All about the valley of ghosts in Crimea

The Valley of Ghosts is a unique natural monument located at the foot of the Demerdzhi mountain range. In the evenings, the mountain slopes of the reserve are embraced by a truly fabulous light show: the sun's rays solemnly decorate the rocks with bright orange highlights, and then, when the star is hiding behind the horizon, reddish shades appear and, finally, the entire upper part of the mountain is covered with bright purple tones.

A mystical entourage is given to this picture by rock ghosts-idols, scattered in many on the mountain slopes. Hundreds of sculptures of unusual shapes, similar to people and animals, seem to come to life and, moving in the vibrating air, create a living fairy picture. Stone towers, pillars, bastions and pyramids cast their quivering shadows, moving as the luminary slides across the sky.

This picturesque picture is organically complemented by curved trees, which are miraculously entrenched on the harsh rocks, similar to Japanese bonsai. Fascinating phantasmagoria!

The Valley of Ghosts is the most picturesque and mysterious territory in Crimea, famous for its rich accumulations of rocky outcrops of the most bizarre shapes on the southern ridge of the Demerdzhi massif, which is near Alushta. A rare place where the phenomenon of the famous Brocken (mountain) ghost is sometimes observed - a large or small shadow surrounded by multi-colored rings ("gloria").

Often, due to the movement of cloud layers and changes in their density, the ghost mystically moves and comes to life. Bright colored rings around the mysterious shadow appear due to the reflection of sunlight from clouds and due to its diffraction. A significant increase in the size of the shadow is a well-known optical illusion.

This phenomenon can be observed in conditions of saturated mountain fog or cloudiness, sometimes even from an airplane. The phenomenon gained its fame thanks to Johann Zilberschlag, who observed it in 1780 at Brocken peak, in the Harz mountains (Germany). Since 1981, a federal natural-geological monument-museum with an area of ​​20 hectares has been organized in the valley.

Demerdzhi ("Blacksmith Mountain"), at the foot of which the valley stretches, includes two main peaks, called South (1239 m) and North (1356 m). In ancient times, the mountain was called Funa ("smoking"). On its western part there is a fortress of the same name, erected in the Middle Ages, next to which there is a tourist route to the valley, which amazes tourists with its fantastic landscape.

The specificity of Demerdzhi lies in the fact that it consists not only of limestone, but also has a variety of pebble and other inclusions of stronger rocks, captured by limestone, like cement. Water seeping from the surface into the rock depth and reacting with carbon dioxide contained in the soil becomes an acidic environment that corrodes the rock. Under the influence of such water and weathering, limestone collapses, leaving bizarre shapes from the hardest rocks in the form of fingers, mushrooms, lids, etc.

Unusual rock sculptures in the form of human figures, outlines of fantastic animals and other strange creatures, skillfully created by nature, amaze with their scope and splendor, give room to unusual fantasies. Moreover, depending on the time of day and the characteristics of the lighting, the mysterious images seem to come to life, begin to move and change, evoking marvelous associations among amazed observers. So, even from the highway Simferopol - Alushta, a natural "sculpture" is clearly distinguished, reminiscent of the majestic profile of Catherine II.

This peculiar, natural theater, like a kaleidoscope of "ghosts", is constantly changing, living, moving, which is explained by the unstable weather conditions in the valley. The second version of such an intense "life" of the valley says that tourists who decide to stay here overnight experience hallucinations in the morning. Indeed, in scientific circles, it is argued that a number of representatives of the richest local flora in the early morning hours release substances that can cause hallucinations.

All kinds of natural weathering reliefs are abundantly represented here, such as niches, cornices, mushrooms, pillars, bastion and other contours. There are hundreds of such petrified ghosts in the valley. Most of the pillars of the valley are analogous to the huge fossil belemnites called "Devil's Fingers". The amazing rock forms of the Valley are the result of the influence on the rocks of constant natural influences, and sometimes even earthquakes.

In terms of volume, this block chaos is more than 4 million m³. The pebbles and boulders of local natural conglomerates are of considerable interest to scientists, since the age of these ancient rocks reaches 1.1 billion years.

By the way, one of the most significant earthquakes happened here in 1894. A huge stone block that fell off, scattered into 25-meter pieces, covered the houses of the village. Fortunately, few people died, but the village was immediately moved to another place. This is how the village of Radiant appeared (from where the main path to the Valley of Ghosts begins). On the site of the former settlement, a rocky chaos settled.

If you do not just want to visit this theater of nature, give yourself a whole excursion day, and you will see how the valley lives and changes. This metamorphosis is not a legend, but one of the reasons the valley got its name. The local flora, numbering over 430 species, is also extremely interesting. Among them are the rarest specimens: Crimean lyadvenets, berry yew, sainfoin, pyracantha and many others.

Following to the Valley of Ghosts from various regions of Crimea, the idea of ​​a stop in the village of Luchistom will, perhaps, be successful. Firstly, you can devote the whole day to an educational excursion; secondly, take a break from the long journey. There are no hotels in this place, but it is quite possible to get a lodging for the night by renting an apartment in one of the houses. This service is popular here, and from the territory of some buildings an excellent panorama of the mountain itself opens up.

There is a “Demerdzhi House” (guest house) in Luchisty located on the edge of the village. For housing, quite decent rooms are arranged in separate cottages, equipped with all the necessary household equipment for living. Heating is available, and some rooms have kitchenettes with refrigerators and microwaves. "Gornaya Antavia" is a small hotel complex with simple rooms and everything you need to stay in them. The complex features a communal kitchen, terraces, balconies and an ornate garden.

For visitors, a free fitness room is equipped and operates, and for children there is a playground. For traveling through the Valley and the rocky trails of the mountain, simple sneakers are fine. But if hiking in the mountains is an infrequent event in your life, then trekking shoes can be used to save your feet from injury. A headdress and tourist clothing will be useful.

Demerdzhi tract (from Turkic - "blacksmith"). In this regard, there is a hypothesis that the mountain is fraught with some reserves of iron ore deposits that form the basis of the mountain body. It is for this reason that forges were set up along the trade routes that ran from Alushta.

The Greeks, who settled here in antiquity, adhering to a different point of view, called Mount Funa - "smoking". The name was promoted by a special natural phenomenon: humid, airy sea masses, rising above the mountain, cooled, and then descended in dense foggy masses on the mountain slopes, creating the impression of some smoke.

Compassionate Maria - the daughter of the village head - came to the master in order to convince him to spare people. But the blacksmith killed the girl. Such an act of the owner of the forge shook nature, and the mountain began to erupt, swallowing up the bowels, and with them the forge. The apprentices turned into petrified figures, and at the top of Demerdzhi a cruel blacksmith also froze. So two images have been preserved for centuries - the “Giant” rock (25 m high, 5 m in diameter) and “Catherine's Head”.

According to other keepers of ancient local legends, the name of the fossil "Catherine's Head", clearly visible at the top of the southern part of the mountain, was appropriated by Prince Tavrichesky (Potemkin). At the end of the Russian-Turkish battle on the way home, passing near the mountain range, the prince saw this natural sculpture. Struck by the external similarity of the outlines of the rock with the face of the empress, and, apparently, under the impression of the glorious victories that had been accomplished, His Serene Highness gave the rock the name of Catherine II. It is difficult to establish how reliable this legend is now, but the mountain to this day they call it "Yekaterin-Mountain" or gently - "Katyusha".

Nowadays, this natural sculpture barely resembles the profile of the famous ruler of Russia. The reason for this was the powerful tremors of 1927, which partially destroyed the rock. From a distance, the contours of "Catherine's Head" are quite human traits, but from a close distance it rather resembles a sphinx.Curious events connect the Valley of Ghosts with the filming of the comedy "Prisoner of the Caucasus", since some episodes of this film were filmed here, in the Crimea. The excursion programs include at least three famous places.

• A boulder on which Natalya Varley sang a song about polar bears.
• An ancient walnut tree, now called "Nikulin's Nut", growing right next to the path leading to the valley. The tree is about 6 centuries old. It was on its branches that Nikulin's character "Goonies" hid and threw nuts at Shurik. It is clear that in order to capture the episode with the fall, the tree branch was prepared in advance, but it accidentally broke in a different place and, falling, the famous artist broke his arm.
• In the course of movement, the trail turns into an observation deck, which is next to the top of the mountain. It offers wonderful views, which, upon careful study, can also be seen in the legendary comedy film Gaidai.

A trail winds along the eastern slope of the mountain to the 14th century fortification called Funa. Rebuilt in Byzantine times, the fortress guarded the trade route that passed through the southern coast of the peninsula. It is understood that it was along the trajectory of this eastern path that the famous Silk Road ran, at the intersections of which robbers hungry for profit ruled. A typical excursion route along the mountain rarely includes a visit to Funa, usually it is limited to the southern part of the mountain and the ascent to Katyusha.

When the majestic and mysterious Chatyr-Dag is covered with a tempting foggy curtain, and over the southern slope of the legendary "Forge", on the contrary, the sky turns blue, a huge shadow can be seen on a kind of foggy canvas - "Broken ghost" wanders across the Crimea.

Not far from the tract, the “Big Chaos” generously scattered its wonderful stones, created by a series of powerful avalanches (1894, 1968, 1982). Huge, three-story building, rock formations formed into chaotic, bizarre clusters. It is noteworthy that The age of the reddish, oval-shaped stones and pebbles that make up these formations is more than one billion years.

And finally, about the local flora. The valley is truly a paradise for scientists. The local plant world numbers more than 430 species, many of them are endemic, growing only on the Crimean land. Meadow, steppe and mountain plants, combined with picturesque forest islets, prevail in the tract. Plants that look very similar to Japanese bonsai bring wonderful colors to the local landscapes.

The twisted trees, with their knotty roots in the most miraculous way clinging to the rocks, leave a unique and romantic impression of a dancing forest. Among the beech and hornbeam species growing here, you can see red-trunk pines with shortened dark green needles.

You can get to the place both from Alushta and directly from Yalta or Simferopol. The final stop will be the village of Radiant. You can order an excursion, or you can go on your own - the route is relatively easy, it is quite within the power of a person of average skill level. However, with a knowledgeable guide, this journey will become more rewarding and safer. There are three ways to get to the reserve.

• By personal car (not necessarily by jeeps - the road is good), using the navigator aimed at Radiant. Upon arrival in the village, having parked the transport near the equestrian club, we continue on foot. It will be useful to study the price tag for renting a car - the Crimean price list starts at two thousand rubles. The car is given out at the airport. From Alushta to the final destination to go 15 km, from Simferopol and Yalta - 40 and 50 km.
• Excursion order from Alushta. Such excursions are sold almost anywhere in the Crimea, however, the Alushta service will be more diverse in this sense. A very convenient route - "Mysteries of the Valley of Ghosts", an excursion lasting up to 6 hours. Although on the spot, you can find more economical options as part of groups.
• City vehicles... Take bus # 107 to Luchisty from the Alushta trolleybus depot. By trolleybus # 51 - from Simferopol, and from Yalta - # 52. From the village you will have to walk on the asphalt (the object is about 40 minutes walk) towards the western part of the South Mountain. At its foot, climb the path up the mountain. Trees and rocks along the path are specially marked with signs.

For information on how to get to the ghost valley in Crimea, see the next video.