Baidar Valley

Baidar Valley is a picturesque lowland surrounded by a mountain chain in the south-west of Crimea, since 1991 positioned as the Baidar Wildlife Refuge. The richest nature, fantastic gorges and caves, places with a powerful cosmic energy, where it is so easy to throw off the weight of worries and dissolve in the purest mountain air – that’s what first of all draws to the Baidar Valley adherents of active recreation.

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Ancient territory, once speckled with military trails, which were dragged wagons of the Roman army and passed Scythian hordes, today turned into a protected natural area. People come to the Baidarskaya Valley to distract themselves from the frantic rhythm of the stone jungle, to touch the forgotten past of the Crimean land and, finally, to simply delight the eye with the riot of colors that bursts on the meadows of the basin in April and does not fade until September.

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Video: Baidar Valley

Contents

Geographical features, nature and climate

Located at an altitude of 300-400 meters above sea level, the Baidar Valley is separated from the rest of the southwestern part of the peninsula by mountain slopes. The climate on the territory of the basin is predominantly of the coastal steppe type. At the same time, in some places climatic characteristics correspond more to the foothill and forest-steppe types. In general, weather conditions in the reserve are more than favorable: summers are warm, although often dry, and winters are incredibly mild.

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77% of the area of the Baidar Valley is covered with broad-leaved forests, where you can find and century-old oaks, and slender ash trees, and pistachio blunt, and bush jasmine, and even the famous derzhi-tree. But the real green treasure of the preserve were and are juniper groves. Chernorechensky, Kizilkaysky, Samnalykhsky, Karadagsky and Uzundzhinsky juniper massifs are now under strict protection of the state as one of the main natural riches of the basin. However, the “green abundance” of the Baidar Valley does not end with relict shrubs. On an area of almost 28,000 hectares grows a huge number of plant species, 67 of which are listed in the Red Book.

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As for water resources, by Crimean standards, the reserves of life-giving moisture in the basin with a surplus. Firstly, here is the beginning of the Black River, which is the main supplier of fresh water for located in the Baidar Valley Chernorechenskoye reservoir. Secondly, on the territory of the reserve there are about 25 ponds and small lakes (mostly of artificial origin), which perfectly fit into the local ecosystem and decorated the valley landscapes. Besides, several streams flow down the slopes of the basin, feeding the main artery of the reserve – the Chernaya River. Winding through mountain curves and drawing strength from melt waters, these streams rush down from stone ledges as small noisy waterfalls.

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Historical past of the Baidar Valley and its inhabitants

According to legend, the intermountain basin received its name in honor of the Tatar village Baidary (now the village of Eagle), which grew on its territory in the XVII century. And the first inhabitants in these places appeared by the II millennium BC. Researchers believe that it was the tribes of the Taurians were the pioneers in the development of the lands of today’s valley, although before them, Scythians and Sarmatians periodically stopped here. The Taurian tribes settled on the territory of the basin were somehow engaged in agriculture, more successfully in cattle breeding, sometimes not disdaining military campaigns. They were not ceremonious with strangers, sacrificing them to their strange deities, but they treated their dead tribesmen with great respect, erecting stone tombs in their honor in the most picturesque corners of the valley. Well, since the Taurians did not have their own writing, no one can answer the question of what ancestors of the modern people they are and where they came from in this part of the peninsula. But some part of the Taurian heritage in the form of stone burial grounds, tools and household items, became the property of modern archaeological expeditions and, as a consequence, a reason to put forward numerous hypotheses about the origin of this mysterious people. The ubiquitous Romans did not pass by the Baidar Valley. As a result, through the efforts of ancient workers, a military-trade route was laid through it, connecting one of the Roman fortresses with the Greek Chersonese.

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Today, the Baidar Valley is part of the Balaklava district, which, in turn, is under the administration of the Sevastopol City Council. Surrounded by rocky passes and covered with cool forests, the lowland hides 12 villages, among which

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  • Kizilovoye;
  • Kolkhoznoye;
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  • Novobobrovskoye;
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  • Ozernoye;
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  • Orlinoe;
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  • Pavlovka;
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  • Predovoye;
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  • Podgornoye;
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  • Rodnikovoye;
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  • Rossoshanka;
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  • Tylovoye;
  • Rear;
  • Rodnikovoye.
  • Shirokoye;
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The vast majority of the villages were originally founded by Crimean Tatars and had completely different names. However, after 1944, the indigenous people were deported from here and the settlements were renamed.

Interesting places of the Baidar Valley

Rest in the Baidar Valley – entertainment for those who like active pastime and are not afraid to trample on stony paths a pair of sneakers. The main type of tourism offered to local guests is hiking in the most interesting places of the reserve and horseback riding excursions. For example, you can go for a walk to the Chernorechensky Canyon, which originates at the rock Kizil-Kaya. The narrow stony gorge, at the bottom of which the emerald waters of the river Chernaya, is considered to be quite a difficult route, so, going here, you should take appropriate clothing and shoes, and at the same time stock up on everything you need for overnight stay. By the way, despite the relative inaccessibility of the gorge, you will have no problem finding traces of man here: the most comfortable and gentle parts of the canyon are equipped with parking lots, and along the road every now and then meet funny sculptures-totems, carved by former visitors to the gorge.

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A few kilometers from the village of Peredovoye is a small but not quite ordinary waterfall called Kozyrek (Kobalar). The bubbling stream rushes off a stone ledge, forming an angle of the jet, which is uncharacteristic for most waterfalls. Since Kozyrek is fed mainly by melt water, it is better to visit it in spring. In summer the stream dries up, turning into a mediocre thin stream. At the foot of the mountain, clear water with a characteristic greenish tint accumulates in a natural “bathtub”. Experienced travelers say that it tastes unusually good.

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Near the village of Podgornoye lurks one of the “man-made” attractions of the Baidar Valley – Kalendskaya path. The massive stone path, starting on Cape Ai-Todor and ending on the territory of the former Chersonese, was built by the ancient Romans. The road was considered a military object and was used for communication between the Roman fortress and the ancient Greek polis. Over time, the Romans disappeared from the Crimea, but the Kalendskaya path remained, for several centuries becoming the main road of the Baidar Valley.

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Curious fact: during the Crimean Khanate, the population of the Baidar Valley was officially exempted from paying taxes. In exchange for this, the locals had to take care of the condition of the Kalendskaya trail, repairing and reconstructing especially emergency sections.

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If your route passes through the village of Rodnikovoye, take a short pause and visit Skelskaya Cave. The fantastic dungeon, consisting of several spacious halls, is covered from top to bottom with amazing natelic formations. It is possible that you will be lucky not only to see funny stalactite figures, but also to get acquainted with the inhabitants of this mystical place, as the cave is a real ecosystem. By the way, most of the organisms living here are not found in any other corner of the globe.

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At 8 km from the village Novobobrovoe is another unusual cave – Syundyurlyu-Koba or Potukhshaya. Unlike the Skelsky dungeon, Syundyurlyu-Koba does not boast original stalactite formations, but it has an amazing shade of the inner walls. Scientists once discovered a large burial of human remains in the gloomy halls of the cave. Whether they were prisoners of the warlike Turks or just the unfortunate, sacrificed by ancient idolaters, is not yet clear.

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There is in the Baidar Valley and its miniature semblance of Stonehenge, called Skelski menhirs. Of course, in terms of size and popularity of these stone pillars are inferior to the legendary pagan sanctuary, but around them do not wander hundreds of curious tourists with cameras, which means that no one will stand between you and the powerful energy flow exuded by ancient megaliths. Initially there were four menhirs, but in the 60s of the last century during the construction of a water pipeline one of them was taken out of the district. Today, thanks to the efforts of local residents, all Skelskie menhirs are back in their proper places.

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To get acquainted with the ancient history of the Baidar Valley and partially get acquainted with the cult of the mysterious Taurians you can in the “stone village” or in Turkic Tash Koy. A spacious glade dotted with stone “boxes” is located just above the village of Novobobrovskoye. In fact, this place is nothing but the most ancient semblance of a necropolis. However, some locals still mistakenly believe that the remains of stone slabs are the bases of the dwellings of the mysterious Taurians. Unfortunately, most of the burial grounds were looted in antiquity, but archaeologists managed to get something to eat. During the excavations it turned out that most of the boxes played the role of family crypts, as in some “coffins” rested several dozen skeletons.

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A younger, but no less famous attraction of the preserve is the Baidar Gate. The monumental architectural monument crowns the Baidar Pass at an altitude of 503 meters. The structure was erected in 1848, marking the final stage in the construction of the highway connecting Sevastopol with Yalta. Additional attractiveness of this unusual place is given by the nearby restaurant “Shalash”, which has become a kind of a symbol of the Baidar Gate. In the western part of the mountain range of the valley there is another pass with an intriguing name Shaitan-Merdven or in Russian Chertova Stairs. Stone terraces resembling giant steps have been connecting the southern coast of the peninsula with the Crimean foothills since ancient times. There are no “shaitans” or at least similar to them creatures on the pass, and the original name stuck to the geographical object solely because of its inconvenient (from the point of view of travelers) location.

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Where to stay

To find accommodation in the vicinity of the Baidar Valley, you will have to drive through the villages of Balaklava district. True, count on large hotels with a high level of service is not worth it: all that here can offer a visiting guest – a cozy guest house or comfortably equipped camp. For example, if you find yourself in Podgorny, look into the local manor with the speaking name “Kalendy”. The owners of this inn promise their clients not only silence and mountain air, but also a Russian banya, and to it a tennis court in addition.

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In Eagle you can rent a decent room in the guest house of the same name or organize a pleasant vacation in the camping “Uyut”. Well, and those who decided to start their journey through the Baidar Valley from the village of Rodnikovoi, it is worth looking at the hunting lodge “Uzundzha”, which is a comfortable mini-hotel. The hotel is located on the shore of a small lake, so it is best to stay here for those who are going to combine excursions to the valley with fishing.

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How to get there

The easiest way to get to the Baidarskaya Valley is to take public transportation from Sevastopol. It is better to depart from the suburban stop “5th kilometer” – it is from here that most buses depart in the direction of the reserve. It’s not difficult to choose a suitable route: feel free to get on the type of transport, on which the name of any of the villages of Balaklava district is written (Rodnikovoye, Novobobrovka, Peredovoye). There are also Sevastopol shuttle buses to Baidarskaya Valley: from the city center – № 12, 17, 20, 120; from Kamyshovaya Bay – № 14, 23; from Streletskaya Bay – № 2, 14.

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