The Daryal Gorge is the only through passage in the Central part of the Caucasus Ridge. From a geographical point of view, the Daryal Gorge is considered only a narrow canyon of the Terek River with a length of 12 kilometers. Now there is a checkpoint Upper Lars on the state border between Georgia and Russia.
Travelers of the past centuries admired the beauty of this canyon, but nowadays most of the road passes through tunnels, and it is strictly forbidden to stop and take pictures of anything in the open space of the neutral zone.
In this review on the Geomerid online travel guide, under the name Daryal Gorge, we combine the entire passage through the Caucasian Ridge from the northern to the southern slope with a length of 160 kilometers, from the Ananuri Fortress in the south to the state border with Russia in the north. This includes the Valley of the White Aragvi River, the Cross Pass, the Valley of the Terek River and others.
The Cross Pass is quite high - 2379 m, but other passes of the Main Caucasian Ridge are significantly higher: Klukhort pass (2781 m), Mamison Pass (2911 m), Roksky Pass (2996 m). These passes have been covered with snow for more than six months, and the organization of transport communication along them is impossible.
The Daryal Gorge has been used for communication between the North and South Caucasus for thousands of years. The only alternative to this road was the route around the Caucasian Ridge through Derbent, along the coast of the Caspian Sea. But this road increases the distance by more than 1.5 thousand kilometers. For a caravan in the Middle Ages, this is a very long distance.
In 1799, a Georgian-Military road was laid along the Daryal Gorge. 11 postal stations were built on it. The road was dangerous because of rockfalls. Also, before the end of the Caucasian War in 1864, the road along the Daryal gorge was dangerous because of possible attacks by mountaineers.
Nowadays, the Daryal Gorge is the only land road that connects Russia and Georgia. On the Russian side, at the exit from the gorge, on the northern side of the Caucasian Ridge, the city of Vladikavkaz is located. On the southern side of the Caucasian Ridge is the capital of Georgia, the city of Tbilisi. The distance between Vladikavkaz and Tbilisi is 200 km.
Attractions of the Daryal Gorge
Only a small segment passes through the territory of Russia at the exit from the Daryal Gorge from the northern slope of the Caucasian Ridge. The distance from Vladikavkaz to the border crossing near the village of Upper Lars is only 30 kilometers. There are no attractions in the Daryal Gorge on the territory of Russia.
On the territory of Georgia in the Daryal gorge (170 km) there are many natural and historical attractions. There are two mountain resorts here: Gudauri and Stepantsminda. In Gudauri you can go skiing. The village of Stepantsminda is located at the foot of Mount Kazbek, the symbol of Georgia. There are many routes for trekking along mountain trails. Be sure to go up to the monastery of the Holy Trinity Gergeti, as well as walk along the valley of the Terek River, which originates in the Trusovsky gorge.
The border crossing between Russia and Georgia is located in the narrowest part of the Daryal Gorge. Travel on it is impossible because of the border regime. Only the southern exit from the gorge, where the Daryal Monastery and the ruins of the ancient Castle of Queen Tamara are located, is available for visiting. Nearby, in the village of Gveleti, the path to the beautiful Gveleti Waterfall begins.
At the Cross Pass, you have to make a stop near the Friendship Arch. It offers a beautiful view of the valley of the White Aragvi River, which flows to the south. In the very south, at the entrance to the Daryal gorge, there is the medieval Fortress of Ananuri.
