Thousands of Russians flock south every summer to the shores of the gentle Black Sea. Here you can not only relax, but also treat many diseases. Undoubtedly, it is a pleasant fact that Anapa is recognized as the best among the balneological resorts of the whole world. Taman's mud volcanoes, containing the most valuable therapeutic muds, are extremely popular. It is worthwhile to visit them even for those who have no visible health problems, because they, in addition to usefulness, are very interesting for their unusual appearance.
Location
The modern city of Anapa is located in the western part of the Krasnodar Territory. Around this area, a conditional border passes between the Taman Peninsula and the Greater Caucasus.
Therefore, nature here is such that flowering valleys and green plains are replaced by evergreen coniferous forests, and mountain streams are interspersed with estuaries with sea water. Sometimes a calm and affectionate, and sometimes severe and formidable Black Sea gives a special charm to the area. Anapa lies just on its shore. From here to the famous city of Temryuk along the highway a little more than 51 km (regular bus services run), to the village of Golubitskaya - 57 km (about an hour's journey), to Krasnodar - 165 km, to Novorossiysk - 53, to Gelendzhik - 89, to Krymsk - 69 km
How to get there
If you are planning to visit the mud volcano in Anapa or just relax in this beautiful resort, it will not be difficult to get here. You can use land, air or sea transport. 15 km from the city and 5 km from the village of Vityazevo is the airport of the same name, which operates flights to Anapa from many regions of Russia. A bus and minibus No. 113 runs to the city from there. In winter, the number of their walkers is reduced to 3 per day. The city has a very convenient modern port, from where you can sail to Sochi, Yalta, Kerch, Feodosia and Novorossiysk. Also, small vessels and yachts make exciting sightseeing trips. On the street Krasnoarmeyskaya, 11 in Anapa is a bus station. Bus flights are carried out to Krasnodar, Rostov, Temryuk, Novorossiysk, Kislovodsk, Armavir, Derbent, Sochi, Stavropol and some resort villages.
A little journey into the past
Where Anapa is now spread in all its glory, the first settlement arose long before the birth of Christ. It was called Sindika. After these lands entered the Bosporan state, the city received the name Gorgippia. It became the largest cultural and commercial center of the Black Sea coast and existed for more than 700 years, until in 240 barbarians destroyed it. All excursions in Anapa will certainly include a visit to the excavated Gorgippia settlement located in the city center. Here you can see the streets lined with stone, preserved fragments of buildings and buildings, sarcophagi of the nobility and much more.
In the XIV century, a colony of Genoese Mapa existed on these lands. In the same period, the city tried to destroy Tamerlane, but managed to corrupt only on the outskirts of Anapa Castle. In the 15th century, he was briefly captured by Keduk Ahmed Pasha, the commander of the Ottoman Empire. In the XVII century, in Anapa, the famous writer from Turkey Evliya elebi was traveling, and by the end of the XVIII century a Turkish fortress was built here. A series of wars began between the Turks and the Russians, until, finally, in 1829 Anapa was finally attached to Russia. A couple of decades after this, the resort business began to develop here, which is still flourishing. You can touch the turbulent and difficult history of the city by looking at the sights of Anapa, photos and descriptions of which are given below.
The most famous volcano
In addition to the Gorgippia Reserve, there is another place that Anapa is famous for. The volcano Shugo is a unique geological formation, for the sake of which thousands of people come to the resort.
True, it is located 43 km from the city, but it is easy to get there by private car, taxi or sightseeing bus. Visiting the volcano used to be free, now it costs money (there is no fixed price for entry). The dimensions of this active, constantly bubbling and "spitting" mud natural "doctor" are impressive. The diameter of its crater is as much as 450 meters, and the bottom of the bowl is almost 6 meters below the edge. Shugo mud is extremely useful for the skin, bones, joints and overall health, but you need to dive into them with insurance, since you can accidentally dive headlong for a kilometer (according to the guides). Like it or not, but in natural mud baths there is no bottom, and people prefer to keep their hands on safety rails all the time.
Hephaestus
Taman has long been famous for its mud volcanoes. There are about 30 of them. In addition to Shugo, Hephaestus is a very popular mud mud volcano located in Temryuk. It takes less than an hour to get here from Anapa. Hephaestus is also active, but not as active as Shugo. It is located on the Rotten Mountain. There is no central bowl. Throughout the area there are many craters of various diameters. There are large ones in which you can swim, but there are absolutely babies where only the little finger will be free.
Hephaestus mud contains a lot of useful trace elements, including iodine, bromine, boron, selenium. For the convenience of descent, stairs are installed in the craters. You can wash after the procedure in a nearby lake. The mud of this and other volcanoes helps with diseases of the skin, joints, nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, liver, lungs. Such baths are contraindicated in all forms of exacerbation of diseases, oncology, diabetes, hypertension, epilepsy, asthma and several other diseases.
Tizdar
There is another place near Anapa that is worth a visit. This is Tizdar, an ennobled mud volcano. In Anapa, you can buy an excursion tour there or go yourself in the direction of Peresyp, and at the sign "Fishing" turn onto the road, which will lead to the right place. Visiting the volcano is paid, but here, in addition to medical procedures, you can just have a wonderful rest, ride a pretty train, go to the zoo, sit in a cafe, taste freshly baked pancakes in a pancake room. After bathing, ablution from the mud here passes into the sea. On the shore there is a great beach with fungi that protect from the sun. Nearby there are comfortable gazebos for adults, and for children - a bunch of attractions.
All sights of Anapa: photos and description
One of the most striking sights of Anapa is a dolphinarium located in the open air in the picturesque lagoon of the Bolshoi Utrish reserve. Dolphins live here and give views in natural habitats, which is especially interesting. You can see bottlenose dolphins, belugas, sea lions and fur seals here. Entrance to the territory of the reserve is paid. After the performance, vacationers can proceed to one of the many beaches, among which there are several with a gentle entry into the water, several with rocky shores and one beach for nudists. Even Utrish reserve is famous for its unique forest of relict pistachio trees and junipers. Unfortunately, the administration of the region does not care about saving this beauty, allowing it to be destroyed and to build various economic facilities on this territory.
Another very popular object in Anapa is the lighthouse, which rises directly on the rocky shores. Near him, locals and visitors love to make dates and admire the extraordinary beauty of the landscapes.
Temple
According to numerous reviews, it is wonderful to heal the body of any mud volcano. In Anapa, to heal the soul, there is an active temple of the famous St. Onufrius the Great.
On the icons he is depicted without clothes. Only a strip of leaves and a gray beard to the ground cover his nakedness. This symbolizes the complete abdication of Onufriy from all earthly blessings, for which he retired for 60 years to the Egyptian desert of Thebaid. According to legend, there he prayed to God for all those buried in Akeldam. Now every church at cemeteries is blessed in honor of this saint. The temple of his name in Anapa was built in 1837. It so happened that it was on the day of commemoration of St. Onufry, and even Peter Athos, that Russian troops recaptured the city from the Turks. Many troubles happened to the temple of St. Onufry. It was closed, destroyed. Now it is restored and open for worship.
Russian gate of the Turkish fortress
Of course, everyone who came to the Krasnodar Territory seeks to visit a mud volcano. In Anapa, in addition, there are other interesting places that deserve attention. One of them is the remains of the Turkish fortress, which the Turks erected in 1783 to annoy Russia. Then it was a colossus with walls over 3 km long and 8 meters high. Plus a huge moat with a palisade around. Our troops stormed this fortress with varying success 6 times. Many glorious warriors died before Anapa, and with it the fortress, forever passed to Russia. Now, only the gate, the plate on which claims that they are Russian, remained from the construction in memory of the descendants. In front of them is a monument to the disinterested, brave, courageous military leader and just a wonderful man A.D. Bloodless, especially distinguished during the last capture of the fortress.