Program of the day: check out of the hotel and departure for an excursion with luggage - The sanctuary and rock monument of Uastyrdzhi – Tsey gorge – cable car to the Skazsky glacier – picnic lunch (extra charge) – Mamison gorge – Lisri village – obelisk to the Gazdanov brothers.
The unique Tsey Gorge is the most beautiful corner of the Caucasus and the majestic Mamison. The day will be full of impressions: high mountains, colorful gorges, glaciers, waterfalls and iconic places of attraction of the ancient history of Ossetia.
Starting at 08:30, collection from the hotels. Check out of the hotel and departure for the tour with your luggage.
Moving along the Military Ossetian road in the Alagir gorge, to the right along the way, attention is attracted by a mighty sculptural composition. This is Nykhas Uastyrdzhi, as they call him in Ossetia. This place is a dzuar, a holy place.
The sculpture is attached to a rock and weighs 28 tons! The sanctuary and rock monument of Uastyrdzhi. In the Ossetian tradition, Uastyrdzhi is one of the main characters of the Ossetian Nart epic – a celestial being, the patron saint of men, travelers and warriors.
The monument is considered one of the largest equestrian monuments in the world.
On the way we will see the cave and the sanctuary of Sau Baraga (the Black Horseman). The place and the very image of the Black Horseman are shrouded in many legends and beliefs that we have to learn.
The military-Ossetian road has played an important role in the relations between the north and south of the Caucasus since ancient times. The remains of the ancient Alan customs outpost "Zylyn duar" (from Ossetian – Crooked Door) have been preserved in the Kasar gorge.
We will turn from Transkam to the Tseysky Gorge or Tseyskaya horseshoe. The gorge has been sacred to Ossetians for many centuries - the most iconic places of worship and places of power are located here – ancient Albanian historical and religious buildings.
The entire Tsey Gorge is a state nature reserve, and the figure of the patron saint Afsati at the entrance symbolizes protection for everyone living in this beautiful corner of the Caucasus.
Monk Mountain is the motionless and stern guardian of Cei. According to legend, the monk decided to capture a golden-horned turk and present his horns as a gift to Wastirji, but he did not keep his word and was turned to stone.
We will take a chairlift to the Skaz glacier (ticket - extra charge), see the ice grotto, from where the Skazdon River is rushing out, enjoy the views of the mountain element.
Picnic lunch (extra charge). It is carried out according to the set menu in one of the cafes along the route (pre-order at the beginning of the tour / cash payment):
- 500 rubles/person, family cafe in the village of Buron: lyvzha – national. beef soup + Ossetian pies with cheese and meat (2 pieces) + compote.
Moving further along the Transkam into the depths of mountainous Ossetia, we head to the Mamison gorge, one of the most remote and once inaccessible corners of Ossetia.
Previously, the military-Ossetian road passed through the gorge, which connected the North Caucasus and Transcaucasia. Military and residential towers and entire fortified complexes of medieval mountain settlements are still preserved here.
In the ancient village of Lisri, we will encounter artifacts from past eras, and see architectural structures of ancient architecture. We will learn about the legends and history of other settlements in the gorge: Tib, Tli, Kalak, Zgil.
Mamison gorge is famous for its mineral springs. The healing Tibetan waters, valleys with a beautiful landscape, and a variety of natural vegetation attract many tourists to the gorge.
With the opening of the all-season mountain and thermal resort "Mamison", a second life came to the gorge. Among the ruins of ancestral towers and temples, the mountain resort seems designed to combine history and modernity, age-old traditions and sports.
On the way back to Vladikavkaz, we will stop at the piercing obelisk of the Gazdanov Brothers in the village of Dzuarikau to pay tribute to the memory of those who died in the Great Patriotic War.
Return to Vladikavkaz by 16:30 and group transfer to the airport / railway station for evening flights/trains, later than 18:00.
Duration: 8 hours, 220 km.