A qualitatively new complex for a comfortable stay is the Tauruh Hotel in Dombai. It is located on the banks of the Amanauz River. On its territory there is the only two-storey restaurant in the vicinity with panoramic windows. Dombay is a unique protected area and a ski resort with a developed infrastructure. It is located in Karachay-Cherkessia at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains. The nearest airport is located in Mineralnye Vody, a two-hour drive away. The receptionist can assist with arranging the transfer. The hotel has its own fleet. Drivers will meet guests at the airport or at the railway stations of Pyatigorsk, Nevinnomyssk, Cherkessk, without problems will be delivered to the hotel complex.
Location and history
The word “taurukh” is translated as a fairy tale. The owners initially decided that their hotel would be the heart of the ski resort. It is built in the heart of Dombai. This area is located in the picturesque Amanauz gorge. The hotel complex is located on the right bank of the Amanauz River in the middle of centuries-old pine trees. This is a closed guarded area near the ski lifts. For those arriving in their own cars, a parking space is provided.
Dombay is considered to be the tourist Mecca of the Caucasus. The valley is surrounded by the rocks of three gorges at once – Alibek, Amanauz and Dombai-Yolgen. It is located at an altitude of 1630 meters above sea level. Since the 90s of the last century, the ski direction has been actively developing here, infrastructure is being built, a comfortable resort is being born.
The hotel accepts children of all ages. Guests under 6 years old live with their parents free of charge and without food. You can’t come with animals, they won’t settle. Special places are available for smoking. Check-in is carried out from 14.00, you must leave before 12.00. In case of delay, an additional payment will be required (the amount will be specified by the administrator). Owners hold promotions every season and introduce seasonal discounts.
“The hotel is located in a picturesque location. Local nature and ecological cleanliness delight. I liked the attitude of the staff to the customers. Very hospitable people work here. The room is not bad, cozy, we lived in a deluxe for two. We had a balcony and that’s a big advantage. Thank you all! Let’s come again” Marina.
Room stock
The interiors of the rooms use decorative elements with national ornaments, which gives the design a certain flavor. From the windows you can see the gorge, rocks, snow-capped peaks, the river. In total, the fund has 35 rooms of different comfort levels:
- Standard double (14 sq. m)- there are 5 single rooms. They are in a small building. There are 2 single beds that can be connected. A third person cannot be moved unless it is a child under 6 years of age who does not need an extra bed.
- Deluxe (25 sq. m.) – 4 single rooms are located in the main building on the 1st and 2nd floors. The room is designed to accommodate 2 people. It is possible to install another bed for a third guest. The windows overlook nameless Peak and the patio. On the second floor there are balconies.
- Deluxe in a log house (36 sq. m.) – 12 rooms are visually divided into living and sleeping areas. The walls are decorated with wood, carpet on the floor. It is possible to accommodate three guests. It offers views of the summit of Belalay. The room has a working area: desk, chair.
- Deluxe Comfort (45 sq. m)- 3 superior rooms with bedroom, living room and work areas. They are located on the 1st and 2nd floors. It offers views of Balalakai.
- Suite (50 sq. m)- 2 rooms in the main building. Two rooms – a bedroom and a living room – have a combined balcony. It can accommodate a family or company of up to 5 people. It offers views of the patio, the cable car and the summit of Moussa Achitara.
They provide bathrooms with a shower and toilet. The furniture is wooden, no plastic and artificial materials. The bathroom is decorated with high-quality ceramic tiles.
“We took a deluxe overlooking the river. Very peaceful view. The room is clean enough cozy enough. We ate in the restaurant at the hotel. Cook delicious, but not in a hurry, you will have to wait a bit. To be honest, I did not even expect such a high level of service here. It’s nice to be treated like a welcome guest” by Angela.
Meals and restaurants
For meals in the hotel is responsible for a two-storey restaurant with panoramic windows. The menu includes dishes of European, Caucasian, national Karachay cuisine. Breakfast is included in the price. Guests are offered a wide range of salads, hot dishes, soups, desserts and drinks. For younger guests developed children’s menu. It includes milk porridge, milk, yogurt, broths, favorite side dishes and cutlets. If guests leave before breakfast, they are prepared special lunch boxes (requires a preliminary application).
In summer, a seasonal café opens on the banks of the river. If desired, guests will be served breakfast here. Both restaurants are à la carte throughout the day. Meals are served with soft drinks and spirits. There is always an ayran in the assortment. This is an ancient drink of nomadic and sedentary peoples of the Caucasus, which has been drunk for more than 15 centuries.
Dishes of national cuisine and soft drinks are offered by the café of healthy food “Fir Cape”. It is located on the territory of the hotel of the same name. Here is served a good lagman, kebab, there are even dumplings. The meal is complemented by fragrant herbal teas, which are prepared from local collections.
The evening can be spent in the hookah bar “Basil”. It also offers meat cooked on the grill. If someone does not have time to have breakfast in “Tauruha”, then you can eat here. The bar opens at 09.00 and offers full breakfasts.
100 meters from the hotel complex there is a restaurant “Crystal”. The menu includes dishes of European and Caucasian cuisine.
From the reception of the hotel “Taurukh” you can take barbecue facilities and arrange barbecues right on the river bank in a specially designated area.
Leisure and entertainment
The skiing season lasts from December 20 to May. In May, hiking trails on mountain trails open. In spring and autumn, people come here to improve their health and breathe the mountain air. Local guides conduct hiking with and without overnight stays. During the year, Dombay can receive up to 200 thousand travelers. You can go for a walk on your own, but it is better to do it with a guide and in a group.
The tracks are located at an altitude of 1800 to 3200 meters. The maximum height difference is 1400 meters. The network is served by 8 chairlifts, 7 rope tows, gondola and pendulum roads. The tracks are marked with green, blue and red difficulty levels. There are no black tracks and no official places for freeride classes here.
In the vicinity of the hotel complex “Taurukh” there are the following lifts:
- Dombai Ski Lift (400 m);
- Two-seat lift (1.1 km);
- Single-seat lift of the first stage of the cable car (1.2 km);
- Six-seat lift of the sixth stage of the cable car (2 km);
- Two-seat lift of the fifth stage of the cable car (2.4 km).
Near the ticket offices there are rental points of sports equipment, workshops for repairing skis, rescue services, schools and sections for novice skiers. Recently, paragliding has become popular. Transfer to the highlands is carried out by helicopter (you can order and skiers for further descent).
GLC Dombay has tracks for sledding, tubing, snowboarding, snowmobiles. For the latter, routes of varying complexity have been developed. Fans of figure skating and speed skating are provided with skating rink services.
The hotel complex Tauruh has a Finnish sauna with a plunge pool. Admission is paid. There is a large lounge with a dining table and chairs. Guests are guaranteed a relaxing stay after skiing.
In summer, jeep tours of the mountains and gorges are organized, horseback riding is offered.
Recreational opportunities for children
For children from 0 to 2 years, cribs are provided, babies up to 6 years old can sleep with their parents. In this case, no fee will be charged. The resort has excellent conditions for family holidays. In any season, mountain air will play a role in the recovery of children and parents. Teberda Reserve, on the territory of which the Dombai Valley is located, is famous for its unique nature and its healing effect on the child’s body.
In winter, the resort opens schools to teach children skiing and snowboarding. Experienced instructors will help kids get used to it while their parents conquer the next track. If the child is still too young for winter sports, you can visit one of the children’s clubs with him. Here he will be engaged in a professional educator. He will be able to play with other children, have lunch and even sleep.
On the territory of the ski resort children’s clubs are open at the hotels:
- Snow leopard;
- Blizzard;
- Grand Hotel.
A children’s camp “Junior-Dombay” was opened in the GLC. Its conditions are created for the younger generation from 12 to 19 years. The shift lasts a week (7 days, 8 nights). The guys are engaged in alpine skiing and other winter sports.
Excursions and attractions nearby
Excursion bureaus offer tours to religious places in the region, hiking in high-altitude meadows, swimming in healing mountain springs. This ancient land is rich in natural monuments. Each attraction keeps the memory of the history, traditions and customs of this region.
Natural monuments include:
- The Devil’s Mill waterfall is an hour’s walk from Dombay. This is a gorge in the gorge of Amanauz, striking in its unusual beauty;
- Alibek glacier is the only glacier available for inspection in the Teberda Reserve. The lifting time is about 7 hours. The tourist trail begins at the recreation center “Alibek”;
- The Moussa-Achitara ridge is considered the most successful observation deck of the resort. There is also a unique in its architecture guest house “Plate”. It is made in the form of a UFO that landed on the mountainside;
- Teberda Biosphere Reserve – here are offered thematic routes developed by the researchers of the reserve. They acquaint visitors with the local flora, fauna, mountain landscapes, reservoirs;
- Turye Lake – the route passes through high-altitude meadows and lasts about 8 hours. The water is very cold (+3). Mountain tours are going here at the watering hole when there are no people nearby;
- mountain lakes – Akzek, Muruji, Baduk – the property of Dombai and pleasant for guests of the resort;
- waterfalls are another luxurious natural phenomenon that can be seen up close. Tours to Chuchhur, Ptysh, Sofrudzhinsky, Alibek waterfalls and Shupka are offered.
Dombay is a place that has no clear boundaries. On the one hand, the so-called ski resort, on the other hand, it covers an area much larger in area than the usual village. There are no historical museums here. There is a cemetery of dead climbers who once mastered these mountains. Thanks to their research, today there are safe routes marked according to international standards.
It is also desirable to leave Dombay to visit religious temples with a group or individually with a guide. On the way from Dombai to Karachayevsk there are rock churches. As early as the end of the 9th century AD, Byzantine missionaries brought the Christian faith here. In the valley of the Teberda River, two unique temples have been preserved – Shoaninsky and Sentinsky.
Rest in the hotel complex “Taurukh” is really a complex of quality services that facilitate the organization of leisure travelers. The administrator of the hotel complex “Taurukh” will tell you which of the tour operators can be contacted about the organization of excursion tours.
