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RussiaWhat to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting
Thunderstorm gates in Gelendzhik is the scenery left after the filming of the famous Russian film "Thunderstorm Gates" in 2006. Contrary to popular belief that this film was shot based on real events that took place during the Second Chechen War in 2000 at an altitude of 776, in fact this is not the case. According to Alexander Tamonikov, the author of the novel "The Company goes to the sky", which served as the basis of the film, all the coincidences of the plot with the real battle are accidental, since the battle took place after most of the novel was written. Nevertheless, this multi-part film has become legendary, and the preserved scenery has become one of the points of attraction for tourists. Tourists are taken here with excursions from Gelendzhik and its resorts, and you can also come on your own.
The Thunder Gate is a stone fortress on Mount Abin with other decorations and attributes used in the filming of the film. Nearby there are stalls selling souvenirs, photography in the form of paratroopers and with weapons is offered (for a fee). From the fortress you can take a short walk to the observation deck, which offers stunning views of the green mountains and the Markoth ridge. And one kilometer from here there is an abandoned cafe with a park of wooden sculptures "Valkyrie" left after it, but it can only be visited with an independent trip or with an individual guide, and group tours are not delivered there. Even on the way here, you can see a memorial sign at the place where in 1919 the punitive detachment of the White Guards was defeated by a detachment of red partisans (installed in 1982), and you can stop at Mount Shahan with a height of 704 meters, from where you can enjoy beautiful views of the surroundings and over the slopes of which paragliders soar beautifully.
In general, in our opinion, it is not necessary to visit the Thunderstorm Gate specifically as an independent attraction during a holiday in Gelendzhik, but it is worth visiting as one of the places during more complex tourist routes and excursions to the surrounding mountains.
🕐 Working hours
Around the clock, it is better to visit during the day in good weather.
💵 Entrance fee / ticket price
Independently for free, with excursions from .
🚶 How to get there
The Thunderstorm Gate is located in the vicinity of Gelendzhik, 20 kilometers away on the territory of Markoth Nature Park at an altitude of 740 meters (Thunderstorm Gate on the map). This is a natural area with restrictions on activities: you can not put scarves here, make bonfires, engage in active sports, etc. However, you can visit it on your own transport or with excursions during the day without any problems.
The easiest way is to visit the Thunder Gate with jeep tours, which are sold from distributors on the streets in Gelendzhik and at neighboring resorts. Prices start from 1400 rubles / person, discounts for children. You can buy such a tour online on review sites:
To the Thunder Gate in Gelendzhik by car
You can also get to the Thunder Gate by car, but there are some difficulties. The fact is that not every car can handle the road here, and after rains or during bad weather, you should not try at all. You shouldn't even think about going to the Thunderstorm Gate on a regular sedan, you need at least a crossover, and ideally an SUV with high ground clearance. It is desirable that it was an all-wheel drive car, although we drove a front-wheel drive crossover on our own experience in good weather on a dry road.
There are several dirt roads leading to the gate along the surrounding mountains with Gelendzhik. We strongly recommend that you follow the route that groups of tourists take, and which we drove on our own.
So, this road starts in the village of Vozrozhdenie near the entrance to the famous waterfalls on the river Zhane (the beginning of the primer on the map).Immediately after the exit from the main asphalt road M4-Don you will get to the dirt road, along which the Thunder Gate is almost 12 kilometers away. Unfortunately yandex.yandex.navigator and maps stubbornly refuse to build this route, so here it is on google maps
There is a barrier at the entrance to it (a dirt road) in Vozrozhdenie, but it is usually open. And even if it is lowered, you can raise it yourself, and if there is a person sitting in a "booth" next to the barrier, tell him that there is food before the Thunder Gate, he must pass for free. Immediately after the barrier there will be the first test for the car and the driver: you will need to climb a fairly steep rocky road, and this is one of the most difficult parts of the way. If you overcome this climb, then you will definitely be able to get almost to the very sights. Then the road leads mostly straight and horizontally, sometimes branching and converging again. But be careful here, especially at the end of the ascents, as sightseeing jeeps like to fly here with the breeze and on the opposite side.
You can drive so calmly 9 kilometers to the fork next to the gazebo (turn to Thunder Gate and gazebo on the map). At this fork, the road to the Thunder Gate goes to the right. Here it gets worse, there will be a steep descent at first, which not every car and driver will overcome. We advise you to stop here, look around, and make a decision to go further or not. If you decide not to go, you can park the car near the gazebo, and then go to the fortress on foot. There will be 3 kilometers to go, which will take a little less than an hour in one direction. If you decide to go further by car, you can drive right up to the fortress itself, so there is a platform for free parking.
Watch our video about the trip to the Thunder Gate to imagine the conditions on the road:
Also see the options for excursions from Gelendzhik with reviews available for online booking: