Gathering of the group in Mineralnye Vody:
- 11:30 railway station (near the main entrance from the city side);
- 12:00 airport (near the main entrance).
Transfer by minibus to Dombai village (travel time 4-4.5 hours). On the way, an excursion to the Shoan temple and Lake Kara-kel.
The Shoan Temple.
In the vicinity of the village of Kosta Khetagurova, on a spur of Mount Shoana, there is a Shoan temple. It was built during the heyday of the Alan state and dates back to the tenth century.
Along with the temples of the Nizhne-Arkhyz settlement, the Shoaninsky Temple is one of the five most ancient temples in Russia.
The construction was carried out by Byzantine architects for the Christian Alans. There are remnants of ancient decorative paintings on the walls of the temple.
The program of the tour to Dombai necessarily involves a small ascent to the temple. From the hill on which it is located, there is a magnificent view of the surrounding area!
Lake Kara-kel.
On the outskirts of the city of Teberda there is the warmest lake of the Teberda reserve – Kara-Kel. In summer, the water temperature here reaches +18...20C.
Translated from the local language, Kara-Kel means "black lake" – so it was named for the special, dark color of the water.
The lake reflects the rocky peaks of Mount Kel-Bashi, and magnificent, tall fir trees grow on the shore.
If you went on vacation to Dombai with a child, do not worry, he will be able to do all the walks.
In the evening, arrival in Dombai, check-in at the hotel, sightseeing tour of the village of Dombai.
The active part of the route is 2.3 km, the sightseeing facilities are located at an altitude of 1030 m (Shoan Temple) and 1340 m (Kara-kel).
Clothes and shoes for the tour on the first day: cap, T-shirt, trousers, sandals or light trekking shoes. With you in a backpack: raincoat, swimsuit, towel, camera, drinking water. There will be an opportunity to swim in the lake, the water temperature is +15...+18C.