Zhane river in Gelendzhik
One of the most popular excursions from Gelendzhik is "Waterfalls and dolmens on the Zhane river". Of course, this place deserves to spend half a day here in the shade of trees, rising along the course of the river Zhane with its numerous cascades.
The route along the Zhane riverbed begins in the village of Vozrozhdenie near the Parking lot by the river (16 km East of Gelendzhik). From the ticket office begins a path up the mountain, which goes along the riverbed. The first attraction of these places – three dolmens. These megaliths were built in about the 3rd millennium BC, during the Bronze age. The largest of them is the Dolmen of "Wisdom". It has a tile structure and has runic markings on its facade. Around it, a platform is laid out of stones. It is flanked by two composite dolmens: the dilapidated "Hidden Possibilities" dolmen on the left, and the beautiful "Harmony" dolmen on the right.
After the dolmens, you should go along the river for another 1 kilometer, where there is a large necropolis. Two dolmens " Zhane " and " Zhane-2" are preserved here, and scattered slabs of several more dolmens are visible around them. Here, among the trees, you can see a large number of low Adyghe earthen mounds of 7-15 centuries. There are several hundred of them here.
From these dolmens, you will have to walk a few hundred meters more, and there will be the first waterfall on the Zhane river, which called The Emerald. The waterfall consists of several cascades that flow between the marl slabs. In the vicinity of Gelendzhik, most of the rocks consist of these marl slabs. It is a rock based on dolomite, limestone and clay.
Between the cascades of the waterfall there is a Cup of Love in which everyone can bathe. Further up the riverbed are the Bath of Aphrodite and the Bath of Hercules. This is the bowl is formed among the stone slabs. There are cafes near these bowls, where the light route for most people ends. The trail goes further, but there are not many waterfalls within walking distance.
If you want to see the high waterfalls of the river Zhane, it is very difficult to get to them on foot, and for most people it is impossible. In Gelendzhik offer jeep tours into the upper reaches of the river Zhane on the ridge of Cotzekhur. There, the height of the waterfalls reaches more than 10 meters. These waterfalls on the river Zhane are called Maiden`s Braids, Box, Dragon`s Eyes and others. During this trip, you will also be able to see the dolmens.
