What to bring / 04.04.2023

Psebay rest. Panorama of Psebay. Virtual tour of Psebay. Attractions, map, photo, video. Where is Psebay located on the map

A safe haven for the spoiled tourist

We chose a very unusual place to stay for the May holidays - the village of Psebay. I wanted to have a budget vacation in the Krasnodar Territory ... We heard from friends and relatives that there are hot springs in the Krasnodar Territory in the Mostovsky District, we looked at the location on the map. It turned out that nearby in the Mostovsky district there is the village of Psebay, where it is located. Unfortunately, we could not find on the Internet sites of other places where you could stay.

Psebay is an urban-type settlement in the Mostovsky District of the Krasnodar Territory of Russia.

How to get to Psebay

We drove by car from Rostov-on-Don along the M4 Don highway, then along the R-217 road Tikhoretsk - Kropotkin - Armavir - Labinsk - Mostovskoy - Psebay. The whole journey took about 5.5 hours.

The village of Psebay is quite small in size and population (about 10 thousand people in 2010). Psebay is located in a valley in the foothills of the Caucasus, between mountain peaks along the Malaya Laba River. The road from Psebay to the south rests on the mountains of the Caucasian Natural Biosphere Reserve.

The Caucasian Nature Reserve is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In the village of Psebay there is a plant for the production of gypsum - "Kuban gypsum - KNAUF". We ourselves personally climbed the tops of the mountains and saw how the equipment works. This is probably the only place in the village that provides work for the local population. It's a pity that the Knauf brand is not Russian. As our guide in the USSR told, it was a completely Soviet plant, and after the collapse, the Germans came, bought it, and took it into circulation. Well, what to do.

The unusual geographical location makes this place amazing. A fast mountain river, gypsum rocks of the slopes, caves and arches, waterfalls, springs with clean drinking water, golden sand from mica and shell rock, unusually rich vegetation - all this is wonderfully intertwined here, in one place. For those who like outdoor activities, I certainly recommend visiting here, because. there are a lot of places to go.

The area of the village of Psebay in terms of Russian tourism is very promising and diverse. I would even say unusual, with its amazing beauty, purity, simplicity. There are no equipped places for hiking, only slightly trampled paths that are either lost in the grass or appear again. Marks on the trees, meaning hiking trails, and nothing else ... Real wildlife, with its unpredictability and mystery.

In addition to the traditional hiking tourism for these places, cycling tourism is developed here. There are active bicycle routes on the Gerpegem ridge, by the way, they also ride quad bikes there. The fast mountain river is just made for. And someone will definitely like the rocks and caves for rock climbing.

Excursions, routes in Psebay, waterfalls

We rested in Psebay for 6 days. But since the weather was not always favorable, we visited only a small part of the protected nearby places. Wet weather, washed out roads, slippery hiking trails, and, perhaps, our unpreparedness for extreme tourist hikes, did not allow us to go down to the Gunkiny caves and the Dedova Yama cave, as well as to see the Kyzylbek waterfalls and salty mineral springs in the village of Salt. But what a reason to come back here again.

Kapustinsky waterfall;
Nikiteno village and Nikitinsky waterfall;
Thermal springs of Mostovsky district;
Suspension bridge;
Rock "White Widow";

Waterfall "Desires";
Gerpegem Ridge;
Silver spring;
Bank of the Malaya Laba river.

Some of the routes were on foot. Together with a guide (a kind, glorious uncle), we went around all the neighborhoods of the Beryozki sanatorium on foot. We were introduced to the local landscapes and nature. We visited many places on our own, despite the fact that it was not so easy to find them.

Experienced tourists will be interested in a 5-7 day hike along the famous route "Psebay - Krasnaya Polyana". But this is a very serious journey and you will not be allowed to go there just like that. To obtain a permit and a pass for a hike, go to the office of the Northern Department of the Caucasian Reserve in Psebay or to the frontier post. This is where the paperwork will be done.

Flora of Psebaya

Walking through the meadows and forests in the village of Psebay and Nikitino, you can see many beautiful and unusual plants. And the time at which we came to rest in Psebay (early May) showed us the flowering of many plants. Small mountain iris, lilies of the valley, wild strawberries, sage, mint, wild garlic and many more incomprehensible, but beautiful plants that form a flowering and smelling carpet on the ground.

For the first time in my life, I saw mountain iris blooming. The lily of the valley is listed in the Red Book of Russia, but in Psebay the lily of the valley is not uncommon.

What to bring from Psebay as a keepsake

In addition to all sorts of standard souvenirs: magnets and paintings, in Psebay you can buy meadow honey, mountain tea, souvenirs and jewelry made from rocks. We also brought water from the Silver Spring, a piece of gypsum rock, fern bushes. As a keepsake, you can dry a herbarium of meadow herbs. I could not resist this irresistible greenery of the Psebay forests, I wanted to remember with all my heart and keep this beauty at home.

Psebay is an amazing place for a Russian tourist to relax. A relaxing holiday with the family, away from civilization, or relaxing with a noisy company. Measured walking around the village or extreme mountain routes. And everyone here will find something of their own, dear to the heart.

All this is Psebay, all this is Russia!

Interesting nearby

Psebay, discovered by us quite by accident in the mid-2000s, turned out to be an amazing reserve of almost untouched nature and a place where residents of big cities can join it.

This is a village in the Krasnodar Territory, located at the foot of the slopes of the mountains of the Western Caucasus (part of the Greater Caucasus Range). To put it figuratively, this is the "bear's corner" of the Krasnodar Territory: the road from Psebay rests on the mountains of the Caucasian Natural Biosphere Reserve, where the border of the Krasnodar Territory, Karachay-Cherkessia and Abkhazia passes through remote reserved places. The Caucasus Nature Reserve is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and this fact has already interested us and forced us to “dig” information about Psebay.

The village was quite famous in Soviet times, it was in it that the popular multi-day hiking route "Psebay - Krasnaya Polyana" began, passing through the territory of the Caucasian Reserve. On it, with some physical effort, one could see all the beauties of the mountains of their native country: gorges, alpine plateaus, clear blue lakes, glaciers, waterfalls and impenetrable thickets of Caucasian forests (which, however, with the help of experienced guides, turned out to be quite passable).

In the 1990s, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the infrastructure of Psebay, "sharpened" for the reception of large groups of unpretentious tourists who love nature and hiking, fell into disrepair, and at times a real war was waged around accommodation facilities in the style of that time. So, one of the most famous tourist centers of Psebay called "Voskhod" changed owners many times, and not always the change of leadership was in its favor. Nevertheless, Psebay himself, and the camp sites, and the inhabitants of the village survived the difficult 90s, and in the early 2000s, people's interest in outdoor activities slowly began to awaken, and there was also at least some desire of the authorities to restore the lost popularity of routes .

Actually, we learned about Psebay from the new booklets printed as part of the promotion of the Krasnodar Territory and its resorts. It became clear that there is a place to stay there - at the already mentioned Voskhod camp site, which even had its own website. So we packed up and went there - almost at random. Fortunately, at that time we were resting with relatives in the Krasnodar Territory itself, and it turned out to be easy to buy a ticket for a regular bus to Mostovsky.

Arriving at the camp site, we quickly settled down and, having become accustomed to the Spartan situation, went on reconnaissance to the forest located right outside the gate, for spring water. To say that we liked it there is an understatement. Perhaps it was just the delight of the first meeting with the mountains and wildlife (although truly wild nature did not begin at all in the village, but a few kilometers from it, at the foot of the mountains of the reserve).

The hostel turned out to be good in that it provided the services of experienced guides who showed tourists the mountains and took them to the most beautiful places, which were many within a radius of several tens of kilometers from Psebay. To many of them, guests of the camp site were first brought up by transport - army "goats" or all-terrain vans, because it was not possible to get there by an ordinary car, and then it was already necessary to go out and overcome the path on foot. In the summer, a few days in Psebay seemed so few to us that after a few months we decided to return there - to celebrate the New Year and spend a whole week of holidays there. With this, I end the background and digression about Psebay and focus on what to do there and what to see. And there really is something to see.

If you are an experienced tourist, then most likely you should not waste time on trifles, get ready and go through the mountains with guides right along the famous route "Psebay - Krasnaya Polyana" (5-7 days). This requires considerable physical preparation and attitude, but you will have unforgettable experiences from the series “only mountains can be better than mountains”. As the guides told us (rather harsh at first glance, but in their hearts they are real enthusiasts of their work and fans of the mountains) there are places along the route that even they, already accustomed to beauty, often dream at night. In the mountains, most likely, you will be able to see many animals, easily - even bears and bison, not to mention smaller ones. the inhabitants of the reserve.

If you come to Psebay just to breathe in the mountain air and take a break from the city, and are not in the mood to walk through the mountains with a heavy backpack for several days, then do not despair - in any case, you will be able to see a lot. Ready-made routes do not have a category of difficulty and are available to everyone, even the elderly.

Where to stay in Psebay

Sights of Psebay

Mount Shapka- one of the nearby attractions where tourists are taken. From the foot to the top, the path runs through a gloomy forest with giant trees and the same giant boulders. A breathtaking panorama of the mountain range of the Caucasus Range, Psebay and the Malaya Laba River, along which the village is located, opens up from Shapka. A real delight!

Nikitinsky waterfalls- are located in the mountains near the village of Nikitino, after which they got their name. Tourists are brought by transport to the village, from where the hiking route to the waterfalls starts. The road, however, without rises.

This is not yet Nikitinsky waterfalls, this is one of the cascades on the way to them

Kapustinsky waterfall more than 40 meters high, falling from a sheer cliff. The nearest village is Nikitino, where you can drive up by car, from where you can walk several kilometers uphill. This is a more tiring route, especially the last few steep tens of meters to the waterfall.

Gunkiny caves. Hiking route from the camp site "Voskhod", not very far and not very tiring.

Mostovskoy - thermal springs. In the village of Mostovsky, located 40 kilometers from Psebay (towards Labinsk), recreation centers with thermal springs are very popular. They say that since the moment we were there in the mid-2000s, the infrastructure for those wishing to have a cultural rest has improved significantly.

Kyzyl-bek waterfalls. It is, as the name implies, several waterfalls. You can go to them along a long route through the mountains (by car to the village of Salt, then walk several kilometers through the mountains along the bed of the Kyzyl-Bek River), or you can almost drive up to the largest of them (walk several hundred meters through the forest). In the warm season, many tourists, having reached this waterfall, often cannot resist the temptation to swim in small lakes-bowls at its foot.

On the way to the Kyzyl-bek waterfalls

This, of course, is not all routes and interesting natural places, but only the most popular, so to speak, "knurled".

What else can you do in Psebay?

The valley in which Psebay lies is a fairly well-known place for hang gliding in the south of Russia. The same village and the mountainous areas around it look bewitching when you circle above them on a hang glider. I didn’t fly myself, but I was shown videos of flights: unreal views and, of course, thrills. Try it if you are not afraid of heights (without the usual glass of an airplane) and the deafening noise of engines.

Rest in Psebay.
The village of Psebay stretches for 12 km along a picturesque valley on the left bank of the Malaya Laba River, in the Mostovsky District of the Krasnodar Territory. Translated from the ancient Turkic "psebai" means "a place rich in water". The surroundings abound with various manifestations of karst processes - caves, grottoes, arches, rocky slopes. And in the south, the Rocky Range breaks off with sheer cliffs, sometimes several hundred meters high. These rocks were named: "Shakhan", Amet-rock, Church rock, Gerpegem ridge, etc. In the deep channels of streams originating from the rocky bastions of the Rocky ridge, unique natural monuments have developed. So, in Gunkina gully there are several caves, the total length of which reaches several kilometers. To the west, on the other side of the Malaya Laba, there is the Dedova Pit cave. A sudden failure appeared on the old road, according to legend, the vault of the underground cavity collapsed at the moment when the grandfather was driving along the road in a cart.

Psebay lies at an altitude of 400 meters above sea level. The climate in the village is foothill, with moderate humidity. There are no strong winds here, and the sun shines 180 days a year. It is not hot in Psebay in summer, the temperature does not exceed +25-27ºС. In winter, the thermometer drops to -8ºС. Snow on the mountain slopes lasts for 4-6 months.

The village of Psebay is a popular tourist center of the Western Caucasus. Psebay is both a place for a relaxing holiday with the family away from civilization, and for relaxing with a noisy company. Hiking in the surroundings of the village and extreme mountain routes are popular here. Twelve months a year Psebay receives tourists.

There are no equipped places for hiking in the Psebay area, only slightly trampled paths that either get lost in the grass or reappear. Only marks on the trees mean hiking trails. Real wild nature, with its unpredictability and mystery.

In addition to the traditional hiking tourism for these places, cycling tourism is developed here. The village of Psebay is a center for the development of mountain biking (mountain biking) in the Krasnodar Territory and the Southern Federal District. Since 2011, a stage of the Russian Cup in mountain bike cycling in the cross-country race and one of the rounds of the Russian Uphill Race Championship has been held in Psebay. There are active cycle routes on the Gerpegem ridge. You can also ride quad bikes here.

The village of Psebay is well known to lovers of hang gliding. Clear weather and lack of wind allow you to fly nine months a year to admire the Caucasus Mountains from a bird's eye view. The fast mountain river is just made for rafting. And someone will definitely like the rocks and caves for rock climbing. There is a ski slope near the village of Psebay.

Psebay is the starting point for many tourist routes. Hiking and horseback riding are popular here, there is a seven-day tourist route Psebay - Krasnaya Polyana, which passes through snowy passes along the banks of the Malaya Laba River and ends in Krasnaya Polyana. In Psebay, there is the administration of the Eastern cordon of the only Caucasian biosphere reserve in the Kuban. Here you will get a permit and a pass for a hike.

And to the south and above is the village of Nikitino, from which many beautiful routes begin.

History of Psebay. The village of Psebaysky was founded in 1857 on the banks of the Psebayka River. By 1862, Cossack families from the village of Novopokrovskaya arrived at the settlement in Psebaisky. The soldiers who fought on the New Line of Fortifications were allowed to bring their families from the central provinces. The first houses have not survived, except for the Holy Transfiguration Church, built in 1858. Initially, the settlement was small: 34-35 huts. The street was one and was called - Boulevard. It stretched from church to school.
In 1873 the settlement was transformed into a Cossack village. In 1894, Emperor Nicholas II issued a decree according to which soldiers who served for more than 17 years were rewarded with a piece of land at 3 acres per capita. By this time, the village had grown, and there was a need for laying new streets. As a result, the village was divided into two parts: Cossacks lived in one, soldiers (non-residents) lived in the other. The disengagement of Cossacks and soldiers took place in 1890. In the same year, the Cossacks, who did not want to attend a common church, built the Church of St. Michael (now destroyed).
In the 19th century, Psebay was a place of princely hunting. In 1862, Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich Romanov, cousin of Nicholas II, acquired the right to use the land. He ordered the construction of a hunting lodge and utility rooms for servants and keeping dogs in Psebay. He came to the village 2-3 times a year to hunt on a huge plot of mountains rented by him. Now the hunting lodge of Prince Romanov is included in the regional register of monuments of cultural and historical heritage. With the blessing of Romanov, two schools arose in the village: one for non-residents, the other for the Cossacks.
Not later than 1938, the village was transformed into the village of Psebay. The status of a working settlement has been since 1958, when the village of Psebay was merged into one settlement with the settlements of Zheleznodorozhny and Gypsum Mine. In 1944-1962, Psebay was the center of the Psebay region.

It has been almost ten days since I returned from another trip, but I still could not start the article. The place is so bewitching, winter, mountains, waterfalls… We didn’t see much, we just didn’t have much time, there’s so much left… And I want to go there again!

Wonderful pristine nature, untrodden paths, the purest transparent air, breathtaking springs with such tasty water that I couldn’t drink our tap water for the first day at home.

And it all started with the fact that my friend and I wanted to celebrate the New Year on the train, on the way to Siberia. To the sound of wheels, four days on the road! Romance! But it didn't work out. And we decided to stay at home with the children to meet 2017.

They started thinking about Christmas. Well, why not go anywhere on vacation, it’s impossible, unrealistic ... and we found a tour to Psebay. At the camp site "Voskhod" in the folk Kuban style with songs and dances, round dances around the fire, we spent 3 holidays. Still, ours is rich in amazing places. An unforgettable vacation, a lot of impressions. But first things first.

In the very east of the Krasnodar Territory, between two ridges and along the Malaya Laba River, a hospitable village stretches for several kilometers. Then a couple more villages and that's it, there is no more road. And only with backpacks conquer the tops of the mountains.

And although we came to rest at the camp site, Psebay is more suitable for outdoor activities. If you like hiking, cycling, hang-gliding, dreaming of rafting on a mountain river, then you are here. You will find all this here.

Amazing hikes can be done here. Somewhere far away .... or rather, a couple of tens of kilometers from Psebay - Big Thach, and Devil's Gate, Acheshbok and the Alous ridge. But all this was not included in the plans of the current trip, it is included in my future plans.

Psebay in translation means "a place with a lot of water." There are so many waterfalls, rivers, springs, lakes here that you can’t count them.

We walked to the Malaya Laba river.

Now she is relatively calm. And in the spring, when the glaciers begin to melt, it turns into a stormy, rumbling stream.

In winter, the landscapes are no less beautiful, and not far from this place there is a silver spring, people from all over the area go there for water.

And we also visited the waterfall of desires.

In winter, the way there is not the easiest, we had to overcome climbs and a very steep wet slope. But at the end of the road, a real miracle awaited us. Everyone made their cherished wish. They say it comes true. Let's see!

You can look at Psebay and its surroundings from a height on the observation platform where the guide brought us. Beauty! True, there has not been fresh snow for a long time and the colors are not very bright, but this does not spoil the overall impression.

Those who wished could ride down the hill on tablets. A steep hill, the speed develops oh-oh-oh. But people come there specifically to ride, in cars and spend several hours there.

Almost all the sights of Psebay are far away, and you have to go by car. But the Gerpegem ridge is very close, it can be seen from everywhere. All camp sites offer an excursion there. But we were not offered, and I decided to go there myself.

I won't be me if I don't conquer at least one. There is a gentle slope. There are almost no trees near the edge of the ridge. The road did not seem difficult, it seemed not far, so why can't I manage it. And I climbed the mountain! And it was already after lunch, and the daylight hours were short….

And I didn't even think about the fact that winter was in the yard. The weather was excellent, the temperature was above zero, the snow was melting. And so I rise, and the higher, the more difficult. In the snow, in boots, not even in sneakers, my feet got wet through. No. I'm going higher. And there it is steeper and steeper, I slide, I fall, a couple of times I drowned the camera in the snow. I thought everything was ruined. No, I shook it off, it works.

And then I found a horse trail. Wow, I think horses climb to this height, but what am I worse. Well, go along the horse path. Horses choose the easiest path. Nooo, straight ahead faster. Aha! How!

Somehow I got back on the trail and then I realized that not always the shortest road is the closest, especially in the mountains.

And then the sun began to set. I didn't have time to reach the top. Only 200 meters left.

And the view from here is stunning!

I did not want to go back through the darkness alone in an unfamiliar area. And I hurried back.

In the morning we saw footprints in the snow - some of a hare, and others ... I don’t even know what kind of animal it is, but the claws are 4 centimeters. And so, going down, for some reason, I thought about these footprints all the time. And although I am not such a coward, and I walk alone through the forests and mountains, but ... it was getting dark slowly, and all the time it seemed to me that someone from the forest was looking at me. I go and look around, no one. The village is far away, even though it is below, below me, no one will hear, no matter how you shout .... Mom dear. She ran downstairs. And I understood forever that you can’t go to the mountains alone in winter, even if it seems that it’s low and not far.

The peak remained unconquered, which means that it is waiting for me, and I will return here again.

Nowadays, there are less and less places where the paths are not walked, the animals are not scared, the water is crystal clear. Here Psebay is just such a place. They even have spring water flowing from the tap. Until you meet crowds of tourists there, as in or Sochi, there are no huge 5-star hotels, and, thank God, that civilization has not yet reached here and you can plunge into the pristine nature entirely, with all your soul and body.

The climate here is unique, there are almost no winds, it is not hot in summer, and winter is real! True, until mid-summer there is a lot of rain and even hail. Our guide told us that it is better to come from the second half of July. Then there are many sunny days and you can get around all the local attractions.

There will be a separate article about our Voskhod camp site. (Already have read I really liked them, organization of recreation, territory, rooms, SPA complex with a sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and herbal tea ... Mmmmm, how great we had a rest!

As we drove, look at the map.

Adventure in the flower bed

Skumpia blooms

Palm trees, palm trees, palm trees...

The village of Psebay is becoming more and more popular every year among tourists who prefer the so-called "Wild Vacation". Basically, people tend to get to these parts in order to fully enjoy the beauty of the surrounding nature. Moreover, there are quite enough places that deserve attention.

A bit of history

The settlement was created in 1857, but it became truly inhabited in 1862. During these years, families of Cossacks and soldiers began to come here. Psebay developed rather slowly. Rapid development began in 1888, when the cousin of Nicholas II, Sergei Romanov, moved here. He leased a huge amount of land. Ordered to build a church, a hunting lodge. They have survived to this day, are considered historical monuments and belong to the sights of the village.

In Soviet times, the route (on foot) to Krasnaya Polyana began here, through the Caucasian Reserve. Over time, it was abandoned, and only in the year 2000 it was not only renewed, but new routes were also planned. These places are especially popular with tourists who are fond of hang gliding, rafting, jeeping and so on.

Caves around Psebay

In the vicinity of the village of Psebay there are a lot of mountains, respectively, and caves. Many of them are included in tourist routes. Gunkiny caves are the most impressive in these parts. They are located in a beam with the same name, there are four of them in total. From the largest and most popular river flows. There are three halls in it, united by a narrow and low peculiar corridor. The first hall is the smallest, the second is slightly larger and the third is the largest. Its height is about 10 meters, and its width is from 12 to 25, with a length of 80 meters. While the first hall is only forty-five meters long, 20 wide and three high. The total duration of the Gunka caves is about one kilometer, but during the flood period, most of them simply cannot be reached.

Malaya Laba - river

The peculiarity of this river is always clean and cold water. The channel is fed by glaciers, thanks to which the water here is always ideal. All along the way, the Laba is “struggling”, up to the very point where it flows into the Bolshaya Laba. The river is stormy and is very popular with rafting fans. Almost throughout the village, the banks are steep and steep. And only outside it they become even. During floods, the river becomes dangerous. Spills begin, a very strong current. The river is very popular with tourists-fishermen. At the same time, fishing here cannot be called calm. You have to be a real professional to catch trout, which is available here in abundance, or chub.

These places are very popular in all seasons. The water temperature in them reaches a mark of 80 - 90 degrees. While in the baths it is 37 - 42. The water here is rich in minerals, for example: potassium, fluorine, calcium and others. Which most positively affects the problems of the musculoskeletal system, the respiratory tract. Water sources are also useful for people who succumb to severe stress, experiencing nervous exhaustion. At the same time, the healing effect persists for a sufficiently long period of time. People come here in any weather.

The mountain is strewn with giant trees, boulders. An incredibly beautiful place, from the top of which offers a stunning view of the village of Psebay, the Caucasus Range and the Laba River. A visit to Mount Shapka is included in most tourist routes and is the most popular place.

They are located not in Psebay itself, but in the mountains near the village of Nikitino, which is why they are called so. On the way to them, tourists enjoy the view of the cascades. The places here are very beautiful, the route to the Nikitinsky waterfalls themselves without steep climbs.

Another natural attraction of these places. The road to them is much more difficult than to Nikitinsky, but the view is more breathtaking. The approximate height is about 40 meters. The last few tens of meters in front of the waterfall are the most difficult. With steep climbs.

The route is quite difficult. First, by car, you need to drive to the village of Salt. Then walk for a few kilometers. The path runs along the Kyzyl-bek River, through the mountains. But by car you can get to the largest of these waterfalls, almost right next to it. A huge number of tourists cannot resist the temptation to plunge into the bowls of the lakes at the foot, created by these waterfalls.

The easiest way to get to the village of Psebay is by car. Public transport rarely runs here. Several transplants are required. The reviews of people who have already been here more than once will help you decide how to get to Psebay.

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Psebay rest. Panorama of Psebay. Virtual tour of Psebay. Attractions, map, photo, video. Where is Psebay located on the map