Ishutinskoe hillfort in the valley of the Beautiful Mecha river
The Ishutinskoe hillfort is one of the most famous tourist attractions in the valley of the Beautiful Mecha river. It is located in the south of the Tula region, near the village Ishutino. Here you will see very beautiful landscapes of the Central Russian upland.
Historians believe that at the top of this rocky ridge in ancient times there was a settlement of the Scythian or Sarmatian tribe, however, the size of the plateau on the top is small, so that no more than 2-3 hundred people could live here. There is no information about archaeological excavations at this place, as well as confirmed facts that the settlement really existed.
Ishutinskoe hillfort is a rocky cliff with a height of about 40 meters. On one side of the cliff flows the Beautiful Mecha river, on the other runs a deep ravine. The Beautiful Mecha river at this point makes a sharp bend. The top of the cliff is overgrown with meadow grass.
The riverbed in this place has a fairly noticeable difference in height, which is atypical for the Central Russian plain. Therefore, small threshold are even noticeable on the river. Because of this difference, the Ishutinskaya mini-hydroelectric power station was built here in Soviet times. Now only the ruins of the foundation and part of the dam remain.
For a trip to the Ishutinskoe hillfort you have to go on a highway Moscow-Don and near the town of Efremov collapse to the east. The last 10 kilometers will have to be driven on a dirt road. If it has been raining recently, it is not possible to drive directly to the hillfort plateau in a car with a low suspension.
Neighborhood in the Ishutinskoe hillfort is very picturesque. Here you can spend half a day walking among the ravines and along the banks of the Beautiful Mecha river, then go to the Valley of Megaliths (Witch`s stones) and the Horse-Stone megalith. They are only 20 kilometers from the Ishutinskoe hillfort, however, most of the road is unpaved, so you will go there for about an hour.
