Tourists come to the western foothills of the Urals for the sake of beautiful nature - unusual stone outcrops, deep underground grottoes and endless expanses of taiga. In the capital of the region, Perm and other cities of the region, many ancient temples and monasteries have survived, so fans of excursion tourism do not remain empty-handed either.
Kungur cave
Article: Kungur Ice Cave - an underground pearl of the Ural Mountains
The main natural attraction of the Kama basin is considered a unique cave, which is located on the right bank of the Sylva, not far from the town of Kungur. Her photographs are in any guidebook of Russia.
In the Kungur cave
An underground cavity with a length of 5.7 km runs in the bowels of Ice Mountain and consists of 50 picturesque grottoes. Kungurskaya cave became famous for its cleanest air, transparent lakes and bizarre forms of dripstone formations. Fabulous wonders of stalactites and stalagmites were formed here about 10 thousand years ago.
The first plans for underground passageways were drawn up in the 18th century. Today, excursions around the cave are conducted at any time of the year from 9:00 to 16:00. Tourists are shown a section with a length of 1.7 km. The journey through the cave halls and galleries lasts an hour and a half.
Stone city
Stone city
200 km from Perm you can see another natural monument, which many call one of the most fascinating places in the Perm region. The Stone Town or Devil's Settlement is a set of weathered outliers that rise above the crowns of trees.
Huge boulders look like figures of people and animals. Some rocks have their own names. If you go upstairs, the endless expanses of the Ural taiga open up. Tourists like to come to Stone Town in autumn, when the foliage is painted in bright yellow-red colors. In summer, rock climbing competitions are held on the outliers, and in winter ski tourism lovers come here.
Usva pillars
View of Usva Pillars and Devil's Finger
A unique landscape monument is located in the valley of the Usva River, 180 km from Perm. Huge rocks up to 120 m high rise above the calmly flowing river. Those who climb the path find themselves on the observation deck and admire the magnificent panorama of the forested foothills of the Urals.
As the researchers found out, people have lived in these places since the Stone Age. In one of the grottoes under the cliffs, archaeologists discovered traces of a primitive man's site, which is 25 thousand years old.
View of the Devil's Finger
Stone giants look best from the river, so rafting along Usva is popular. Climbers often train and compete on poles. Many of them dream of climbing the beautiful Devil's Finger 70 m high outlier. Fossils are visible on the walls and boulders - ancient brachiopods and corals, therefore paleontologists are seriously interested in Usva pillars.
Water tourism
The enchanting nature of the Perm Territory attracts many outdoor enthusiasts. Rafting on rivers is one of the most affordable types of travel. Water trips along Chusovaya, Usva, Vishera and Koiva are popular among tourists.
View of the Chusovaya river
During the rafting, you can admire the beautiful river banks and rocky cliffs. They love water trips for catchy fishing and evening gatherings around the fire. Some tourists independently organize routes in the Perm Territory. Others use the services of travel companies and travel with experienced instructors. Prices for three-day tours start at 4,800 rubles, and rafting for a week starts at 9,500 rubles (2019).
Horse tours
If you like horses, explore the beautiful nature of the Perm region on horseback. One-day horseback riding and trips for 2-3 days are organized from Perm. For overnight stays, tourists are accommodated in log huts and small wooden houses.
Horse ride
Rigid drill saddles with high deep bows are used for trips. Horseback riding takes place in a sparsely populated area. Horses carry tourists along forest roads and paths, overcome small rivers and streams, ascents and descents from ridges. The most popular trips are to Sukhoi Log, Ladey Log, Usvinskie Pillars and Okhansky Bor.
Before starting the hike, beginners are taught the basics of horse riding. The group must be accompanied by an instructor. Horseback riding tours are conducted all year round, and a one-day trip costs from 1900 rubles (2019).
Diving
Orda cave
Despite the fact that there is no sea in the Perm Territory, many divers come here. Diving enthusiasts tend to get into the Orda cave, which is located on the left bank of the Kungur River, near the village of Orda. The entrance to it is raised above the river by 50 m and reaches the size of 5 m by 2 m.
The underground cavity was formed in the ancient gypsum rocks of the Permian period. It was discovered in 1969, and the study of underwater labyrinths was first taken up in the 1990s.
The dry part of the cave stretches for 300 m, and the underwater part for 4500 m. The area of the lakes is more than 50 thousand square meters. m. Ordinskaya cave is considered to be the longest watered cave in our country. Today it has become a real Mecca for cave diving in Russia.
Bluish water with a temperature of + 6 ° C has a unique transparency. The visibility in the cave reaches more than 100 m. For the safety and convenience of cave divers, metal stairs with railings are laid to the dive site. The long underwater tunnels are equipped with running ends and warning signs.
Cities
Transfiguration Cathedral in Perm
The capital of the region, Perm, attracts guests with the magnificent Transfiguration Cathedral, which was built in the best traditions of provincial classicism. Inside the temple, an Art Gallery is open, and a rich collection of wooden sculpture and paintings is on display. In the regional center you can see wooden mansions of the 19th century and unusual modern monuments: Medved, "Permyak - Salty Ears" and "Kama River".
It is worth coming to Solikamsk to get acquainted with the main milestones of salt production in the Urals. The first breweries on Usolka appeared in the middle of the 15th century. There are about a hundred monuments of history and architecture in modern Solikamsk. There are several churches and monasteries of the 17th-18th centuries, and an interesting salt museum.
Church of Peter and Paul in Suksun
The urban-type settlement Suksun, like Tula, is considered the birthplace of Russian samovars. Its history began in 1651, when Akinfiy Nikitich Demidov built an ironworks on the banks of the Sylva. They go to Suksun to see the beautiful temple of Peter and Paul, take pictures near the colorful samovar monument and admire the Plakun waterfall.
Kungur is closely connected with the history of the Ural merchants. The small town has preserved several old mansions and the one-story building of the Gostiny Dvor of the 19th century. Travelers are attracted by the famous Kungur cave and the spectacular aeronautics festival "Heavenly Fair".
On the territory of the Khokhlovka architectural and ethnographic museum
Usolye is also famous for its monuments of stone architecture. In different parts of the city there are old buildings - a zemstvo hospital, a smithy, a brewhouse, shops, shops, residential buildings and churches.
Souvenirs
Permians consider their city the birthplace of faceted glass, and this is the most popular souvenir that tourists bring from Perm. The history of one of the symbols of the 20th century began in the 1880s, when the Perm inventor of arc welding N.G. Slavyaninov created the first faceted glass from metal plates.
Perm Cathedral Mosque
In the city archives, drawings of glasses with a different number of faces have been preserved, which were made at the end of the 19th century at the Sylvensky glass factory. Today, in souvenir shops, you can buy large and small glasses with unusual commemorative inscriptions.
Small selenite figurines are popular among travelers. There are images of animals, birds, mythical creatures and beautiful jewelry on sale. In addition to selenite, Perm souvenirs use the moonstone from the Kungur cave for brooches, pendants, pendants and rings.
Perm Museum of Local Lore
Tourists willingly take T-shirts with the image of a bear and the inscription "Perm", magnets-amulets in the "animal style" popular among Permians and miniature copies of Perm monuments. Many people like the funny souvenirs "Salty Ears" and "Passport of Perm". Solikamsk salt, herbal balsam "Ural Foothills" and sweets produced at the Perm confectionery factory are in demand.
Holy Cross Cathedral of the Belogorsk Monastery
Lovers of original gifts are trying to take home the fossil remains of animals and plants that lived on earth in the Permian period - 250-300 million years ago. Beautifully designed fossils can be found in any souvenir shop.
