Mount Akhun, the highest point in Sochi

Enjoying the panorama of Sochi, a resort city on the Black Sea coast, from the sea, one can easily notice the highest point of the city, Mount Akhun with a small tower on the top. This top is the closest to the city and the sea, so it doesn’t take much time to reach it and see a spectacular panoramic view of the coast from Dagomys to Abkhazia, and from the Caucasian mountains to the Black Sea.

The local legend

Mount Akhun was a sacred place for the local Ubykh community. It got its name because of the god of the local tribe Ubykh. The god’s name was Akhyn, which can be translated from the Ubykh dialect as "the mountain giant". The local legend tells that the god Akhyn was the patron of the cattle and the whole Black Sea coast. Using his 100-sazhen (700-feet) shepherd's crook, the god Ahyn jumped from one mount to another and protected the cattle herds from the dragon.

A view tower on the top

Although a view tower on the top has an ancient look, it was built in 1936 in the Romanesque style. It reminds of watchtowers built in the Caucasus in old times for defense purposes. This 30 meters high tower entwined with wistaria is one of the symbols of Sochi.

Climbing up the stairs, you gradually see different views through the round-headed windows, and reaching the top, you can enjoy a 360-degree panorama. It seems that the view is never the same. It changes according to the season, weather and the time of the day, but it is always beautiful. So, you can choose the tender green of early spring, blazing sunshine or the golden silence of the sunset. To have a closer look, the stationary binoculars can be used.

How to get to Mount Akhun

There are two ways to get to Mount Akhun. 11-kilometer serpentine leads to the top and travelling by car won’t take much time. Those who prefer to climb and enjoy picturesque landscapes on the way can choose a path through the Agur Gorge and Eagle Rocks. The walk can take half a day, but it includes some other landmarks of Sochi neighborhoods, such as Agursky Waterfalls and Prometheus statue.

The view tower is surrounded by souvenir shops and small cafés. It is one of the most popular tourist places in Sochi, so the romantic atmosphere of Mount Akhun is slightly disturbed by numerous groups of people in high season. Whatever you choose, the less crowded morning hours or the most picturesque time of the sunset, Mount Akhun, the highest point in Sochi, gives you the opportunity to enjoy the incomparable views from the 700 meters above the sea level.

Mount Akhun

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