* Kabardino-Balkaria, which occupies the southwestern part of the Central Caucasus, is rightfully considered the edge of the deepest gorges in the Caucasus, the highest peaks with glaciers. Rivers and waterfalls are born here. In order to see them, it is not necessary to go high into the mountains: it is enough to go to the Chegem gorge. It differs from other gorges of the republic in that the road runs almost along its bottom, and the gorge is very narrow. Here, surrounded by sheer walls 300 meters high, the Chegem waterfalls, the most accessible to visit, descend from different levels. “Girls' braids”, “Women's tears“, "Men's tears", “Lace" – these names are quite justified: some pour out from the middle of the rock in streams, others flow in thin ribbons, others you won't notice until you look closely... Direct sunlight does not get here, and therefore the light is slightly dimmed and the twilight reigns. Walking through the gorge, you will see how firmly rooted the century-old pines are in the dolomites and limestone, as they nestle against the rocks of the cafe. By the way, there will be free time to taste simple dishes of national cuisine: zhau-baur, shorpa, Balkarian khichins (flatbreads with different fillings), fried or baked trout.… Or maybe a shish kebab made from black lamb meat? Cattle graze on the subalpine high-grass meadows that border the gorge. Medicinal herbs are also collected here, and they can be purchased in the gorge at the colorful market, which is full of knitwear, burkas, papakhas, and other souvenirs. You will be shown the place where the plot of the film “Sannikov Land” was filmed – the shaman's dance performed by the legendary Mahmud Esambayev. Do you remember? The purification ceremony of a girl named Goshar from the Onkilon tribe.