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RussiaOverview and Is It Worth Visiting
Berezovaya Balka, or the Berezovsky Gorge is one of the scenic walking routes in Kislovodsk that will appeal to tourists who have already fully enjoyed the beauty of the National Park but still want to relax in nature and are looking for trails less explored by mass tourism. It starts about a 10-minute walk from the city Colonnade and follows the gorge of the Berezovaya River, which originates in the mountains of Karachay-Cherkessia. The river runs through all of Kislovodsk and its tourist district, but of course, you won't be walking through the city — you'll go upstream, outside the city. During the walk, you can enjoy the beauty of the local nature and the whimsical rock formations created by the action of water over millions of years.
It's believed that the most beautiful views open up from the observation platform on a high cliff (about 4 kilometers from the Colonnade), but if you have enough stamina, you can go another four kilometers or so, and then you'll cross the regional border and reach an observation platform overlooking the gorge already in Karachay-Cherkessia. In warm weather, you can swim in the mountain river along the way and sunbathe on its banks. There is plenty of barberry, rose hips, and various medicinal herbs in these places.
When planning this day hike, be sure to bring snacks and at least 2 liters of water per person, as well as a trash bag. It is recommended to wear comfortable sports or trekking shoes, as this is not just an easy stroll. The path is rocky, and in some places, you'll need to ford the river, so a spare pair of lightweight shoes to change into, even flip-flops, will come in handy.
You can have a picnic here; there are many convenient spots in clearings and by the river. Just be sure to take your trash with you — that's where the bag will come in handy.
🕐 Opening Hours
24/7, best visited during the day.
💵 Entry Fee / Ticket Price
Free.
🚶 How to Get There
The Berezovaya River runs right through Kislovodsk, but the gorge itself is located outside the city and stretches for several kilometers (Berezovaya Balka on the map). You can start the route from the city center at the end of Berezovaya Street near buildings 47, 49, and 51, which is closest to the tourist center of Kislovodsk (near the Colonnade). From there, a dirt road runs along the river along the bottom of the gorge, and theoretically, you can walk along it. But, of course, it's much more interesting to walk along the riverbank and cross it in several places.
As you move away from the city, the walls of the gorge will become higher and more formidable, the views increasingly interesting, and the places wilder. Unfortunately, all the observation platforms with views of the gorge will remain at the top, so you'll either have to climb up to them from the bottom of the gorge, which is not always safe or possible, or walk to the end of the route, 10 kilometers, and then climb up to the village of El Kush in Karachay-Cherkessia, returning via the upper road.
You can walk as far as you like and return the same way, but if you have hiking experience and good physical fitness, we recommend going to the village of El Kush. In El Kush, you can visit an equipped observation point for 50 rubles, and then return to the city by hitchhiking, taxi, or the suburban bus #101, which runs only once a day.
There is also a simpler way to explore Berezovsky Balka. You can simply drive along the road to the village of El Kush, making short stops at viewpoints overlooking the gorge, but it's not as interesting.
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