for help (in translation from the Crimean Tatar language, Demerdzhi means “blacksmith”). Old-timers say that the restless souls of the fallen warriors still roam the mountains and frighten travelers.

In the Valley of Ghosts you can find hundreds of stone pillars of various heights, over thousands and even millions of years of their existence, stones under the influence of wind, sun and precipitation took on rather bizarre forms and began to resemble giant fantastic creatures whose outlines spread out at dusk, it seems as if ghosts came out from their graves.

Many tourists, especially older ones, are very interested to see for themselves the places where famous Soviet film masterpieces were filmed. Here and now you can follow the route of Shurik from the legendary “Caucasian Captive”.

The stone on which the main character of the film performed by Natalia Varley danced was one of the most popular places. In memory of him every visitor must take a photo. It was in Demerdzhi that the fifteen-year-old captain, beloved by all schoolchildren of the USSR era, was shot, and already in the 1990s Sergey Zhigunov chose this area for the film adaptation of the novel “Hearts of Three”, because the place resembles the Caribbean Mountains with all its appearance.

In the mountain range there are rather unusual, not man-made sculptures, which even got their own name. For example, one of the rocks from a long distance resembles a large bust and, no doubt, a majestic woman, so the locals nicknamed her Catherine the Second, however, if you approach her, she would rather resemble a sphinx guarding Egyptian tombs.

Stone mushrooms became an undoubted landmark of the area - earthy rocks of various heights, the top of which is crowned by a stone slab, the so-called cap. Scientists have shown that mushrooms grow here year after year and sometimes even new ones appear. There are several picturesque grottoes in the mountain, their total number reaches 15, but only one is open for a free visit - MAN cave. Access to all others is possible. Only with climbing skills.

No doubt every tourist needs to visit. Funa fortress, built in the Middle Ages. In the past, its task was to protect the borders of the small state of Theodoro, and also serve as a defense of the trade route along which the caravans moved. At the end of the 15th century, the fort was destroyed, but even today a significant part of its walls and the temple of Theodore Stratelates are preserved, representing considerable historical interest.

On the way to Demerdzhi near the village of Radiant you can see Kutuzov Fountainwhere a memorial plaque was installed in honor of the most famous Russian commander Kutuzov - in this very place under his leadership the Russian troops repelled the attack of the enemy during the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774.

Speaking in the strict sense, Demerdzhi is not a mountain, but a plateau - that is, an ordinary plateau. If you look at the map, you can see that Alushta has become the nearest resort town. There are several well-known tourist routes in this mountain range, among the most common are the following:

• from the Angarsk Pass, passing Pakhkal-Kai, right along the Visor rock, then through the saddle straight to the Southern summit - in this case, through the Ghost Valley, you can go directly to the Funa fort; This route allows you to fully enjoy the beauty of the mountain area;
• from the road in the place where it turns to the village of Radiant through the ascent to Funu, passing the saddle to the Southern Vershok, through the Valley of Ghosts straight into Radiant;
• the same route, but from the saddle the path turns to the northern part of Demerdzhi and towards the Angarsk.

However, this is only a small part of the routes. Each of the trails has sites for parking, and on the way there are streams and springs, which will facilitate the condition of tired travelers. By the beginning of the tourist route the easiest way to get there is a trolley bus. This is not only the fastest, but also the most economical way. So, the road from Simferopol to the Angarsk Pass will cost about 80 rubles, and from Alushta even less. Exit should be at the station Radiant.

In conclusion, I would like to give some advice to everyone who decided on an exciting mountain trip.

• The road is long, and the road is far from the usual asphalt pavement for citizens, which is why it is very important to stock up on comfortable and practical shoes - the best is running shoes. For people with sore joints, it is better to pick up trekking shoes that will protect the feet from injuries and dislocations. It is advisable to dress multilayered, it is better to wear a headdress on your head.

• Do not forget to bring along drinking water and provisions. During a camping trip, you will have nowhere to buy one or the other, and the trip will most likely take a whole day.

• Be sure to grab a small first aid kit. Place all wear items in a comfortable shoulder bag.

About where the mountain Demerdzhi in the Crimea, see the following video.