The village of Akhty in Dagestan

General information about Akhty, history, recreation, infrastructure

Akhty is a village in southern Dagestan in the valley of the Samur River, 120 kilometers from Derbent and 250 from Makhachkala (Akhty on the map of Dagestan), located at an altitude of just over 1000 meters above sea level. The village is the center of the Akhtyn district and one of the cultural and tourist centers of Dagestan. Historically, mostly Lezgins live here, and it is also one of the southernmost settlements in Russia.

Akhty is one of the oldest settlements in Dagestan, the first mention of it dates back to the 5th century BC, although some researchers believe that the settlement appeared here much earlier. Interestingly, since ancient times, Akhty has been famous for its healing hot springs coming to the surface from the depths of shale rocks, which were already used for treatment and healing in the VI century.

The well-studied history of the village begins counting down after the advent of our era, and is known as the history of wars and heroic battles, during which the village was completely destroyed and restored several times. In the III century, Akhty became part of Caucasian Albania, and in the V century, after the collapse of this state, it was transferred to the early feudal state of Lakzan. In VII, during the reign of Emir Darvishaya, there were fierce wars with the Khazars and three sieges of Atha (then the village was called Shahbani), and the last siege lasted 7 years. In the XV-XVII centuries, Akhty became the capital of the state formation of the Akhtyn county, which, although it was subjected to several raids and destruction, eventually disappeared by itself as a result of defeudalization. Instead, the Akhtyparinsky Free Society appeared, which became one of the centers of science, art, crafts and trade. Pottery, weaving, metalworking and jewelry art developed, and products made of wool, leather, silk, and wood were produced. During the Caucasian War of the XIX century, the soldiers from Akhta sided with the rebellious Imam Shamil against the Russian troops, but in 1839 Akhty, as part of the Samur district, finally became part of the Russian Empire.

Vacation in Akhty and what to do for tourists here

Akhty is still not very popular as a resort and independently a tourist destination, and is rarely visited by tourists. However, if you are an inquisitive and adventurous traveler, then you should definitely visit here during your trip to the Republic of Dagestan. It will be interesting to get acquainted not only directly with the village of Akhty, but also with the sights of the Akhtyn district and its immediate surroundings. First of all, it is worth going here to bathe in hot hydrogen sulfide baths, known as Akhtyn thermal springs or Akhtyn baths. Also here you can and should visit the Akhtyn fortress and the ghost village of Gra. The latter, by the way, is almost as good as such abandoned auls as Gamsutl or Goor, for example, popular and popular among tourists. There are also two museums in the village at once, the Museum of local lore and the Museum of Culture and Art, and there is even a drama theater, and one of the very first to appear in Dagestan. Read more about the sights that can be visited from Akhta below.

Infrastructure in Akhty

The infrastructure here is still poorly developed, and consider that there is no tourist infrastructure. On the main road away from the center there are a couple of supermarkets "Highlander" and "Mirage". They are not online, but the assortment is quite decent, the prices are low, and the goods can be taken from the shelves on their own. There are many small shops in the center, working across the counter. There are several cafes in the village.

You can stay overnight in one of several private guest houses. And in the village of Kurukal, 7 kilometers from the center of Akhta, where the famous hot springs are located, there are several hotels with balneological treatment, but at the time of writing, nothing can be booked online from them. But you can try to search for accommodation on these sites, because the situation with tourism in Dagestan is changing rapidly.:

• 🛌 Search for affordable housing in Akhty on Sutochno.ru (we recommend it, the bonus system works)
• 🛌 Search for hotels in Akhty on Ostrovok.ru
• 🛌 Search for hotels in Akhty on Yandex.travel
• 🛌 Search for hotels in Akhty on Otello from 2Gis

How to get to Akhty

The village of Akhty is located 120 kilometers from Derbent in the south of the republic (Ahty on the map). It is not easy to get here by public transport, it is still impossible to take a group tour, so it is better to take a taxi or your own car.

The nearest convenient tourist city for departure is Derbent, which, in turn, can be reached by plane or train. Read more about this in the article How and how to get to Derbent on your own. From the southern bus station of Derbent (southern bus station on the map) minibuses leave early in the morning to Akhta and return after lunch. They go unstable and according to filling, the schedule changes, so everything will have to be clarified on the spot. For a reference point, they leave for Akhta at 05:00-06:00, you need to have time to leave Akhta before 13:00.

If you are traveling in Dagestan on your own transport, then this is the best way to get to Akhty. You can even come here to explore the sights for one day, although for this it is better to leave Derbent, Izberbash, Makhachkala and other cities of the republic early in the morning. Also, on the way from Derbent, you can stop at Samur forest, but you definitely won't be able to see everything at once in one day, you'll have to choose something.

The road to Akhta is good, fully paved. On the way, you will pass through the border zone with Azerbaijan, and border guards may stop you on the road to check your documents, but no passes are required to be issued to pass through the checkpoint. You need a pass only if you decide to go to the southernmost settlement of the Russian Federation, the village of Kurush. In this case, it needs to be issued in advance, you can do it through the website of public services.

When driving along the road directly next to the border after the village of Mugergan, it is better to turn off the mobile Internet on your phone, as sometimes it starts catching foreign towers, and you may find yourself "abroad" with all the costs of mobile Internet roaming.

Attractions in Akhty and what to see

There are only a few places directly in Akhty itself that will be of interest to tourists, and the main attractions are located in the Akhtyn district. Public transport is poorly developed here, and therefore it is best to use personal transport or a taxi to visit them. Here's what you can see in Akhty:

• Akhtyn hot springs
• Abandoned aul-ghost Gra
• Akhtyn Fortress
• Zrykhsky waterfall
• The village of Kurush is the southernmost settlement of Russia, located in the border zone with Azerbaijan and requires a pass to the border zone (you can use the website of the State Service). But for the most part, there is nothing else to do here except just "check in" at the southernmost point of Russia.
• The Akhtyn Museum of Local Lore is a small museum in the center of the village on Lenin Street 27, telling about the history of the village and the region.
• The Jorsa and Debernardi Bridge and the Idris Arch Bridge are two ancient historical bridges in the center of Akhta across the Akhtychai River, architectural monuments.
• Mount Shalbuzdag is a sacred peak with a height of 4142 meters, a place of pilgrimage. Climbing skills are not required to climb it, a trekking route leads to the top.

And here is more about the top attractions that we recommend visiting first of all during a trip to Akhty:

• Akhtyn hot springs

  

  Akhtyn thermal springs or Akhtyn baths are equipped with hydrogen sulfide sources of hot natural water from the neighboring Ukhindag mountain. Water is saturated with hydrogen sulfide and beneficial trace elements, and it is believed that it has a therapeutic effect on joints, muscles and skin, relaxes and fills with strength. There are three houses for taking hot baths with the names "Soldier's bath", "Officer's bath" and "Service bath". But you need to understand that these are not baths at all, but just a place to take a hot bath. Here you will not be able to sit comfortably and drink hot tea or beer comfortably, well, who prefers what. And it is not recommended to swim in hydrogen sulfide water for a long time, so payment is provided for 30 minutes of bathing. Read more about the Akhtyn thermal springs here.

  🕐 Working hours: from 08:00 to 20:00, seven days a week. Advance booking is not required, you can immediately arrive and pay for the service at the box office.

  💵 Entrance fee / ticket price: bathing in any of the three cabins for 100 rubles / person, the cabins are rented for a group. Bathing in the shower – 50 rubles, bathing in the shared bathroom – 30 rubles. All for 30 minutes, it is not recommended to swim longer. There are also VIP hotel rooms from 2000 rubles and a bed from 300 rubles/person. Only cash is accepted.

  🚶 How to get there: the springs are located in the village of Kurukal, it is 7 kilometers from the center of Akhta (Akhtyn springs on the map). Unfortunately, getting here by public transport is very difficult, it is impossible with a group tour. It is better to take a taxi or your own car. The road as a whole leads to the very sources of normal, asphalt everywhere, and there is ample free parking near the sources themselves.

• Abandoned aul-ghost Gra

  

  Old abandoned villages are one of the most interesting and intriguing types of attractions in Dagestan. And the ghost village of Gra is one of them. Its beauty is that it is located far from the main tourist routes and is little known among mass tourists. There are no bus tours here, and even rarely anyone gets to it during a road trip on their own transport. At the same time, it is in no way inferior in entertainment to other such promoted places, and the absence of crowds of tourists here only gives it a special charm. Of all the abandoned villages we visited in Dagestan, it was Gra that I remembered and liked the most, and therefore we can safely recommend it for a visit. Read more about the abandoned ghost village of Gra here.

  🕐 Working hours: around the clock, it is better to visit during the day in clear, dry weather. Try to get to the village in the first half of the day, as in the second there is often cloud cover and precipitation.

  💵 Entrance fee / ticket price: free.

  🚶 How to get there: Gra is located 7 kilometers from the district center of the village of Akhty (Abandoned aul-ghost Gra on the map). Group excursions are not carried here, so you can only get there by private transport, taxi or with an individual excursion. For more information about the route to Gra, follow the link with a full description.

• Akhtyn Fortress

  

  Akhtyn Fortress is a historical monument and an object of cultural heritage of federal significance of the XIX century in the village of Akhty, notable for being the southernmost fortress in Russia. It was built in 1839 by General E. A. Golovin to protect the occupied territories of the Samur Valley, and it fulfilled its purpose. In Soviet times, it lost its purpose, and there was a winery, the production of cinder blocks, a prison, an orphanage, an Electrosignal defense plant, and even paving slabs and mechanisms for wind-up toys were produced. Today it is abandoned, the preserved premises and walls are gradually being destroyed, and local residents use the territory for walking livestock. Read more about the Akhtyn fortress here.

  🕐 Working hours: around the clock.

  💵 Entrance fee / ticket price: free.

  🚶 How to get there: the fortress is located in the village of Akhty a little away from the center near the main highway (Akhtyn fortress on the map), you can get from the center on foot.

• Zrykhsky waterfall

  

  The Zrykhsky waterfall is located far from most of the popular tourist routes of Dagestan far in the south of the Republic beyond the village of Akhty. Only the rarest and most inquisitive travelers get here, because it's really not worth going so far just for this waterfall. However, if you decide to visit the village of Akhty and its sights, you can include this waterfall in the program of the trip. It is formed by a mountain stream, one of the tributaries of the Samur River. Its height is about 20 meters, but, unfortunately, in the second half of summer and autumn you may not see it in all its glory, because the stream is drying up. But even without its beauties, a walk along the trail to it will be a small interesting adventure. Learn more about the Zrykhsky waterfall here.

  🕐 Working hours: around the clock.

  💵 Entrance fee / ticket price: free.

  🚶 How to get there: The Zrykh waterfall is located near the village of Zrykh in the Akhtyn district, it is about 18 kilometers from the center of Akhty (Zrykhsky waterfall on the map).