(Source: http://www.panoramio.com/photo)

The Khrebtovaya Mountain is located on the territory of the resort town, it is the highest point in the watershed of the Kaverza River and the Brook of the Orlova Gap. Its height: 649 m. Rock outcrops come to the surface on the southern slopes. They consist of alternating red and green shales and marlstones with the layers of brown sandstone.

There is an observation point on the top overlooking the ranges of Pshaf and Kotkh. It is better to approach the Khrebtovaya Mountain coming from the Karapetova or Orlova gaps (near the village of Bezymyannoye).

The Petushok Rock (Salvation Rock) is one of the most famous and accessible tourist facilities in the mountains of the Krasnodar Territory. The “cockerel’s” crest of the rock is clearly visible from the highway Krasnodar-Dzhubga near the post of Road Safety Police of the town of Goryachy Klyuch. The rock is located on the north-western end of the Kotkh Ridge, on the southern outskirts of the Goryachijy Klyuch resort town. The height of the rock is 27 m. A wonderful panorama of the calm waters of Psekups, wooded north-eastern spurs of the Pshaf mountain range open from the rock’s top terrace. The descending steps with railings made of wire are cut in the rock along the crest.

The deepening on the left is the Zvonkaya Cave. Its name (“Sonorous”) is due to the fact that a person hears what is said in it on the other bank of the river. The fortress on the Petushok Mountain is located on the northern spur of the mountain ridge of Koth. The fortress is small, with the area of only 100-120 square meters. Apparently, it was a citadel for a larger settlement located on the northern slopes of Kotkh. Large frontal stones were pulled down by local residents. A transverse ditch separating the fortress from the main part of the spur is noticeable.

The Zerkalo (Mirror) Rock is located in the Valley of the Maltsev Brook in the surroundings of Goryachiy Klyuch. Its height: 32 m. It is the highest rocky outcrop in the area. The rock is of interest for speleologists, mountaineers, rock climbers. The Zerkalo Rock is an excursion object of the natural educational trail “In the Kingdom of Berendei”. 

The urban settlement of Gulkevichi 

 The urban settlement of Gulkevichi is located 176 kilometres to the East of Krasnodar and is a district centre considered to be one of the most stable in the Krasnodar Territory. Gulkevichi received a town status in 1961, but the locality has been known since 1875, when the railway leading from Rostov to Vladikavkaz was being laid in this place.

The railway station of Gulkevichi gave its name to the village. Now the town is home to more than 35 thousand people. The name of the station was given after the Privy Councillor N.V. Gulkevich who received these lands as a gift from Aleksandr II due to his heroic deeds in the Caucasian War. There are no historical attractions in the town.

One of the main attractions is the restored Holy Trinity Church (that was destroyed in Soviet times) on Pushkina Street. The visitors of the town can go to the Local History Museum. In addition to the historical exhibition, the Museum has a hall devoted to space flights (the famous pilot-cosmonaut Viktor Gorbatko was born in this region).

There is a memorial complex “Motherland” on Sovetskaya Street where the eternal flame burns and black marble plates contain the engraved names of the dead and missing soldiers and officers who were the residents of the town. The Alley of Heroes is located behind the complex.

The places popular among locals include the “Zodiac” cinema and a large park where beautiful roses are grown. If you go to Gulkevichi in hot weather, you can hide from it by the Samoylova Balka River that is surrounded by a pine forest. Natural attractions of Gulkevichi include the mounds surrounding the town. The district has excellent conditions for fans of hunting and fishing: local forests are inhabited by foxes, hares and pheasants.