
Places • 09 June, 2025
You are in the Heart of Dombay
From Mineralnye Vody Airport to Dombay is just 210 km, easily reached by bus, car, or taxi. And there you are – surrounded by mountain peaks disappearing into the clouds, breathing in the pure mountain air and feeling energized. Ready for real adventures? Welcome to Dombay – a place where every step leads to new discoveries!
What to do?
1. Enjoy the view from the Gumbashi Pass.
2. Walk across the suspension bridge in the village of Dombay.
3. Go on a one-day hike along one of the 14 routes and conquer a peak.
4. Take the cable car to the highest point – 3,168 meters.
5. Stroll through the Teberda Nature Reserve.
6. Admire the scenic lakes: Tumanly-Kel, Baduk Lakes, and Kara-Kyol.
7. Collect a photo gallery of waterfalls: Sufrudzhinsky, Shumka, Alibek, Chuchkhur, or Devil’s Mill.
8. Touch real glaciers with your hands.
9. See the picturesque Shoanin Church, which is over 1,000 years old!
10. Buy souvenirs at the Dombay market.
11. Ride the “sky swings” on the slopes of Mount Musa-Achitara.
12. Marvel at the unusual hotel shaped like a “flying saucer”.
13. Relax in a café with panoramic views.
14. Take an excursion to the village of Teberda.
15. Ride a mountain bike, ATV, or jeep off-road.
16. Go paragliding in tandem with an experienced instructor.
17. Try rafting on the Amanauz, Gonachkhir, or Teberda rivers.
18. Go berry picking – blueberries, lingonberries, and raspberries.
19. Enjoy a mountain sauna and then plunge into an icy pool.
20. Ski at the mountain resort in winter.
What to try?
1. Khychiny with various fillings: meat, cheese, or beet greens.
2. Lamb dishes.
3. Mountain trout.
4. Shashlik, including yak shashlik.
5. Mountain tea.
What to bring back?
1. Dombay herbal tea.
2. An enamel mug with a mountain-themed design.
3. Hand-knitted items.
4. Honey and jam, for example, made from pine cones.
5. Balkham, a Caucasian remedy made from pine resin, honey, and clarified homemade butter.