Stone city, Perm region. Natural monument stone city in the Perm region Natural attractions of the Perm region. Kungur Ice Cave
The Urals are rich in beautiful and interesting places. This and ancient cities, and monuments created by nature itself. One of them has been known to tourists relatively recently - since 2000. One of the names of this place is Stone Town.
History of Stone Town
In 1879, the small village of Usva on the same name began its chronicle. Brave, strong people, ore explorers, and miners lived in it. The forest helped to survive in these harsh places, providing herbs, berries, and mushrooms. There's only one place we didn't go local residents. There, among the taiga, strangely shaped stone cliffs rose. Like narrow streets, deep cracks cut the rocks. The locals considered this place unclean, and they gave it the name “Devil’s Settlement.”
In the 1950s, cheerful youth came to the taiga to develop reserves of coal, potassium salts, and other riches of the Urals. She was not afraid of God or the devil. And she gave her name to the stones - after the largest and most noticeable remains - “Turtles”.
Stone Town in the Perm Territory is one of the most visited tourist sites in the Urals
And only in the 21st century did tourists begin to call these stones the Stone City. Under this name, the territory received the status of a natural monument of regional significance. What is it?
There is a name - sing. This means a long mountain range covered in forest, parallel to the main ridge. The stone city is located at the southern end of the Rudyansky ridge. Rudyansky - from a mining ore deposit. The rocks are made of durable, fine-grained sandstone. From 350 to 300 million years ago, a river flowed into the Permian Sea and cut convenient paths in the rocks. The height of the “houses” is up to 12 meters, and the height above sea level is about half a kilometer.
Various rocky outcrops resemble different animals, which is why they are named Big Turtle, Winged Guardian, Rat, Seal. The city has its own watchman - Idol. A narrow arch leads into the city - the Gate. The view from the remains is wonderful! The Ural taiga is amazingly beautiful and diverse. But even half a kilometer is already a height. And at any moment the weather can hide the miracles with a curtain of thick fog.
The Legend of the Devil and the Rooster
Once upon a time there lived a rich boyar in a village, and he had a beautiful daughter. In her youth they gave her a small cockerel. They grew up together, the cockerel slept next to the girl’s bed and woke her up in the morning. The time has come to choose a groom. And the devil himself came to the boyar to woo him. The boyar became afraid - he couldn’t refuse, and it was a pity to give his daughter to the unclean. I decided to set an impossible task - one night before the first rooster crow, to build stone chambers of indescribable beauty... The devil whistled - and huge stones flew and began to form into houses themselves. And the devil would have time to build a chamber, but the girl would see it and start shaking the rooster and tugging at its feathers. The rooster could not stand this attitude and crowed in the middle of the night. The devil disappeared into the underground kingdom, and the unfinished city remained in the taiga.
Rock Feathered Guardian in Stone Town The rocks of the Stone Town are always beautiful and interesting, both in winter and in summer. Visitors to this extraordinary place should remember that they will have to walk about 2 kilometers and choose appropriate clothing and shoes. Also, there is no source of water in the rocks. And it is necessary to maintain order in this beautiful place, take all trash with you. The eternal rocks will surprise and delight nature lovers for a long time. Stone Town, a unique natural monument, awaits guests and residents of the Perm region!
Dimensions of the Turtle stone in Stone Town Photo gallery of Stone Town
How to get to Stone Town
To get to Stone Town from Perm, you first need to get to the city. Next, in Chusovoy, we follow the sign for the towns of Gubakha and Kizel. The last fork is located 10 kilometers after Chusovoy, you need to choose the direction towards Gubakha. 50 kilometers after Chusovoy there will be the village of Usva, leaving which, after 500 meters on the rise, we go to the right following the sign “Stone Town”. After 8 kilometers there will be an organized parking lot with an information sign about the attraction. Approximate travel time from Perm is 2.5 hours.
To get to the Stone Town from Yekaterinburg, you first need to get to the Gornozavodsk - Kachkanara fork through Nizhny Tagil. Next we drive along the Northern Latitudinal Corridor until the turnoff to Gubakha or Chusovaya. We turn to Gubakha and drive another 40 kilometers to the village of Usva. The approximate travel time from Yekaterinburg is 4 hours.
We remind you that from the parking lot to the Stone Town you need to walk about 1.5 kilometers, so in wet weather it is better to wear shoes protected from moisture.
Stone Town on Google Maps
Video about Stone Town
Stone City - one of the main natural sights of the Perm region. Another name for these rocks is Devil's Settlement. Locals usually call them Turtles.
Description
This is a truly unique natural monument, located on one of the peaks Rudyansky Spoy ridge(526 meters above sea level). Moreover, this place gained wide popularity relatively recently – less than two decades ago. Since then, the flow of tourists here has been growing every year. Even travel agencies organize regular weekend tours here.
Stone City famous for its bizarre rock outcrops, for which this place received its name. The rocks are composed of fine-grained quartz sandstone. The rock massif is cut through by numerous deep cracks (up to 8-12 meters). The width of the cracks is from 1 to 8 meters. Thanks to this, the outlines of the rocks and the cracks in them are very reminiscent of the houses and streets of an old, abandoned city.
The remains have their own names - Turtle(she does bear a striking resemblance to a turtle) Feathered Guardian etc.
In the center is the Turtle stone The cracks also have their own names - “streets”. The biggest "street" is Avenue. The length of the “streets” reaches 80 meters. There is also one here Square.
Tourists also share Stone City on Big And Small, which differ in size. It’s nice and beautiful on these rocks at any time of the year: be it summer or winter.
Scientists believe that this miracle of nature was formed thanks to the flow that once ancient river. But keep in mind that on Stone Town There are no water sources, so you will have to take water with you.
Weekend route
Nearby Stone City There are many other attractions that can also be visited as part of this exciting weekend itinerary: numerous rock formations, caves, abandoned coal mines and much more.
How to get there?
Get to Stone Town (Devil's Settlement) Perm Territory very simple. By car through Chusovoy, Gremyachinsk, Usva. Turn on Stone City is located behind the kilometer post of the 4th km of the Usva –
At the top of one of the taiga-covered mountain ranges of the Gremyachinsky region of the Perm Territory there is a powerful rock mass cut with deep cracks. Large and not so large crevasses crossing it crosswise form a bizarre labyrinth, reminiscent of the streets, alleys and squares of some long-abandoned settlement. This is the so-called Stone Town, one of the most popular tourist places in the modern Kama region.
Three names for one place
Today, Stone Town is widely known not only to Perm residents, but also to many guests of the region. Despite the remoteness, a constant flow of travelers comes here all year round. However, this was not always the case: a couple of decades ago, only a few local residents knew about the Stone Town, and even then under completely different names.
Cracks in the rock mass of Stone Town form a network of large and small “streets”.
The fact is that modern tourists called this place Stone Town, but earlier for half a century it was called “Turtles”. This name was given to it in the middle of the 20th century because of the characteristic shape of the two highest rock outcrops by the residents of the neighboring mining villages of Shumikhinsky and Yubileiny, founded in 1953 and 1957, respectively. However, this name was not the original one: old-timers of the “oldest age” settlement In this area - the village of Usva - these rocky outcrops have long been known as the Devil's Settlement.
This name is not uncommon for Ural toponymy. Not far from Yekaterinburg, for example, there is a spectacular mountain of the same name, very popular among tourists and climbers. In addition, objects with a similar name are found in other regions of Russia, since it was customary to call rock massifs and stone ridges of unusual shapes “devil’s fortifications.” It is obvious that people, not knowing the true geological reasons, attributed their construction to evil spirits.
History of appearance
How did the Perm Stone City actually arise?
Scientists have found that 350 - 300 million years ago there was a delta of a large river in this place. Its mighty streams brought with them large masses of sand, which over time turned into powerful sandstone deposits. Later, as a result of the movement of tectonic plates that caused the formation of the Ural Mountains, the territory of the future Stone City was raised high above sea level and began to be weathered.
Quartz sandstone of Stone Town. The brown color is due to the admixture of iron hydroxides. Over many millions of years, water, wind, temperature changes and chemical processes have deepened and expanded the cracks that appeared during the tectonic uplift. rock. This led to the emergence of the current “streets” and “alleys”, the width of which is this moment can reach eight and depth – twelve meters. In other words, from a scientific point of view, the Permian Stone City is a cluster of weathering remnants composed of fine-grained quartz sandstones.
Road to Stone Town
Considering the great popularity of the Stone Town today, it is difficult to believe that it is not even mentioned in the old guidebooks to the Kama region. Nevertheless, this is so - the rush demand for the Gremyachin remains has appeared among Perm travel lovers only in the last fifteen to two decades, and before that, due to poor transport accessibility, they were practically unknown to the mass tourist.
Fortunately, the situation has changed since then, and today you can easily get to Stone Town by car. General route is as follows: first the road to Usva (188 kilometers from Perm, 383 from Yekaterinburg), then about another two kilometers along the highway towards Kizel. Then turn right to the villages of Shumikhinsky and Yubileiny and five kilometers along the forest dirt road to the parking lot. Further, turning left from the road, about a one and a half kilometer march along a clearly visible path and among the trees the first remnants of the Stone City will begin to be visible.
At the top of the Rudyansky mountain
Since the Stone Town is located not far from the main peak of the Rudyansky Spoy mountain range (526 meters above sea level), the path from the dirt road to the remains goes up a small slope. The ridge begins on the outskirts of the village of Usva and stretches 19 kilometers north to the city of Gubakha. It was named Rudyansky because of the Rudyanka River flowing in its southern part, in the basin of which iron ore was mined at the beginning of the 19th century. In the Perm region, long mountain ranges covered with forests without clearly defined peaks were previously called spoys.
Rocky outcrop Turtle – main symbol Perm Stone Town. The stone city (not counting the numerous single stones scattered around it) is divided into two unequal parts. The first rock outcrops that tourists come to belong to the so-called Big City. It is in it that the two largest local remains rise - the Big and Small Turtles, because of which the Devil's Settlement changed its name in the 1950s.
The smaller of these remains, due to its similarity in shape to a sitting bird, is today better known to tourists as the Feathered Guardian. The larger one, accordingly, is now more often called simply Turtle. Between him and the Feathered Guardian there is a vast and almost horizontal area - the so-called Square. Tourists get to it along Prospect, the widest (up to four meters) and longest crack in the Stone City. The almost vertical walls of Prospect reach eight meters in height in some places.
The feathered guardian, like the Turtle visible behind him, often becomes the object of annual rock-climbing competitions held in Stone Town between rescuers from the Ministry of Emergency Situations, mountain tourists and speleologists of the Perm Territory. To the right and left of the Prospect there are narrow cracked streets. One of them (the one that goes around the Turtle) has the highest – up to 12 meters – walls in the city. Along the other two, you can climb above the rock massif and from there, in all its glory, see in front of you and Stone Guardian, and Turtle.
About 150 meters north of the Big City is the Small City. Despite its much smaller area compared to its neighbor, it is also very interesting and picturesque. Its main “street”, for example, is even more spectacular than the Avenue described above. In addition, there is a curious stone ridge with a through hole in the base. The only problem is that there is no clear path to the Small Town and it is not always easy to find.
You can come to Stone Town at any time of the year, but it is especially beautiful here on sunny days. autumn days. At this time, you can wander endlessly through its streets immersed in bright colors. That is why at the end of August and at the beginning of autumn there is the largest influx of visitors in the Stone Town.
However, many tourists come here in winter, when both the outcrops themselves and the trees growing right on them are effectively covered with snow-white caps of snowdrifts. Therefore, when going to Stone Town in the winter months, you should not be afraid that the local trails will be impassable due to deep snow. They will certainly be well trodden by groups of previous visitors.
The stone city is located immediately west of the main peak of the Rudyansky ridge. From here you can enjoy unforgettable views of the endless ocean of the Ural taiga. Before visiting the Stone Town, you need to stock up on water, since there are no large water sources. Also, since since 2008 this landscape natural monument of regional significance has received the status of a specially protected natural area, certain rules of behavior must be followed.
Firstly, you can make fires in Stone Town only in specially equipped places, using only dead wood and dead wood (cutting down living trees and shrubs is prohibited). Secondly, you cannot litter and leave unextinguished fires behind. Thirdly, it is prohibited to disturb animals and make inscriptions on rocks, stones and trees. Violation of these rules threatens with a fine of up to 500 thousand rubles.
Stone Town is not the only natural attraction in the vicinity of the village of Usva. Not far from it there is, for example, such a “flagship” of the tourism industry of the Perm region as the Usvinsky Pillars - a huge and extremely photogenic stone ridge with the picturesque remnant of the Devil’s Finger. Rafting on the Usva River is also very popular among Perm residents.
In general, weathering remnants similar to Stone Town associated with selective destruction mountain ranges, are one of the most spectacular geomorphological objects of the Kama region. There are especially many of them on the flat peaks of the Northern Urals, such as the Chuvalsky Kamen, Kuryksar, Listvennichny ridges and on the Kvarkush plateau.
On January 17, 2001, by decree of President Bill Clinton, the Kasha-Katuve tent rocks received the status of a US national monument. Not very well known to the general public before, they have since gained considerable popularity. Today, this picturesque place of almost 22 km 2 in northern New Mexico attracts a constant stream of tourists.
Having lost their strong top, the tent rocks begin to quickly (by geological standards) collapse. The purpose of creating the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument was to protect its geological, landscape and cultural resources. The current protected status guarantees that more than one generation of travelers will be able to see the local beauty, and the objects found here cultural heritage will not be destroyed.
Since many archaeological finds monument belong to the ancestors of the Indians still living on these lands, the “Tent Rocks of Kasha-Katuwe” are under the supervision not only of the Bureau of Land Management of the US Department of the Interior, but also of the tribal administration of the village of Pueblo de Cochiti (“capital” of a small local reservations). Its head even has the right to close the monument to tourists at his own discretion.
Opening hours of the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument vary depending on the season. From November 1 to March 10 it is open from 8:00 to 17:00, and from March 11 to October 31 from 7:00 to 19:00. Visitors are no longer allowed in an hour before closing time. Closed: every fourth Thursday of November (Thanksgiving Day), December 24–25 and January 1; On Easter the monument is open from 13:00.
Since there is no public transport to Kasha-Katuwe, you can only get here by private car or tourist bus. The distance from the city of Santa Fe to the monument is approximately 56 kilometers, from Albuquerque - about 84.
Eight kilometers from the tent rocks, the road passes through Pueblo de Cochiti, a small Indian village with a population of just over five thousand inhabitants. There is a store and gas station here, and there is a strict ban on photography and videography (or even just hand-drawn sketches!), as this goes against the traditions of the local Native Americans.
At the entrance to the monument there is parking, picnic tables and toilets. Entrance to the territory costs $5 per car.
There are two hiking trails for tourists in Kasza-Katow. The first is a circular route, stretches for 1.9 kilometers, is considered uncomplicated and is accessible to wheelchair users. After walking the first 800 meters along it, you can turn onto the second, more difficult route 1.6 kilometers long, which runs through a small picturesque gorge and then leads to the top of a 192-meter hill. It offers beautiful views of the Sangre de Cristo, Jemez and Sandia mountains, as well as the Rio Grande Valley.
The gorge (which the National Monument proudly calls a canyon) is so narrow that in many places you can touch both sides at the same time. While in the monument, visitors are prohibited from pitching tents or staying overnight. It is also prohibited to enter its territory with dogs, alcohol and glass containers, to make fires here, to shoot and to collect any plants and stones. In particular, you cannot take with you the so-called “Apache tears” - beautiful rounded pieces of obsidian (translucent brown-black volcanic glass), which are often found here.
Finally, the most important rule is the requirement to always stay on hiking trails and under no circumstances try to climb local outcrops and rocks. This is not only dangerous for visitors, but also leads to the destruction of the unique geological formations here.
And lastly, it is important to remember that there is no drinking water on the territory of the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, and therefore you must take it with you.
Stone Town is one of the best attractions of the Perm region, leaving tourists with a lot of unforgettable impressions and a photo for memory. This landscape natural monument occupies an area of more than 30 hectares and is made up of a whole complex of remains of various sizes. The unique arrangement of stones creates a picture of a real settlement, with streets, avenues and squares.
The history of the Stone Town
Landscape landmark Stone Town, or, as locals call it, “Devil's Settlement,” is the result of the influence of time and nature on the local rocks, consisting of quartz sandstone. It is located on one of mountain peaks Rudyansky Spoy ridge and was exposed to glacier, wind and water, which created cracks with a depth of 8 to 12 meters in the rock mass.
Rudyansky Spoy and was exposed to glacier, wind and water
Despite the fact that scientists associate the creation of the Stone Town with the influence of the river that once flowed here, local residents have formed their own legendary version of the origin of this place.
It is believed that in the past there was a real flourishing city here, whose inhabitants were distinguished by kindness and justice. Only the local ruler was unhappy, because his only daughter could not see all the beauty around her - she was blind. But one day an evil wizard came to the king, promising to give sight to the child, and, of course, the loving father agreed. However, at the moment of healing the princess, the sorcerer turned the beautiful settlement into stone, leaving the girl to admire only the boulders.
Excursions to Stone Town (Perm region)
Perm travel agencies often organize weekend tours to one of the main landscape natural monuments of the Kama region. The cost of such an excursion is approximately 1,500 rubles and includes a visit to the Stone Town, the Ermak Museum and the Chusovsky Ethnopark.
In addition to regular excursions, the rocks of the Stone Town attract the attention of professional climbers. This place hosts annual competitions between local speleologists and professional rescuers.
Every summer, a unique festival is held in the Devil’s Settlement with a theatrical performance “Secrets of the Cross Mountain”. Local rocks and boulders serve as the scenery for the actors.
Festival “Secrets of the Cross Mountain” The attractions of the Stone Town are becoming increasingly popular among tourists every year. This is facilitated by both the convenient location of this natural monument and the possibility of visiting it for free.
Sights of Stone Town
The main attractions of the Devil's Settlement are the various bizarre blocks that form the city blocks and local inhabitants. In total, on the territory of the settlement there are several stone “idols”: Feathered Guard, Seal, Turtles, Rat.
Stone Idol Turtle In addition, human imagination draws bizarre architectural forms in this place: arches, gates, houses.
The entire territory of this landscape natural monument is conditionally divided into two parts - the Big and Small Towns.
IN big city
you will discover two of the largest remains, called the Small and Large Turtles because of their resemblance to these animals, as well as the main avenue - a huge chasm with eight-meter walls.
Small town located 200 meters from its larger brother. It is quite difficult to find it, since only one inconspicuous path leads to it. This corner consists of 4 outcrops, the most interesting of which are Proshchelok and Leaky Stone.
In the vicinity of the Stone Town there are several other natural attractions, visits to which are often combined with a trip to this place:
- ethnographic park of the Chusovaya River;
- Sukhoi Log caves;
- Usva pillars.
Usva pillars Did you know? Like many attractions of the Perm region, Stone Town is especially beautiful in winter. At this time of year, its snow-capped peaks look like the houses of a fairytale kingdom.
How to get there
By car:
How to get there by car The easiest way to get to the Devil's Settlement is by private car.
- Leaving Perm, you will travel about 200 kilometers along the Perm-Kizel highway.
- Having passed the village. Usva, continue driving another 1 kilometer.
- Then turn towards the village of Yubileiny and move another 5 kilometers until you see the sign “Stone Town”.
- Near the turn to Devil's Settlement, you will have to leave your car in the parking lot and walk about one kilometer along the path.
By public transport:
You can get to Stone Town:
- By bus following the route Perm - Kizel or Perm - Gubakha. Stop Usva village.
- By train from Perm, making a transfer in Chusovoy to the village of Usva.
How to get there by public transport Travel to public transport complicated by the fact that from Usva you will have to walk about 1 km along the Kizelskaya highway, then turn towards the village of Yubileiny and walk another 5 km, and then turn to Kamenny Gorod and continue driving another 1 km.
You can save energy by taking the Usva minibus to the Yubileiny village to the turn to Kamenny Gorod. But she goes only once a day at 14.00 and returns back only early in the morning.
Important! When visiting Stone Town, take care of comfortable shoes. There is no access to this attraction, and you will have to get there on foot.
Video review of Stone Town in the Perm region
The stone city in the Perm region will certainly appeal to fans . And after watching the video we specially selected for you, you will be convinced that it is a rather interesting place.
Perhaps our readers have already visited Stone Town? Be sure to share your impressions in the comments!