Alagirsky District: Gorges, Caves and Natural Monuments
Accommodation in Alagirsky District
Natural monuments of many different kinds have been designated in Alagirsky District: mineral springs, caves, gorges, lakes and a grove. The location references range from Dzigvis and Tamisk to Suadag, Tagardon and the gorge areas of Kurtat and Zrug. The Rekom sanctuary and the Alagir Arboretum also add a cultural site and another natural feature to the landscape. For orientation, the specific location is as important as the type of natural feature.
Gorges and springs
The Kadargavan Canyon near Dzigvis is designated a natural monument of regional significance; the same applies to Dzigvis Cave near Dzigvis. The group of natural monuments at Tamisk includes several different features: the Tamisk Mineral Springs near Tamisk comprise 47 springs. The Nyhas Gorge near Tamisk, the Tamisk Canyon on the southwestern edge of the settlement, and the artificial Tamisk Lake are also designated natural monuments of regional significance. The location descriptions distinguish between the two gorges: the Nyhas Gorge is situated near Tamisk, while the Tamisk Canyon is specifically on the southwestern edge of the settlement.
Two more natural features are identified near Suadag. The Hetag Grove near Suadag is designated a natural monument of regional significance. The same applies to Suadag Spring Cave near Suadag, which is described as the source of the Suadagdon. Together, these names refer to different natural monuments: a grove and a cave associated with the source of a river.
Caves, lakes and other natural monuments
The stalactite cave “Nyvdzhin Lagat” is located near Tagardon in the Kurtat Gorge and is designated a natural monument of regional significance. Universitetskaya Cave has the same designation; it is located on the northern slope of the Khoskhara Range. The hillside location provides a different geographic reference from the cave near Tagardon in the Kurtat Gorge.
The names and area descriptions also provide clear orientation for the lakes: Lake Suargom is located in the Suadag Gorge in the Suargom area. Lake Tsaziu is in the Tsaziu area of the Kurtat Gorge, while the Zrug Lakes are in the upper part of the Zrug Gorge. All three are designated natural monuments of regional significance. The Kasar Gorge, also a natural monument of this kind, stretches between Buron and Zaramag. The natural features thus range from springs and caves to lakes and gorges; their locations are described, among other ways, by reference to a settlement edge, a mountain slope or the upper part of a gorge.
Another designated natural site is the Alagir Arboretum near the North Caucasus Forestry Technical College in Alagir. It too is a natural monument of regional significance. Its location distinguishes it from the natural monuments near Dzigvis and Tamisk or in the gorge areas mentioned above.
Rekom and the history of nature conservation
The Rekom sanctuary is located in the Tseyskoe Gorge. This landscape is also associated with a timeline of area protection: the republican “Tseyskiy” protected area existed in the Tseyskoe Gorge from 1958, before the gorge became part of the nature reserve. The nature reserve, established in Alagirsky District in 1967, incorporated the Tseyskoe Gorge. Rekom and this history give the landscape an additional cultural and historical dimension.
When planning a stay, the different natural features can provide a useful starting point: springs, caves, lakes, gorges and a grove offer a range of thematic focal points. The locations given help distinguish the natural monuments and their geographic settings.
Discover more destinations: Lats, Ardonskiy District, Prigorodnyy District, Irafsky District, Alagirsky District, City of Vladikavkaz.
Go to the main travel overview: Republic of North Ossetia–Alania.
