This article will tell you about amazingly beautiful mountain places famous for numerous historical monuments and magnificent natural landscapes.
This unique natural monument located in North Ossetia. What is Digorskoe gorge? The relief, sights and many interesting things will be discussed in this article.
North Ossetia: general information
Alania (North Ossetia), belonging to the Russian Federation, is located in the north of the Caucasus Mountains. The entire territory has an area of approximately 8 thousand square meters. km, and it is inhabited by more than 670 thousand people. Ossetians (about 53%) and Russians (30%) live here in the vast majority. There are also Ingush and Armenians in the Republic. The administrative center of the Republic is the city of Vladikavkaz.
The largest cities in the region: Beslan, Mozdok and Alagir. Since 1991, North Ossetia has had the status of a Republic that is part of the Russian Southern Federal District.
Forests occupy a fifth of the territory, and they are mainly broad-leaved (hornbeam, beech, linden, ash, alder, oak, maple).
Mountain range of the region
Briefly consider the mountain range of these places before we find out what it is - Digorskoye Gorge.
North Ossetia in the west has a border with Kabardino-Balkaria, with the Stavropol Territory in the north, and in the east with the Chechen Republic and Ingushetia. Its southern territory borders with Georgia.
The whole republic is located in the foothills of the Greater Caucasus and on its northern slope. The northern territories are located on the Stavropol Plain, the southern - on the Sunzhensky and Tersky ranges. In the southern part of the region are the Lateral and Main ridges of the Greater Caucasus. The highest point is the peak of Jimara (height 4780 m). The Ossetian plain extends into the central part of the North Caucasus. From it rise the low-mountain ranges mentioned above, and beyond them lies the Mozdok Plain.
In the Ossetian mountains there are eternal glaciers, the largest of which are Tseisky and Karaug. Highlands intersect with numerous gorges: Daryal, Kasarsky, Dargavsky, Kurtatinsky, Alagirsky, Kobansky, Tseysky. The Digorskoye Gorge belongs to them. Along them and their lateral branches are channels of mountain rivers of glacial-snow origin and connecting at the exit from the mountains with large large rivers: Terek, Ardon, Urukh, Kambileevka.
Features of climatic conditions
The climate in these places is temperate continental. On average, January temperatures reach -4 ° , and the middle of summer - up to +22 ° . In total, about 800 mm of precipitation falls annually.
The zone of North Ossetia is marked by increased seismicity. Also in the mountains there are quite frequent gatherings of powerful snow avalanches, numerous mudflows and rockfalls occur. Often there is a strong hail on the foothill plain. It causes enormous damage to the agricultural land of the republic.
In any case, North Ossetia (Alania) is very popular among tourists and vacationers.
Digor Gorge
The most beautiful and farthest from the city of Vladikavkaz (120 km) is Digorskoe gorge, located in the west of North Ossetia.
It is located in the Urukh river basin (Iraf), the tributaries of which originate in the kingdom of huge centuries-old glaciers and ancient snows. The rocky ridge in which the gorge formed is located parallel to the main ridge.
In Digoria there is a wonderful national natural park "Alanya". Depending on the altitude above sea level, you can meet here either moist forests or magnificent alpine meadows. There is also a forest-steppe zone, glaciers, lakes, waterfalls, streams.
Like the entire North Caucasus, Digorsky Gorge abounds with amazing historical and cultural monuments.
Facts from the story
The narrowest point of the gorge is Akhsinta, representing a natural fortress. It should be noted that its walls have repeatedly saved local mountaineers from enemies.
There is another interesting point. On the site of the villages of Lezgor, Donifars, Nar and Zadalesk was the 2nd defensive line (center of Matsute). On watchtowers, in the hills, in the event of any danger, raw straw was lit. Thanks to the smoke, the news of the threat spread fairly quickly throughout Digoria.
Watchtowers and family towers have been preserved in many parts of Digoria. Some old houses remained here, especially in the villages of Dzinaga, Kamunt, Mosca, Dunta and Odola.
Rest in Digorsky Gorge: Attractions
As a rule, a trip to Digoria usually begins with the village of Chikola. Due to the large distance from large settlements and due to the lack of a good road, people come to these places not for 1-2 days.
In general, you can rest in these places only in the summer months, and in winter it is better not to go there, as heavy snowfalls prevail during this period. However, it is worth noting that the landscapes in the gorge are beautiful at any time of the year.
We will conduct a short excursion on the way to the gorge. After the first village, the road on the plain leads through with. Ahsarisar. Its name translates as "the top of military valor." It is named in honor of the fact that in antiquity the Alans heroically fought in these places with the Tatar-Mongols (Timur’s troops), who tried to penetrate deep into the gorge.
Further, the road passes by the village of Kalukh and stretches to the very foot of the Skalisty ridge. In these places, not far from the tunnel, the Akhsinta canyon is located, through which a concrete bridge, called the Devil by tourists, was built. This bridge offers a magnificent view of the Urukh River, the forest in the western part of the gorge and the streams descending from the sheer walls flowing from karst springs.
Further beyond this canyon, the entrance to the gorge opens.
North Ossetia has many historical monuments as well as natural attractions. Digorsky Gorge is famous for one of the most magnificent and largest glaciers - Karaugomsky, which is the second largest in the entire North Caucasus.
A little about the origin of the name of the gorge
It comes from the name of the Ossetian ethnic group - Digorians (in Ossetian - “digoron” or “diguron”).
They are carriers of the Digor dialect of the Ossetian language and represent the bulk of the population of this republic.