Find Koba Chair waterfall in Crimea. Merdven-Tobe waterfall and Koba-Chair grotto: on the other side of the water. What is interesting about the Koba-Chair grotto

Among the natural attractions of Crimea, waterfalls occupy a special place. Crowds of tourists annually visit such popular places as Uchan-Su or Jur-Jur. Merdven Tobe Waterfall is an equally interesting attraction of the peninsula, with its own history, legends and breathtaking nature.

Geographical features of Merdven Tobe

Merdven Tobe waterfall is located on the outskirts of the village of Rodnoe, Balaklava district, east of Sevastopol and northeast of Balaklava. The surrounding area is noticeably different from the usual Crimean nature. The surroundings of the village of Rodnoe are more reminiscent of a jungle or Indian prairie. The village borders the Bakhchisaray district, which makes the place popular throughout the Western Coast of Crimea.

The name "Merdven-Tobe" is translated as "inverted steps". The rock from which the water falls really resembles a huge staircase turned upside down. The waterfall itself is a small stream of water from a grotto falling into a pond at the foot. The pond, or lake, was created by the nearby Uppa River. It originates in the large Chernaya River and moves to the south, where the rocky cliffs of Imam-Kayasa are located.

Residents of the village of Rodnoe call the waterfall Rodnovsky.

The most spectacular sight is observed in the spring. Streams of river water mixed with melted snow produce a powerful stream. In summer, the five-meter waterfall dries up, occasionally filling with rain. Below, almost at lake level, there is a through cave, Koba-Chair. Tourists come here for unusual photo sessions in the grotto.

Popular attractions of Crimea are located nearby:

• Chernorechensky Canyon;
• Fatma Koba Cave;
• Shul-Dan cave monastery;
• Reserve Fleet Command Post;
• Chorgun Tower.

Legends of the waterfalls

The places around the rocky ledge of Imam-Kayasa and the Merdven Tobe waterfall are covered in legends. The most truthful of them says that the Gothic and Alan peoples performed sacrifice rituals here. They say that sacrificial gifts were carried over the waterfall, thereby cleansing the victim of sins.

Another legend speaks of ancient Greek monks who looked for a place for a temple. The sanctuary was destroyed by earthquakes, sun and rainfall. If you believe the myths, the water of Merdven Tobe is the tears of the dead Greeks.

Scientists and historians have a different opinion about the origins of the grotto and waterfall. They argue that the cause is tectonic plate movement.

Among modern myths, a popular one is about a film crew who came here for the sake of impressive pictures, but the water dried up. The director's team had to connect a fire truck to convey all the charm of the local color on the screen.

Nature

The picturesque area of ​​the village of Rodnoe always attracts tourists. Such unique natural resources were combined here that outwardly the Crimean lands resemble the resorts of Western or Southern Europe. Broad-leaved forests give way to reed valleys. Far from rivers, steppe prairies smoothly turn into forest-steppe, and then into coastal thickets of exotic trees.

On the border of Balaklava and Bakhchisarai regions you can see a variety of plants:

• Skumpyu;
• Hawthorn;
• Juniper;
• Thyme;
• Almond trees;
• Mountain irises;
• Mountain lavender.

There is a lot of cattail growing here - people call it “reed”.

What is interesting about the Koba-Chair grotto

The Koba-Chair Grotto is located under the Merdven Tobe waterfall. In summer, when the stream dries up, the entrance to the cave is clearly visible from the opposite shore of the lake. The grotto has a through passage - one entrance leads into it from the thickets, the other goes out onto the pond.

The cave was formed naturally - previously there was a solid rock here, but the river, air, wind and sun acted on the stone block for thousands of years, after which an opening appeared. The interior of Koba-Chair confirms the scientific version - on the walls, covered with calcite growths, limestone and tuff, there are thin stains from streams of liquid.

Near Merdven Tobe and Koba-Chair there is an equipped site for tourists. Excursions and visiting local attractions are paid. On the shore of the pond there are tables with benches, gazebos, and barbecues. People come here not only to take a spectacular photo, but also to swim in the crystal clear lake.

CAREFULLY! When planning to swim in a pond, you should remember that the temperature of the reservoir in summer rarely reaches above 18-19°C.

How to get to Merdven Tobe waterfall

Getting to the villages of Rodnoe and Merdven Tobe will not be difficult, since within a radius of 20-30 km there are major cities of Crimea - Sevastopol, Simferopol, Balaklava, Bakhchisarai. You can come here by bus or car. There are several ways to get to the waterfall:

• By car. Near Ternovka, turn right. At the entrance to the village the path descends; on it, turn right towards the Chernorechensky Canyon. After descending, turn left;
• On foot from Rodnoe. Go out onto Vodopadnaya Street, from there go down the dirt towards the canyon and go left;
• By bus. From Simferopol, take route 129 or 40 to Rodnoe, get off at the “Magazin” stop. Then walk south. From Sevastopol, drive along the Sevastopol-Yalta highway towards Foros. At 8 km turn left onto the road to Bakhchisarai, exit after 11 km at the square near the store.

ADVICE! You can use taxi services. The cost of a trip from Sevastopol will cost 400-800 rubles, from Simferopol - 500-1000, from Bakhchisarai - 350-800.

The Merdven Tobe waterfall and the Koba-Chair grotto are an excellent vacation spot that can diversify your trip to Crimea. There are no entertainments of the metropolis, but there is nature, practically untouched by man.

(Koba-Chair cave and Merdven-Tubyu waterfall)

Less than half an hour by car - and here is a turn, sandwiched between rocky blocks. From here it’s a stone’s throw to the village of Rodnoy. It is located on the southern slope of a mountain with the incomprehensible name Zybuk-Tepe. A settlement existed here in the Middle Ages, and probably even earlier. It was called Uppa. The meaning of this word is also not defined, perhaps these are echoes of the Taurus time.
Confirmation that people have lived in these places for a long time is found a hundred meters from the last rural house. The foundation of the old building, in some places preserved retaining walls, and fragments of tiles among the mossy stones are clearly visible.
The path pointed out by the locals leads to a stream merrily jumping over the pebbles. The white foam smells intoxicatingly of wild cherries. Underfoot is a green carpet, decorated with yellow dandelions, blue mouse hyacinths and oxworts, and pink damasks. On moisture-saturated soil there is a whole family of striped candles. These are natives of humid prehistoric forests - horsetails - which threw out their spore-bearing shoots. On the right, the path is crowded with rocks. Like a sponge, they are saturated with spring moisture and in some places it actually oozes out of the stone.
High on the rock we notice white moving spots; upon examination we notice hooves, and some have horns. Deftly jumping from stone to stone, the goats and kids were clearly in their element.
Soon a dam with weeping willows, intercepting the stream, becomes visible. Frogs jump out from under your feet in clusters and hide in the pond. Only one curious little frog decided to stick out his big-eyed muzzle.
Above the pond in a rocky cliff there is a large cave with a grotto. The grotto is decorated with openwork ferns and blooming primroses. The Danes are sure that primroses are the flowers of the elves. And according to English fairy tales, gnomes hide in primroses, and in the spring you can hear a choir of gentle voices coming from the flowers.
Inside the grotto there are original sagging, rounded domes and niches through which water flows in a thin film. The stone blocks are full of small holes. Large drops fall from the ceiling every now and then. A drop wears away a stone.
A graceful waterfall falls next to the grotto. Silver threads are intertwined with lashes of evergreen ivy. Everything together - the lake, the cave with a grotto and the waterfall - looks like a skillfully executed set for Rowe's fairy tale.
If you look from the grotto, you can clearly discern the “oriental cucumber” ornament in the outline of the entrance. This sign is considered very friendly. Resembling in shape a hatched sprout, an ovary, an embryo, it symbolizes movement, development, the origin of life, and energy.
The inhabitants of these places, elves and gnomes, frightened by our early appearance, disappeared into the blooming thorns at the top of the waterfall.
Still hoping to meet them, we climb the rock. From here you can admire the falling streams from above. Just before the waterfall, the Uppa River forms small rapids and baths.
This wonderful cave is called Koba-Chair, which means “cave among flowering gardens.” If you walk down the valley, you can see them - cherry and apple trees. And right next to the dam there is a dogwood garden. Young dogwood bushes are so thin that they are barely visible against the background of green sainfoin immediately sown.

For picnic lovers: Near the pond there are recreation areas with fireplaces and tables; this is a nice place to celebrate a holiday with company.

Which soon happened. People with children and a dog poured out of a minibus that arrived (and you can drive up to the place by paying a certain amount). The elves and frogs scattered.

For lovers of silence: If you want to hear the sound of a waterfall, the ringing of drops falling in the grotto, the singing of birds, and a well-coordinated chorus of frogs, it is better to arrive early on a weekday. Then, perhaps, you will find the Elven Princess washing herself in the ringing streams of her Beautiful Waterfall, accompanied by the singing of sweet-voiced gnomes.

About the name:“Merdven-Tubyu” doesn’t sound too romantic for such a beautiful place. The translation from Tatar also doesn’t clarify much: “the base, the beginning of the stairs.” What kind of stairs are we talking about? Brands again?

Koba-Chair presents a completely unique spectacle in its beauty in February, when the cave is decorated with ice stalactites, and dogwood blossoms around and snowdrops smell fragrant...

April 2006

This one is wonderful day trip It will appeal to both experienced tourists and beginners. The places we will visit will pleasantly surprise you with their uniqueness and low attendance, despite the fact that they are located near populated areas. The main attraction of this route is Koba Chair, a through grotto whose name literally means “cave in the wild garden.” This place is truly beautiful and worthy of being immortalized in the filming of an adventure film. But there are no surprises from this route on Koba-Chair. Together with the instructors of the Unknown World Club, you will look from above at the Chernorechensky Canyon (the longest canyon in Crimea) and admire the beauty of Lake Lesnoye, which local fishermen love to visit.

The group will meet at the bus stop in the village of Rodnoe, which is conveniently accessible from Sevastopol by regular bus. Having gathered a group, we will move along Tsentralnaya Street and, accompanied by the cheerful barking of dogs, we will reach the outskirts of the village. Here we have a little adventure ahead of us. Clinging to a rope and an iron bracket, we will go down from a height of about two meters and go further along the path to the Koba-Chair grotto.

The lake near the grotto is incredibly beautiful due to the weeping willows and cattails with which it is overgrown. It seems that we have found ourselves in a Russian fairy tale. A little further we will see the Merdven-Tubyu waterfall (translated into Russian as “the foot of the stairs”), the waters of which fall into the lake from a height of five meters. Here you can stop and meditate.

Next we will go to the ostrich farm. Moving along the road, we will pass it and go out to Lake Lesnoye. There are many fishermen here at any time of the year, and there is a recreation area nearby. After examining the lake a little, we will move further along the forest road in a southerly direction. Soon an excellent view of the Chernorechensky Canyon will open on the left. A couple of minutes walk and we will reach the highest point of our route, from where a beautiful view of the outskirts of Sevastopol opens.

It is very important not to miss the next turn. The path turns left and through a forest clearing takes us to the top of Mount Kara-Kush-Kaya. Here on the cliff we will take a short break to admire the views. Group members will be able to walk along the sides of the canyon. From here there is a view of the Bibikovsky Isar, Sapun Mountain and Mount Oksek-Kaya, and right below us we can see the road encircling the “Wet Glade” parking lot.

Having thoroughly admired the views of the Chernorechensky canyon, we will return to the road that will lead us to the village of Chernorechye. From here you can go home by regular bus.

Friends, see you again on our routes!

Ternovka village - Khvorostyanka village - Khlama mountain - Taushan-Tepe ridge - Chernorechesky canyon - Chair-Koba grotto - Merdven-Tubyu waterfall - Rodnoe village

We start our route today from the village of Ternovka, Balaklava district. In historical documents this village can be found under various names: Starye Shuly, Stary Shulyu, Shulyu, Shuli, Staroshuli, Staroshul. Ternovka is located in the valley of the Aytodorki River, the right tributary of the Black River, in the mountains of the Inner Range and the exact time of the settlement here is unknown, but it is quite possible that the convenient and fertile valley has been inhabited since the 2nd century AD.

Among the attractions of this village one can highlight the Pallas plane tree. The tree is named after the encyclopedist Peter Pallas. It is believed that he was the first Russian scientist to settle in Crimea and his achievements include “A Brief Physical and Topographic Description of the Tauride Region.” As a gift for his labors, he received two villages and one of them, the Shuli estate, as the name implies, was located on the site of today's Ternovka. Peter Pallas planted a plane tree in the center of the village, which is now more than two hundred years old. The tree has survived to this day and has received such respect that the branch of the plane tree is reflected on the coat of arms and flag of Ternovka, symbolizing the rich nature of the surrounding area of ​​the village. The tree is majestic and huge. The trunk width is an impressive 6.6 meters. The foliage has almost completely fallen off, all its gnarled branches, a stumpy trunk are visible, and under it a huge carpet of yellow leaves.

From Ternovka we moved towards Mount Zybuk-Tepe. In the southwest of the village, a path rises up, which is not on the maps, but even after the autumn leaves fall, the path is clearly visible, although it is clear that it is almost never used.

Ternovka is the front line of defense of Sevastopol, so there are many bunkers here (including those that have survived to this day) and other fortifications from the times of the Great Patriotic War. Therefore, it is not surprising that at the top we accidentally came across the “echo of war”. Our path led us to well-preserved trenches and caponiers. They are clearly visible on the ground, but in the photograph it is difficult to see them because of the variegated fallen foliage.

At the top of Zybuk-Tepe, the trail turns in a southeast direction, becomes more trampled, and then completely turns into a country road. On the left along the way there is a good view towards the Shuldan monastery and Mangup-Kale. And we, by the way, are approaching the next point of our hike today - the village of Khvorostyanka.

Until 1948, this settlement was called Upper Uzenbash, Nizhny Uzenbash; and even earlier Chamly Ozenbash. This is a Turkic toponym, translated means: “uzen” - river, “bash” - head, peak. The name corresponds to reality: the village was located in the area of ​​​​the sources of the Upa River. Why was it there? Because you won’t find any of these names on current maps. The fact is that on May 18, 1944, after the liberation of Crimea from the Nazis, according to GKO Resolution No. 5859 of May 11, 1944, the Crimean Tatars, who made up the population of this village, were deported to Central Asia. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR dated May 18, 1948, 2 villages were renamed: Verkhniy Uzenbash to Verkhnyaya Khvorostyanka and Nizhny Uzenbash to Nizhnyaya Khvorostyanka, Balaklava region. Subsequently, the names of the two villages were not found in known documents and the name Khvorostyanka was used. The administrative-territorial division as of January 1, 1977 shows that such a village was excluded from the lists of settlements due to the relocation of residents.

And the place here is wonderful. There are many abandoned wild gardens around the village. The village itself was surrounded by horseshoe-shaped mountains. It's quiet and peaceful here. Almost nothing remains of the houses and only small piles of stones indicate that there was once a settlement here.

There is a Su-Bashi spring in the village, it is marked on tourist maps. But the spring is completely removed into wells and all the water is diverted through pipes towards Rodnoy. Be careful when planning your route; most likely you won’t be able to get water here.

Behind the village there is an old Tatar cemetery.

Behind the cemetery there is a country road that goes into an abandoned garden, turns south and this is the shortest road to Mount Junk, but we were so carried away by the descent along the main paved road that we missed this turn, then another one and stopped only when we saw that the road leads to Rodnoe. Oh, how tempting these old Crimean roads are. I just want to walk along them without turning anywhere.

It’s still too early for us to get to Rodnoe, so we turn around and move along the Munde-Dere gully in a south-easterly direction. This road leads from Rodnoye to Peredovoe. Due to an oversight, we had to regain the altitude we had lost on the tempting paved road. But the places here are beautiful, and several parallel country roads lead us smoothly up to an unnamed height of 521 meters.

At the top he comes across barriers. There are signs everywhere prohibiting passage, travel, hunting and training dogs. Here is the territory of the hunting base "Red Stone". There is also a crossroads of four roads. The road to Rodnoye, along which we came, has two descents to Peredovoe, one of which is marked with a wooden sign. But we choose the fourth road, in a southwest direction, and continue to climb Junk Mountain. On the way to the top, a beautiful view of the Chernorechenskoe reservoir and Ai-Petrinskaya yayla opens up.

First of all, at the top of Junk Mountain you will see a hunting tower installed here. Have you forgotten that you are in the hunting grounds of “Red Stone”? Behind the tower there is a triangulator and a clearing where there are troughs with water, apples are scattered in large quantities, and clearings of sprouted wheat are visible. There are metal utility containers nearby. And, of course, all this serves for a successful hunt for those vacationing in the “Red Stone”.

We decided to take a quick walk to the Red Stone base and see what it was like. It is immediately obvious that everything is in order here - the base is functioning. Clean, tidy, there is a parking lot, comfortable apartments, houses with European-quality renovation. And the hunters also have guns and it is not known in what state of alcoholic intoxication they are, and what they might think. Therefore, they didn’t come close, turned around and went back. Moreover, our further path runs along the top of the Taushan-Tepe ridge, and the base is located a little to the side.

We wanted to leave the hunting grounds as quickly as possible, so we quickened our pace and on the way we met another hunting tower. Again a large clearing, again tubs of water, again scattered apples. And then the country road, as if by magic, turns into a path and we come out onto the ridge.

I liked this part of the hike the most. Tired of broken country roads. And this path is like a gift. Soft, smooth and somehow pedestrian and cozy. When we began to worry that we couldn’t see anything in the forest, the trail began to go out first to the right and then to the left edge of the ridge, from where a beautiful view alternately opened up of either the Minesterskaya gully or the Chernorechensky canyon.

Having shown the beauty around, the path goes into the center of the ridge, begins to wind, becomes steeper, in order to quickly take us to the Chernorechensky Canyon. We didn’t see any dangerous or difficult sections, except that at the end of the descent we had to make our way along the river bed. And, if in our case the riverbed was dry, then in the spring, apparently, you will have to jump over a small tributary several times, since the path jumps from one bank to the other. But this area is small and should not present any particular difficulties.

The Chernaya River greeted us with the pleasant soft sound of running water. After the descent we rested a bit, and some even took a swim.

Continuing along the bed of the Chernaya River, after ten minutes we encounter concrete supports - the so-called German Bridge. It was built by the Germans during the Great Patriotic War. It was part of the road connecting the villages of Rodnoe and Alsou. Then this bridge was blown up by partisans. Not far from this place, in a wide clearing, a monument to the partisans was erected, and the clearing, accordingly, is called Partizanskaya.

From the concrete supports of the German Bridge we go up along a winding country road. There are several bases for ATV rides in Rodny, and this type of transport is very popular here.

And we rise higher and higher until we reach a clearing, from where “Object 221”, which our tourist club visited in March of this year, is clearly visible.

Then, without wasting time, we move to the village of Rodnoe. On the way we meet the Karshi-Chokrak spring. Although there is a lot of water here, it does not look suitable for drinking.

We pass by a lake where city “savages” who have been taken out into nature scream and frolic. Recently, awnings were installed here, benches and tables were made, and relaxation has become more comfortable and more fun. But we have no time to rest. Sunset is approaching, and we still have one more planned object - the Chair-Koba grotto. At the beginning of September, a small group of us had already scouted out a trail around the ostrich farm, where they collect money from tourists for access to the grotto and waterfall. We find our little tour, made up of stones, and, without wasting time, we move along the already explored path to the grotto - this amazing corner of Crimea, which few people have been to.

Local residents call this place “Rodnovsky waterfall”; historical sources mention such toponyms as Koba-Chair (a cave among flowering gardens) and Merdven-Tubyu (the base of the stairs). The cave is a powerful overhanging grotto located like a horseshoe on the southeastern side of the lake. Many thousands of years ago, water saturated with lime created a powerful stalagnate (column), which formed the modern appearance of the cave. Jets of a mountain stream fall from the ceiling of the grotto into the lake, forming a beautiful waterfall, which is fullest in spring.