The Samur forest is located on the border of Dagestan with Azerbaijan, in the valley of the Samur River. It is a unique botanical phenomenon. Tropical lianas and other relict trees grow here, although the border of the northern tropic is located in the region of Egypt, 2,300 km south of the Samur Forest, and the real rainforests are much further south in Central Africa.
Scientists classify the Samur forest as a relict temperate subtropical liana forest. Similar Hyrkanian-type forests grow in Iran. The name "Hyrkanian" comes from the ancient Greek word Hyrkania, which was used to name the region on the southern shore of the Caspian Sea. Some of these forests in Iran are included in the UNESCO Cultural Heritage List. Some of these forests are located in Azerbaijan, and only the Samur forest is located on the territory of Russia.
Most Hyrkanian forests do not belong to the category of tropical liana forests. The atmosphere of a humid tropical forest in the Samur forest was created by the delta of the Samur River, which divides into dozens of streams before flowing into the Caspian Sea. The soil of the Samur forest is very moist. This created an opportunity for the growth of lianas, which usually grow in the tropics.
In 2018, the Samursky National Park was created. It includes an area of 10 thousand hectares in the Samur River delta, as well as 38 thousand hectares of high-altitude area around the sacred mountain Shalbuzdag. A strict environmental regime is necessary to preserve the Samur forest, since the construction of canals and the diversion of water from the Samur River for the needs of surrounding cities reduces the humidity of the forest. Because of this, the vines dry up and die.
Only deciduous trees grow in the Samur forest: hornbeams, beeches, poplars, oaks and others. Due to the moisture, very dense undergrowth grows under the trees, with vines hanging from the branches above it. In total, scientists have registered 1,073 plant species in the territory of the Samur National Park, and more than 50 of them are listed in the Red Book of Russia. There are also endemic plants that grow only in the Samur forest.
However, the main asset of the Samursky forest, unique to Russian forests, are tropical lianas. In total, 15 types of lianas grow here, but four types are most common: wild grapes, grape-leaved Clematis, Pastukhov ivy and prickly sassaparilla. Some creepers entwine the trees like a spider web to the top, but there are also large creepers here.
Routes through the Samur forest
You can visit the Samursky forest on your own, if you have a car, or as part of an excursion. You can also walk if you come to the village of Primorsky, but the distances in the forest are large enough for hiking. The main goal of all excursions is an 800–year-old sycamore tree. Other attractions of the Samur forest can be seen on the way to it.
The only road where you can drive to the shore of the Caspian Sea and further into the Samur forest goes to the village of Primorskiy. It is located on the border with Azerbaijan. There are guest houses in this village. People come here to swim on the Black Sand Beach.
In the village of Primorsky, turn left and go to the base of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Beyond it begins the territory of the Primorsky Fish Farm, where Caspian salmon is bred. Near the base, one road goes into the forest, but you can only drive along this road by SUV, since streams cross the dirt road in several places.
To see the liana forests near the base of Ministry of Emergency Situations, turn right and go to the beach. The road stretches along the fence of the Primorsky Fish Farm. In several places, it is crossed by fairly deep streams. However, you can cross them in a regular sedan, since the bottom of the streams is lined with flat stones.
When the fence ends, the road stretches along the Reservoirs of the Primorsky Fish Farm. They look very picturesque. The shores of the ponds are overgrown with huge grass. In some places, its height exceeds human height. There is a Confluence of Streams between the two ponds. You definitely need to make a stop here to go to the banks of streams and see huge creepers. You can swing on them, like on a swing.
From the confluence of the streams to the 800-year-old sycamore tree, you need to drive along the shore of a large reservoir, bypassing it on the left. Here you will see Trees in Creepers. This is the most beautiful place in the Samur forest, where trees in lianas and very dense undergrowth create the atmosphere of a tropical forest. The prickly sasaparilla bushes under the trees are so dense, it is impossible to pass through them.
The end point of the journey through the Samur forest is an 800-year-old sycamore tree. It is marked on some maps, so it is not difficult to find a way to it. The diameter of the plane tree reaches 4.5 meters, and the circumference is almost 14 meters. In the Middle Ages, one of the routes of the Great Silk Road ran along the coast of the Caspian Sea. At this time, a plane tree began to grow from a small seed, which in our time has become a huge tree with a powerful crown.
