Crimea is not without reason called an open-air museum. Here on the picturesque slopes of majestic mountains, in the valleys of clear rivers and numerous caves you can see many amazing wonders. One of such wonders, considered unique even for the diverse Crimean nature — Stone Mushrooms of Sotera.
For the first time seeing the bizarre stone sculptures on the right slope of Biyuk-Dere, you can freeze with surprise: it is difficult to imagine how ordinary mushrooms can grow to such a size? From afar, the stone sculptures really do resemble real mushrooms.
There are more than a dozen of such giant mushrooms on the slope. Their height reaches from 3 to 7 meters. Huge mushroom-shaped figures with a cap and a stem were formed naturally. The mushroom caps were once the surface — they are former slabs of Upper Jurassic conglomerates. For many years, melt and rain water washed away the earth under them, and as a result these unique natural monuments, also called «earth pyramids», appeared. Mushroom stems are made up of dense earthy-stony masses, their height is several meters, and the area of caps — which have survived through millennia of rocks — is about 2-3 meters. Once you have seen such a sight, you will never forget it.
The area where the «mushroom» is also interesting because there is a beautiful waterfall Dzhur-Dzhur, in the cold waters of Sotera live the rarest freshwater crabs, in the Middle Ages there was a Christian church of Christ the Savior, and in 1893 in 1 km from the river bank were found the remains of a mammoth.
Unfortunately, everything in nature has its own life cycle, and several stone mushrooms that have stood for centuries have started to collapse in our time. One of the stone mushrooms fell in the 80s — today its existence is only evidenced by a long stone plume that crushed trees on its way.
Today, when these unique stone sculptures still continue to exist, surprising everyone who sees them with their own eyes, and a walk in the Sotera Valley can become one of the most vivid impressions even for the most demanding tourists. Hurry up to appreciate the originality of this attraction of Alushta — the most original natural creation. Planning your holiday in Crimea and wishing to surprise everyone with vivid photos, be sure to take a walk in the valley of the Sotera River.