On the southern coast of the Black Sea between two large cities - Alushta and Yalta - there is Mount Ayu-Dag, or otherwise it is called the Bear Mountain. The height of the mountain above the Black Sea level is 577 meters. The area of this mountain is more than four square kilometers. In 1974 it was declared a state reserve.
There are several legends about the name of the mountain. The most beautiful and a bit romantic legend tells about a beautiful girl. She lived on the southern coast of the Black Sea, among a considerable concentration of large bears. No one knew how she got there, but it was known that she had a life with bears since childhood. The bears loved and cherished her, taking care of her. She had a beautiful voice and sang well, and the bears loved to listen to her. One day, when none of the predators were at home, a boat washed up on the seashore. There was a wounded guy in the boat. She took him in her arms and hid him in her little house. Bears have never entered this house. She began to treat the young man, and hid his boat far from her home. And the day came when the young man got stronger and invited her to run away with him, in his canoe.
Offended and furious, the bears ran to the sea and growled furiously. They lowered their angry muzzles into the sea, and began to drink water greedily. Seeing the angry bears, the girl began to sing. The bears tore their heads from the water and listened to her enchanting song. Only the old leader plunged his big head even deeper into the water, trying to drink it without a trace. But a little time passed, and the trace of the lovers disappeared, and since then he has been standing on the shore and hoping to return the beautiful girl. After a while, he completely stopped moving and turned to stone. His sides turned into terrible rocks, his wool into a very dense forest, and the top of a mountain formed from his back.
If we take the Greek-Tatar language as a basis, then Ayia-Dag in translation is the Holy Mountain. Since ancient times, in the distant Middle Ages, this place was one of the many centers of Christianity. A monastery with several churches was erected on the mountain, and several settlements existed there. Ayu-Dag was also called Buyuk-Castel, and this translates as the Big Fortress. Indeed, at present, on the top of this mountain, there are ruins of a very old fortification, which were built by the Taurus.
Bear Mountain has an advanced age - it is more than 150 million years old. The mountain was formed in the Middle Jurassic. It consists of igneous rocks, which are called gabbrodiabase. Ayu-Dag was formed from lava that poured onto the surface.
577 species of various plants grow on this mountain, 44 of them are listed in the Red Book. On Ayu-Dag, foxes, badgers, squirrels and martens are most often found. On the coast of the mountain, frequent guests are great cormorants and fast gulls, and in other places you can see an owl, a woodpecker, a chirping sparrow and a small tit. Lizards and snakes live on the mountain. The Red Book lists 16 species of various animals living on the territory of Bear Mountain.
Where is: Gurzuf, st. Leningradskaya
Bear Mountain (Ayu-Dag) coordinates (latitude, longitude): 44°33"34"N 34°20"07"E
How to get (get) to the bear mountain
Where is Bear Mountain Ayu-Dag
The mysterious Ayu-Dag or Bear Mountain located on the coast of Crimea attracts more and more tourists every year. This is due to the youth festival "Sea of the Forest", good music, friendly atmosphere, nomadic life in tents - all this sets a person to unite with nature and adventure.
Sunrise on Ayu-Dag is not technically difficult, part of the way can be covered by car, so even teenage children can be taken on a trip. Along the way, a stunning view of the Black Sea and the coast will open.
The mountain air favorably affects the lungs, and the landscape that changes as you climb pleases the soul. Despite the fact that the landscape allows you to set up a camp, set up a tent, chop dry branches and make a fire, you can comfortably stay in the guest complex for a small amount. There is also a museum of the nature of our planet and its antiquities; visiting it will not leave anyone indifferent, the atmosphere of the museum shows the originality of our planet, life, and Motherland.
History of the Bear Mountain Ayu-Dag
Bear Mountain mostly consists of mossy stones covered with lush vegetation, this is due to the volcanic origin of the mountain. Few people know that Mount Ayu-Dag is a storehouse of precious and semi-precious minerals and during the ascent you can find real amber, which literally lies under your feet. It is very different from what you can see in the store, but every tourist should take such a stone as a keepsake.
The romantic view of the Ayu-Dag mountain is sung in folk songs, and also inspired the great Russian marine painter Ivan Aivazovsky, who depicted the view of the mountain in several of his paintings.
It's no secret that the mountain has been inhabited by people since the sixth century BC. During the ascent, you can see the remains of ancient temples and buildings, because people lived there until the 15th century AD. Since these centuries, there has been a legend about the origin of Bear Mountain. There is a belief that this is a huge petrified bear drinking water from the sea, and even frozen behind a watering hole, and since then this mountain has served as a landmark for sailors and a place of rest.
Before climbing the mountain, you must use the following recommendations:
The entrance to the ascent path is located on the territory of the sanatorium "Krym" and the official checkpoint is located there. There is a cafe at the disposal of travelers, you can buy a map, as well as walk along the beautiful alleys of the sanatorium and stay for the night. Entrance to the territory of the sanatorium is paid and issued for a day, however, if a resort holiday is not an end in itself for you, you can ask the locals where the entrance to the territory of the sanatorium is located, bypassing the checkpoint, and thus save money.
Despite the fact that there are many barbecue, cafes, and small shops along the hiking trail, it is worth stocking up on a minimum supply of water and food. Even such a small ascent to the mountain, which usually does not last more than three hours, requires travelers to be responsible.
The entire territory of the cape is a state-protected zone. It is forbidden to make open fire, leave garbage behind. Medved Gora is a unique monument of the age-old history of the Crimea and should be treated with great respect. If during the journey you witnessed a forest fire, you must immediately inform the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
The beauty and purest air of the Ayu-Dag mountains will not leave indifferent any tourist. With children, you can comfortably stay in the sanatorium Crimea. The climate, excellent nutrition, as well as a wellness program will have a positive effect on the health of both adults and children. The evening light show at the Prometheus fountain will remain in the memory of every guest of the sanatorium for a long time.
Even if you do not plan to stay in the rooms, you should buy a course for one day, so that you can spend time before or after climbing the mountain on the territory of the tour base. An entertainment program, discos, games and fun relay races - all this will take you into the world of relaxation and fun, and the surrounding nature pacifies and rejuvenates. Every tourist visiting the Crimea should visit the mountain Ayu-Dag.
Resting in Partenit, not going to Mount Ayu-Dag would be an unforgivable mistake. Ayu-Dag is an amazing mountain in many ways. Many archeological monuments of ancient times are scattered over the mountain. You can still see the remains of the fortress wall and many structures today. But Ayu-Dag is interesting in itself. The mountain is unique in geological terms. It is not a continuation or part of the Main Range of the Crimean Mountains, because it is made of a completely different stone. This stone is not a sedimentary rock such as limestone, sandstone or shale - the main components of the Crimean mountains, but is a very strong, deep igneous rock, which was given the name gabbro-diabase. Having discovered this striking difference, scientists suggested that Ayu-Dag and the few domed mountains of the South Coast similar to it are extinct volcanoes.
For a long time it was thought so, until at the end of the 19th century. Russian scientist A.E. Lagorio did not explain the origin of the mountain in a different way. Ayu-Dag is not an "extinct", but rather a "failed" volcano. Molten magma, rising from the bowels of the earth in this place, did not come to the surface, but only lifted the thickness of sedimentary rocks, solidifying in the form of a mountain. Scientists call this process a tricky word - intrusion, and the Ayu-Dag mountain itself - laccolith. Ayu-Dag is the largest laccolith of the South Coast in terms of volume, and the approximate age of its gabbro-diabase is estimated at 161 million years. Gabbro-diabase is a beautiful and durable gray-green stone, especially effective after polishing. Tribunes on Red Square in Moscow were made from it, the canal of the Moscow River and the first stations of the Moscow metro were lined. The height of the mountain is about 570 m. Up to 20 different minerals were found in the bowels of Ayu-Dag. And if you are lucky, then you can become the owner of crystals of golden pyrite, black tourmaline, rare vesuvian and lomontite, and even deep purple amethyst.
Ayu-Dag - Bear Mountain, so named for its obvious resemblance to the formidable owner of the forests, from the side of Partenit and Gurzuf is seen as a beast inclined towards the sea. If you look at Ayu-Dag from the sea, then an unexpected picture of harsh rocks, ledges and cliffs, with capes and bays between them, opens before your eyes. The largest rocks are called Cape Monastyrsky, Akustani and Mussert, and the bays between them are Gyshir Liman and Panair. The easiest way to get there is by boat, taking it from the boat station of the resort. But you can also by land, first climbing the path that starts near the upper buildings of the Krym sanatorium, to the observation deck, and then go down to the beaches, being careful and having a certain amount of fitness and endurance. The path leading to the observation deck is a very ancient road that existed here back in the days when people lived on the mountain. In some places on the sides you can see the remains of the old masonry, apparently protecting the road from scree. Bear Mountain, by the way, has a close relative. A small rock that rested right on the beach at the end of the long coastline of the Crimea sanatorium is named Kuchuk-Ayu - the Little Bear or, as it is affectionately called, the Bear Cub. This is also a laccolith, only a small one - 25 m high and 70 m wide, and it is also composed of gabbro-diabase. Traces of a small fortification have been preserved on this stone cape. According to the Russian historian L.P. Colli in the book "Italian colonies on the coast of the Black and Azov Seas" (1915), this fortification once belonged to the Genoese.
Bear Mountain, the second name of Ayu-Dag Mountain, is located in the south of Crimea in the village of Partenit and is one of the most beautiful places on the southern coast.
Geographical coordinates of Medved Gora, Ayu-Dag on the map of Crimea GPS N 44.55831503 E 34.33527650
Height of Bear Mountain is 573 meters, up to half is in the water, the area of \u200b\u200bthe mountain is 4.1 square kilometers. Visiting the mountain is free, but in order to stand on the mountain with a tent, you need to take a permit from the forestry in Gurzuf.
Some historical facts about Bear Mountain
Bear Mountain was to become real volcano about 160 million years ago. Under the ground, magma created a stress zone for about a million years, due to which it grew, but there was not enough strength to break through in the form of a volcano. If this happened, perhaps we would consider it as the Karadag massif. The first settlements that were on Bear Mountain date back to the 10th century BC. During the excavations, tools, stone arrowheads, and spears were found. In the later layers, dating back to the fourth century BC, there was a relatively small settlement, which is usually attributed to the Tauri tribes. Then the mountain was chosen in the Bosporus kingdom. In the 6th century, the monastery of Peter and Paul was built in the vicinity. The destruction of the temple is attributed to the period of the capture of the Crimea by the Ottoman Empire.
How to get to Bear Mountain
You can get to the Bear Mountain from Gurzuf or the village of Partenit, it is also possible to go to one of the tourist paths from the village of Lavrovoe, which is located on the South Coast Highway. It will be almost impossible to miss the mountain.
How to climb Bear Mountain
Tourist routes on Bear Mountain quite a lot, but the most interesting are essentially two. The first route starts from the village of Lavrovoe, more precisely, beyond its borders. We leave the car in the village and look for a large trodden path that goes along the bear's back. The trail is clearly visible from the village and it is difficult to get lost there. All paths that lead to the left or to the right lead mainly to the descent from the mountain, so follow the ridge and you will get to the very muzzle of the bear. The second trail is located in the village of Partenit near the Crimean sanatorium. Behind the sanatorium, about 150-200 meters, the ascent to the Bear Mountain begins, there are several paths, but they all lead to a large clearing from where a good marked path begins. A walk along Bear Mountain takes about 2-3 hours on average, the trail goes through a dense forest almost all the time, there are practically no difficult climbs, the walk is recommended for the whole family, including children.
Legend of Bear Mountain
In ancient times, on the coast of Crimea, when it was completely wild and uninhabited, a flock of bears lived. Wild temper, fierce look, huge claws and impenetrable skins. And they were as tall as giants, neither people nor animals settled near their lair. Food had to be obtained throughout the Crimea. Their leader was the oldest and most formidable leader, everyone revered him or feared him, his decision was the law, and no one could disobey. And then one day, returning from another hunt, on the seashore near the lair, the bears found a fragment of a large ship. The bears began to look at the wreckage with curiosity, sort through the boards and sea tackle, and, to the surprise of everyone, they found a bundle, small, very tiny. The leader took the bundle in his huge paws, began sniffing around, looking out. Suddenly, the bundle began to move quietly, to stir. The bear became alert, decided to poke with a claw, when suddenly the bundle burst open, and from there a little girl appeared, quite a baby. The bear clung to her muzzle, began to sniff, but the baby felt warm, grabbed him by the muzzle and clung all over, trying to get at least a little warmth. The bear recoiled back, put the child on the sand and began to examine. The baby crawled towards him, crawled under his paw and peacefully fell asleep. The bear never had his offspring, never felt pity, was stern and ferocious, for the first time in his life something stirred in his wild animal heart. Whether it was love, or old age, but the baby remained in the flock. She could not be touched by more than one bear, even approaching her was taboo.
The years flew by unnoticed, the girl grew up beautiful and kind far from people, the bears became her family, and the old leader became her father. All the bears adored her, little by little even animals began to settle near the bears' lair. In order not to frighten the girl, the bears went hunting far into the mountains and, returning, they always brought her berries, fruits and honey. This could have gone on forever, but one day, when the bears were hunting, a storm began at sea, the waves rose to the sky, the downpour was impenetrable, the girl sat in the den by the fire all night, hiding from the weather. The next morning, leaving the lair, the girl saw a lot of fallen trees, the whole coast was covered with sea mud, and at the far edge, near the rocks, something unusual was seen, something that the girl could not remember - these were the wreckage of a large ship. Approaching the wreckage, the girl saw a half-dead young man, in torn clothes, barely breathing. She carefully pulled him out of the rubble and dragged him into a cave that was not far from the crash site. She lit a fire, treated the wounds and began to nurse the young man. When the bears returned, the girl, fearing for the life of the young man, kept everything a secret. At night I visited him, changed the bandages. And then a week later he opened his eyes. Their first acquaintance was very funny, they did not understand each other at all, in sign language they began to explain themselves little by little, and while the treatment was proceeding, they began to find a common language.
Time passed, the young man became completely stronger and fell in love with his savior, he told her about distant shores, about how life flows beyond the sea, that he is from a noble family, that they are probably already looking for him in all parts of the earth. Spending the nights by the fire, the girl really wanted to see it all, but she understood that if her father the bear finds out about this, then it will all end tragically. She told the young man all this, and they decided to escape on the boat, which by this time was almost finished. And so, on a warm summer night, they got into the boat, as soon as they began to sail away from the shore, they saw that some kind of throwing began near the rock, a minute later they began to clearly hear the growing noise. And then everything became clear, one of the bears noticed them and told everything to the leader, his roar drowned out all the noise of the sea. Wildly mad, he rushed towards them in the direction of the receding boat. Seeing that he could not catch up with her by swimming, he decided to drain the sea. Having plunged his muzzle into the water, he began to drink it, and with each sip it became smaller and smaller, and with each step he was getting closer and closer to the boat.
Then the girl begged the old man's bear, told him everything, and when she finished, she said that she would jump into the sea if he did not let her go. The bear froze, thought a little and decided that it would be better for her to be alive than to die through his fault, and let them go. But the bear's heart was broken, and his body was filled with so much water that he became the size of a rock. He no longer wanted to go somewhere, and there were no more goals. So he lay for many years, longing for his beautiful girl, thinking about her, looking at the stars, until his skin became a stone, and he is Bear Mountain, and lies with his face to the sea, looking at the stars.
So if you are planning to visit the Crimean peninsula, then be sure to visit Partenit and plan your ascent to Bear Mountain. Bear Mountain is rightfully considered one of the most recognizable and one of the brightest.
Bear Mountain, Ayu-Dag on the map of CrimeaReading time: 7 minutes
It looks like Mount Ayu-Dag
To visit the Crimea and not climb to the top of the famous mountain Ayu-Dag is a big and irresponsible mistake. This mountain (or as it is also called “Bear Mountain”) is a mysterious and incredibly beautiful symbol of Partenit, which holds the secrets of many sacred places, valuable archaeological finds, ancient healing mineral springs, remains of fortress monuments and Orthodox burial grounds. All this is definitely worth seeing!
The mountain is located in the southern part of Crimea, between Alushta and Big Yalta. Its area is four square kilometers, and the height reaches only 577 meters. However, this height is more than enough to enjoy the beauty of Yalta, standing at the very top.
Bear Mountain is unique in its geological characteristics. It is not the main part of the main complex of the Crimean mountains, because it consists of a completely different type of stone. The mountain is formed not from sedimentary rock, like most mountains of the Crimean peninsula, but from strong igneous rock.
Vegetation Bear Mountain
The mountain arose about 150 million years ago, in the middle of the Jurassic period. This happened as a result of the penetration of both molten and magma that came to the surface. The mountain is a laccolith - a "failed" volcano. Ayu-Dag is the largest laccolith on the territory of the southern coast of Crimea.
The stone that makes up the mountain has a gray-green hue. It is especially beautiful after polishing. By the way, it is from this stone that the stands on Red Square are carved, the canals of the Moskva River and the oldest stations of the Moscow subway are lined. To date, scientists have discovered 18 types of minerals here.
Rocks of Adalara. View from Bear Mountain
In addition, it is a protected monument of the Crimea; a reserve of 528 hectares is located on its territory. The slopes of the mountain are covered with dense green vegetation, among which there are evergreen strawberry trees, and a rare Pontic needle, and fragrant jasmine bushes. At the top of the attraction is a luxurious forest.
Here you can admire the lush oak, evergreen hornbeam, fragrant juniper and shaggy pear. Ash, beech, maple and even (who would have thought!) Pistachio trees grow on the top of the mountain. And Ayu-Dag is the only place in the CIS countries where a rare type of fern grows - forest cabbage. In total, there are about 543 species of various plants on the mountain.
No less rich is the collection of living inhabitants. Here you can meet martens, squirrels, foxes, badgers, hedgehogs and hares. A wide variety of bird species settled on the cliff of the mountain: gulls, owls, woodpeckers, blackbirds. Reptiles also live on the mountain: lizards, snakes and yellow teeth. In addition, more than twenty species of animals inhabiting the mountain are listed in the Red Book.
View of the village Partenit
Among the archaeological finds, a special place is occupied by flint tools, which belong to the Meso-Neolithic era. According to historical data, in the period from the 4th century BC to the 4th century AD, Taurian tribes lived in this territory. And in the Middle Ages, a grandiose and striking in its grandeur monastery of St. Peter and St. Paul. It is believed that this monastery was founded by the Bishop of Gotha, who transferred his own see of the diocese there.
Archaeological sources say that today on the territory of this sacred place are the relics of St. John, however, this can only be guesswork. In the Middle Ages, small settlements regularly appeared on the mountain, which existed until the end of the 15th century and were destroyed as a result of Ottoman raids. Research scientists believe that the main reason why people left the territory of the mountain is its dehydration after the earthquakes of the 15th century.
Previously, it was possible to climb Bear Mountain along the path named after General Raevsky Jr. This road is now closed and surrounded by a fence. You can get to the top of the mountain through the checkpoint at the Krym sanatorium, where you can also purchase a map. It is worth noting that the fence of the old path has many gaps, using which you can repeat the path of Nikolai Raevsky. However, do not forget about caution. The road to the top of the mountain is ancient, so if you are unfamiliar with the area, climb the slope in the company of a knowledgeable instructor.
Descent to the sea from the mountain
Now this route is a whole archaeological and historical reminder for tourists. From the height of the uppermost point of the slope, magnificent views of the bottomless clear Black Sea open up. And what beautiful sunsets you can see here! Sometimes it seems that all the colors of the world have merged together in order to convey an incredibly lively and genuine extravaganza of feelings! Expressive, colorful, inaccessible and truly stunning Ayu-Dag is unlikely to leave anyone indifferent!
Ayu-Dag on the map of Crimea
Photo of Ayu-Dag mountain
At the very foot of the mountain
