Sochi national park project. Sochi National Park is a national treasure of Russia. Attractions in Sochi National Park
Krasnodar region
Founding history
Sochi National Park is one of the very first parks created in our country. It was founded in 1983 with the aim of preserving and restoring natural complexes and objects of high environmental, scientific and recreational value. Its area is about 194 thousand hectares.
Sochi National Park is an ideal place for ecotourism due to the unique climatic conditions for our country, biological and landscape diversity, and the uniqueness of many natural objects.
Physical and geographical features
The national park is located in the northwestern part of the Greater Caucasus, on its Black Sea slope. The relief of the territory is mountainous, strongly dissected.
In total, 40 rivers and streams flow through the territory of the national park, the longest are Mzymta, Shakhe, Psou. There are a large number of waterfalls and canyons on rivers and streams: Bezymyanny (72 m) on the Psou River, Orekhovsky (33 m) on the right tributary of the Sochi River at the confluence of the Bezumenka stream.
Interesting karst formations are located in the park - the famous Vorontsov and Akhun caves.
The subtropical climate of the territory is characterized by warm and mild winters and hot summers. The average air temperature varies with altitude and progression from north to south. Average temperatures in the northern part of the coast in January are about +5ºС, in July +23ºС, and at an altitude of 2000 m (Cherkess Pass) -5ºС and +12ºС.
Diversity of flora and fauna
In the park, the most widespread forests are dominated by oriental beech. Its silver-gray trunks reach a height of 50 meters! Oak plantations occupy about a quarter of the forested area and are located mainly on the dry and warm southern slopes of the mountains. Only in the Caucasus, under natural conditions, the sowing chestnut (European) grows, which is a relic species.
Boxwood plantations are very picturesque: a lace of small, black-green, glossy foliage of boxwood and everywhere hanging from trunks and branches, fluffy, long, like the beards of fairy-tale heroes, moss gives the forest a fantastic look of a green kingdom.
This territory, like the entire Caucasus, is rich in very rare and valuable species. Common figs, Caucasian lily, Caucasian kandyk, Lipsky tulip, types of orchids found here are listed in the Red Book of Russia: water-bearing ophrys, pyramidal anacamptis, purple orchis and many others.
The fauna of the national park includes about 70 species of mammals: brown bear, deer, lynx, Caucasian and European roe deer, marten, otter and others.
The most rare and valuable animal species are listed in the International Red Book. This is the Caucasian krestovka, the Aesculapian snake and the Caucasian viper.
What to watch
Dozens of tourist routes pass through the territory of the national park, many of which have a long history. They include visits to the Agur and Orekhovsky waterfalls, Mount Akhun, Vorontsov caves, Akhshtyrsky and Khostinsky canyons.
And you can’t help but visit the Narzan springs, the Mamedov Gorge, the Dolmen archaeological site, the Volokonskoye Gorge, speleological routes through numerous caves.
According to oopt.info and zapoved.ru
Sochi National Park, established in 1983, became one of the first national parks in the country.
The area of the Sochi National Park is 190 thousand hectares
The main part of the nature protection zone is occupied by forests (more than 180 thousand hectares), the rest of the territory is hayfields and pastures, roads, clearings, waters, estates. At the same time, the Black Sea area is not included in the park. The tourist service area is about 13 thousand hectares. Administratively, the park is divided into 15 forest areas, united in three large territorial groups: Adler, Central and Lazarev.
This is a large natural site where subtropical vegetation is adjacent to snow-covered mountain peaks. In the northwest it is bounded by the mouths of the Shepsi and Magri rivers, in the southeast by the border with Abkhazia. The Black Sea coast and the watershed line of the Main Caucasian Range became the southern and northern borders.
An ordinary trip through the Sochi National Park can take several days, and even a week is not enough to get around it completely. The park is divided into two zones. A large area is mountainous with numerous streams, while a small foothill zone along the coast is characterized by a leveled landscape.
Prices in Sochi National Park 2020
- Entrance to the Sochi National Park - 100 rubles;
- Climbing the observation tower on Mount Akhun - 100 rubles.
In addition, a separate fee is charged when visiting some other objects of the National Park in Sochi. If the official website is not available, then you need to clarify the information directly with the park administration - in person or at the specified contacts. Finally, you can ask Sochi experts and experienced tourists a question (the form is at the bottom of the page).
Animals of the Sochi National Park
The fauna is extremely diverse. Representatives of about 70 species of mammals live in the park. Among them are brown bears, lynxes, chamois, deer, wild boars, roe deer, wolves, martens, otters, badgers, hares and many others.
The natural conditions of the Caucasus ensured the appearance of endemics (a fifth of the mammals): these are the Caucasian black grouse, the Promethean mouse, etc.
The most rare species, such as Aesculapius snake, are listed in the International Red Book.
Plants of the Sochi National Park
The predominant species is the oriental beech, the trunk of which can reach 50 meters in height. Oak plantations are common on the southern slopes of the mountains. Only in the Caucasus can one find a relic species - the European chestnut. The lacy foliage of the boxwood gives the forest a fabulous look.
There are also rare and valuable species listed in the Red Book of Russia (Lipsky tulip, etc.).
Leopards in Sochi National Park
The Caucasus Leopard Recovery Center, opened in 2009, is located in the vicinity of the village of Monastyr, not far from the Akhtsu Gorge. This is the first specialized complex for breeding large predators in Russia.
The Persian leopard was listed in the national Red Book in 2001. It is one of the largest leopard subspecies in the world. Massive poaching in the 1950s brought it to the brink of extinction. Center officials are trying to prevent this from happening.
During the existence of the center in the Sochi National Park, 14 kittens were born. The first grown leopards were released into the wild in 2016. The center is closed to the general public, but online broadcasts are available on the website (may be interrupted).
Sights of the Sochi National Park
Not only natural, but also cultural and historical treasures of the region are concentrated on the territory of the Sochi Park: dolmens and megaliths, parking caves, fortresses. Target places for most tourists are waterfalls, canyons and gorges, caves, mineral springs, lakes, Yew-boxwood grove, viewing platforms, picnic meadows, historical monuments and a thematic museum. The Sochi Arboretum is also under the control of the National Park.
Waterfalls of the Sochi National Park
More than a hundred river waterfalls are available for tourists in the National Park, falling from a height of 2 to 72 meters.
The Devil's Gate canyon, 14 km from Adler, is distinguished by good transport accessibility. The height of the rocks above the bed of the Khosta in this canyon reaches 50 meters.
Caves in Sochi National Park
More than 300 natural caves are concentrated in the Sochi National Park. The longest is the Vorontsovskaya cave system, 11720 meters, excursions are conducted for tourists on it, several halls and grottoes are available.
The greatest value for historical research is the Akhshtyrskaya cave near the village of the same name. Previously, it was even closed as a "unique monument of primitive architecture", but is currently equipped and open for tours.
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In 1870 it was organized Sochi forestry. Initially, it included the lands of the Sochi and, to some extent, the Velyaminovskiy departments, in the Black Sea district. If we talk about the administrative side, then the Sochi forestry was subordinate to the State Property Department in the city of Yekaterinodar.
The forestry included management and nine state-owned dachas: Muravyovskaya, Golovinskaya, Tsarskaya, Adlerskaya, Lazarevskaya, Kubanskaya, Aleksandrovskaya, Velyaminovskaya and Makopsinskaya.
By the beginning of the 20th century, there were only five dachas in the forestry: Kuban, Adler, Muravyovskaya, Tsarskaya and Golovinskaya. Their total area was 152,379 acres. The size of the convenient forest area was equal to 133256 acres.
In 1915, due to the transition to private ownership and the economic development of the coast, the territories served by the forestry decreased - from now on they amounted to 114,745 acres. The main goals of forestry were the following: land surveying, as well as their description, leasing and selling.
In addition to these functions, the forestry was engaged in organizing various activities to protect the forest, sell forests and logging, issue permits for catching animals and birds, hunting, supervise the organization of settlements and the colonization of the entire coast.
In 1983, by the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR of May 5, 1983 No. 2146, Sochi State Natural National Par j. The main task of the park was the following: to preserve and restore natural complexes that have a special historical, economic, aesthetic value and use them for scientific, recreational, cultural and educational purposes.
By Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of October 9, 1995 No. 990, as well as by order of the General Director of the Sochi State Natural National Park of November 15, 1995 No. 158, the park was renamed into.
Climate, relief and general information of the Sochi National Park
, with a total area of 1,937.37 km², is located in the northwest Greater Caucasus, on a slope near the Black Sea. Mountains are located in the protected area, as a result of which the local relief is highly dissected.Total within the territorial limits Sochi park about 40 streams and rivers flow, the longest among them are Shakhe, Psou, Mzymta. There are a considerable number of canyons and waterfalls on streams and rivers: Orekhovsky waterfall is located on the right tributary of the Sochi River, at the confluence of the Bezumenka stream, Bezymyanny - on the Psou River. In the park you can see curious karst formations: the famous Akhun and Vorontsov caves.
The park is dominated by subtropical climate characterized by hot summers and mild winters. The average air temperature depends on altitude and will change from north to south. In the northern part of the coast, the average daily temperature in January is about +5ºС, and in July it reaches +23ºС. On the Circassian pass, the height of which is equal to the height of 2000 meters - -5ºС and +12ºС.
Sochi National Park and its vegetation
Most of the territories Sochi National Park occupy forests dominated by oriental beech. The silver-gray trunks of these trees reach a height of 50 meters! About a quarter of the forested area is occupied by oak plantations. These territories are located mainly on the warm and dry southern mountain slopes. Only in the Caucasus one can admire in natural conditions the sowing chestnut (European), which belongs to the number of relict species. Boxwood plantings are distinguished by incredible picturesqueness.
Like the whole Caucasus, this territory is rich in valuable and very rare species. IN Red Book of the Russian Federation included are the caucasian lily, the pyramidal anakamptis, the caucasian kandyk, the water-bearing ophrys, the Lipsky tulip, the common fig, as well as various types of orchids, such as the purple orchid and many others.
Sochi National Park and its wildlife
The national park is inhabited by typical representatives alpine And mountain forest Caucasian fauna. In total, about 70 species of mammals live in the park. On the territory of alpine meadows one can meet Severtsov's Western Caucasian tur, chamois, Caucasian red deer, snow vole, Promethean mouse. Among the birds there are snowcock, Caucasian black grouse, pipit, griffon vulture warbler and others.
Typical inhabitants of the forest belt are brown bear, roe deer, wolf, wild boar, forest cat, fox, squirrel, hare, marten, badger, lynx. The most valuable and rare species are included in the International Red Book, among them: the Caucasian viper, the Aesculapian snake, and the Caucasian cross.
Goals and objectives
To the main goals that are intended to fulfill , include the following:
- Preserve natural complexes, unique and reference natural sites and objects.
- Preserve valuable objects of history and culture.
- Environmentally educate the population.
- To create conditions for recreational recreation in natural conditions, as well as for regulated tourism.
- Develop and implement scientific methods that will contribute to the conservation of unique natural complexes in terms of recreational use.
- Carry out environmental monitoring.
- Restore disturbed natural, as well as cultural and historical complexes and objects.
- To develop scientific, technical, informational and cultural cooperation with the protected areas of Russia, with foreign countries, other enterprises, institutions and organizations in accordance with the tasks and goals of the national park.
- Protect, protect and reproduce forests, guided by the principles of preserving the biological diversity of forest ecosystems, sustainable forest management, increasing the resource and ecological potential of the forests of the Sochi National Park.
1983 is considered the year of birth of the Sochi National Park. This is one of the first parks in our country.
The total area of the park is 194 thousand hectares. Thanks to the ideal climate, the rarity of many natural sites and pristine nature, the park has become an ideal place for outdoor activities and tourism.
Sochi Park is located on the Black Sea slope of the Greater Caucasus, in its northwestern part. The terrain of the park is mostly mountainous, heavily broken.
Numerous rivers and streams flow throughout the National Park. There are about 40 of them in total. The longest river is the Mzytma, followed by Shakhe and Psou. Many waterfalls and canyons formed on the rivers. On the Psou River there is the largest waterfall, called Nameless: its height is simply amazing - it is as much as 72 meters!
On the Sochi River, on its right tributary, where the Bezumenka stream flows into, there is the Orekhovsky waterfall, 33 meters high. An amazing picture is presented by the famous karst caves - Vorontsovskaya and Akhunskaya.
Winter in the north of the reserve is always warm and mild. The temperature in January never drops below +5 degrees Celsius. Summer in Sochi Park is hot, with a temperature of + 25 degrees Celsius. And already in the Circassian Pass (2000 m) the temperature is much lower: in winter - 5, in summer +12 degrees Celsius. And all this is due to the subtropical climate, which brings a kind of order here.
Nature and animals of the Sochi National Park
How can such a corner of the earth, with a wonderful climate, be deprived of flora and fauna? In no case! Therefore, the vegetation of the National Park is simply striking in its diversity. Many plants are represented by rare species that are listed in the Red Book of Russia. Lipsky's tulip, Caucasian lily, common fig, Caucasian kandyk are found here in large numbers.
The Caucasian viper is an inhabitant of the Sochi park. Only in this park grow luxurious trees, called sowing chestnuts. They grow in natural conditions, are considered a relict species. Oriental beech is very common in forests. This powerful and beautiful tree grows up to 50 meters, and silvery-gray trunks make the forest transparent and bright. The slopes are dominated by dense oak plantations. They occupy a quarter of the entire forest area of Sochi Park. The quirkiness of the forest is given by the small, glossy, black-green foliage of boxwood. Fluffy and gray beards of moss that hang from the branches of trees make the forest a fantasy kingdom.
Brown bear: in Russia without it - nothing! The national park is inhabited by a huge number of mammals. These are Caucasian and European roe deer, lynx, deer, and about 70 more species of various animals. There are also rare species of animals that are listed in the International Red Book: this is the Caucasian cross, the Caucasian viper, the Aesculapian snake.
What to see for tourists and visitors of Sochi Park?
Many tourist routes will show the beauty, majesty and uniqueness of the Sochi National Park. It is worth looking at the Orekhovsky and Angursky waterfalls, visiting Mount Akhun.
Sochi National Park was established in 1983 and became one of the first national parks in Russia. On a vast territory in the mountains, the size of which reaches 190 thousand hectares, any production activity was stopped. This land was transferred to the citizens of Russia for health and tourism purposes.
Sochi National Park is located in the south of the Krasnodar Territory, north of Sochi, in the foothills of the Greater Caucasus. Most of the territory of the park is occupied by mountains, dissected by river valleys. The foothill zone occupies a narrow strip along the Black Sea.
About 40 rivers and streams of the Black Sea basin flow through the territory of the Sochi National Park. Their length is small, only such rivers as Mzymta, Psou and Shahe are more than 50 kilometers long. Rivers and streams have a large number of waterfalls and canyons. The waterfalls are mainly located in the upper reaches of the rivers, 103 waterfalls with a threshold height of 2 to 73 meters are available for visiting.
The territory of the park itself is unique, because nowhere in Russia subtropics and highlands coexist so closely. That is why the mountainous Black Sea region is characterized by the most complex range of altitudinal zones in our country - from mountain broad-leaved forests at the foothills through mountain beech and coniferous forests to subalpine landscapes and high mountains with exposed rocks and snow. The territory of the Sochi National Park belongs to the Colchis forest province with a very rich and diverse flora. In the Sochi National Park there are about 1500 species of native higher plants, of which 164 species are classified as trees, shrubs, semi-shrubs and vines, and all the rest are classified as herbaceous plants. The number of relict breeds and endemics is large. The yew berry is included in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which is often found in the Sochi National Park. And 51 species of plants are listed in the Red Book of Russia, including yew berry, Pitsunda pine, 2 species of snowdrops, 3 species of fingerheads, 3 species of ophrys, 9 species of thrush, Colchian boxwood, Caucasian lily, Caucasian lyon and others.
The main places for tourists to visit in the Sochi National Park
33 Waterfalls- the Dzhegosh stream is located in the lower reaches of the Shakhe River, 11 km from the mouth and is the right tributary of this river. In the picturesque gorge there are numerous small waterfalls, rapids, waterfalls, which attract tourists and sightseers with their beauty. There are 33 waterfalls, 7 waterfalls and 13 rapids on the Dzhegosh stream. At a distance of 750 m from the mouth, a significant part of the Dzhegosh stream, 500 meters long, is a cascade of many low waterfalls, rapids and water slopes. The height of the upper waterfall is 2m, the lower one is 7m. Above the topmost waterfall there is a spring that gives water to the Dzhegosh stream.Vorontsovsky karst complex- The Vorontsov cave system is located on the ridge of the same name near the city of Sochi, 18 - 20 km from the village of Khosta at an absolute height of 419 - 680 m above sea level. Vorontsovskaya Cave is the longest karst cavity in the Krasnodar Territory and ranks 6th in the classification of the longest caves in Russia. The length of the Vorontsovskaya cave is 11720 m, the height difference is 240 m. It is located in the upper reaches of the Kudepsta River, 3 km from the village of Vorontsovka, Khostinsky district. The system of Vorontsov caves consists of three parts: Vorontsovskaya, Labyrinth and Kabanya, which are interconnected by siphons - narrow passages filled with water. These labyrinths can be entered through 12 entrances, some of which were known to primitive people. The cave is not only a geological monument. Conducted archaeological excavations have found material evidence of the settlement of the cave by primitive man 15-20 thousand years ago. Stone and bone tools, animal bones, remains of dishes were found. The bones of a cave bear were found in the Bear and Hearth Halls. Near the cave there are interesting statues of guardians, as well as a neo-Buddhist head spewing water.
Viewpoint Eagle's Nest- Arriving in Lazarevskoye, tourists tend to see all the beauties of this resort village. And they have a great opportunity to see them all at once. To do this, they should visit the observation deck "Eagle's Nest", which offers a magnificent panorama of Lazarevsky. The observation deck "Eagle's Nest" is not called so by chance. On its territory there is a real eagle's nest, which everyone can also see. Its size is impressive, it is a huge structure, consisting of tree branches and grass.
Agur Gorge- located in the bed of the Agura River in the Khostinsky district of the city, four kilometers from its confluence with the Black Sea. Here, for several hundred meters, there are three waterfalls with a height of 21 m - the upper one, 23 m - the middle one and 30 meters - the lower one. Since Agura is fed only by water that falls to the surface in the form of snow and rain, in the summer it often dries up completely, and waterfalls also disappear. The best time to visit this site is autumn-spring, when powerful rains fill the bed of Agura. Waterfalls then look menacing and majestic.
The fauna of the Sochi National Park includes about 80 species of mammals, about 120 species of birds, 17 species of reptiles, 9 species of amphibians, 21 species of fish. 15 species of animals are included in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, including leopard, corncrake, quail, Caucasian viper, Colchis snake, Colchis toad and others. Of those species of animals that are listed in the Red Book of Russia, 10 species of mammals, 9 species of birds, 4 species of reptiles, 5 species of amphibians, 3 species of annelids, from fish - trout and Ukrainian lamprey.
On the territory of the Sochi National Park there is a significant number of karst massifs - Alek, Akhun, Akhtsu, Akhshtyr, Dzykhra. There are about 200 caves on these massifs, of which 50 caves are the largest karst cavities that are of interest for scientific purposes and for speleotourism. The longest karst cavities in the country include the famous Vorontsovskaya cave on the Akhtsu massif, 12 kilometers long, and the Nazarovskaya cave on the Alek massif, 7 kilometers long. On the territory of the Sochi National Park there are 114 monuments of history and culture - these are the sites of ancient people, settlements, dolmen structures, well-shaped tombs, the remains of fortresses, temples, burial mounds, a sacrificial stone, obelisks and military monuments.
The priority direction of the park's work is related to environmental education. For this purpose, environmental education centers with small museum expositions have been created on the territory of the Upper Sochi, Golovinsky, Krasnopolyansky and Lazarevsky forestries.
After the creation of the Sochi National Park, its employees laid forest roads here, landscaped paths and bridges, and opened 50 natural sites for guests to visit. These were unique canyons, waterfalls, caves, dolmens, forest parks. And the guests did not keep themselves waiting - they poured on excursions to the Sochi National Park as part of numerous excursion groups.