Kislovodsk: Terrenkur, Narzan and Culture

Terrenkur trails, Narzan and a rich architectural and museum history give Kislovodsk many different facets. Kislovodski National Park has a network of trails for outdoor activities; in the city, the Narzan Gallery, the fortress, art collections and the philharmonic offer a range of cultural experiences. You can plan your stay around whatever interests you most.

Terrenkur and Narzan

The network of terrenkur trails in Kislovodski National Park is 24.3 kilometres long in total. This figure refers to the combined length of the network, not to a single trail—a useful distinction if you are planning to make outdoor activities a focus of your trip.

Visitors can sample three types of Narzan at the Narzan Gallery free of charge every day: general, dolomite and sulfate Narzan. Dolomite and sulfate Narzan are served hot and cold. The gallery is also a 19th-century architectural monument and a cultural heritage site of federal significance. Architect Samuel Upton designed it in the symbolic shape of a key. Check the current tasting arrangements before your visit.

The fortress and the city’s history

Kislovodsk Fortress consists of a round tower, walls with loopholes, gates, barracks, weapons workshops and an arsenal. Its fully restored main buildings house exhibition rooms for the Krepost Local History Museum; these include the south and southwest barracks, gates, workshops, arsenal and tower. The fortress is considered the only military structure of this scale to have survived in the North Caucasus since the mid-19th century. The museum opened on 9 May 1965.

The exhibitions cover stages in the history of the peoples of the North Caucasus, research into mineral springs, the development of Kislovodsk and the role of the Cossacks in the establishment of the spa town. Outside the museum, visitors can see military equipment, stone sculptures and a model of the first Narzan bathhouse. A memorial marker made from a block of dolomite commemorates the founding of Kislovodsk on 13 (25) June 1803.

Art, gardens and music

The collection of artist N. A. Yaroshenko is housed in the home where he lived and worked. It includes works by Yaroshenko and N. A. Kasatkin. Yaroshenko (1846–1898) was a Russian artist associated with the Peredvizhniki movement. His guests and friends called the bright house the “White Villa”; it reopened as an art museum in 1962.

The grounds cover about 1.1 hectares and include an orchard with a small arboretum and a park with a fountain, where visitors can take a stroll. This makes it possible to combine a look around the art collection with some time outdoors. The combination of house, garden and park offers a different focus from the exhibitions in the fortress.

The North Caucasian State Safonov Philharmonic offers programmes featuring symphony orchestras, organ concerts, chamber and children’s programmes, operas, operettas and plays. Guided tours of the halls and traditional benefit performances are also part of the programme. Performances and dates vary; check the schedule for your visit.

Monuments and memorial sites

The Cranes memorial complex features a 12-metre-high obelisk topped by three flying cranes. It commemorates the residents of Kislovodsk who went to the front during the Great Patriotic War. The stone Cathedral of St Nicholas the Wonderworker is also part of the city’s history: built in 1888 at 19 Mira Street, it was completely destroyed in 1936.

At the centre of Rebrov Square stands a 2.7-metre-high bronze statue of Alexei Fyodorovich Rebrov, created by sculptor Salavat Shcherbakov. A broad avenue lined with well-kept flowerbeds and benches leads to the Heroes Among Medical Workers monument, which was unveiled in 1997.

Find the right holiday apartment for your stay

If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Kislovodsk, use your planned activities as a guide when choosing where to stay: someone planning to spend most of their time outdoors may have different priorities from someone hoping to visit concerts and museums. Include the places and specific event dates that interest you in your plans.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Dmitriyevskoye, Georgiyevsk, Kursavka, Izobilny, Podgornaya, Lermontov, Divnoye, Yasnaya Polyana.

Return to the regional travel overview: Stavropol Krai.