How to get to New Athos from the border. New Athos: getting to know the best Black Sea resort in Abkhazia. How to find the New Athos cave, where the New Athos cave is located, the building of the New Athos cave

If you want to find an ancient city shrouded in many secrets, and just a quiet corner where you can hide from the bustle of the world, New Athos in Abkhazia is perfect for this role. Ancient monasteries, majestic fortresses, huge caves, mesmerizing cypress alleys, gentle sea and mild climate - what else is needed for a calm, but at the same time memorable stay? This is a place for those who truly appreciate life and its brightest moments.

In the III century, on the site of today's New Athos, there was a large trade center of the region called Anakopia (Trachea). Archaeological finds testify to the high standard of living of the inhabitants of this ancient city. At first, the settlement belonged to Byzantium, but at the end of the VIII century it passed to the Abkhazian kingdom and became its capital. The constant raids of the Arabs forced the inhabitants of the city to build the Anakopia fortress, which, by the way, amazes with its grandeur even today. Left a mark here in the XIII-XVI centuries. ekah and the Genoese colony of Nicopsia in the form of a Roman tower, also extant.

In the late 1890s, New Athos was called one of the largest religious centers on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. It acquired this status thanks to the New Athos Monastery built here, where pilgrims from different parts of Tsarist Russia came. In the 1910s, one of the first hydroelectric power plants in the country was built here. In the 1930s, this place became one of Joseph Stalin's favorites - in the summer he often came to his New Athos dacha, where the museum of the former leader is located today.

The city attracts many admiring glances and each time makes you look at it from a different angle. Here Anton Chekhov drew inspiration, in a letter dated 1888 he exclaimed: “Nature is amazing to the point of rage and despair. I am a scoundrel for not being able to draw! " This place was also chosen by filmmakers; in the 1980s, under the direction of director Leonid Menaker, the most famous Soviet science fiction film "The Testament of Professor Dowell" was filmed here.

The picturesque location of the city between the two mountains of Athos and Iverskaya - on the one hand, creates a unique magic, on the other - protects from the winds. When you get here, you are immediately enchanted by the surrounding beauty, which has developed over the centuries. Time over New Athos seemed to slow down.

New Athos monastery

People come to the New Athos Monastery to recharge their spiritual and vital forces, find peace and tranquility. It is located at the foot of the mountain of the same name - this place was chosen by Hieromonk Arseny (Minin) with the blessing of the Athonite elders. In the 1st century, one of the 12 apostles of Christ Simon the Canaanite and Andrew the First-Called preached here. The construction of the monastery began in 1875, but it was complicated by the need for careful preparation of the site - the liberation from part of the mountain and trees that hindered the construction of the monastery. A few years later, the complex was built, but the Russian-Turkish war, which began in 1878, significantly spoiled the appearance of the monastery. The monastery was restored for 20 years at the expense of Emperor Alexander III. The outbreak of the revolution of 1917 brought this place complete ruin, and in 1924 it was decided to close it altogether. Permanent services began to be held here 70 years later.

The complex includes 6 active churches, the main of them - Panteleimon Cathedral - was built in 1888-1890. It is a striking example of the neo-Byzantine style. The location of the five domes crowning the temple can be called an echo of Greek architecture - they are not placed diagonally, as required by the Russian Christian tradition, but stand along the axes of a spatial cross. Inside, the walls of the temple were painted in blue, brown and gold by Palekh craftsmen in 1911-1914. In the center of the western building there is a 50-meter bell tower. This gift of Alexander III is distinguished by a clear and melodic sound that spreads throughout the area.

Anakopia fortress

“Those who have visited New Athos and did not visit the Iverskaya Mountain are like those who were in Rome and did not see the Pope in the Vatican,” Anton Chekhov made this apt remark after visiting the Anakopia fortress on the Iverskaya Mountain. The defensive structure was built in the 4th-5th centuries. ekah in order to protect against attack, above all, Arabs and other enemies. The first tried many times to capture this fortress, but their efforts were in vain. The history of attacks on the citadel was vividly described by Roman Petrozashvili in his novel At the Walls of Anakopia.

Today only ruins remain of the fortress, but they were preserved with great care as a valuable relic of the years gone by. Looking at these powerful high stone walls, one cannot help thinking about the greatness of the people who built them. Here you can see fragments of the temple of St. Theodore Tiron, which was built in the 6th-7th centuries. Tourists and all pilgrims are attracted by the inexhaustible well, carved into the rock. They say that the water here has divine power, being healing and life-giving.

State service

Not far from the New Athos Monastery there is a state dacha where Joseph Stalin, the "leader of the peoples", liked to spend his holidays, and later Yuri Luzhkov and Vladimir Zhirinovsky used to come here. The construction of this house was conceived immediately after the war, when the leader began to have health problems. Stalin ordered the head of security Nikolai Vlasik to build a summer residence here in a very short time, the latter expressed doubt that he would be in time, to which Stalin replied in his categorical manner: “There will be a dacha by April - there will be Vlasik, there will be no dacha by April - there will be no Vlasik ". As a result, the building was erected on the site of the house for the hegumen of the New Athos monastery by the forces of German prisoners of war.

Today, it houses a museum where guided tours are held. The two-story mansion is literally buried in greenery - it is surrounded by palm trees, cypresses, eucalyptus trees, roses, and on a neatly trimmed lawn there is a sign calling for caution: "Stop, they are shooting!" Upon entering the house, you will be taken directly to the second floor with six living rooms and three bathrooms. All of them are decorated modestly, but tastefully - the floors and walls are sheathed with Karelian birch, solid German trophy furniture is everywhere. In three bedrooms there are beds made to order especially for Stalin's small stature, but, as they say, he preferred to rest on couches, moreover, at night he moved from one berth to another. It is worth paying attention to the small carnation in the wall that Joseph Vissarionovich personally hammered into the wall - according to the ancient Siberian custom, the owner, entering a new house, must perform this rite.

New Athos cave

A unique miracle of nature - the New Athos Cave was discovered in 1961 by the 16-year-old Abkhaz novice artist Givi Smyr. 14 years later, it was landscaped for tourists. The dense flow of people who want to get here does not dry up even today. There are even sightseeing trains that stop at three stations. One such rolling stock is capable of transporting up to 90 people at a time. About 2,000 guests try to get here every day. Since 2001, the director of the New Athos Cave is the same discoverer - Givi Smyr.

The total length of the cave is 1.9 km, and the maximum depth is 180 m. There are 11 halls in total, but only some of them are open to the public. The tour begins from the most beautiful hall "Anakopia", where there is a cave waterfall, which is a frozen stone wall falling from a 30-meter height, water flows along its surface. Due to its unique acoustics, the Abkhaz State Choir Chapel has chosen the "Apkhyarts" hall. Each sound performed here receives a special depth and richness. A huge number of centuries-old orange and red stalagmites are concentrated in the Ayuhaa hall. The largest hall is named after the mahajirs - the forcibly resettled Abkhaz people to Turkey and the countries of the Middle East, and the tallest one is named after Givi Smyr. Here you will see high stone vaulted ceilings and a huge stone jellyfish.

Seaside park

One of the main attractions of New Athos is the Seaside Park, which is located in the city center. Previously, a rather modest village of Primorskoye stood in its place. Through the efforts of the Athonite monks in 1880, the landscaping of the territory began, which turned into a magnificent park. The official opening took place in 1910 for the arrival of the royal family. In Soviet times, its landscape was supplemented with plaster sculptures in the spirit of socialist realism, and a little later with restaurants and cafes.

An integral part of the Seaside Park are swans, which have been living here since the beginning of the 20th century in seven dug ponds. In the crystal clear waters you can see trout, carp and crucian carp swimming by. The bottom of each pond is lined with stone tiles, and they are filled by the Psyrtskhi River, which is considered sacred by believers. A riot of greenery will open before you in all its diversity in the form of local and imported plants from afar, and there are about 400 of them here. Date palms from the Canary Islands, coconut palms from South Africa, mallow from Syria grow here. Rare species of flora are represented by agave, Himalayan cedar, candy tree, hamerops.

Leisure

You will not find here entertainment establishments in the form of nightclubs, but you can have a great time rafting on the Bzyb River. It has a length of 100 km and is considered one of the most turbulent rivers in the North Caucasus. Bzyb is divided into three sections of varying difficulty: the first is recognized as very dangerous, the second has the highest category of difficulty, and the third is relatively safe and is used as a tourist route. A qualified instructor will give instructions, provide the necessary equipment and go with you on an unforgettable hour-long journey along the 11-kilometer route.

Horse-riding enthusiasts and those wishing to master the skill of a rider, New Athos invites you to horseback riding. Under the guidance of an experienced trainer, beginners will learn to hold on to the saddle with confidence, and experienced riders will freely ride on the territory intended for this. Your route will take you through beautiful boxwood gorges and winding mountain trails.

Fans of a quiet holiday by the sea can relax on one of the beaches of New Athos. Admission to all beaches belonging to sanatoriums and hotels is free, even if you are not a guest of this or that hotel. They are equipped with showers, changing rooms, and sun loungers and parasols available for hire. The beaches are mostly pebbly, but there are also sandy and pebble beaches.

How to get there?

You can get from Moscow to Novy Afon by train. It follows from the Kazan and Kursk railway stations to Sukhum with a stop at the Novy Afon station. The road will take you 1 day, 14 hours and 30 minutes. Trains to Novy Afon also run from the Northern capital from the Moscow railway station, the travel time will be 2 days 7 hours.

There are no direct flights from Moscow to Novy Afon, so you must first fly to Sochi Adler, and then take a minibus or bus to the Psou checkpoint (Kazachiy Rynok stop). After successfully passing the border, you should find a minibus that follows to New Athos, or take a taxi.

Moscow travelers-motorists will get to Novy Afon in 24-25 hours, St. Petersburg in 31-33 hours. Toll roads operate along these routes. One should not forget about the need to cross the state border. Border guards work around the clock, but if you do not want to get into a long queue, the best time to cross the border is early morning or late evening.

Local transport

New Athos is a small city, so all tourists and locals prefer to walk. There are quite good transport links to neighboring Sukhum, Primorsky, Psou. As for the taxi, the rates are different for each carrier - the cost may vary depending on the tourist season and the passenger's ability to bargain.

Hotels

The legend of the city - the hotel "Abkhazia", \u200b\u200bwhere Anton Chekhov stayed, today attracts many tourists with its historical value and picturesque location near the swan ponds. The fund of this two-storey hotel includes 36 rooms of different categories. For an additional moderate fee, the hotel's cafe offers homemade breakfasts, lunches, dinners. An equipped pebble beach is located 50 meters from "Abkhazia". However, remember that the hotel accepts tourists from May 1 to October 31.

The small wooden hotel "Griffin" (3 *) is designed to give home comfort and warmth. It is able to satisfy the needs of the most demanding, but budget-conscious tourists. It is distinguished by helpful and friendly staff, convenient location. You will be separated from the New Athos Monastery 500 m, from the park - 100 m, and from the sea - 300 m. The rooms are equipped with air conditioning, TVs with cable channels, and panoramic windows with stunning views will be a great bonus. In the restaurant "Grifona" you can enjoy Abkhaz cuisine, and in the bar you can relax with a glass of wine.

Tsarskaya Alley (3 *) belongs to the category of elite hotels. The three-storey hotel has 33 rooms of various categories. The windows overlook the monumental New Athos Monastery and the majestic Iverskaya Mountain. There is a swimming pool, a children's playground, gazebos, and a guarded parking lot on the territory. For a fee, you can enjoy European cuisine in the hotel restaurant. The ten-minute road to the beach leads through the famous cypress Tsar Alley, planted in honor of Emperor Alexander III.

The boarding house "At the Monastery" is located in a closed guarded territory that used to belong to one of the state dachas of Joseph Stalin. It got its name due to its proximity to the New Athos Monastery. The only olive grove in Abkhazia grows here. The boarding house consists of two buildings - two- and three-story, in each room you will find a TV, refrigerator, iron, electric kettle, air conditioner or fan. On the territory of the hotel there is a sports ground, table tennis and a free guarded parking lot, and 500 meters away there is a beach with free sun loungers and awnings.

Restaurants

You should start acquaintance with the national Abkhaz cuisine in the Nikofa restaurant. The institution offers a fairly wide range of national dishes: Abkhazian achash (khachapur), pork and lamb shashliks, various salads seasoned with spicy adjika, and quail broth. Separately, it is worth noting homemade cognac, white and red wine from grapes grown under the hot sun of Abkhazia, and chacha.

One of the favorite establishments of New Athos and tourists is the summer restaurant "Three Platan", which is located in the Primorsky Park near the Lebyazhy pond. You can sit on the first, second floor or on the outdoor terrace. The restaurant offers dishes of mainly national cuisine. Here you should try delicious barbecue, Abkhazian hodgepodge, hominy and homemade wine. Every weekend in the evenings, music plays here and the dance floor opens.

The Kamarit restaurant on the Black Sea coast is perfect for a romantic dinner. Here you can enjoy dishes of European, Japanese, Russian, Ukrainian, Caucasian, Uzbek cuisines. Sitting comfortably on a sofa in one of two halls with panoramic windows or on a summer veranda, order the restaurant's signature dish - Athos-style chicken, for dessert - any signature dish from the chef, and chacha as a drink. During the day, the establishment plays a lounge and foreign hits, in the evening - live music.

The refined interior, delicious food, attentive staff - all this is concentrated in the fashionable Abkhaz art cafe Z. Guests are attracted by the antiques of the Abkhazian principality, the Russian Empire and even European countries neatly arranged on the shelves. The main principle of the establishment's work can be called an individual approach to each client. For business negotiations or a date, you can retire in the VIP zone. The restaurant menu includes dishes of Abkhazian, European and Thai cuisines. The institution is famous for royal mussels baked with vegetables, khinkali, Abkhazian khachapuri, national dry red wine "Atauad". Guests are invited to use free W-Fi.

Shopping

In New Athos, you will not find large shopping centers and large retail outlets, but there are two markets - the first is located near the New Athos Cave, the second is at the railway station. Here you can buy fruits, vegetables, wine, chacha. Most of the fruits and vegetables appear on the shelves from the beginning of May. At this time, feel free to purchase local crispy cucumbers, juicy peaches, strawberries, cherries, oranges and tangerines of the winter harvest. In June, an active trade in tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, medlar, strawberries, pears, and apples begins. July and August delight with watermelons, melons, plums, figs, dogwood, Isabella and Ladies fingers grapes, September - kiwi and pomegranates, but persimmons and feijoa are better to buy in October. You will always find young homemade wine on the shelves.

For coffee lovers, the best souvenirs from New Athos will be ceramic cups and a Turk. The hostesses will definitely like the set of Abkhaz spices in a beautiful gift box, adjika and wooden kitchen spatulas. Real men should be presented with daggers and knives, skillfully made by Abkhaz craftsmen. Fans of high-quality alcoholic beverages will surely appreciate chacha and young homemade wine, true tea-makers - Abkhaz green tea, and those with a sweet tooth will like honey that is excellent in its taste.

New Athos is a fairly small city, even by the standards of Abkhazia. This resort is located 80 kilometers from the Russian-Abkhaz border, and 25 kilometers from Sukhum. You can get to New Athos by minibuses and buses. From Sukhum to Novy Afon, travel time is about 40 minutes, from the border - about 3 hours.

You can also get to Novy Afon by train # 305C following from Moscow (Kurskiy station) to Sukhum with a stop in Novy Afon. In addition, an electric train runs from Adler to Sukhum, which stops at Novy Afon.

How to get to New Athos

A train

The train is a fairly convenient form of transport that allows you to get straight from the capital of Russia to New Athos. The train departs from the Kursk railway station in Moscow and arrives at the station "Novy Afon" following on to Sukhum.

Train tickets can be bought at the train station, as well as at any ticket office and online.

During the tourist season, the train from Russia to Abkhazia departs daily, but after its end the schedule changes and trains run only on certain days.

Travel time is 3 days or about 43 hours. Border control from the Russian side takes place at Vesyoloe station and takes about 1 hour. On the Abkhaz side, control is carried out at Tsandripsh station, this procedure takes about 30 minutes.

Train

You can also get to New Athos from Russia by regular train. From Adler, the train leaves once a day at 07:30, the return flight from Sukhum at 17:45. The journey takes about 3 hours.

Tickets cost from 150 rubles.

Buses and minibuses

You can get to Novy Afon directly from the Psou border checkpoint - this is the easiest way. Also, you can get to New Athos from other cities and resorts of Abkhazia, for example, from Sukhum, Gagra or Pitsunda.

Immediately after crossing to the Abkhazian side of the border, there is a stop for minibuses and buses. It is difficult to get confused and not find the required minibus, because Immediately after the border point, the drivers of private minibuses "swoop down" on tourists, offering their services. Also on each minibus you can always see signs with the names of the cities to which they go.

You can also get from the border to New Athos by bus, but the intervals in motion reach half an hour.

Getting to Novy Afon by minibus is much faster than by bus, but even here you will have to wait until the minibus driver gets a full cabin.

The cost of a trip from the border to New Athos by minibus is from 150 rubles, by bus - from 80 rubles, travel time is about 3 hours.

Taxi

You can also get to New Athos by taxi. The taxi rank is located on the same site as the minibuses and buses stop. And from the very exit from the border control, taxi drivers are constantly offering their services to tourists.

There are practically no official rates for a taxi, the average cost of a trip to New Athos is about 1,500 rubles, but the cost may vary depending on the tourist season and the ability of tourists to bargain. Travel time from the Psou border point to Novy Afon is about 2 hours.

You can save on a taxi by agreeing with the driver that there are free seats
he will take more passengers.

Moving around New Athos

Most tourists and locals travel around the city on foot. Also, travelers use taxis and minibuses, mainly for trips outside the city. The cost of a trip around the city by taxi from 50 rubles, by minibus from 20 rubles.

Cave railway

A separate mode of transport and one of the attractions of New Athos is the New Athos cave railway. An underground railway is used to deliver tourists who have come on an excursion to the Iverskaya cave. This unusual type of transport works only during the tourist season - from May to November. The architecture and design of the New Athos railway is very similar to the metro in many Russian cities.

The underground railway consists of 3 stations:

• Entrance gate
• Hall of Anakopia
• Apsny Hall

The station "Entrance Gate" is used for boarding and disembarking passengers, at the station "Zal Anakopiya" tourists are disembarking who inspect the cave on foot, and at the station "Zal Apsny" tourists again board the train and go back.

There is no separate fare for the underground railway, the cost of the trip is included in the price for the tour of the cave.

The cost of excursions to the New Athos cave - from 400 rubles.

Today I want to continue this topic and tell you how you can get from the border to any resort in Abkhazia.

After crossing the Russian-Abkhaz border, you find yourself on a square where there is a huge number of buses and minibuses. In addition, on the way, kind Abkhazians will offer you taxi services, but keep in mind that their prices are very high, and they do not always work honestly.

Buses and minibuses in Abkhazia

The difference in price between a minibus and a bus, as a rule, is no more than 30-50 rubles, depending on the distance.

Such savings are not always beneficial. Bus drivers say they work on time. But in fact, just like minibuses, they leave from the square as they fill up. It takes them a little longer to reach their destination. Of the advantages, one can emphasize the presence of a luggage compartment, which is sometimes so lacking in minibuses.

Get from the border of Abkhazia to Gagra

Those who chose the resort of Gagra as a holiday destination were definitely lucky with the road. Gagra and nearby villages are located in close proximity to the border of Abkhazia. The distance between Gagra and the Psou checkpoint is 25-30 km.

Since the resort is in demand, you won't have to wait long (10-15 minutes and the minibus is full).

The price, depending on what you choose (minibus or bus), is 80-100 rubles.

Tell the driver in advance where you need to get off (this could be the name of the hotel or the landmark that was given to you when booking). Average travel time is 25-30 minutes.

Travel time and distance from the border to villages near Gagra

• From the border to the village of Tsandripsh - 8 km (10 minutes)
• From the border to the village. Bagripsh - 12 km (15 minutes)
• From the border to Psakhara (Kolkhida) - 35 km (30 minutes)
• From the border to the village. Alahadzy - 40 km (40 minutes)

Get from the border of Abkhazia to Pitsunda

Pitsunda is in second place among resort towns in terms of distance from the Russian-Abkhaz border. The distance to the city from the Psou checkpoint is 47 km. The journey will take approximately 50 minutes. Pitsunda, along with Gagra, is very popular, so it’s not long to wait for the minibuses to fill up. By the way, this has another plus: in Gagra and Pitsunda, unlike other cities, minibuses run until late at night (during the season). The fare is about 150 rubles.

It should be noted that not all minibuses following in the Sukhumi direction call into Pitsunda.

Travel time and distance from the border to villages near Pitsunda

• From the border to the agricultural Citrus - 40 km (45 minutes)
• From the border to Ptitsefabrika - 42 km (45 minutes)
• From border to agricultural Molochny - 45 km (50 minutes)
• From the border to the village. Ldzaa - 51 km (60 minutes)

Get from the border of Abkhazia to Gudauta

Gudauta began to be popular with Russian tourists relatively recently. The city occupies an advantageous position: the sights of both Eastern and Western Abkhazia are approximately at the same distance from here.

From the checkpoint Psou to Gudauta - 70 km. Travel time is just over an hour. It is worth noting here that many minibuses do not go further than Pitsunda. Therefore, check the route. These minibuses finish going much earlier.

At around 19:00 the last one leaves the Psou checkpoint. The fare is about 150 rubles.

Travel time and distance from the border to villages near Gudauta

• From the border to the village. Hypsta - 62 km (1 hour 15 minutes)

Get from the border to New Athos

New Athos is perhaps the richest city in Abkhazia with sights. Those who have chosen this city for recreation will have to cover a path of 83 km (about 1 hour 40 minutes). The fare will be 150-200 rubles. All minibuses following in the Sukhumi direction make stops in Novy Afon.

Travel time and distance from the border to villages near Novy Afon

• From the border to the village of Primorskoe (Tskuara) - 78 km (1 hour 20 minutes)
• From the border to the Armenian Gorge - 83 km (1 hour 40 minutes)

Get from the border to Sukhum

Sukhum is the capital of Abkhazia and the most distant resort town from the border. The distance to Sukhum from the Psou checkpoint is 110 km. Travel time takes from 2 to 2.5 hours.

The fare is from 180 to 250 rubles.

Minibuses follow to the railway station of the city of Sukhum.

There is a minibus that runs from the Psou checkpoint to the Dranda village, passing Sukhum and the surrounding settlements (Makara, Gulrypsh, Agudzera).

Routes from Psou checkpoint to Ochamchira, Tkuarchala and Gala

The cities located far from the Russian border, such as Gal and, are also served by buses and fixed-route taxis - but they are usually designed for local residents and do not arouse interest among visiting tourists.

Where is New Athos

Novy Afon is located on the shores of a vast bay about 80 kilometers east of the Russian border and 20 kilometers northwest of Sukhum.

To New Athos by plane from Russia

The easiest way to get to New Athos is by flight to Adler, followed by crossing the border (about 20 minutes by bus or minibus to the checkpoint from the airport) on foot and changing to Abkhaz taxis, buses or fixed-route taxis that travel through the entire territory of the republic.

To New Athos by train from Russia

You can take a train from Moscow with a direct flight # 075C Moscow - Sukhum - in Adler, several carriages are uncoupled and follow on to Sukhum through Novy Afon. Customs and passport control is carried out directly in the cars at the Vesyoloe station (on the Russian side) and at the Tsandrypsh station (on the Abkhazian side), however, due to its duration (often up to an hour and a half at the border, to which it is worth adding two days on the way to and up to 5 hours after) this way of moving is not convenient for everyone.

To New Athos by bus, minibus or train from the border with Russia

By bus on the highway to New Athos can be reached in about an hour and a half. There are direct buses and minibuses from Adler airport, you can also hire a taxi directly to Novy Afon, however, due to the fact that huge queues often accumulate at the automobile checkpoint, it is sometimes inconvenient to use them.

The final stop of most minibuses running from Adler to the Psou border post is the Cossack market, from where the border is still about two kilometers away. After passing the passport and customs control and passing through the bridge, you change to a minibus or a regular bus that goes to New Athos. Travel time is about three hours.

A comfortable train runs from the Russian station Adler to Sukhum through Novy Afon, the schedule of which changes every year. Taking into account the border parking in Vesely and numerous stops at intermediate stations, the entire journey to the capital of Abkhazia will take about four hours, to New Athos - half an hour less.

Preparation for the trip to New Athos, preparation for the excursion to the New Athos cave

Natural disasters in Abkhazia, tornado in Pitsunda, downpours and floods in Pitsunda, mudflows from the mountains

I first heard about the New Athos cave in 2001 when I visited the Marble cave during my vacation in the Crimea. Accordingly, at the same time I learned about the existence of the small town of Novy Afon in Abkhazia. Four years later, I was finally going to visit the Caucasus. An excursion and tourist trip to New Athos was planned by me and my fellow travelers without fail (along with a trip to Lake Ritsa). A lot of information has been read, reviewed and collected about New Athos, an approximate route has been drawn up and even a specific date for the trip has been planned. But the elements unexpectedly intervened in our plans - a tornado, downpour, flood and mudflows from the mountains happened just two days before the planned trip. With a creak of my heart, I watched the whole next day for a drizzling rain, roads filled with impassable mud, a storm at sea and other troubles, falling into a deep stupor - a trip to New Athos may not take place. But in the evening the sun came out and it was decided to go anyway. My fellow travelers were skeptical about my intention - Johan and Anya immediately abandoned their earlier plans, preferring to rest on the seashore and sunbathing, and Sergei, at first wanted to go, but could not get up early in the morning;) especially after the evening promenade to Pitsunda ... Thus it is decided! - I go alone, as in the good old days ...

Trip to New Athos, excursion to New Athos, how to get to New Athos, Primorskoe highway

The road from Pitsunda to Novy Afon, independently to Novy Afon, Abkhaz minibuses, fares

So, closer to the topic. In order to have time to see everything and visit from the planned list of cultural, natural and historical sites in New Athos, I had to get up at about 6 am. Having quickly gathered and had breakfast, after unsuccessful attempts to wake up Sergey, I try to leave the courtyard of hospitable Hakob. It was not there ... The gates and the gate were locked for the night. In the process of a short search for the owners, I manage to wake up half of the neighbors with my questions, until Nazik opened the gate for me, stopping this disgrace. I got to Pitsunda quickly enough. I got out on the empty morning Lidzavskoe highway and the very first car - a rafik minibus for 5 rubles took me to the Temple. From here, route taxis depart in all directions of Abkhazia and not only. Immediately the "organizer-breeder" runs up to me - "where should I go?" It turns out that there will be no minibuses to New Athos in the near future. They offer to go either by taxi or by minibus Pitsunda-Sukhum. The second option suits me perfectly. The announced price (100 rubles) disappointed me a little, but I could not get any discounts for half the way to New Athos. Okay, do not return home because of fifty dollars;) I am unhappy with taking up a free seat in the minibus. In addition to me, there are already a couple of people sitting here, which means that we will have to wait a long time for the filling of the cabin. While I, having thrown my backpack into the back seat, smoke in anticipation of the filling (and hence departure) of the minibus, I will allow myself a couple of lyrical digressions ... About the Abkhaz minibuses. From any more or less decent town in Abkhazia, you can absolutely safely leave for 2 places - Psou and Sukhum. Rested vacationers and local residents go to the Psou border point to the market, and to Sukhum (the capital of Abkhazia) - tourists for independent excursions and local residents on business. Minibuses go to other cities, but not very often. And it should be noted that until the minibus is full, no one will go anywhere. And if, in principle, it does not fill up, then the flight itself may be canceled, despite the protests of dissatisfied potential passengers who sat for half an hour or an hour. Prices and the sequence of departure are determined by some unspoken organization-mafia, whose representative is constantly spinning at the bus stop, solving problems. These same people collect money from passengers. Drivers decide practically nothing. Drivers from other cities are especially deprived of rights - they bring their passengers, and sometimes they leave empty if they don't agree with the local mafia. On the way, the drivers manage to earn a little extra money, of course, adding fellow travelers. Sometimes a completely crowded cabin in these cases is clogged even more up to 120-150 percent;) Passengers sit on the floor, on the footrests and on the laps of other passengers - of course, unsafe, but fun. Especially when the minibus passes the post of the local traffic police and all the extra ones begin to quickly hide, pretending that everything is OK inside the cabin;) The buses themselves are quite dead, but proven for years on mountain roads. It is normal for a driver to hold his driver's door (which does not close in principle) with one hand while driving, but what? fine! - but it's not hot in the cabin. Or, for example, there are no seats in the salon, instead of which there are two benches alongside. In this spirit ... Although, of course, the bulk of the cars are in acceptable condition, especially those that carry more or less long distances. ... So, after standing for about 15 minutes and having waited for four more people, the command "in the wagons !!!" - let's go. Strange, the salon is half empty - maybe all my observations are false? The situation clears up in a couple of minutes. The minibus drives into Pitsunda's Cypress Alley for a large family. Apparently they agreed in advance with the driver (or the mafia). We wait about ten minutes until the family gets ready for the road. I'm already starting to get noticeably nervous - time is moving towards 7-30, and I have not even left Pitsunda yet. Finally, we set off, the already familiar places are flashing outside the window - Boxwood Grove and the boarding house of the same name, Lake Inkrit, funny surrealistic bus stops. We turn to the Primorskoe highway towards Sukhum. We drove to New Athos for 30-40 minutes. Fast, non-stop, "Black Eyes" at full volume - in general, in Abkhazian. Outside the window, small villages and towns flash by, the sea, which either comes close to the highway, then moves away, or disappears in the thickets of some southern bushes or behind residential buildings. Pointers of settlements are rare, so I am afraid to miss New Athos - this is my first time in these parts. Naturally, before the departure, he informed the driver about his desire to go to New Athos, but he, absorbed in expensive and Caucasian music, happily forgot about me. Only the appearance on the sides of more or less civilized houses and a couple of familiar landscapes from the photographs I looked through before the trip saved me from the mistake. Made a fuss ... stopped ... released. I left about 300 meters after the place I needed, and the minibus drove further in the direction of the capital. The time is 8:10. I'm in New Athos ...

Arrival to New Athos, orienteering in New Athos, map of New Athos, Psyrtskha river, ponds

How to find the New Athos cave, where the New Athos cave is located, the building of the New Athos cave

Ticket offices in the New Athos Cave, queues at the ticket office, a ticket to visit the New Athos Cave

The cost of an excursion to the New Athos cave, resort tax and life and health insurance during the descent

Mini-metro of Novoafonskaya cave, mini-metro train "Tourist", the beginning of the excursion around the cave

While I smoke, look around and study the map of New Athos, standing on the highway, I’ll get a little distracted ... In preparation for the trip, experienced tourists (interlocutors in Internet forums) advised me to visit the New Athos cave as early as possible in the morning. In this case, there is a chance to avoid queuing for many hours for a ticket to enter the New Athos cave. The fact is that not so long ago the number of visitors to the cave was limited in order to reduce the environmentally harmful load on all this underground splendor. Therefore, tickets for visiting are mainly distributed between excursion groups (more precisely, companies organizing excursions), whose guides constantly climb out of line at the box office and buy out a large number of tickets at once. To be guaranteed to get on your own on an excursion to the New Athos cave, you need to take tickets for the first 2-3 descents. The first descent takes place somewhere around 8 am, so you have to hurry up, but ... where? I am trying to find landmarks - Primorskoe highway (it is also Lakoba street along Novy Afon), ponds, the Psyrtskha river, a bridge over the river. Everything is in place. It would be necessary to check with people, preferably local residents, but around nidushi - early morning. Well, really, think dear readers, who gets up at 8 am on vacation? Only such maniacs like me;) I walk across the bridge over the Psyrtskha, turn into the depths of the town. The street rises noticeably. On the way, I was overtaken by a dozen cars and a couple of small and one large sightseeing bus. The good news is I'm going in the right direction, the bad news is that I might be late and have to queue. I check the route with the sleepy waitress from the street cafe - everything is ok. It took me 10-15 minutes of a leisurely pace to find the New Athos cave and ascend from the embankment. In front of the cave building it is already quite crowded ... Directly to the ticket offices. Ticket offices are located on the first floor of a four-story cave building right in the foyer (to the right of the entrance). Two windows, but only one is open. The queue is small, about ten people. At the very window, I notice a certain chaos - these are travel agents skipping the line. After literally standing for 5-10 minutes, I get my hands on 3 coveted pieces of paper - a ticket for an excursion to the New Athos cave. Together with the ticket (cost 150 rubles), they took 50 rubles from me (a certain environmental fee - confirmed by a piece of paper) and 15 rubles (insurance premium). My worthless life was insured in the amount of 10,000 rubles - a little of course, but by Abkhazian standards, probably enough. I ask a middle-aged cave farm worker in uniform that I have another 10-15 minutes before the next excursion. Excellent - while I look around here ... The cash hall (aka the arrival hall) of the New Athos cave is very decently decorated - marble, granite, some panels on the walls in the style of Abkhaz legends, copper embossing. Not bad ... There are also a couple of souvenir shops and a tray with mineral water, pies and other edible trifles. I wasn’t interested in prices, but I think it’s expensive. The door to the mini-metro hall is closed, but since it is made in the form of a figured lattice, it is quite possible to observe what is inside there - narrow-gauge tracks, a tunnel and several cave employees who are preparing for the arrival of the train. In the meantime, the time for my excursion arrived - I got on the second descent into the cave. To get on the train, you need to leave the cave building and go around it. There, through a separate entrance, we get to the mini-metro platform. At the entrance we checked our tickets and immediately paid for photo / video filming in the New Athos cave. Cash is paid 30 rubles. and for that you are given a badge. This cave icon is the "ticket" for photo / video filming in the cave.

After thinking a little ("where to stick it?"), I did not find anything better than to attach it to a baseball cap. So, people are slowly gathering in the departure hall of the mini-metro. Gradually it becomes cramped, visually, about 150 people gathered here (well, certainly more than a hundred). It is strange everywhere they write that there can be no more than 90 people in the excursion group (otherwise the train will not take it away), but in Abkhazia it is now a high season (August), and therefore the loot is squinted at a large scale. Despite the rather warm microclimate in the hall, I insulate myself with the Olympic jacket I brought with me - it should be damp and cold in the cave (about 10 degrees Celsius). The sound of an approaching train is already heard from the tunnel, and people grab onto video / photo equipment, wanting to film the arrival of the mini-metro train. They almost rush to the rails ... Brothers Lumiere, your mother, and Anna Karenina in one person;) It's a pity, but nobody's head was cut off. The train is really miniature - about a dozen carriages, slightly higher than human height. We load, the doors close and we slowly set off into the depths of the Iverskaya Mountain along a narrow single-track tunnel. A couple of minutes of a fairly fast ride with sharp turns and small rolls of cars and we arrive at the station inside the mountain. Here the guide meets us and invites us to go inside through the massive iron doors. At the entrance they promised to check the tickets again, but they let everyone in at once in a large crowd. At the bottom there is some smelly chemical composition with a chlorine odor, stepping on which our soles get rid of the external microflora. I have nothing against it, because even in the Crimea I was told how dangerous our bacteria are for cave dwellers - stalactites and stalagmites. It is necessary to defend the universal human underground wealth. We go in ... Immediately you can feel the dampness and coolness of the cave, booming sounds, twilight, turning into a distant pitch darkness. I prepare my camera for work - I wipe the lens and try to balance the temperature so that condensation does not appear on the lens. Finally, the massive doors close and the actual tour begins ...