Kislovodsk Kurortny Park

Kislovodsk grew around narzan, the naturally carbonated mineral water that gave the town its name, and the park was begun in 1823 by planting trees on hillsides that had none - soldiers of the garrison carried soil up in bags. It has grown into something close to a thousand hectares climbing from the town into the valleys, and it is generally described as one of the largest landscaped parks in Europe. It works on three levels: the formal lower park with the narzan gallery, colonnade and flower beds; the middle park with the Valley of Roses and glass-fronted pavilions; and the upper mountain park, which is effectively forested hills with trails to the Red Stones, Grey Stones and Maloye Sedlo at 1,325 metres. The terrenkur system runs through it - graded walking routes with marked distances and gradients, prescribed as therapy, a nineteenth-century idea still used. A cable car climbs to the upper level.

What you actually see

• The scale - close to a thousand hectares, planted from bare hillside from 1823.
• The terrenkur - graded therapeutic walking routes with marked gradients and distances.
• The three levels - formal lower park, rose valley and forested mountain park.
• The narzan - the carbonated mineral water the whole town exists for.

When to go

April to October; May and June for the roses. Half a day to a day. The cable car saves the climb to the upper park.

Honest expectations

The upper park is a real hill walk, not a stroll - the terrenkur routes are graded for a reason. Very busy at weekends and in the sanatorium season. The cable car queues. Mineral water claims are for clinicians, not travel writing.

Nearby

Pyatigorsk and the other spa towns are north; Elbrus and Jily-Su are south.