New Athos is one of the ancient and unusually beautiful cities of Abkhazia. He gained wide fame thanks to a large monastery, attracting a huge number of pilgrims and tourists. However, half a century ago it was here that another sight was opened and landscaped, which is now proud of all of Abkhazia. New Athos cave has become as popular among tourists and world famous as Lake Ritsa or the above-mentioned monastery in New Athos.
The legend of the "bottomless pit"
Locals while walking around the surroundings of their native city for a long time noticed a large well on one of the slopes of the
Iverskaya Mountain. The failure of the people began to be called the "bottomless pit", and the most incredible legends began to compose its origin. This place literally attracted the inhabitants of New Athos. And not only mysticism was sought by people who were keen on the “Endless Pit”. At that time, small caves had already been discovered, the natural entrances to which looked similar. But this well seemed too dark and bottomless. Nevertheless, the idea to solve the riddle of failure did not haunt the local resident Givi Smyr. In 1961, he assembled an expedition, which included Arsen Okrodzhanashvili, Zurab Tintilozov and Boris Gergedava. The speleological detachment began to descend, and underground, its participants saw something amazing. Since time immemorial, Abkhazia has been famous for various miracles. New Athos cave - one of them, it amazes with its size and variety of beauties.
The history of the improvement of a tourist site
During the first study of the "bottomless pit" was able to establish only that the cave is incredible. Many cavers explored the system of underground halls and galleries in subsequent years. A map was gradually compiled, and in 1965 the first documentary was shot. Footage recorded on film showing underground beauty did not go unnoticed. And it was decided that the
New Athos cave (Abkhazia) should become a full-fledged tourist attraction. The problem was that the natural entrance was a well overlooking the ceiling of one of the halls. It was decided to make a new artificial entrance. In 1975, all work was completed, and the first tourists were able to descend underground using a special train.
Cave subway
The underground railway was opened on July 4, 1975. The total length of the line is 1291 meters, it includes three passenger stations. For tourists, the journey starts from the Entrance Gate platform, an examination of the underground beauties begins from the Abkhazia Hall site, and ends at the Anakopia Hall. The railway is a narrow single track. As a transport, a unique passenger electric train "Tourist" is used, consisting of a head, a motor and four trailed wagons. This underground metro is proud of Abkhazia. New Athos cave has become a public attraction precisely thanks to the organization of a comfortable descent for tourists. The underground railway and the passenger train itself were made according to unique projects. Not so long ago, the train was reconstructed, and today tourists can enjoy maximum comfort during the descent.
New Athos cave in Abkhazia: photos and halls today
Visiting the sights begins with the usual-looking administrative building. Its hall is richly decorated with mosaics and coinage. Here you can buy tickets for excursions and souvenirs as a keepsake. After that, a ride on an electric train, tourists, along with a guide, fall into an amazing underground kingdom. New Athos Cave (Abkhazia) today consists of 6 halls open for tourist inspection, and 3 more, which are not yet guided by excursions. In the closed part of the cave, various studies are carried out. Underground halls delight with variety, in them you can see the natural formations of various shapes and sizes. The walls of the cave and the most interesting objects are highlighted with multi-colored spotlights, which makes them look even more attractive and mysterious.
Opening hours and cost
If the place of your summer vacation is Abkhazia, the New Athos cave becomes a must-see attraction. Tours are conducted year-round, the ticket price is about 500 rubles. Children under 8 years old can visit the cave for free, accompanied by their parents. The ticket price includes descent and ascent by electric train, excursion service, photo and video filming for your equipment are paid separately. You should take warm clothes with you on an excursion, + 11 ... - 14 degrees - the standard temperature, to which the New Athos cave (Abkhazia) warms up. The operating time of this tourist attraction depends on the time of year. In the tourist season, tickets are sold from 10.00 to 17.00 (the duration of the tour is 1.5 hours), in the winter the cave is open several days a week (usually on Wednesdays and weekends), as well as on major holidays.
Tourists reviews
A unique place is the New Athos
cave in Abkhazia. Photos of the underground halls can be seen in any tourist avenue. Known around the world, this attraction is also an object for scientific research. Tourists who have visited the cave excursions get an incredible experience. Many of them say that the underground halls look so incredible that it is impossible to believe that we have a miraculous attraction. New Athos cave (Abkhazia) has extremely positive reviews. High-quality tourist services, comfortable descent underground and the incredible beauty of the object itself will not leave anyone indifferent.