Along the old Sevastopol road. The old Sevastopol highway is a road where you rarely see a car. The old road to Yalta

Africa

From ancient times, along the southern coast of Crimea, there were several routes through the Main Ridge of the Crimean Mountains. Many paths were laid by local residents, Tauris and Greeks, and Roman legionnaires laid stone roads through the pass.
"Via militaris" in the Crimea connected the second half of the 1st century AD. e. two large Roman garrisons - Chersonesus and the fortress of Kharaks on Cape Ai-Todor, passing along the coast through the Devil's Staircase Pass (Shaitan-Merdven) to the Baidar Valley and further through the Roman fortress "Symbolum portus" Simbalon on the shore of the Balaklava harbor to Chersonesos.

The Devil's Staircase Pass (Shaitan-Merdven) is a pass over Gurzuf, Vasil-bogaz near Yalta, Gaspra-bogaz in the area of Mount Krestovaya, Eski-bogaz over Simeiz, Baidar pass. However, the most remarkable among them in terms of nature and beauty and the shortest way from the South Bank to the Yayla plateau is the "Devil's Staircase". The main ridge of the Crimean Mountains decreases near the village of Mukhalatka, forming a wide depression. A path passes through it, leading through the pass at an altitude of 578 meters to the northern slope of the mountain range. Roman legionnaires used this mountain road through the pass, paving the way from Chersonesos to the Kharaks fortress on Cape Ai-Todor.

Old Roman road - Spiras

Now you can see several sections of the old Roman road, all of them are small, but you can follow them all the way through the Shaitan-Merdven pass, connecting the foothill regions with the southern coast of Crimea:
"Via militaris", starts from the village of Kalenda (now the village of Podgornoye) - Kalendskaya trail goes towards the Black Sea through the pass "Devil's Stairs". (in Tat. Shaitan-Merdven).
The second section of "Via militaris" Mordvinovskaya road preserved near the village of Orlinoe
The third section of "Via militaris" preserved near the village of Rodnikovoe, then the path leads through the tract Karadag forest to the Baidar valley.
From the village of Podgornoye, "Via militaris" went straight to the village of Shirokoye, the Roman road crossed the Baidar valley, then climbed the slope of Mount Simnalykh and further up and down the low mountains, where steep slopes are overcome by serpentines, and led to the village of Morozovka. Further, "Via militaris" walked along the right bank of the Chernaya River, along the Kara-Koba valley, and from there in Tauric Chersonesos.

The first attempts of the Roman Empire, made in the early 40s of the 1st century, to take control of the Bosporan kingdom ended in failure. In the 60s of the 1st century Greek Chersonese himself turned to Rome for help , because he could not independently defend the city and repulse the Scythians. The Roman Empire took advantage of the situation to strengthen its influence in Tauris and the Black Sea region.

The Roman military garrison was headed by the legate of Moesia, Tiberius Plautius Silvanus, commanded XI Claudius, I Italian, V Macedonian legions and 40 ships of the Ravven squadron, which settled in the Quarantine Bay.

In addition to Chersonesos, an outpost of the Roman army in the Crimea, it was decided to build another military fortress to control the vast territories of Taurida. The choice fell on the former military Fortress of the Tauris on Cape Ai-Todor, the Roman fortress was named Charax and new fortifications were erected.
Communication between Roman fortresses was carried out by sea, but this route was clearly not enough due to frequent sea storms and hurricanes that often raged on the Black Sea in autumn and winter. The soldiers of the Roman garrison undertook the construction of a land road reliable in any weather.

Old Roman road - Spiras

In many places of the old Roman road, embankments and retaining walls - "crepes" - were preserved - characteristic technologies for the construction of Roman roads in mountainous areas.
The old Roman road was the shortest road, connecting the sea coast with the valleys of Taurida. Not only the Romans used the Roman road, but also the local inhabitants of the Taurus, Greeks and Scythians. Roman legionnaires more than once engaged in battle with the inhabitants of Taurida, the locals fiercely resisted the Romans and often set up ambushes and attacks on the road.

In the 240s A.D. e. The Roman legionaries left the fortress of Charax, and the old Roman road remained in the Crimea. You can still walk the Kalendsky path today, but, after all, Roman legionnaires walked along it 1775 years ago.

In some places along the route of the Roman "Via militaris" you can also see a solid cobblestone pavement, but this is already the merit of the inhabitants of the Baidar Valley, who for hundreds of years maintained the road in proper condition, and in return were exempted from paying taxes.

The Kalendsky trail has been used for centuries as a road for pack animals carrying loads. The Kalendnaya path is paved with good-quality cobblestones in some places, goes up, winding through a dense forest, periodically comes to a cliff on the Devil's Stairs.
Deep ruts from the wheels of wagons, crashed into the rocky surface of the old Roman road for a thousand years, are best seen on the yayla to Kilse-Burun. On the trail, among the stones, you can find fragments of ancient Greek ceramics dating back to the 1st century AD and fragments of medieval ceramics.

The researchers of the Kalendsky trail have no doubt that the path itself existed on the Kilse-Burun yayla even before the arrival of the Romans in Taurida, however, the legionnaires fortified the mountain path of the “barbarians” and laid a real road along it and ensured its protection. Roman road guards - beneficiaries, monitored the movements along the Roman road and warned the Roman garrison of an ambush and the danger of clashes with warlike Tauri.

Old Roman road - Spiras

Toponymy of the name
How is the toponym translated Calenda? Kalenda, from the root of the word kala - kāla - kolo, circle of life, moment in time, space, time-calendar, eternal cycle of life. Most of the ancient calendars are round and have the shape of a circle, a wheel.
To protect the roads in Tavria, fortresses were built at the beginning Kalendsky trail, and on the south side of the Devil's Stairs. The high walls of the fortress closed in a circle, which is why the fortresses were called “kale”. Fortress in the Crimea Yeni-Kale, a city in France Calais in the Pas-de-Calais strait.
Some researchers believe that the name of the village of Kalenda dates back to the time of the Romans' stay in the Crimea, when the main base of troops and fleet in the 1st century A.D. e. was for the Roman legionnaires Greek Chersonese.
In 1820, A.S. Pushkin and his companions climbed along the old Roman road along the “Devil’s Stairs”, heading to the St. George Monastery, which is near Sevastopol.
Read more: http://italia-ru.com/page/dorogi-drevnego-rima

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The old Sevastopol highway is a rare example of a route for the Southern coast of Crimea, which turned out to be almost forgotten after a more convenient road appeared. As a rule, any path-tracks on the coast are still used, since it has been mastered quite thoroughly. But on the old Sevastopol highway, a car can be seen very rarely, since it passes far from the sea and does not lead to almost any object in demand.

Therefore, we suggest that you take a walk along it, which will be quite easy to do, using some of our tips.

First of all, you should think about the equipment. Pay special attention to shoes - the fact is that you will have to go not along dirt paths, but along an asphalt road. Therefore, instead of seemingly suggestive hard hiking boots, it is better to choose sneakers with a springy sole. As for the rest of the clothes, you will have to walk in a completely civilized area, so you don’t have to follow the militarized tourist dress code at all, although it will still not be very comfortable in an evening dress. Take something to drink with you (there will be no water for a very long stretch of the way) and a snack. In summer and winter, the track is of little interest, but in spring and autumn there will be something to see.

The old Sevastol road passes quite high above sea level. This is due to the fact that its builders could not solve two problems with the help of the technologies of their time, and therefore were forced to bypass them. The first is Mount Koshka above Simeiz. The builders of the new Sevastopol highway had to "break the spine of the animal", built of very durable limestone. A little further towards Sevastopol there is another mountain that stood in the way of road builders - the Dragon or Ai-Yuri. They did it “easier” with it - they broke through the only car tunnel on the southern coast of Crimea.

You can pass the old Sevastopol highway from two sides - from Alupka to Foros, or vice versa. Let's assume that we will start from Yalta, and therefore it would be logical to go from Foros to Alupka, that is, to the point of departure. So, we will need to get to the fork, where there is a turn to Foros.

However, we do not need him, but the road leading to the mountains to the Baydarsky Gate Pass.

Both branches are actually opposite each other, so you can go either by the Foros bus or the Sevastopol bus. Foros is the farthest village that is part of the so-called Big Yalta, and it is located directly from the city at a distance of 42 kilometers. It is interesting that Foros is closer to Sevastopol and some local residents prefer to look for work in the hero city. It will take about an hour to drive from Yalta, so we recommend leaving in the morning.

So, we reach the Foros fork and set off up the road to first look closely at one of the most famous Crimean churches - the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, located on a sheer Red Rock, which, by the way, celebrates its 120th anniversary on October 4, 2012. It was built at the expense of the Russian "tea king" Alexander Kuznetsov in honor of the miraculous rescue of the family of Alexander III in a train wreck. In Soviet times, the temple was used for industrial needs, including as a snack bar for tourists. Already under independent Ukraine, the fate of the unusual church was taken up by the then President Leonid Kuchma, and with his participation the church was restored, after which it became a very popular tourist and religious site. Often, it is she who is chosen by famous politicians or show business figures for a wedding. You will have to walk 4 kilometers along the road to it. True, initially the road makes a loop and, after walking 2 kilometers, you will be approximately above the point where you started your journey. However, we do not recommend looking for short paths, since these are still mountains and often they lead to very steep slopes.

The road to the temple, as it should be for any mountain road, is very winding. Therefore, during the famous Yalta Rally, one of the stages passes along the old Sevastopol highway.

The Church of the Resurrection of Christ offers a gorgeous view of Foros and the nearby mountains, although the temple itself looks no less impressive against the background of the coast, taken from the road above. In principle, it’s not far from the church to the Baydarsky Gate pass and that’s where the old road to Sevastopol goes, but after admiring the sight, we’d better turn back, since the road is going to be very long.

Walking along the track is quite easy, since it very rarely goes uphill, and even then at a slight angle, but for the most part it is flat or slowly descends downhill. The first interesting object that you will meet on the way, or rather, it will be clearly visible from the road, will be the tunnel pierced by the builders of the new and existing Sevastopol route in Dragon Mountain.

It is small (about 50-70 meters), but not the most pleasant geological processes constantly occur around, and the walls of the tunnel began to collapse over time.

In recent years, traffic along it is one-way, that is, first cars go to Yalta, and then it is the turn of those who move in the opposite direction. In addition, anti-landslide work is constantly being carried out from Yalta. It was not possible to find out the exact date of its construction, but there is evidence that this happened in the early 70s of the last century. So, from about that time on, the old Sevastopol highway began to lose its strategic importance.

Going even further, we will find ourselves near one of the most ancient Crimean transport arteries - the road built by the ancient Romans through the Shaitan-Merdven pass, or the Devil's Stairs, connecting the southern coast of Crimea with the rest of it.

The "road" now looks more like a well-equipped trail and it's quite easy to follow. It is said that Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin personally overcame this pass, holding on to the donkey's tail.

In fact, even for younger students, there should be no problems in overcoming one of the lowest Crimean passes. The ascent takes about 20 minutes at most and the main thing is not to forget about shoes, although even in flip flops you can easily walk there. Again, there is evidence that during the visit to the Crimea of the first famous tourist - Catherine II - they did not dare to lower the royal person to the South Bank, then practically wild and without roads. However, it was from this pass that the empress looked over the new Russian acquisitions and was generally satisfied. This protected object is a monument, so the entrance is paid, but you will be offered a tour and, again, do not forget that you are still in the mountains, so an experienced guide will not be superfluous. However, it is better not to combine a walk along the highway and climbing Shaitan-Merdven, it is better to do it another time. By the way, rock climbers are happy to use the surrounding rocks for training, so do not be surprised if you see tiny figures of people hanging on ropes or walking along sheer cliffs.

Well, we're moving on. By the way, the reason why there are practically no cars on the highway will soon become clear. A few years ago, a large landslide descended on it, because of which it was not only dangerous to drive there, it was dangerous to walk. But now the road has been restored, but the danger of a landslide remains, so motorists do not favor this area.

And for us pedestrians, it's even better. On the way, we will meet two villages - Opolznevoye and Goluboy Zaliv, through which the highway passes through and survived their best times even before the appearance of a new route. There are shops there and you can resupply water and food. In addition, you can leave from there by bus if your forces leave you or it becomes clear that you will not have time to go through all the highways. In addition, there are many branches leading from the old highway down to the new one, so that at any time you can interrupt your walk and return to civilization. As for the coast, during the journey we will pass over several settlements at once, some of which are so small that it is difficult to distinguish them from a simple cluster of residential buildings. Also in this region there are several large boarding houses and sanatoriums, which are clearly visible from above. Some have retained the characteristic features of Soviet resort architecture, others have been modernized, and still others have been built from scratch in recent years.

Having passed the Blue Bay, we come to the "ridge" of Mount Cats.

Its upper part is still closed to the public and military facilities are located there. During the preparation of the lunar program, Sergei Korolev decided to test lunar rovers there, which caused damage to ancient burials, but scientific progress then did not take much into account with the past. That part of the mountain, which turned out to be below the new route, is the most popular place for visiting newlyweds, as well as an archaeological site. And you can also buy the famous "Yalta" sweet onion there, and it is the region of the Blue Bay, Oliva, Opolznevoy and Katsiveli that is most favorable for its growth. If you look from above, then to the right of the Cat there will be the village of Katsiveli with an Aquapark and a huge telescope (Crimean Observatory), and to the left - the village of Simeiz with the Diva rock standing in the sea and the most Mediterranean microclimate in the entire South Coast. From Simeiz, and, consequently, from the highway above it, the most famous Crimean mountain Ai-Petri, which is often mistakenly called the highest on the peninsula, is perfectly visible.

After winding down the slope of Koshka, we will reach the outskirts of Alupka and the intersection of two “generations” of the Sevastopol highway. By the way, in order to take a regular bus, you will have to walk about 100 meters back along the new highway. If you do not do this, then the next stop will be already in the Koreiz region after 10 kilometers. The fact is that buses just don’t stop on the highway, and you hardly want to have such a bonus to a walk along the old highway. By the way, let's count how many have passed. So, from the crossroads at Foros to the temple - 4 kilometers, another 2 - the way back to the crossroads, from which we leave towards the mountains, and from it to Alupka - 22 kilometers. Total - 28 kilometers. That is why it is better not to be distracted by hiking around Shaitan-Merdven, and without it you will see a lot of interesting things.

Our today's route will pass along the one and only - the Old Sevastopol road, but will not cover its entire length, but will conclude its segment, which is quite capable of being overcome in six to seven hours, given that the road will be flat, paved and without climbs. We will climb from Foros to the Baydar Gates, then, after returning a little, we will go east along the highway. Before our eyes, such settlements as Foros, Mellas, Kastropol, Parkovoe, Ponizovka, Katsiveli will float, and we will pass directly through the Opolznevoe and the Blue Bay. From the last settlement, we will descend to the new Yalta - Sevastopol highway (South Coast Highway).

There are many options for starting the journey along the Old Sevastopol Road. I suggest starting with Foros for two reasons. First, a flat paved road that will take you up to the highway. Secondly, its most beautiful sections are from Foros to the village of Blue Bay, then the highway dives into Alupka. Thus, you have the opportunity to see this incomparable charm of the site.

Route map:

So, let's begin. It will not be difficult to get to Foros, more precisely, to a stop on the main highway. It will not make it difficult to find the road that rises from it up to the church. The road is smooth, without sharp rises.

After making a big loop to the east, it will soon turn to the west. The road passes very close to the rocks which are impressive.

Foros remained below, it is clearly visible from everywhere.

Soon we will see the Foros Church, but we will go into it on the way back from the Baydar Pass.


View of the Foros Church from Old Sevastopol road	near Foros church

And until the last go quite a bit. You will not miss this famous pass, because it is crowned with the no less famous Baidar Gates. This monument was built by the Yalta architect Karl Ashliman at the end of the construction of the Sevastopol-Yalta highway, which lasted from 1837 to 1848 by order of the then Governor-General of the Taurida province, and hence the Crimea, including Vorontsov. The columns on the side of the portico facing the sea make it possible to call this structure propylaea, the most famous examples of which can be found in ancient Greek architecture. When you pass the Baydar Gates, lines from Mayakovsky's poem "Sevastopol - Yalta" come to mind:

And suddenly you get drunk
bay love
and soul
and body
and mouth.

So at once
get up
clouds and bay
in the gap
Baydarsky gate.

And immediately
road
boring and boring
into the tunnel
pushing the brakes.

Here is a pile of stone
and the church above it -
horror
all marriages.

And again
almost
about cheekbone rocks,
from the sides
looks white.

Outside the gate is a small market with souvenirs and provisions. You can climb directly to the Baydar gates, there is an observation deck from where a panorama of the Baydar valley and the village of Foros opens. By the way, the height of this place is 503 meters above sea level according to some sources, according to others - 527. Nearby is the famous restaurant "Shalash", before the revolution there was a hotel and a guard station. The pass is surrounded on all sides by forest.


Monument of architecture Baidar gates on the Baydar pass	View from Mount Foros to Baydarsky pass

From the Baydar Pass we return to the Foros Church. You can visit it or sit in the shade on the territory. You can also buy provisions at the kiosks in front of the church.

The road goes on, making one loop, to the east. You are walking in palpable proximity to the rising walls of mountains. And so it will be until the Shaitan-Merdven pass, after which the road will gradually recede from the mountain range.

While still at the level of the village Mellas, you will notice the most beautiful peak of these places Merdven-Kayasy. Just in front of it is the famous Shaitan-Merdven pass.

The highway will come closest to the mountains near the place where the paved road from Oliva joins it. On this road, you can comfortably go down to the new highway (South Coast highway) if necessary.


The road from Oliva joins to the Old Sevastopol road	Old Sevastopol road in the Oliva area

We continue on our way. After about a kilometer from the fork, you will see a wooden entrance to the pass. If you decide to climb it, Shaitan-Merdven will reward you with beautiful views, among other things, the Old Sevastopol Road will be visible from it. Moreover, the rise will not take more than half an hour.


The old Sevastopol road is approaching to Shaitan-Merdven pass	View of the Old Sevastopol road from the Shaitan-Merdven pass

A surprise will look like a doorway under a rock, apparently for technical purposes, a pleasant surprise - the decoration of the side of the highway.


Technical room under the rock on Old Sevastopol road	near Foros

The forest will part after a while, the road will become open, the mountains still float along our route. No, you can't cover your camera.


On the old Sevastopol road in the Shaitan-Merdven area	Old Sevastopol road near Castropol

On the section of the road between Castropol and Opolznev traces of collapses are visible. This is especially striking in the area of the village of Parkovoe. The largest rockfall, which left behind a bad memory and made a generation of local residents more careful, occurred at the end of the 18th century. Then the village, still called Kuchuk-Koy, along with its neighbor Kikineiz (now Opolznevoe), was badly damaged by a giant landslide. From now on, the main part of the Park is below. The earthquake of 1927 also contributed to the formation of stone heaps along the road. Above Parkovo, these heaps are especially large, their collective name is Kuchuk-Koysky stone chaos.


Landslide area in the Park area	Old Sevastopol road in the Park area

Sometimes, walking along the Old Sevastopol Highway, you will find a recess in the rather smooth surface of the roadway, obviously left by a fallen stone, or even a whole boulder that has rolled down from the mountain slope.

And the Park slopes above the road have recently been well reinforced.

The open area allows you to view the surroundings without interference. As you can see in the palm of your hand, Parkovoe or, as it is also called, Beregovoe (it was Beregovoe that was attached to the urban-type settlement Parkovoe in the 70s of the last century). By the way, in the Parkovoe area there are two descents from the highway, the first to Kastropol, the second - to Parkovoe itself.

From the last turn to Opolznevoy less than an hour's walk. Before reaching the village, you can see a path that goes up sharply. It will lead to the Kerezla tourist route, which takes those who wish to the Ai-Petri Yayla in the region of Mount Morcheka. We are entering the village.

Part of it is located above, part is below the track, and the third part is generally half an hour's walk to the east. The village is quite quiet, there is a shop where you can replenish your supplies, they always sell good Yalta onions here. From the eastern edge of the village, a path leaves through the vineyards to the Biyuk-Isar mountain, from which the Eski-Bogaz trail begins, leading to the yaila. Pushkin and Griboyedov mentioned Opolznevo in their diaries, and no wonder, because there was a pit station where they changed horses before crossing the Shaitan-Merdven - before the earthquake it was quite passable for both people and animals.

In the area of the Baydar Pass and the Foros Church, you will surely be confused by the abundance of transport moving in both directions. However, they use the road to Foros for the descent, and do not go further along the old highway. On the section from Foros to Opolznevoy, you run the risk of not seeing cars at all. And it's very nice. A deserted and open area, civilization seems to be not far away, but not a sound penetrates the domain of the old highway. In the area of Opolznevoye, a car can be found a little more often. The thing is that this village, like the Blue Bay, is fed from this transport artery. Perhaps that is why they are so quiet and comfortable.