Katkova Shchel settlement

Katkova Shchel is a small resort village in the Greater Sochi area, which is located 11 km southeast of Lazarevsky, in the valley of the Chukhukt River. Katkova Shchel is popular for its wide pebble beaches, clear sea, clean mountain air, picturesque Kolkheti forests and relatively cheap housing. Here come those who like to spend a vacation away from the noise of the city, among beautiful nature.

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Video: Katkova Shchel

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Highlights

The resort village stretches along both banks of the Chukhukt River, which flows into the Black Sea. Closer to the mouth of the river, Magistralnaya Street, which runs along the left bank, is considered the main street, while above it is Kurgannaya Street, which runs along the right bank of the river. In the upper part of Katkovaya Shchylya there are sulphur springs and several gardening associations. Grocery and hardware stores are open in the village, but there are no nightclubs or bars.

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Vacationing in this part of the Black Sea coast, you can enjoy swimming and sunbathing. In the summer in Katkova Shchel, you should enjoy a lot of inexpensive fruits and vegetables. In addition, the locals are always ready to sell tourists great quality fragrant honey and delicious homemade wine.

In Katkova Shchiela prefer to stay not only lovers of beach vacation. Fans of hiking and horseback riding, jeep riding and rock climbing like this place very much. On the surrounding mountain slopes there are all conditions for active recreation.

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At travelers are popular outings to ancient megaliths-dolmens, beautiful waterfalls, rocky gorges and caves. And those who are bored with the silence, can always leave the Katkova Shchiela in Lazarevskoye or Sochi, where there are enough entertainment venues, party places and tourist attractions.

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History of the village of Katkova Shchel

The resort village was named after Mikhail Nikiforovich Katkov, who bought these lands after the end of the Caucasian War. Until 1864, there was an ancestral Shapsug aul Tsyukh (Chukh), named after an ancient Abazi family that lived for many centuries in the Caucasian foothills. When the Caucasian war ended, the people who remained in the aul were resettled in the Ottoman Empire. Nowadays only the name of the river flowing through the village – Chukhukt – reminds of the indigenous people of these places.

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In 1872, the former aul was owned by the editor of the popular magazine “Russian Herald” and the newspaper “Moscow Vedomosti” M. N. Katkov, and on his money here began to build an estate. By the beginning of the last century 56 people lived on the plot owned by Katkov: 43 Georgians, 5 Slavs and 8 Greeks. The First World War and the subsequent revolution led to the fact that the estate fell into disrepair, and during the period of general disorder it was looted. In 1923, 23 Greek families and 3 Slavic families lived in the village of Katkova.

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After the end of the Great Patriotic War in Katkova Shchylya appeared sanatorium of the Air Force. In connection with this for a long time the area was closed to outsiders. Interestingly, the local nature and beautiful climate helped to restore the health of many Soviet cosmonauts.

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Open for tourists Katkova Shchel became only in the early 1990s. Almost immediately the village began to actively build up under the needs of vacationers. The process of development of tourist infrastructure continues to our days.

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Features of the climate in different seasons

Lazarevsky district of Sochi is famous for its warm subtropical marine climate. There are up to 200 sunny days per year, and the bathing season lasts from late May to mid-October. In May the temperature of sea water is +18 °С. Of course, it is still quite cold for long swims, but it is quite acceptable for a refreshing bath. At the end of spring there are few tourists in Katkova Shchiela, and therefore the prices for renting rooms and rooms are kept at the level of the off-season.

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In the peak tourist season, in July and August, bathers can enjoy a really warm sea +25 ° C.

. At this time of year it can be hot +27…+30 ° C, but sea breezes and winds blowing in the evenings from the mountains, make staying in Katkova Shchylya quite comfortable.

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Real connoisseurs rush to the resort village in September, when the Black Sea is still warm, and the bulk of vacationers have already left. From mid-September prices for housing start to fall, and the markets sell a lot of ripe fruit. A big advantage of rest in Katkova Shchiela in the fall – the absence of debilitating heat, and this is very much appreciated by people with cardiovascular problems and weakened immunity. Even if the sea is stormy, in September you can always go to Lazarevskie water parks “Nautilus” and “Sea Star” to have a great time in the pools and water rides.

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Tourists come to Katkova Shchel not only in the warm season, but also in winter, and this is not surprising. The mild climate and air saturated with sea salts are useful at any time of the year. In the coldest months the air temperature in the village does not fall below -10°C, and snow falls only 1-2 times a season. Local winter is more like a prolonged fall, which smoothly passes into spring.

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Beach

The beach strip at the mouth of the Chukhukt River is quite wide. It is covered with small pebbles and is cleaned every day during the high tourist season. The beach is separated from the winds by a high rocky shore. Nearby is a railroad bed, but trains run here infrequently, so that the proximity of the railroad does not interfere with comfortable beach rest.

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The main beach of Katkova Shchiela is common and free of charge. It is never crowded. And pebble strips, removed in both directions from this beach, often used by lovers of secluded rest and nudists. There are no cafes on the village beach, but on the way to Katkova Shchiela in the summer are open mini-markets, where you can buy everything you need.

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In the resort village is not a lot of people, so the sea here is famous for its purity. Entrance to the water is gentle, and the coastal strip is perfectly warmed by the sun – that’s why vacation in Katkova Shchiela choose couples with children.

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Excursions from Katkova Shchiela

Almost all resort villages in the Greater Sochi area are connected by highway (federal highway M27) and railroad. Such transportation opportunities allow you to make exciting excursions to natural and historical sights without much expense.

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From Katkova Gap by bus you can go to Lazarevskoye, where there is an ethnographic museum (97 Pobedy St.), and not far from it there are the remains of a Russian fort built by Mikhail Lazarev. A dolphinarium is open in Lazarevsky, as well as the oceanarium “Tropical Amazon”, where the inhabitants of the underwater depths, penguins and exotic animals are presented.

In an hour’s walk from Katkova Shchiela, in the tract Soloniki is a very beautiful waterfall “Miracle-Krasotka”. In the flowing river there are rainbow trout, and during a hike you can see many picturesque places and bathe in the cool jets under the waterfall.

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In the neighboring resort village of Volkonka are the remains of a medieval fortress. They are located at the mouth of the small river Godlik (Kurskaya Street). The ancient fort was used by the Byzantines (V-VIII centuries.) and Genoese (XIV-XV centuries.). On the ruins of the fortress repeatedly worked archaeologists, they found many fragments of “Khazar” ceramics.

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Interesting to go to the village of Golovinka, where 0.5 km from the mouth of the river Shakhe stands the famous tulip tree. The mighty tree amazes with its large size, rough bark, grayish, lyre-like leaves and greenish-orange flowers. The giant crown of Liriodendron americana has a diameter of 30 meters. There is an opinion that the overseas seedling was brought and planted in 1840 by Russian soldiers commanded by N. N. Raevsky. However, botanists are not sure of this and believe that the tulip tree is much older. In the upper part of the Shakhe valley there is a cascade of picturesque waterfalls, to which excursions are taken from many resort villages of the Black Sea coast.

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From Katkova Gorge popular walks in the beautiful mountain gorges – Svirskoe, “Berendeyevo Tsarstvo” and Mamedova cleft. These are amazingly beautiful natural monuments where species of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants endemic to the Caucasus grow. If you are interested in getting acquainted with the culture of Krasnodar tea cultivation, you should go on a trip to the tea plantations, which are located between Dagomys and Loo, in the village of Uch-Dere.

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Fans of active walks can make from Katkova Shchiela jeep trips to the canyon “Prokhladny”, “Zubova Slit” and the valley of the Ashe River. Jeep rentals for independent trips and with a driver are organized in the resort village.

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Where to stay

Several guest houses, chalets and mini-hotels have been built for tourists to rest in Katkova Shchiela. All of them offer approximately the same level of amenities – equipped with air conditioning and refrigerator furnished rooms, designed for one to five people. Many private areas have swimming pools and saunas.

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Guests can use the common kitchen and cook on their own, or order food from the hosts. Almost all guest houses and hotels have a small parking lot and provide shuttle service for their guests from Sochi, Lazarevsky or Tuapse. Since Katkova cleft is a popular place for family vacations, most guest houses have playgrounds for children.

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In addition, you can rent rooms and cottages from private individuals on a turnkey basis. As in other places on the Black Sea coast, housing located closer to the sea is more expensive. The most expensive and in demand rooms and cottages become in July and August. But even in the peak of the tourist season accommodation in Katkova Shchiela is cheaper than Lazarevskoye and even more so Sochi.

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How to get there

The nearest airport to Katkova Gap is in Adler. From here you can get to the resort village by cab or shuttle buses to Tuapse or Lazarevskoye.

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If you get by rail, you should take a ticket to the station “Lazarevskaya”. It and the resort village separates about 11 kilometers. From the station to Katkova Shchel there are cabs, as well as shuttle buses and buses heading to Sochi.

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