Description and location of Mount Demerdzhi in Crimea

Tourist routes in the Crimean mountains are very popular among tourists. It's no secret that many vacationers are absolutely sure that traveling 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, whose age is estimated at 800 million years. It is in this place that you can see unique objects - stone mushrooms, the specificity of the formation of which can only be explained by the erosion of glacial deposits, although geologists assure that icing did not affect this part of the Crimean Peninsula. Demerdzhi is fraught with many mysteries, in the whole Crimea you will no longer find such natural phenomena.

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

• northern - practically treeless surface, vegetation is extremely rare here, the height of the mountain range is 1359 m;
• southern - has a height of 1239 m and is a real treasury 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 mountain Karabi.

Here, next to the stones, waterfalls and caves coexist, and the flora of the area is truly mesmerizing. The flora is very rich, near the foot of the mountain the earth is pleasing to the eye, abounding with flowers and shrubs, which delight with their bright colors from the very first days of spring until late autumn. On the slopes of Demerdzhi, among the steppe grasses, you can find islets of beeches, hornbeams and pines. The Dzhur-Dzhur waterfall is also widely known, which is considered one of the deepest in the entire peninsula.

Tourists will not remain indifferent to the unique phenomenon of the mountain - Broker 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 truly gigantic proportions and is sometimes surrounded by colored circles.

You can talk about Demerdzhi endlessly, 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 are heading to Mount Demerdzhi not from Alushta, but from more distant corners of Crimea, it makes sense to stop overnight in the village of Luchistoye. In this case, you can devote the whole day to a fascinating excursion, and the driver, if you are in your own car, will be able to rest before going back. However, in the Demerdzhi area there is one, but a very big problem with hotels - there are none, not a single one. However, this is not a reason to be upset - the locals offer rooms in guest houses as well. The most popular is considered "Demerji House"located on the outskirts of the village.

Another good option is to stop. in the guest house "Mountain Antavia". The rooms here are the simplest, but they have everything you need to spend the night in peace and recuperate after a long trip in the mountains. Guests have access to a shared kitchen and terrace, as well as a children's corner and a small gym. Among other places where you can fully relax, tourists call equestrian club "Golden Horseshoe", recreation center "Valley of Ghosts", as well as guest houses Shosseynaya 38 and Guest House Black Horse.

Demerdzhi is one of those sights of Crimea, which is overgrown with many secrets and mysteries, while most of them are connected with the Valley of Ghosts. There is a legend according to which in this place, many centuries ago, a whole army was overwhelmed, which came for help to a local blacksmith (translated from the Crimean Tatar language, Demerdzhi means exactly “blacksmith”). Old-timers say that the restless souls of dead soldiers 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, the stones under the influence of the wind, sun and precipitation took quite bizarre shapes and began to resemble giant fantastic creatures, the outlines of which blur at dusk, it seems as if ghosts came out from their graves.

Many tourists, especially older ones, are very interested in seeing with their own eyes the places where the famous Soviet film masterpieces were filmed.Here and now you can trace the route of Shurik from the legendary "Caucasian Captive".

The stone on which the main character of the film, performed by Natalya Varley, danced, has become 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 filmed, and already in the 1990s, Sergei Zhigunov chose this area for the film adaptation of the novel "Hearts of Three", since the place with its entire appearance so resembles the Caribbean mountains.

In the mountain range, there are rather unusual miraculous sculptures that even received their own name. For example, one of the rocks from a long distance resembles a bust of a large and, no doubt, majestic woman, so the locals nicknamed her Catherine II, however, if you approach her, she will rather resemble a sphinx guarding Egyptian tombs.

Stone mushrooms have become an undoubted attraction of the area. - earthy rocks of various heights, the top of which is crowned with a stone slab, the so-called cap. Scientists have proved that mushrooms grow here from year to 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 free visit - the MAN cave. Access to all others is possible only with climbing skills.

Without a doubt, every tourist needs to visit Funa fortress, built in the Middle Ages. In the past, her task was to guard the borders of the small state of Theodoro, as well as to protect the trade route along which caravans moved. At the end of the 15th century, the fort was destroyed, but today a significant part of its walls and the temple of Theodore Stratilates have survived, representing considerable historical interest.

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

Strictly speaking, Demerdzhi is not a mountain, but a yayla - 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 along this mountain range, among the most common are the following:

• from the Angarsk Pass, bypassing Pakhkal-Kai, straight along the Kozyrek rock, then through the saddle straight to the South Summit - in this case, through the Valley of the Ghosts, you can go straight to Fort Funa; such a route allows you to fully enjoy the beauty of the mountainous region;
• from the highway at the place where it turns to the village of Radiant through the ascent to Funa, bypassing the saddle to South Vershok, through the Valley of Ghosts straight to Radiant;
• the same route, but from the saddle the trail turns to the northern part of Demerdzhi and in the direction of Angarskoe.

However, this is only a small part of the routes. Each of the trails has parking areas, and on the way there are streams and springs that will ease the condition of tired travelers. The easiest way to get to the beginning of the tourist route is by trolleybus. This is not only the fastest, but also the most economical way. So, the road from Simferopol to Angarsk Pass will cost about 80 rubles, and even less from Alushta. You should get off at the station Luchistoye.

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

• The road is long, and the road is far from the asphalt pavement usual for the townspeople, which is why it is very important to stock up on comfortable and practical shoes - best of all, sneakers.For people with sore joints, it is better to choose trekking shoes that will protect the feet from injuries and dislocations. It is desirable to dress in layers; it is better to wear a hat on your head.

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

• Be sure to bring a small first aid kit. Place all your personal belongings in a comfortable backpack.

For information on where Mount Demerdzhi is located in Crimea, see the next video.