Caves with crystals in the Crimea. Where are interesting caves in Crimea? Red Cave Kizil-Koba

The caves of Crimea, open to the public, are real natural museums that attract tourists from all over the world. Speleologists have already found more than 900 underground creations. Most of the caves are concentrated in Chatyr-Dag, Ai-Petri, Yayly Karabi.

Emine-Bair-Khosar is one of the most unusual. People gave her the second name "three-eyed" because of the 3 entrances. The cave is located on the Chartyrdag plateau. The first mention in chronicles dates back to the 20th century. The second name of the cave is "Mammoth". She received such a “nickname” because of the skeleton of an ancient animal that was found in one of the rocks.

At first it was very difficult to get into the cave. Initially, its beginning was in the form of a 16-meter well. Only in 1944 was a route convenient for visiting. Speleologists managed to get into the grotto in 1927. First they explored two halls and then forgot about this place until 1964. Only in 1995 the cave became open to visitors.

Its length is two kilometers, one is included in excursion tours. The cave consists of five levels. The lower one is located at 180 meters. The temperature inside the grotto is five degrees.

Several halls were opened:

red poppies;
treasury;
kecskemet;
gourovy;
pink;
nocturne;
idols;
freedom;
crystal;
lacustrine;
mistresses;
camp.

You just can't see all of them. The lower grottoes are closed and have the status of a reserve.

Near the grotto there is a mineralogical museum. In the cave were found:

Tour;
mammoth;
ancient rhinoceros;
cave bear;
rhinoceros.

Milky Way;
Monomakh's hat;
mistress of the cave;
niche with gems;
2-storey pond made of calcite;
cave owner.

The most beautiful hall is Kecskemét. At the entrance there is a leak that resembles a volcano, and in the center is the "owner of the cave." In the grotto there is an underground lake, in the hall of idols there are stalagmites, the height of which reaches up to 10 m, and on its walls there are multi-colored streaks.

The Marble Caves are the most unusual and visited. These are the main attractions of Chatyr-Dag. They are located on its lower plateau and are part of an underground complex. The Marble Caves were found in 1987. A couple of years later they became accessible to tourists.

The caves were opened by a shepherd looking for a lost sheep. He named the place "Afghan". However, officially they were found by Simferopol speleologists. When it was discovered that the caves are 90 percent marble-like limestone, due to this the complex got its name. The entrance is located at an altitude of 920 m. It was found that the caves were formed due to the erosion of limestone rocks.

The main decorations are also whimsical figures that are created by minerals and water. The halls are equipped with artificial lighting and amaze with their beauty. Figures made of minerals resemble animals, fairy-tale characters, blooming flowers. In some places, stalactites simply hang down like natural transparent chandeliers.

Openwork pools and baths are visible under your feet and it seems that their bottom is studded with pearls. There are dark grottoes, rare "kisses" - these are pillars of fused stalagmites and stalactites. Near such a place, tourists are supposed to make a wish. At the moment, only some caves are open to tourists, but new routes are already being prepared.

Marble caves in Crimea, official site:

Marble caves are located at: Russia, Crimea, Simferopol region and have an official website: http://www.onixtour.com.ua/

The complex is divided into several halls:

1. The "Fairy Tales Gallery" is on the top level. All tours start from there. On the water, tourists are met by the “Master of the Mountain”. This is a huge beautiful stalagmite. On the way there are other unique formations - the Frog Princess, the Baby Elephant, the Mammoth.

3. "Perestroika Hall" 150 meters long. It contains the Minaret, large Zombie and Dragon stalagmites.

4. In the "Palace" the king and queen flaunt.

5. "Clay" is located on the upper level, but is temporarily closed to the public.

There are also a series of halls on the lower level, but so far you can only get into Vernadsky, Pink, Luster, Nadezhd and Theater.

Marble Cave (Crimea): opening hours in 2018

The working hours of the Marble Caves are from 8.00 to 20.00, without breaks and days off. However, the schedule may change due to inclement weather. You can get into the caves in summer only with an excursion and a guide. In winter, individual service is provided.

There is no public transport to the caves. You can get there by car or bus to Simferopol. From there, choose a flight to the village of Marble. Then walk 8 kilometers on foot to the plateau of the lower level. If you get to the village by your own transport, then you need the Simferopol-Alushta highway, turn off on it according to the sign.

What other caves to visit in Crimea?

There are no less interesting other caves of the Crimea, the photos of which are mesmerizing. The Russian resort boasts amazing sights. In addition to the above, there are a number of caves in Crimea:

1. Iograph found in the Yalta mountains. The cave was named after St. Evgraf. The length of the grotto is 18 m. There are many stalagmites and beautiful stalactites in the cave, there are natural depressions where pearls were previously mined.

2. Emine Bair Koba (otherwise "Three-eyed" or "Nostril") is located on the Chatyr-Dag plateau. The cave received its second name for 3 exits, similar to eye sockets, the third - for the shape of the inlets. The unequipped part of the dungeon has two lakes. Excursions to the hall with stalactites last 20 minutes. In 1.5 hours you can go along the speleological route.

3. Yalta was opened by a child when he threw stones into a crack. He noticed that the knock from their fall was not heard and informed the adults about this. Then speleologists took up this place. The grotto was explored and opened in 2007. The cave with stalactites consists of 2 halls, but only 180 meters is available. To get to another, you need to overcome a well 40 m long.

4. Skelskaya is located in the Baydarskaya valley. The cave has three levels. Only the top two are available - the bottom one is completely flooded. Some of the stalactites in the halls are reminiscent of the Phoenix, the church. This cave has a hall of ghosts, which is inhabited by bats.

5. "Three-eyed" was found on Ai-Petri. This is a huge grotto with three halls. Ice from the cave was delivered to Count Vorontsov. Inside the grotto is a huge snowdrift. Visitors throw coins into it - for good luck. The floor in the cave is like a winter skating rink. Therefore, it received a different name - "Ice".

6. Thousand Head Cave. According to legend, a large village perished in the Thousand Heads. People hid from enemies, but did not survive - they simply suffocated. According to the chronicles, there were approximately 1000 people in the cave. That's where the name came from.

7. Ozernaya - Danilcha-Koba - is a small 12-meter cave. The second name is "Crying". The remains of an ancient temple have been preserved in the cave, there is a small lake that was used for pearl mining. The stalagmite at the entrance resembles a giant mushroom.

8. The ice cave (otherwise Big Buzluk) is part of the Karabi massif. It is very cold in the cave, stalagmites and stalactites form bizarre ice pillars. At the bottom there is a natural well, in which, according to ancient legends, the inhabitants kept meat, and then sold it in Tauris.

9. The Soldier's Cave is a whole gallery named after the fallen heroes. The cave was discovered in 1969 by speleologists from Feodosia. Soldatskaya has her own records. The cave is considered the deepest - 517 m and the most difficult to pass. At the entrance there is a deep well in which the river rages.

10. Kizil-Koba (or Red Caves) is the visiting card of the Crimea. The grotto resembles a huge 6-storey natural mansion. The area of ​​the cave is 64 sq. m. Brick-colored walls due to iron oxide. At the entrance, a small waterfall flows down, inside there is an underground river. The cave has three halls - Chinese, Indian and Griboedovsky. They contain various forms of stalagmites - "Santa Claus", "Leaning Tower of Pisa". You can get to the Red Caves by trolleybus.

11. Kiik-Koba near the river. Zooey is a rocky structure. The cave was discovered in the 20th century. The remains of ancient people, flint tools, bones of the rarest animals (giant saiga and deer, cave bear) were found in it. The cave consists of two halls. The total area of ​​the grotto is 50 sq. m.

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Crimea is famous for many interesting places. Among them, caves deserve special attention. There are a large number of them in this territory, each of them is unique and has its own characteristics. Since ancient times, people settled in them and used them for their needs. In this article we will talk about the caves of the Crimea, open to the public.

Caves and cave monasteries of Crimea on the map:

Three-eyed or Vorontsovskaya cave

Mountain Crimea hides a large number of caves. But not all can be visited by non-specialists. The most accessible - Three-eyed.

Three-Eyed Cave inside

There are more than 3 million years old, the depth is -30 meters. Occupies over 600 sq. meters. You can get inside it through 3 shafts - failures resembling three eyes along the ladder. Through one of them, located almost vertically, sunlight enters the cave; during the cold period - snow flies. It's always cold inside. The snow does not completely melt, even in summer there is ice on the floor. Ancient hunters kept the meat of dead animals here. When they shot the film "The Prisoner of the Castle of If", they painted the eyes.

Important! Before you go on an excursion, you need to take warm clothes with you, inside the air temperature does not rise to 10 degrees. In winter, the Trekhglazka is closed.

Yalta cave on the Ai-Petri plateau

The smallest, but incredibly beautiful cave. Traces of the life of people of the Neolithic era were found here.

During the warm period, tourists can contemplate numerous long stalactites that hang from the arches, like pasta. On the floor of the great hall, there are many stalagmites of incredibly crazy shapes. Walls in swells. Light from small electric bulbs creates an unimaginable play of light and shadow.

It is famous for its vertical well, 40 meters long, through which you can go down to the lower hall. Not every tourist can do it: only daredevils, in the company of a climbing guide, dressed in special equipment, will go down.

marble cave

The most visited cave in Crimea is located on the Chadyr-Daga plateau, not far from the village of the same name. It was formed in marble-like limestones, which is why it got its name. It is located at a depth of 60 meters, the length is just over 2 km.

Red Cave Kizil-Koba

The largest one is 20 km long. Red, because iron impurities predominate in the rock. Ordinary tourists are only accessible half a kilometer. It will be convenient to get there on a fabulous train, especially when it rains.

There is the possibility of an extreme excursion: put on a scuba gear and see the flooded passages and halls with your own eyes. Underground passages are located on six levels, with a difference of more than 250 meters.

Inside the cave are numerous lakes, wells, waterfalls, huge halls, as well as the largest stalactite in Europe, 8 thousand years old. Full information about the Red Cave (Kizil Koba) in Crimea can be found.

Cave monastery near Sudak

The ruins of the monastery lie near Mount Sokol. At the beginning of our millennium, Byzantine monks lived here - icon worshipers. Later the Turks ravaged it. But people have not forgotten about him.

In one of the three caves, there is a carved cross on the wall, and next to it is a bench. In the other, only the front wall and a few cells have been preserved. You can get there along the path along the steep slope of the mountain. From above you can see the sea. The place is also notable for the fact that a healing spring was found nearby.

Holy Dormition Cave Monastery in Bakhchisarai

This monastery was also founded by Byzantine monks. It is carved into a sheer rock. This holy monastery has an interesting history.

When the Crimean Khanate gained independence, and Russia received the Crimean fortresses, local Christians, due to harassment by the Muslim population, leave these places. The Russian commander Alexander Suvorov took an active part in the event. But three years later the monastery began to hold services again.

During the revolution, the monastery was plundered, and the servants were shot. During the Great Patriotic War, a hospital was located within these walls. The monastery was revived again after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The parishioners restored the Holy Place by joint efforts. They did a titanic work: they restored the stone staircase, the Assumption Church, restored the rock painting, erected a bell tower and much more.

Tepe Kermen - cave city in Bakhchisarai

A purely strategic building, arose on a cone-shaped mountain, at an altitude of more than 500 meters. Casemates, quarters for guards, cisterns for collecting rainwater were built in the rock. The city has more than 200 rooms of various shapes and sizes, located on six levels.

At the top there were living quarters and water tanks, at the bottom - outbuildings. The northeastern slope of the rock is decorated with a rock church. On the stone stairs from it you can go to the very bottom of the cliff. On the sixth level there is a tomb covered with a stone slab, on the fifth level there is a sacristy and a refectory, on the fourth level there is a crypt with a niche for an icon. There is also a chapel.

The second name - Emine Bair Khosar - is translated as a well on a mountain slope. At the bottom of the failure, a large karst cavity was discovered - now it is the main hall.

Location - Chadyr dag, lower plateau. The length is 1.5 kilometers, the depth is about 100. The halls and passages are illuminated, equipped with stairs with railings.

Here they found the bones of extinct animals, even a mammoth, after which the cave is named.

Stalactites form outlandish figures: the Cap of Monomakh, the Stone Flower, fairy-tale gods. Of particular interest is the two-level lake. The cave is deservedly considered one of the most unusual in Europe.

Shuldan Cave Monastery

Located near the village of Ternovka, it includes two churches and twenty rooms in two tiers. The main temple is made in the form of an elongated rectangular room. Altar in the shape of a horseshoe.

Shuldan cave monastery inside

In ancient times, the walls of the temples were decorated with frescoes, but they have not survived to our times. Recently, a chapel tower was erected, the dome of which is clearly visible from afar.

From the observation deck of the tower offers a wonderful view of the valley. The sight is told not only by tourists, but also by pilgrims. They are provided with cells for guests, where it is possible to spend the night.

Cave city Bakla

The northern city of Crimea is once an open medieval settlement. To date, almost not preserved.

In the sixth century, a castle was built here from large pieces of limestone, which was destroyed by the Tatar-Mongols. On the shore there are graves carved in stone, grape presses, waste pits, and artificial caves.

Cave city Inkerman

The ancient fortress of Kalamita, consisting of more than three hundred fortifications, is the hallmark of the city.

Kalamita fortress of the cave city Inkerman

The fortress itself did not last long, and the caves under it were preserved. Today, the largest wine-making enterprise of the Crimea is located here. Its underground cellars occupy 55 thousand square meters. Along with a local history tour, tourists are offered to visit wine tasting rooms. Also in the city is a functioning monastery. We talk more about the cave city of Inkerman in.

Kalamita Fortress of the cave city of Inkerman in Crimea, a monastery at the foot of the Kalamita Fortress

We also invite you to watch a video about the most popular and beautiful cave of the Crimea Marble:

Hello friends!

If you are attracted by the mysterious world of speleotruism, but you are not so experienced and courageous as to tie yourself with a rope and step into the darkness, go to the Crimean caves that are open to the public for now.

And so that you don’t have to listen to stories about “put on equipment, but I don’t have a helmet for this five-year-old peanut,” I’ll tell you where it’s best to dive into such dungeons so that your heart aches, your spirit is intercepted, and at the moment you lose balance from happiness , at hand was a handrail and an experienced guide.

Speleology in the Crimea began its active work in the 50s. During this time, more than 900 cave objects were explored and discovered, many of which are still inaccessible to ordinary tourists - too difficult, dangerous and unpredictable segments are found on such routes.

Therefore, only specialists or well-trained people involved in sports tourism, for example, can descend into these dungeons. Descending into such caves requires professional equipment and teamwork.

Karst caves, which we are going to, have long been prepared for tourists, and the routes run through well-equipped, safe and incredibly beautiful galleries. And since the activity of nature in the dungeons continues, specialists will always have to study, discover, record and tell us about their discoveries.

Most of the karst caves of interest are located on the Chatyr-Dag, Ai-Petri, Dolgorukovskaya yayla and Karabi-yayla mountain ranges.

So, the top 5 Crimean caves for a safe, exciting and informative excursion in 2019!

Marble Kingdom and his retinue

According to statistics and visitor reviews, marble cave is the most visited and attractive.

On the route, which is more than 1 km long, there are spacious galleries decorated with fantastic sinter formations, patterns, crystals, miraculous sculptures. The labyrinths of the dungeon beckon tourists deep into, where more and more new paintings are opened.

The Marble Cave is recognized as the most beautiful geological object, which is one of the five such attractions in the world.

Mammoths in Crimea? See for yourself!

Not far from Marble is the second most beautiful cave - Emine-Bair-Khosar or mammoth.

It is known for its underground lakes, both "dry" and full-flowing, with the purest water.

The realm of ancient and very young stalactites and stalagmites once became the last refuge of wild animals (perhaps the Ice Age, yes, yes!), otherwise how to explain the skeleton of a small mammoth and other animals that we have not seen for a long time found here.

From sacrifice to scuba diving

Here is such an interesting chronicle of events can be traced in the bowels red caves or Kizil-Koba - the largest and longest cave system in the Crimea.

Over millions of years of its existence, thanks to river flows inside and precipitation outside, various rooms were formed in this dungeon - halls, wells, mines, tunnels, galleries, corridors, manholes and canyons.

You will not be offered to see so much, only 500 meters, but the interior design and content will leave vivid pictures in your memory for a long time.

And if you decide to extreme scuba diving in an underground river , with crossing the water tunnel to see hard-to-reach halls outside the usual tourist route, then you can consider yourself a caving guru!

Dive for details !

Man-made cave with a ghost and inscriptions from Karaite tourists

It is located on the territory of the cave city.

But keep in mind that excursions and descent into the well are carried out separately from visiting the cave city.

History and speculation

The problem with fresh water in the Crimea, as can be seen from history, has always existed. Residents of cave cities and monasteries prudently created various pools and containers for collecting rainfall.

But in ancient writings, some secret hydraulic structure was mentioned. Our archaeologists were sleeping and saw a mysterious well, and now, after thinking carefully and studying all kinds of manuscripts, the location of Tik-Kuyu was discovered in 1998 !

The fact is that the well was littered with earth, and it took three whole years to open and clean it from the soil, and then another time to put the object in order.

The well was a tunnel that had a descent deep into the ground, and branches already began there and other rooms were found.

And now it has become not entirely clear whether the well performed only a hydraulic function of collecting and settling fresh water, or whether there were other purposes.

For example, it could be an excellent shelter during the siege of the city, or there were sanctuaries here.

Why climb into a well?

At first you will have to go down stone and steep steps, then the tunnel turns into a narrow stepped gallery. Subdued light and limited space (2 by 2, 20 m) are impressive.

Along the way, you will find strange encrypted messages, tables or maps on the walls, and traditional, but uncharacteristic for that time, inscriptions in Karaim and Latin, such as "Vasya was here ...".

At the bottom there will be a gallery with hollowed-out containers - bathtubs for collecting and storing water.

Here the guide will tell you some interesting facts about the valuable treasure found not so long ago (a whole pot of gold!), and show you where your procession is being watched from. the ghost of the Tik-Kuyu well .

How to get there

You need to get to the cave city. From the Bakhchisarai bus station, you need to take a shuttle bus to stops Staroselye . From there, following the signs, walk for about 15 minutes and you are there.

Excursion cost

Tickets are purchased directly from the facility. You may have to wait until the group is typed.

Ticket price for an adult - 300 rubles, for a child - 150 rubles.

Photo and video shooting for free. A big plus is that after the lectures, free time is provided for inspection and pictures.

Habitat of a forest cat and seven-meter knights

In 1904, an ordinary village teacher from the town of Skelya (Rodnikovoe) discovered a unique cave, which was later named Skelskaya or, as it was also called - Teacher's.

Speleologists approached it only in 1960, and opened it for excursions even later, in 2003.

Skelskaya cave is unusual for its internal location. While other dungeons involve diving deeper, the route of this cave is directed upwards. How can this be? Come and see for yourself!

Once upon a time, the remains of ancient animals were found in this dungeon - a forest cat, a saiga antelope. And yet, deep-sea lakes were found somewhere in the lower tiers.

The walk, during which you will visit the five halls, will take about 50 minutes. The decoration here is really rich - stalactite and stalagmite sculptures, all kinds of "icicles", petrified fringes and cascades, arches, sinter formations frozen in incredible forms.

Where is it and how to visit

The Skelskaya cave is located between two settlements in the Baydarskaya valley - Razdolnoe and spring .

How to get there, how much it costs and when it is better to visit this object can be found on the official website:

speleotur.com

The fact is that although the cave is open all year round for tourists, it cannot receive guests during floods.

Where else can you climb in the Crimea

You can explore other caves, not so majestic, equipped or artificially decorated, but attractive with their legends and secrets.

Chatyr-Dag and scary stories

Thousand-headed or Binbash-Koba - a large ancient burial place of human remains was discovered here. A very atmospheric place, around which there are many legends.

Ai-Petri and eternal ice

Trezglazka or Emine-Bair-Koba - you can get here by ordering an excursion to the caving center "Onyx Tour" only in the warm season. Because in this dungeon the ice does not melt even in summer, and in addition to ordinary stalactites, you will also see ice ones.

Echki-Dag and extreme

The Ear of the Earth is a completely inconspicuous cave, which is a crack in the rock, but upon closer inspection, the "crack" is the entrance to a narrow well.

Here it is better to have the experience of a climber or enlist the help of a reliable friend - the cave has vertical and deep manholes, into which it is better not to go down alone.

Good to know

If you went to "conquer" the mountainous or cave Crimea, try to leave your coordinates to close people – there are a lot of cases when tourists got lost, climbed the wrong place or got injured this year.

Better yet, don't give in to curiosity. don't visit alone unknown, and most importantly, not equipped cave objects. When planning to visit a particular area, find out in advance what is interesting nearby, where you can look without fear.

so or subscribe to my blog join in social networks - read the necessary information and do not hesitate to ask questions!

turnado.net

Rest in Crimea is a problem of choice: places, accommodation, restaurants, excursions. Having got rid of the first lines of this list, and having approached the item “ Excursions in the Crimea”, we again find ourselves faced with the need to choose from an immense number of options: there are hundreds of tourist routes on the peninsula. Someone goes to see the former royal palaces, someone is attracted by mountain gorges and waterfalls, someone likes leisurely walks through ancient parks and museums. We will go on a virtual tour of Crimean caves.

Famous caves of Crimea

It seems that by choosing the “Caves of Crimea” tour, you can “relax” and start preparing for the trip. However, your carelessness will disappear as soon as you find out how much Crimea caves. If you are standing, it is better to sit down: in the Crimean mountains there are about eight hundred caves! Fifty of them are recognized as natural monuments and are under state protection. How do you like this range of choice?

visit all Crimean caves It’s impossible for one vacation, so we will walk through the damp twilight of the most famous “underground mountain kingdoms”.

Let's start the journey from the most beautiful cave not only on the peninsula, but in the whole world. This beauty is called marble cave. It is located in the Chatyr-Dag mountain range, not far from the village of Marble on the lower plateau. It took nature thousands of years to create a cave in a layer of marbled limestone. They learned about the unique Marble Cave only in 1987, but after only 5 years (in 1992) it was accepted into the International Association of Equipped Caves, being included in the list of the most visited caves on the planet. Rest in Crimea and not make an excursion to marble cave- the crime!

- This is a complex system of galleries and halls, which are equipped with tourist routes with a total length of about 1.5 kilometers. What can be seen in the cave:

• Gallery of fairy tales;
• calcium carbonate crystals;
• stalagmites and stalactites (many of them have "names" and names, for example: Minaret, Queen, King);
• fantastic streaks and drawings on the walls;
• corridor "Tiger move";
• a huge hall that would fit a 9-storey building (height 28 meters, length 100 meters);
• Palace Hall.

The entrance to the cave is 920 meters above sea level. Go on a tour of marble cave without a guide it will not be possible - it is forbidden. The excursion route is divided into three parts: "Tiger's way", the lower and main galleries. The duration of the caving walk is 1 hour 20 minutes. For 10 hryvnia you will be allowed to take pictures in the cave.

red cave

If - the most beautiful cave of the Crimea, then red cave (Kizil-Koba) is the largest "limestone" cave in Europe: its length is about 21 kilometers. The area of ​​the Red Cave is about 53 thousand square meters, and the volume is about 200 thousand cubic meters. Kizil-Koba is an extensive system of long galleries, flooded areas, and vertical wells. The structure of the Red Cave includes the cave-source Griffin and Pigeon Cave. The river Su-Uchkhan flows along the first tier of Kizil-Koba, thanks to the patient centuries-old work of which the cave appeared. What attracts tourists to the Red Cave:

• 6-storey galleries;
• spacious underground halls 145 meters high and up to 80 meters long;
• corallites, stalagmites, stalactites;
• cave pearl.

The entrance fee to the Red Cave is 30 hryvnia, the duration of the tour is 40 minutes.

mammoth cave

Mammoth Cave(it is also the cave of Emine-Bair-Khosar) is interesting because bones of prehistoric animals are found in it. The well-shaped entrance to it was discovered in 1927. The researchers who descended into it were amazed by the large 100-meter hall. Total length of halls and galleries mammoth caves is 1.5 kilometers. Scientists who discovered the first remains of a mammoth in the cave kept the discovery secret for 50 years, protecting the cave from the invasion of curious "guests". Then a paleontological museum was opened in the cave, which is closed today due to ongoing archaeological work. Walking through the cave takes place in comfortable conditions: recreation areas and concrete stairs with railings are equipped. Attractions of the Mammoth Cave:

• "Treasury";
• underwater lake;
• hall of idols;
• Kecskemét hall;
• Hall "Monomakh's Hat";
• "White Speleologist" - the good spirit of the cave;
• "God's Finger"

A tour of the Mammoth Cave lasts about 2 hours and costs 70 hryvnia. Additional costs: photography - 10 hryvnia, rent of warm linen - 3 hryvnia (constant temperature in the cave +5°C).

Thousand Head Cave

Thousand Headed Cave Binbash-Koba. The name of the cave is associated with a beautiful legend. In the old days, people from the local village hid in a cave from hostile nomadic tribes. Many days passed, and thirst made itself felt - the children were crying, and the old people were dying. There was one brave girl who began to quietly go for water to a source in the nearby Cold Cave. Every time she returned, the water from her jug ​​would pour over the ground, causing grass to grow on it, forming the "Green Path". This path showed the enemy the way to the shelter. They killed everyone who was hiding in it, and put their heads in a cave. Thousand Headed Cave...

The cave has a length of 110 meters. Interesting objects in it:

• Big hall;
• tight tunnel;
• fragments of stalactites.

We have considered only four Crimean caves, but they also allow you to get a clear idea that the Crimean land is rich in exotic not only on the surface, but also in its most hidden, underground corners. Everyone who has visited the mysterious bowels of the Crimean caves will forever keep their amazing aura in their hearts. And in your heart there is a place for at least one of eight hundred caves of Crimea.

The beautiful Crimean land is famous for its numerous caves, of which there are about one and a half thousand. And this is not surprising, because most of the peninsula is occupied by mountains: Chatyrdag, Ai-Petri, Dolgorukovskaya yaila and Karabi yaila. A great many secrets are hidden in the mountains of Crimea, interesting legends are composed about them, ufologists and psychics come here every year in search of the unknown. Local caves and grottoes, with many floors and halls, attract thousands of tourists vacationing on their completely unearthly fabulous underground world: beautiful stalactites, stalagmites, underground rivers, waterfalls and lakes. We invite you to take a trip with us to the most interesting caves of the Crimea. To begin with, it is worth saying that a large number of caves have already been studied by professional speleologists, and therefore they are open for tourists to visit, many have even been equipped with stairs and lighting. And yet, on the peninsula there are still a lot of hidden underground grottoes, the most popular among caving lovers. For the most part, the Crimean caves are not very long and occupy no more than half a kilometer in length, of course, there are exceptions to the rule. The most interesting and frequently visited caves of the Crimea are: Marble and Emine-Bair-Koba, aka Mamontova, on Mount Chatyr-Dag; Red or Kizil-Koba; Kiik-Koba in the grotto near Zui; Skelskaya; Thousand-headed on Bin-Bash-Koba; Three-eyes and Geophysical on Ai-Petri; MAN; Emine-Bair-Khosar; bottomless well; Soldier and so on. Today we will get acquainted with some of the listed Crimean caves in more detail.

Marble cave on Mount Chatyr-Dag- The Marble Cave is located on the lower plateau of Mount Chatyr-Dag, near the village of Marble, which belongs to the territory of the Simferopol region of Crimea. This cave is a branched labyrinth of horizontal dungeons that were pierced millions of years ago by the waters of the ancient Tethys Ocean. A lot of time has passed, and now the local underground rivers have become shallow, and the Crimean climate has become dry, so water drops inside the Marble Cave flow very slowly, without any hurry. This two-kilometer cave, sixty meters deep, is recognized as one of the most beautiful on the territory of the Crimean peninsula and is open to tourists. She is about eight million years old. As the guides say, the discoverer of this underground miracle was an ordinary shepherd who lost one of the sheep of his flock. This happened in 1987, and Marble has been equipped and open to the public since 1988.

There are well-developed excursion routes, but you cannot visit it on your own, because despite the fact that professional scientists are trying to preserve the microclimate of the cave, harmful green algae have begun to appear on the walls of the natural formation, which destroy stalactites and stalagmites. Therefore, the cave is tightly closed with a heavy door in order to somehow preserve and thus conserve this unearthly beauty. Once inside, you realize that you are in a completely unreal world, and everything around is amazing with its incredible charm.

The tour of the Marble Cave starts from the "Fairytale Gallery", where you can admire absolutely amazing figures of mythical creatures, the images of which your fantasy tells you. These miracle inhabitants of the cave were formed by growths in the form of stalactites, stalagmites, stalagnates. For ease of perception, some particularly impressive natural formations have received names: the Master of the Cave, the Minaret. Then tourists are escorted along the long Tiger Passage, it was so named in a hurry, after the discovery of the remains of some large predatory animal, originally taken for a saber-toothed tiger, the name was immediately fixed, but after an examination in 2002, it was found that it was a cave lion, who fell into the whirlpool of a stormy underground river and could not get out, and they did not begin to rename the corridor. Further, tourists freeze in admiration, entering the largest hall of the dungeon - the Perestroika Hall, which was formed during an earthquake that collapsed the ceiling that separated the second and third floors. The hall, with a length of two hundred and fifty meters and a height of twenty-eight meters, is considered the largest both in the Crimea and throughout Europe. Throughout your journey, the surrounding beauty amazes with its sophistication, among this luxurious chaos generated by sinter formations, you can count hundreds of beautiful stalagnates that appear when stalactites and stalagmites are joined together. The guides are sure to show tourists the most famous stalagnate of the Marble Cave - "The Kiss", these are almost merged growths, between which only ten millimeters are left until they are completely merged. This stalagnate has a sign that if two lovers kiss next to him, then soon they will be married. The Hall of Hope is also very interesting, where growths hanging from the ceiling formed graceful carved arches, and the lower ones - altars shimmering with gold. The Rose Hall is also wonderful, it is named so due to the color of the growths decorating it - pale pink. A place that definitely needs to be photographed is the two-level Balcony Hall, moreover, its upper and lower parts are united by a twelve-meter-high staircase. The next Luster Hall attracts visitors with calm soft lighting, making the surface of the walls as if covered with velvet, passing into the depths of the hall through massive stone outgrowths, you suddenly meet a completely sudden stream of bright light, which is absolutely amazing in this kingdom of darkness and twilight. In the Marble Cave there are still unequipped halls, they are also magnificent with their original charm: Helictite, Obvalny, Ruslovy, Chocolate. It is worth saying that scientists are intensively equipping and examining all new halls and passages, so completely new routes will gradually appear, where absolutely unfamiliar wonderful underground formations and figures still lurk.

When going on an excursion to the Marble Cave, keep in mind that it is cold there, the temperature does not rise more than nine plus degrees, so put something warm on your feet and take care of jackets. But, if you didn’t have outerwear with you, then this will not be a big problem, because at the checkout there is also a rental of jackets for tourists.

The Marble Cave is open all year round from 9 am to 7 pm. Ticket prices are different, they depend on the route you choose and the duration of the tour. The approximate price for an hour and a half tour is seven hundred rubles.

Getting to the Marble Cave on your own is a bit difficult, but possible: get on trolleybuses 1, 51 or 52 to the village of Zarechnoye, it is located seventeen kilometers from the city of Simferopol, then buy a ticket and take a bus to the village of Marble, then you have to walk along career eight kilometers, while high-voltage wires will serve as a guide. It is best to purchase an excursion in specialized travel agencies, which are many in neighboring Crimean resorts.

Emine-Bair-Khosar Cave or Mammoth Cave on Mount Chatyr-Dag - This stunning Crimean cave is located eighteen kilometers from the city of Simferopol. It is worth noting that each cave in the Crimea is individual and attractive in its own way, Emine-Bair-Khosar also has a peculiarity - the unique composition and colors of sinter formations, and also, it has as many as five levels, as if it were a multi-storey building built by mother herself - nature. The lower halls lie at a depth of one hundred and eighty meters, and the upper ones at a depth of thirty meters. The length of the cave is about one and a half kilometers. The cave was found in 1908, but an equipped expedition visited it only two decades later, having studied only one hundred and fifty meters of dungeons. Then, in 1970, a more active study of the cave began, when corridors, halls, huge galleries, several levels, as well as a failed well - “Khosar's Window”, were discovered, its depth reaches sixteen meters, with a diameter of eight meters. This gap is called a window, because through it you can get out. Bones of ancient animals were found in this pit, including an almost complete skeleton of a mammoth, which was missing only the skull and shoulder blades. Scientists have suggested that this animal accidentally fell into the well and could not get out on its own until it was discovered by ancient people who finished off the mammoth, cut off its head and took away the meat that they could separate. This version fully explains the absence of part of the animal's skeleton. The found remains gave rise to the second name for the cave - "Mammoth". Gradually, the water washed the mammoth bones into an internal well, where they were sealed with layers of mud and silt, until cavers found them. The natural underground complex has been open for tourists since 1994.

All twelve chic halls of the cave are striking on the spot with their luxurious beauty, however, tourists are not allowed into all the halls, some of them are completely reserved. At the moment, visitors can walk a kilometer along the halls and corridors equipped with lights and stairs, and even here they can choose from three options for the proposed tours: - half an hour through the North Gallery; - one hour and twenty minutes for the North Gallery, the Hall of Idols and Kecskemét; - the entire kilometer route is an hour and a half.

During the tour, you have to go down to the very bottom of the cave, because the journey starts from the lower North Gallery. You will see the beautiful Main Hall, as well as the delightful Lake Hall, where there is a natural reservoir, the depth of emerald water in it reaches six meters. The hall of idols, as if assembled from three parts, the height of one of them, fifty meters, is like a modern sixteen-story building, we are talking about the most beautiful part of “Kecskemet”, it attracts with an amazing outgrowth “White Speleologist”, in the form of a volcano formed by stalagmites over many millennia. And also a white wall, with growths of calcite, very similar to a giant organ. Being here, you involuntarily imagine yourself on another planet: without the sun, grass, trees, but with a completely unique own, moreover, self-sufficient world. The Dublyansky Hall is an amazing place where the water of an underground lake splashed on two levels, now it has dried up, and the natural pit remains. The hall with the stalagmite “Cap of Monomakh” attracts with its mysteriousness no less.

When visiting the Mammoth Cave, you need to know that the air there is never warmer than five degrees, so you need to dress warmer, although jackets are available for rent. The caves of Emine-Bair-Khosar are open all year round from 9 am to 7 pm.

It is difficult to get to the Mammoth Cave: first, take the shuttle bus 142 from the Simferopol railway station to the Mramornoye ST station, then walk about nine kilometers to the cave itself. The easiest way is to take an organized excursion to the cave with a transfer.

Emine-Bair-Koba Cave on Mount Chatyr-Dag- This cave is a cavity with three different entrances, which is located on Mount Chatyr-Dag, more precisely on its lower plateau, two and a half kilometers from the village of Marble. The cave is about ten million years old, and it was formed as a result of erosion of limestone stone bowels with water during mountain building processes. Over time, a large cave was formed here with numerous halls and corridors. The peculiarity of this Crimean cave is that throughout the year the temperature here stays at zero degrees Celsius, so the ice in Emine-Bair-Koba never melts. Even ancient people realized that if you store meat inside this cave, then it will not deteriorate, despite the heat outside. Speleologists learned about this when they stumbled upon the remains of such supplies. In the nineteenth century, Count Vorotsov, who built a beautiful one in the Crimea, established mining in this ice cave in order to cool his wines and other products in pantries. The fact that there is such a cave nearby, inside which the ice never melts, he was told by local shepherds, who had noticed it for a long time, grazing their flocks. But scientists began to study this cave only in 1927, until now they have explored only about a kilometer of dungeons.

Tourists can see only two hundred and forty meters of the cave, and then, for unprepared visitors, it is possible to get acquainted with only seven dozen meters of passages and halls, where there is lighting and stairs with railings, and the next one hundred and fifty meters of the dungeon is a place where training for speleologists is held, to get there to a person without experience and equipment is unrealistic.

The entrance to the cave is double, it consists of two funnel-shaped cavities, but there is another arch-shaped cavity nearby. Next, tourists descend the stairs to a depth of thirty-eight meters to the gallery leading to the main hall. There will be ice underfoot, mixed with pebbles and rubble. There is a very nice underground lake below, its depth does not exceed three meters. A little higher there is a small trough-shaped depression, also filled with water.

An excursion to the cave is carried out strictly with a speleologist guide, because it is dangerous to explore this little-known cave on your own. Despite the fact that ordinary visitors have the opportunity to see only seventy meters of the cave, it is worth it, it is very beautiful. The walls are decorated with natural influxes of calcite, hardened in the form of fantasy patterns. This is where you get great photos.

To get to the cave to get into the cave, the easiest way is to use the trolleybus route connecting the Crimean capital with Alushta, then transfer to the bus going to the village of Marble, and then walk. You can go from Simferopol by bus to the village of Krasnolesye, but then you also need to walk. It’s easier to buy a tour with a transfer, there will already be a paid guide.

Three-Eyed Cave on Mount Ai-Petri- This is a karst cave, which is three and a half million years old, located on the Ai-Petri Yaila. The Three-Eyed Cave was named for its three shaft-shaped entrances, similar to the eye sockets of a skull. A huge plus of such entrances is the presence of natural light in the dungeon, but there is also a minus - in winter snow gets through them and at temperatures around zero it almost never melts completely, and with the onset of winter the floor of the cave turns into a real ice rink. This thirty-meter cave is closed for tourists during the cold months of the year, even in summer some of its passages are closed, because there are so many and you can break something yourself by accidentally slipping. After passing through the entrance and passing the tunnel, tourists enter the main hall with a cone-shaped ice stalagmite in the middle.

The uniqueness of the cave is that in its bowels there are both ice and stone sinter formations. Local residents have known about the peculiarities of the fact that the cave is icy from the inside for a long time, they even say that when Empress Catherine the Second traveled around the Crimea, it was in Yalta's Three-Eyed Cave that ice was mined to cool her drinks.

The cave was opened for tourists only in 1989. It is small - the area is about six hundred with a small square meters. This dungeon has its own belief: if a tourist throws a copper coin into a non-melting cone in the central part of the Three-Eyed Cave, then he will pay off all troubles and gain good luck.

Entry price: for adults - one hundred and fifty-five rubles, for children - eighty rubles.

You can get to the cave on your own by using the cable car going from the village of Miskhor to Ai-Petri or by hiring a taxi in the Yalta resort and its environs. Of course, you can buy a full tour at any travel agency. By the way, Geophysical and Yalta caves are located nearby on Ai-Petri.

Skelskaya cave near Mount Ai-Petri- The Skelskaya cave is considered one of the most beautiful in Crimea, but unsafe for tourists to visit on their own, so you can only get there with a guide. It appeared millions of years ago and over many centuries nature itself has decorated its dungeon with bizarre stalactites and stalagmites. The Skelsk cave was discovered only in 1904, but the inhabitants of the village of Skelsk knew about it for a long time, and only at the beginning of the twentieth century, an inquisitive and inquisitive school geography teacher descended into this underground cavity, finding the entrance to the cave in a crack in the rock. After that, archaeologists and speleologists came here to examine the internal contents of the dungeon. To date, the Skelskaya cave has not been fully studied, but the space that scientists have already examined has given great food for thought. Bones of animals that died out centuries ago were found - a saber-toothed tiger, a forest cat, a saiga, and so on, moreover, new levels and hitherto unknown cave cavities were discovered that have yet to be explored and landscaped for tourists to visit.

Only since 2003, a part of the Skelskaya cave has been fully prepared for visitors: lights have been installed, stairs and railings have been installed. The cave stretches for a distance of about seven hundred meters, it has several levels: at the top, the temperature is kept at thirteen degrees, at the bottom - eight degrees.

Those tourists who have visited this cave at least once, even though only five halls are now open for visiting, say that they visited a real underground natural palace, the interior of which resembles a fairy-tale castle from a book cover. There are halls with telling names: Knight's, Organ, Fireplace, Dolphin, Hall of Ghosts - they are named so not by chance, but in honor of unusual stone formations created by time, water and chemical salts. The fireplace hall attracts with massive columns that are similar to a real fireplace, only it has a huge size, and after placing the backlight there, the similarity only intensified. The Knights' Hall will surprise visitors with a stalagmite in the form of a figure of a knight in chain mail, armed with a spear, as well as a stalagmite similar to the figure of a monk, whose head is covered with a hood. The Hall of Ghosts is famous for its absolutely fantastic blurry forms of stone formations, which is why it was called by such an ephemeral name. The "residents" of the underground castle - Skelskaya cave are mythical characters and animals: a dragon and a phoenix, a dolphin, a monkey, a gopher.

It is worth mentioning again the dangers of an independent tour of the cave, as there are many sharp cliffs that communicate with the lower levels. The water system of the underground is also dangerous, especially in spring, when the snow melts in the mountains, and even in autumn, during heavy rains, because the waters fill the cavities of the cave, it overflows and water rushes out of its exit in a swift stream, dumped into the river. In summer, it is not so dangerous here in terms of water, but you should not forget about warm clothes, it is always cold here and it never gets warmer than eight degrees.

You can visit the equipped and open Skelskaya cave in summer from nine in the morning to eight in the evening, in winter - from ten in the morning to six in the evening. The ticket price for an adult is five hundred rubles, for children from five to twelve years old - two hundred and fifty rubles, for children under five years old - free of charge.

You can get to the Skelskaya cave on your own by car, because the road to it is excellent. From the city of Sevastopol, you need to go along the H19 highway to the village of Goncharnoye, then turn left, having reached the village of Orlinoe, turn east and drive through the small villages of Pavlovka and Podgornoye, reach the village of Rodnikovskoye.

You can get to the cave from Yalta by bus: 37, 41, 182, 37a, 41a to the bus station "Fifth kilometer" on the Balaklava highway in the city of Sevastopol, and then take the buses going to the village of Rodnikovskoye, from where you need to walk a kilometer following the signs, leading to the cave.

Kizil-Koba caves or the Red Caves on Dolgorukovskaya Yaila - The Kizil-Koba Cave, formed two and a half million years ago, is a whole complex of underground voids-cavities connected to each other, which, for the fiery red color of the mineral that forms the walls of the dungeons, have another name - "Red Caves". The caves are hidden in the western part of the Dolgorukovskaya yayla, in the Simferopol region, three kilometers from the village of Perevalnoye.

The six-level caves of Kizil-Koba occupy twenty-seven kilometers in length, and sixty-five thousand kilometers in area, therefore they are recognized as the largest in Europe. The lower level goes to a depth of one hundred and forty-five meters, numerous corridors, passages, halls, galleries rise above it, for people who have never been there, this is a complex labyrinth where you can easily get lost and even die.

Red caves are karst, as they were formed by the underground river Kizil-Kobinka, the waters of which break out to the surface and appear before us in the form of a beautiful Su-Uchkan waterfall. The process of washing out new karst voids is not over, the river continues its centuries-old work, regularly increasing the area of ​​the caves. The underground kingdom of the Red Caves impresses with its beauty, the reddish stone on the walls in the rays of artificial light seems golden, which enhances the already strong impression of visitors from the underground beauties they saw: stalactites, stalagmites of various shapes and sizes, with bizarre tints and shades. There are many charming grottoes, interesting halls - Chinese, Indian, Argentinean, as well as underground lakes and waterfalls, stone natural figures Viking, the Master of the cave, giant columns.

In the bowels of the Red Caves, people began to settle in antiquity, but what kind of people belonged to the remains discovered by archaeologists, dated to the seventh century BC, and what kind of culture these people represented, scientists cannot say for sure to this day, therefore they called it "Kizil -Kobinsky. An extremely large number of finds were made here, including weapons, jewelry, household items, and it was stated about these artifacts that the people who created them had a fairly high level of development. Some scientists make assumptions that the people could refer to the Cimmerians, who were forced to hide in the Red Caves from the steppe inhabitants, the warlike Scythians, who were pursuing them.

I would like to talk about the mystical component of this place, because the Crimean caves of Kizil-Koba and the valley around them are, according to psychics, a place of power. There is a geomagnetic fault here and an underground river flows, which attracts otherworldly forces here, which can be seen at night in the form of luminous energy balls moving in the air. It is said that four times a year, during the change of seasons, a luminous ghost of a girl with wings appears near the cave, which the locals call the "Firebird", they say that seeing her is considered a good omen.

Excursion to the Red Caves starts from the main entrance, where there is a stone tower. The road goes along the underground river Kizil-Kobinka, along the giant Middle Halls - Kharanlykh-Kaya, Ilye-Koba, through majestic lakes, waterfalls, water cascades. At the same time, do not forget that the river is underground, and you are walking along an ancient cave, the walls of which are covered with graceful patterned outgrowths of quartzite, along the way you will meet fantasy growths on the floor and ceiling, created by nature itself. In the Red Caves grows the largest eight-meter stalactite in Europe, eight thousand years old.

A tourist group gathers at least five people, if you wish, you can order an individual tour, which will be much more expensive. Don't forget to dress warmly, because the cave is never warmer than nine degrees. There are also extreme tours to this cave for trained and experienced amateur speleologists, when the five-kilometer route goes along galleries and halls that are completely unsuitable for travelers, here you will have to overcome steep, narrow paths, passages in the form of a bottleneck, and also dive into an icy river water in wetsuits with special equipment.

You can get to the Kizil-Koba caves on your own from Simferopol by buses, trolleybuses, minibuses moving in the direction of the cities of Alushta or Yalta, you need to get off in the village of Perevalnoye, and the stop will just be called "Red Caves".