Sochi national park

Plant community

The main part of the park is occupied by mountain forests, composed of the oriental beech, the downy oak, the sessile oak, the Georgian oak, Castanea sativa, European hornbeam and Oriental hornbeam. Buxus colchica is usually found in the underbrush. Wild trees and bushes (European crab apple, European Wild Pear, dogwood, medlar) as well as trees planted by human and become feral (old apple-trees, pear-trees, cherry-trees, cherry-plums) can be found here quite often. The major coniferous species of the park is the Nordmann Fir, less common are spruce, the Turkish pine and the Caucasian pine.

Colchian humid mixed forest is the most unique type of flora in the park. It spreads from seashore to the foothills at a height of 300-600 m above sea-level and occupies foothills and slopes of river valleys. The main features of the colchian forest are the presence of numerous species of evergreen plants and lianas and the presence of several vegetation periods within a year.

The uppermost forest layer is not too dense. It includes oaks, beeches, hornbeams, chestnuts and maples. The second layer located right under the described one contains relicts of the Caucasian seashore, such as European yew and Buxus colchica. European yew is one of the long-liver among plants: some specimen can arrive at the age of 4,000, and the diameter of their trunk can reach more than 4 m. Nowadays, the yew-tree has survived only on protected territories; the yew-tree has almost extirpated because of its extremely solid wood, possessing bactericidal properties. The box-tree is a very slow-growing evergreen bush or small tree up to 15-18 m at length and maximum 50 cm in the trunk diameter. The wood of box-trees is very solid and good for polishing. Yew-tree needles and box-tree leaves are toxic.

The typical bushes of the colchian forest are pontic rhododendron, cherry laurel, ilex and Colchis bladdernut, honeysuckle azalea, Turkish hazel, Caucasian whortleberry. The most widespread lianas are Persian ivy and common ivy, Clematis vitalba, Virginia creeper, cat briar, Italian honeysuckle.

The flora is rich and diverse: it numbers over 2,000 species of land plants. Many species growing in the park has been put on the Russian Red List. There are many types of mushrooms growing in the park, but the most remarkable among them is the gasteroid fungi.

A lot of evergreen subtropical plants grow on the sea coast, brought from different parts of the world: agaves, bananas, and all sorts of cactuses. There are not less than 15 species of palms: European fan palm, Canary island date palm, Chilean Wine Palm, California Washingtonia, Trachycarpus and others. Sochi is fairly called “land of magnolias”. Magnolias are flowering from the late May till September. Beautiful big white magnolia flowers look like water-lily. The magnolia flower has become an original symbol of Sochi.

Via Joint Information Center

Rocks and Mountains

The main part of the park is occupied by relatively low mountains, dissected by river valleys. The mountain ranges are extended in the north-west direction; they are parallel to one another. Strictly speaking, the Greater Caucasian range is outside the park territory. It ends at Mount Fisht (on the Caucasian reserve territory), and then continues in the north-western direction under the another name known as the Black Sea Chain. The highest peaks within the park territory are Grachev Venets (1,644 m) and Semiglavaya (1,420 m). Parallel to the Black Sea chain of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range is a chain of advanced ranges: Aibga, Bzych, Amuko, Autl, Mzhetsu, Psechev massifs. The highest one is Aibga, up to 2,396 m above sea level; the height of the rest does not exceed 2,000 m at the average. The third chain combines Dzyhra, Alek, Ahtsu, Aroshe and other mountain massifs with an altitude of about 1,000 m. The fourth chain (Ahun ridge, Mamayka and Akhshtyr) extending from the south-east goes down sheer into the sea at the Dagomys area. The mountain ranges and intermountain hollows are dissected by valleys of numerous rivers and brooks.

From the top of the tower, one can see wonderful view of Greater Caucasus: Fisht, Chugush, Achishkho, Aibga. The Black sea waters are visible at the distance up to 100 km. One can also view the city of Sochi from this tower. Inside the tower, there is a restaurant with a huge open fireplace where the local dishes are cooked.
Big Ahun Mount and the Eagle cliffs are the most popular and available among the numerous mountains of the park. They are a part of Ahun mountain massif, situated between the Matsesta and the Khosta rivers. The name “Ahun” derives from the name of Ubykh god Ahyn, who was a protector of cattle.
At the top of Big Ahun Mount, a lookout tower built in 1936 by an engineer SI Vorobyov raised at 30.5 meters. It was built of white cut limestone in в Romanesque style, so it reminds of a medieval castle. A spiral ladder, enveloping the tower, leads to the upper viewing platform.

Big Ahun Mount, 663 m above sea level, is one of the nearest to the sea Sochi’s karst massifs. There are about 20 caves here. The biggest cave is Ahunskaya cave about 500 m in length. The south slope of the mountain is covered with hornbeam and oak forests, the north one, which is the most shaded, is covered with beech forests. Subtropical broad-leaved mixed forests of a colchian type rich in lianas and evergreen underbrush grow in the east and west, along the Khosta and Agura valleys. The mountain slopes are covered with the box-tree undergrowth. These parcels serve as habitats for the rare plants and the oldest inhabitants of the planet: amphibians and reptiles: the southern banded newt, the Caucasian parsley frog, the aesculapian snake, the spur-thighed tortoise.

The picturesque up to 380 m above sea-level Eagle cliffs, consisted of grey limestone and yellow sandstone, form the right side of Agur gorge at the district of famous Agur waterfalls. Trees of brutia pine, which grow almost plumb, make the cliffs especially beautiful.

At the top of the central rock called Prometheus rock, there is another viewing platform. From here, one can see a scenic view down to a cone-shaped Big Ahun Mount and the Agura River with its beautiful waterfalls at the bottom of the gorge. On a cloudless day, the Greater Caucasian peaks are clearly seen: Chugush, Achishkho, Pseashkho, Sugarloaf Mount, Aigba. There is a karst well (270 m deep) named “The cave of Tsar Hades” not too far from viewing platform.

In 1998, the sculpture of Prometheus tearing chains was placed on the platform. The top of the cliff, where a three-meter sculpture has placed, rises 125 m above the Agura River. The sculpture was created by Sergey Kolotov, the Siberian master.

That romantic place is covered with legends. The first legend completely agrees with the ancient Greek myth of Prometheus, who stole fire for humans. To punish Prometheus for his theft Zeus ordered to chain him to one of the Caucasian peaks. Every day an eagle was sent there to feed on his liver. Prometheus was at last freed by Hercules.

The local legend has common features with the Greek myth. It also tells about hero, who, against the gods’ prohibition, brought the fire of knowledge to humans and was chained to the Eagle cliffs by the Adyghe god Ahyn. The eagle increased hero’s torture by pecking out his liver, which would then grow back during the night. The local girl named Agura fell in love with brave hero and watered him secretly to relieve his suffering. Ahyn found it out and punished the girl: he turned her into a river at the foot of the Eagle cliffs.

Via Joint Information Center

Waterfalls

The territory of the park is covered with a dense network of rivers and brooks: there are about 40 relatively big rivers and over 80 large brooks. The rivers begin on the slopes of the west branches of the Greater Caucasian mountain range and flow into the Black Sea. The largest rivers include: the Mzymta (89 km), the Shahe (59 km), the Psou (53 km), the Sochi (45 km), the Ashe (40 km), the Psezuapse (39 km). All the rivers of the Black Sea coast are non-freezing. Thanks to the drastic difference in heights and the mountainous relief there are a lot of waterfalls formed on the rivers and brooks. The highest waterfall of the park is Bezymyany waterfall (72 m), located on the right tributary of the Psou river. The second highest waterfall is the Orekhovsky waterfall (33 m), it is formed on the right tributary of the Sochi the Bezumenka River. On the whole, there are over 70 waterfalls in the park territory.

The waterfalls of Sochi are especially beautiful due to the usual twilight of the subtropical colchian forest. The most spectacular and available for visiting waterfalls of the park are located in the Ashe, Svirka, Chudo-Krasotka, Shakhe, Bezymenka, Zmeyka and Agura river valleys.

The Ashe River is located in Lazarevsky district. Two remarkable waterfalls are formed at the upper reaches of the Ashe. They are called Psydah and Shapsug. The Psydah falls (Adygian “The beautiful water”), is of two- cascade and over 20 m in height. It is located 4 km upstream from the village Kalezh. The Shapsug waterfall (named after the large Adygian tribe) located 0.6 km from the Psydah waterfall upstream the Ashe consists of three cascades. The total height of the waterfall is about 50 m. Both of the falls have wooden ladders and viewing platforms.

The small river Svirka is located in the vicinity of Lazarevskoye. The Svirsky falls is the lowest waterfall, located near the path on the right side of the river. In that place the Svirka is gripped between the cliffs forming a deep canyon; so the waterfall can be seen only when the water is not very high. The picturesque falls “Mother-in-law’s tears” located above the Svirsky falls is one of the most beautiful on the whole coast.

The Chudo-Krasotka river (“A marvelous belle”) is located within 10 minutes ride from Lazarevskoye village to the city of Sochi side, near Soloniki settlement. Like many other rivers of the Black sea coast it is of spring origin, so its water is pure and cold even in the midsummer. The river is short, only 10 km at length. The river gets its name for its extremely pure water and beautiful valley. The river forms small waterfalls on its way; the largest one among them is also called “Chudo- krasotka”.

The Shakhe River, the second largest after the Mzymta, flows into the Black sea near Golovinka settlement. A small river Dzhegosh (from Adygian: “the place of competitions and merrymaking”) flows into the Shakhe in the vicinity of the village Large Kichmay. The valley of the Dzhegosh River is one of the most scenic on the whole Black coasts. In spite of its small length this river forms a cascade of waterfalls. There are 33 waterfalls, 7 rapids and 13 riffles in total. The highest of the waterfalls is the last waterfall downstream. Its height is almost 10 m; the rest high waterfalls vary from 1.3 to 6 m.

The Orekhovsky waterfall is a sample of a scenic beauty; it is one of the most famous waterfalls of Sochi. It is located on the Bezumenka River, the right tributary of the Sochi River, in 14 km from the Black sea. The waterfall arises where the mouth part of the Bezumenka River falls from a 33-meter altitude. Its name derives from the nearest settlement Nizhnaya Orekhovka. The waterfall is very beautiful in any season, but it shows the special power after cloudbursts.

The famous Zmeykovsky waterfalls arise in the lower stream of the Dikarka River (“Wild river”), the right tributary of the Matsesta in Khostinsky district. Running down from the top of Zmeyka Mount, the river crosses the soft marly layers. The ledges of different height were formed in several places of the channel, and the water falls down from them in noisy waterfalls. The river is named so for its wild nature which shows up after heavy rains. The upper waterfall is the most beautiful among all five Zmeykovsky waterfalls; it splits up over the rocky ledge at numerous jets.

The Agura is a small river about 10 km. It arises at the foot of Alek crest about 300 m above sea-level. The Agura flows into the Black sea near the pension “Sputnik”, located at the intersection of Kurortny prospekt with a highway, leading to Adler. The river formed a picturesque gorge, striking with its odd and virgin beauty, located between Ahun Mount and the Eagle cliffs. The famous Agur waterfalls located in the gorge became a tourist attraction long ago; they were included in the earliest and most popular tour route over Greater Sochi in the early 20th century. The highest and most beautiful waterfall of Agur gorge reaches 30 m in height. It consists of two 12 and 18 meter cascades, which jets fall at an angle to one another. A large and deep backwater is formed at the place of the powerful stream.

Via Joint Information Center