Without exception, all travel agencies in Sochi invite guests on an excursion with the romantic name “33 Waterfalls”. This all-day adventure is an exciting journey through the Shah River Valley. During the trip you can see water cascades, learn the fascinating history of these places and taste the national treats.
A natural attraction worth seeing with your own eyes!
Very close to the resort village of Lazarevskoye is a unique natural attraction. In tourist guides, this area is most often found under the name "33 waterfalls." In fact, this is the tract Dzhegosh, where you can admire the water cascades on the river Shah. Waterfalls themselves are mostly small. The surrounding natural beauty deserves attention. In the valley you can see a relic boxwood grove, as well as many wild plants, many of which are listed in the Red Book. The hiking trail is landscaped, with wooden bridges and floorings. In the warmer months, the most courageous travelers are invited to swim in the mountain river.
The legend of thirty-three waterfalls
According to ancient legends, the cascade "33 waterfalls" is a real monument of courage and military ingenuity. Once upon a time in the valley where the Shah river flows today, the Adygs of the Shapsugs lived. There were many small villages whose inhabitants were engaged in crafts and agriculture. Once an evil giant appeared in these places and began to ruin the gardens and kill the peasants. The best warriors from all villages gathered and began to draw lots, which of them will fight the alien? Fighting the giant fell to the son of a blacksmith named Guch, whom everyone considered the best hunter. On the eve of the battle, the young man dreamed of his late grandfather, who advised putting several large barrels of honey where the giant should appear. Gooch obeyed the advice and did everything as his ancestor ordered. The giant noticed the barrels and began to eagerly eat honey. He got very dirty, and wasps came flying over him. Shrugging off a wasp swarm, the giant ran, leaving giant footprints on the ground. Exactly 33 steps were taken by the giant, reaching the mountain on the top of which Guch was waiting for him. The young warrior struck down the giant with his sword and, falling, he split the mountain, from which a stream broke out, which later turned into the river Shahe. The giant's footprints on the earth have become cascades, which we today call “33 waterfalls”.
Natural beauty and tourist attractions
For some tourists, trips to natural attractions seem very boring. If you want to get a lot of vivid impressions, you will definitely enjoy a guided tour with jipping to the Shah Valley. Open trucks or SUVs drive tourists to the excursion trail. The route runs right along the riverbed and it is definitely not intended for the faint of heart. During this extreme trip, tourists are offered pleasant stops. Those who wish can taste and purchase a variety of local products: cheese, honey, wine and chacha, tea. The excursion “33 waterfalls” can be combined with a visit to the museum of the Adyghe culture or lunch at a restaurant located near the hiking trail to the water cascades. This institution is worth noting separately, despite its location in a picturesque place, it pleases with low prices and high quality dishes. The secret is simple - the fish is delivered to the restaurant directly from the local trout farm.
Excursion or an independent trip?
The Shahe river valley with water cascades is located at a distance from large settlements. You can get here only by personal transport or as part of an excursion group. If you travel by car, do not even try to ask the locals for directions to the waterfalls. Most likely, they will start to convince you that you can only get by jeep and advise the best drivers. But in fact, any passenger car will reach the water cascades. From Lazarevsky you need to drive to the village of Golovinka. After this settlement, turn off to Bolshoy Kichmay, and then continue straight ahead. Very soon you will reach an organized parking lot, where you can leave the car for 100 rubles. Then you just have to walk past the souvenir collapses and you will see water cascades. For the passage to the most natural attractions, you will also have to pay 100 rubles. Tourists traveling in personal cars are much more profitable to visit the "33 waterfalls" on their own. Photos in the valley turn out to be very beautiful, and excursion service is not required.