From Moscow campus to the heart of Caucasus
In Liden & Denz, we love to incorporate outdoor activities like sightseeing, boat trips, and city tours into our Russian language courses package of offers. That’s because we want our students to experience Russian language learning experience in the destination of their choice and discover Russia in the best way possible. However, sometimes this goal requires a step forward. For example, how about closing Russian language book for a while and getting in touch with Russian environment, culture and people by exploring the country in a more immersive way? This is the case of two adventurous former students of our Moscow campus: Max from England and Frederic from France, who decided to discover Russia with an original bike tour, under the guidance of our travel enthusiast Russian teacher, Igor.
The journey of our Liden & Denz’s adventurous team took place along the rough paths of the Georgian Military Road, one of the Caucasus’ most scenic roads connecting Russia to Georgia, from Vladikavkaz to Tbilisi.
Vladikavkaz, the journey begins
After travelling 2 days in train from Moscow, the bike tour finally started from Vladikavkaz, the Ossetian pearl of Russia at the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains. Our adventurous team began their journey along the rough and picturesque paths of the Georgian Military Road. Let’s now find out about this historic highway, and you will have no difficulty understanding their enthusiasm despite they were just 200 km away from Georgia. Sometimes, the journey is more important than the destination.
An iconic route that inspired many Russian artists and writers
In 1829, the famous Russian poet Alexander Pushkin found inspiration for his poems travelling along the highway. The list of famous writers and artists who came through travelling along the Caucasian highlands of the Georgian Military Road also includes Gorky, Lermontov, Chekhov, Tolstoy and Tchaikovsky, all inspired by its impervious road of adventures and intrigues. It is obvious to appreciate the amazing scenery of these destinations, but what is the story behind this beauty? Since the 1st century BC, the historical route was used by invaders and traders, until it evolved into a horse trail in 1873, when the Russians finally converted it into a carriage road.
A Worthwhile journey
But let’s go back to our heroes. Their bike trip included many viewpoints on the way and spots where you can find natural mineral water, very popular among locals. Of course, a bike trip like this it is not just pure enjoyment, but lot of effort and a few of obstacles on the way. However, the gorgeous landscape and isolated valleys they saw on the bike tour in Caucasus are really worth the effort.
The bike tour was definitely an unforgettable experience that let our students, in their words, “discover the diversity, beauty and magic of Russia”. So… why not hop on a bike this summer and get to know Russia form an unusual angle? Stay tuned on our website and Facebook page for the next adventure!
