About Kislovodsk

Kislovodsk is the southernmost of the four resort towns of the Caucasian Mineral Waters and the only one that grew up around a single mineral spring — narzan. The town lies in Stavropol Krai, in the valley of the Olkhovka and Berezovka rivers, at an altitude of about 800 metres. On all sides, the spurs of the Skalisty and Dzhinalsky ranges shield it from the winds. Today it is a resort town of federal significance, where 126,000 local residents share the promenade and the drinking pump rooms of the Narzan Gallery year-round with thousands of visitors.

The town’s name speaks for itself: “sour” narzan — carbonated mineral water — surfaces here naturally. The entire urban fabric took shape around it. A morning at the pump room, a daytime terrenkur walk along the paths of Kislovodsk National Park, an evening stroll from the Colonnade to Lermontov’s Rock — this is the resort rhythm that has hardly changed for almost two hundred years. People come here not to tick off sights, but to slow down, to live at the pace of a “park town”, and to follow the healing schedule.

The historical outline here is given only in brief; it is covered in more detail on a separate page.

The history of Kislovodsk began on 13 June 1803, when a fortress was founded on the right bank of the Olkhovka. It served as protection for the first patients who came “to the sour waters”. By the end of the 19th century, with the arrival of the railway, the resort turned into a serious rival to Europe’s balneological centres. Since then, Kislovodsk has lived in a special mode: everything here is subordinated to hospitality and to the town’s main asset — narzan.

Geography and climate

Kislovodsk stands on the southern edge of Stavropol Krai, near the border with Karachay-Cherkessia, 60 km from the nearest airport, Mineralnye Vody. The town stretches from north to south along a narrow intermontane basin. On one side it is enclosed by the Caucasus range with the twin-peaked Elbrus on the horizon, on the other by limestone outliers and foothills.

Its elevated position and shelter from northern winds give the resort its main asset — a mild mountain-steppe climate. Winters here are warm and with little snow, with an average daytime temperature of about +5 °C. Summer is dry and comfortable, without exhausting heat: in July and August the thermometer rises to +26 °C in the daytime and drops to +16 °C at night. “Velvet” September is the ideal time for long walks: the air warms up to +21 °C, and there is almost no rain.

The architectural character of the town took shape by the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Resort-style Art Nouveau, mansions with verandas, brick sanatorium buildings, and the Gothic spires of the Narzan Gallery all stand side by side. Soviet health facilities in Rebrova Balka and the Stalinist Empire style of the central part were layered over the pre-revolutionary buildings, but did not overwhelm them. There are almost no high-rises in the town, since the restrictions of the resort zone apply.

How the town is arranged

Kurortny Boulevard

The main axis of Kislovodsk is the pedestrian Kurortny Boulevard. It begins at the Narzan Gallery and ends at the entrance to the national park. Almost everything people come here for lies within a one-kilometre radius. Along the boulevard stand cafés, rotundas, pavilions, and the Colonnade of 1912 — a white semicircular arch built to mark the centenary of the victory in the Patriotic War.

Here too the Narzan Gallery operates daily — a Gothic-style building. It was erected by the English architect Samuel Upton in 1848–1858. In plan, the building resembles a giant keyhole. Inside, you can sample three kinds of narzan free of charge: common, sulphate, and dolomite. The water is served on a schedule — in the morning, at midday, and in the evening.

The national park

Immediately beyond the gallery begins Kislovodsk National Park — one of the largest man-made parks in Europe (965.8 ha). In 2024 it received 5.14 million visitors, making it the most visited national park in Russia.

The pride of the park is its six terrenkurs, with a total length of 24.3 km. These are therapeutic routes of measured walking with a fixed elevation gain; the first of them appeared here as far back as 1901. Each path leads to its own landmark: the Red and Grey Rocks, Sosnovaya Gorka, or the Valley of Roses, where 80 varieties of flowers have been planted at an altitude of 915 metres. And from the Small and Big Saddle viewpoints, in clear weather, a view of Elbrus opens up.

The urban environment

Above the park lies Rebrova Balka — the sanatorium district. Here you will find classic Soviet-era health facilities, and the unhurried resort routine prevails. Below and to the west of the centre, ordinary city life goes on: here are the old buildings around the railway station, the market, and the schools. Tourists rarely look in, but it is this part of town that turns Kislovodsk from a “sanatorium-and-park backdrop” into a living, real town.

Economy and leisure

The economy of Kislovodsk is entirely subordinated to the resort. The main employers are sanatoriums, hotels, pump rooms, medical centres, and the accompanying services: restaurants, excursion bureaus, rental offices. Local industry is modestly represented: its calling card is the bottling of “Narzan” mineral water, which has been carried on in the town since the late 19th century.

The lodging stock is large by resort standards: about 70 hotels operate in Kislovodsk. Prices range from ₽3,200 for a room in a modest guest house to ₽14,000–14,900 per night in premium complexes such as Astoria or Green Resort Hotel and SPA.

A full selection by date is easy to browse in the Kislovodsk hotels catalogue.

How to get there and get around

By air

The main air gateway to the resort is Mineralnye Vody International Airport (MRV), located about 60 km from the town. From there you can reach Kislovodsk in two ways:

Transfer. You can reach Mineralnye Vody railway station on marshrutka No. 11 in 15–20 minutes. From there — a suburban train to Kislovodsk. The fastest service takes 57 minutes, and a ticket costs from ₽285. The train stops in Pyatigorsk and Yessentuki.
Taxi. A direct trip from the airport to Kislovodsk takes about an hour and costs ₽1,800–2,300.

By train

Direct long-distance trains from Moscow take 24–28 hours; those from St Petersburg and other cities arrive at Kislovodsk station — a beautiful building in the neoclassical style. From here it is only a 15-minute walk to Kurortny Boulevard.

Getting around the town and its surroundings

In town, the best way to get around is on foot. The centre is compact, and walks over the hilly terrain are part of the local character.
For radial trips out of town to sights such as the Honey Waterfalls, the Castle of Treachery and Love, or Mount Ring, it is more convenient to take a taxi, rent a car, or buy an excursion. The drive takes 30 to 60 minutes.
Longer trips to Arkhyz, Dombay, the Bermamyt Plateau, or the foot of Elbrus (130–200 km) are best planned for a full day or with an overnight stay, given the mountain switchbacks.

Atmosphere and who it’s for

Kislovodsk has its own unhurried tempo. Rushing is not the done thing here: the day is governed by the schedule of pump rooms and terrenkurs, restaurants close early, and noisy nightlife is simply absent. It is the ideal place for those seeking quiet and predictability: elderly couples who come for wellness courses; families with children who value clean air and the spaciousness of the parks; and everyone who wants to combine sanatorium treatment with unhurried walks.

For active travellers, the town serves as an excellent “springboard” for trips around the North Caucasus: from here it is convenient to reach Arkhyz, Dombay, the Bermamyt Plateau, or the foot of Elbrus. Within an hour’s drive are Pyatigorsk with Mount Mashuk, Yessentuki with its pump rooms, and Zheleznovodsk with its cascade staircase.

In Kislovodsk itself, the route runs through the classics: from the Narzan Gallery and the Colonnade to Chaliapin’s Dacha and the hidden trails of the national park.

How to plan your trip:

For a first visit: 3–4 days with a couple of trips into the surroundings.
For a treatment course: 2–3 weeks in the sanatoriums of Rebrova Balka.

Either way, be ready: very soon your schedule will adjust to the rhythm of the narzan and the park, and not the other way around.