Discover the Republic of Dagestan

• Derbent is home to a citadel with surviving gates and archaeological remains, as well as a medieval old town.
• In Gunib, a path leads from the Shamil Gates along a three-kilometre-long fortress wall to a tower.
• Tobot Waterfall lies at 1,690 metres at the start of the Tsolotl Canyon; its exact drop height is unknown.
• The Sarykum Dune is part of the Dagestan Nature Reserve, but is not fully accessible to visitors.

Derbent’s citadel contains archaeological remains of a bathhouse, several underground water reservoirs, a fifth-century Christian church and an eighth-century mosque. Steep slopes surround the citadel on three sides. Its massive stone walls are 2.5 to 3.2 metres thick, more than 700 metres long and 10 to 15 metres high. Nine of the fortification’s original 14 gates have survived.

The mountain wall of the complex is distinct from the citadel walls: it runs 40 kilometres westward across the mountains and completely blocks the pass between the sea and the mountains. Together with the medieval buildings of the old town, known as magalims, the fortifications form a cultural landscape. The old town preserves courtyard houses, public buildings, mosques, bathhouses, madrasas and the remains of a caravanserai. Derbent’s architectural history can be traced through both its surviving structures and the connection between the fortifications and the old town.

Gunib also offers tangible historical landmarks: a fortress wall with a round tower and two gates has survived. The lower gate is called the Baryatinsky Gate, and the upper one the Shamil Gate. A path leads from the Shamil Gates along the three-kilometre-long wall to a tower. The 107-metre-long Gunib Tunnel was hewn through the rock in the 1860s; Alexander II travelled through it. This history of the tunnel is distinct from the wall route described above.

Tobot Waterfall lies on the Khunzakh Plateau at an altitude of 1,690 metres, at the start of the Tsolotl Canyon. It is one of the highest waterfalls in the North Caucasus. Its exact drop height is unknown; estimates range from 50 to 100 metres. Its water level follows a clear seasonal pattern: the waterfall carries the most water from May to July, while in winter it freezes and turns into a large icicle.

The mountain botanical garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences is located in the Upper Gunib Nature Park. Its collection includes rare and endemic plant species from the Caucasus and Dagestan. This combines a nature park with a distinctive botanical focus. Another type of landscape is the Sarykum Dune: described as the largest dune in Russia and Europe, it is 262 metres high above sea level and about three kilometres long.

Metal walkways lead onto the Sarykum Dune; the hiking trail is called the “Path of the Wise Turtle.” The area is part of the Dagestan Nature Reserve, but the entire dune is not accessible to visitors. Check the current visitor rules before your visit. This lets you account for access restrictions in your plans without mistaking the walkable trails for access to the whole dune.

On an excursion to the Chirkey Hydroelectric Power Plant, visitors can stand at the foot of the dam. They can also visit the station’s tree museum and two viewing platforms. In the Karadakh Gorge, visitors can walk through an unusual rock corridor. These three experiences differ in what takes centre stage: the dam, the power station with its viewpoints, or the gorge’s rock formations.

When searching for hotels in Dagestan, it helps to decide first what you want to focus on during your trip. Derbent’s historic buildings, Gunib’s fortress wall, Tobot Waterfall and the Sarykum Dune appeal to different interests.

Discover more destinations: Kizlyarskiy Rayon, Sovetskoye, Shara, Izberbash, Kurla, Kizlyar, Khasavyurt, Buynaksk, Derbentskiy rayon, Gunibsky District, gorod Makhachkala, Bryansk, Makhachkala, Derbent.

How high is Tobot Waterfall?

It lies at an altitude of 1,690 metres. Its exact drop height is unknown; estimates range from 50 to 100 metres.

When does Tobot carry the most water?

It carries the most water from May to July. In winter, it freezes and forms a large icicle.

Is the entire Sarykum Dune accessible?

No. Only part of the dune is accessible to visitors. Check the current visitor rules before your visit.

For the main travel overview: Russia.