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RussiaWhat to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting
Gunib fortress is the main historical landmark of Gunib and the largest in this famous tourist village. It has been declared a monument of architecture and history of regional significance, and is under state protection.
The Gunib fortress is also called the "strong" fortress of Imam Shamil or Shamil's fortress in honor of the leader of the Caucasian peoples in the Caucasian war, which lasted from 1817 to 1864. Some sources even point out that it was this fortress that was Shamil's last stronghold, where he suffered the last defeat from Russian troops and surrendered to Prince Baryatinsky. But in fact this is not the case, and according to reliable sources, the fortress was built after these events from 1863 to 1867, while Imam Shamil surrendered in 1959. The fortress was built by Russian soldiers under the leadership of Betulinsky and Bilinsky engineers, the fortification was intended to strengthen the Russian troops in Gunib, who occupied the Caucasian territories as a result of the war.
Today, from the fortress, which once represented a whole fortification complex and consisted, in addition to the fortress wall, soldiers' barracks, officers' houses, artillery towers, an Orthodox church and a postal station, only a wall, several towers and two gates have survived: Shamilevsky and Baryatinsky. Some of the structures have been dismantled for building materials, and some are being destroyed by themselves. For example, in 2021, due to heavy rains, part of the wall in the lower part of the fortress collapsed.
Nevertheless, it is still an interesting and worth visiting attraction. Its inspection should begin in the lower part, where the Shamilevsky Gate is located, through which the asphalt highway passes today. Next to the gate there is a turn to a narrow dirt road up, along which you can walk or drive up to the site, from where you can walk along the fortress walls and even walk to one of the best preserved towers. And, of course, from above you can enjoy beautiful views of Gunib and the surrounding mountains.
🕐 Working hours
Around the clock.
💵 Entrance fee / ticket price
Free of charge.
🚶 How to get there
Gunib fortress is located on a mountainside near the village of Gunib (fortress on the map). An asphalt road leads here from the center of the village, along which you need to drive 3 kilometers and gain a height of more than 300 meters!!! You need to drive along the asphalt to the "Shaimlevsky gate". Here (at the gate) you can park the car on the side of the road and go further on foot to the wall and the tower on a dirt road for about a kilometer with a climb of about 120 meters, it will take about 30 minutes. In good weather, you can drive along this primer to the very top, but be careful: it is very narrow, and in the rain it can be slippery. Upstairs there is a spacious horizontal platform where you can park your car and go explore the fortress. From here you can and should walk to the highest point near the tower, because it is from there that the most spectacular views open. But be careful on the way up, the road is not so simple. It is best to climb in sports shoes.
You can do this entire route from the center of Guniba on foot, but such a climb will require a lot of effort, and it will take at least an hour and a half in one direction.
💥 We remind you that it is much more interesting to get acquainted with the sights of Dagestan with the help of excursions, and therefore we advise you to look at online booking options on these proven search and price comparison sites: