Akhun Tower

Mount Akhun rises to about 660 metres directly behind the coast between Sochi and Khosta, and the tower on top was built in 1936 to a Romanesque design by Sergei Vorobyov, in white local limestone, thirty metres high with a spiral stair to open galleries. The point is the position: the Black Sea fills the view on one side, the main range of the Caucasus on the other, and on a clear day the range is visible a long way along. Clear days are the catch, since haze and cloud sit on this coast much of the summer. The road up was cut in 1935 in a series of switchbacks through beech and yew forest, and the Tisosamshitovaya grove, a relict yew and box forest, lies on the slope below - much of the box was killed by an introduced moth after 2012, which is visible as standing dead wood. A section of the mountain also holds caves and old quarry cuts.

What's there

• The 1936 tower - white limestone, thirty metres, with a spiral stair to open galleries.
• The double view - the Black Sea one way and the Caucasus range the other.
• The switchback road - the 1935 climb through beech and yew forest.
• The dead box wood - the relict grove below, killed back by an introduced moth.

When to go

April to June and September to October for clearer air. Two hours. Check visibility before driving up.

What to expect

Haze and cloud hide the mountains on many summer days, and there is no refund for a white view. The road is narrow with tight bends and busy with tour minibuses. The top has stalls and a restaurant and is crowded at weekends. The stair is steep and unlit in places.

Nearby

The Tisosamshitovaya grove and the Agura waterfalls are on the slopes below.