Sightseeing in Mineralnie Vody - what to see. Complete travel guide

The resort of Mineralnye Vody appeared thanks to the laying of the Rostov-Vladikavkaz railway that was completed in 1875. On the lands of Sultan Girei Djanbek, new villages were established. Then, they were unified into a bigger village called Sultanovsky formed on the 16th of June in 1876 O.S. The workers’ settlement, which population was almost 500 people, railmen in particular, started actively developing and renamed Illarionovsky.

The building of the Glass Factory in 1898 had a positive impact on the village development. In 1923, Sultanovsky was renamed Mineralnye Vody. The town has borne this beautiful name for about a hundred years. In 1929 and 1930, plants for producing and processing non-metallic minerals, including the stone crushing plant “Zmeyka” and the big mine “Beshtaunit”, were built here. When the airport was built in 1925, the town became one of the most important points on the main air routes of the country.

In Mineralnye Vody, there has never been a mineral spring. The city gained its name due to the geographical closeness to the famous resorts of Caucasus Mineralnye Vody where healing mineral waters are still a basis for balneological treatment. The resort of Mineralnye Vody is located on the banks of Kuma and Surkul, at the foot of Mount Zmeyka. Mineralnye Vody is an industrial town. It has always been a large transport hub and traditionally considered the gate of Caucasus Mineralnye Vody. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Nowadays, this city is one of the largest in the Stavropol Region. Like many years ago, it is an important transport, railway and air hub of the North Caucasus. Mineralnye Vody is the member of the Association of the Southern city of the Russian Federation. It has partner and friendly relations with most of the cities of Russia and neighboring countries. Mineralnye Vody is quite a promising town from a tourist point of view, which is connected with excellent transport opportunities, the closeness of resort towns, an electrified railway line, and a well-developed communal infrastructure.

One of the main religious monuments of the city is the Church of St. Nicholas built in the middle of the 20th century. Since its construction, the church has remained almost unchangeable. It is distinguished by its modest and discreet design. From the inside, it is decorated with fascinating paintings. The main value of the church is the old icon “She Who is Quick to Hear”. It is aged over several hundred years. The icon was painted by Athonite monks.

In the city, there is the preserved House of A. P. Bibik. This famous writer lived in the Mineral Waters for the last 20 years of his life. The museum dedicated to his life and art was opened in the late 20th century. Today, its visitors can see the writings of the literary figure, books from his private collection, different art tools, and other personal belongings of the writer. The organizers of the museum have tried to preserve the atmosphere of the past in this historic building.

In the vicinity of the city, there are a lot of interesting nature attractions, including Mount Zmeyka. The mountain was called like this because of multiple narrow twisted ravines on its slopes that resemble snakes crawling upwards from afar. Near the western mountain slope, there are unique mineral springs. In the submontane areas, you can also see a lot of rare plants. There are several hiking routes, during which you can admire the mountain from the most interesting angles. In the submontane area, there are also several interesting archeological districts. The remains of settlements of the 7th-9th centuries AD were found here.

The unusual historical symbol of the city is the Tersk Stud. It was founded in 1889 upon the order of the count Sergey Stroganov. Now, the historical stud is one of the largest in Russia and open for tourists on particular days. The visitors of the stud will have an opportunity to see in what conditions elite horses are bred and trained. A lot of interesting entertainments are held for visitors. They can master the skills in riding a horse and go horse riding along picturesque nature attractions. There are several amazing parks in the city. To enjoy the unique nature of this place, it is not necessary to take long excursions.