The Rybachy Peninsula is located in the very north of the Murmansk region. He meets tourists with a depressing sight of the abandoned village of Bolshie Ozerki. Abandoned destroyed houses immediately cause a desire to move on. There are only two residential settlements on the peninsula, and less than 150 people live there permanently.

Rybachy Peninsula. Coast.

The peninsula itself is a low plateau cut by small rivers, streams and lakes. The most high point- 334 m.

During the Second World War, fierce battles were fought for the peninsula, and the remains of guns and military fortifications can still be seen throughout its territory. In the postwar years, there were military bases, a large port, a collective farm, several settlements, but gradually all this was abandoned and fell into disrepair. Across the peninsula, only dilapidated houses, Soviet and German pillboxes, abandoned and rusting equipment remained. Until 2009, the peninsula was a border zone, and to visit it it was necessary to issue a pass, now you can drive here freely.

There is only one operating military base left here, in the village of Vaida-Guba, near the bay of the same name. Not far from the village there is a lighthouse and a monument to the soldiers who fell in the battles of the Great Patriotic War. One of the first meteorological stations in Russia is also located here; it was built here more than a century ago.

Most popular route lies to the northernmost point Rybachy Peninsula- Cape German.

Formally, the peninsula is washed by the Barents Sea, but when you look at the huge turquoise waves, you get the feeling that you are standing on the shores of the harsh and boundless northern ocean. By the way, you can almost always admire these waves here, regardless of the season. Even in summer, the wind often blows on the coast, and in winter the sea does not freeze. Although going here in winter just to enjoy the views is not the most good idea. In summer, the temperature rarely rises above 20 degrees. Summer is very short, it is relatively warm here only in July-August, in September night frosts begin.

Rybachy Peninsula - how to get there?

Abandoned village on the peninsula

You can get to the Rybachy Peninsula only by car. The border zone has been canceled, a Russian passport is enough for travel. Since the peninsula is a natural park, formally it is necessary to fill out an electronic consent to visit it, but in fact, there is no one on the peninsula who can check whether a visit is agreed or not.

The easiest option is to book an excursion in some tour company that deals with this. I can recommend the Nordekstrim company, they carry to the Rybachy and Sredny peninsulas and do it well. Here is a detailed report with photos of a trip with them.

But if you decide to risk your car, know that you need a well-prepared SUV, and preferably not one. The second SUV is very useful in order to pull out the first one.

From Murmansk you need to go along the A-138 highway, after about 100 km. there will be the Titovka river. We cross it and turn right. We drive about 50 km to the village of Bolshoye Ozerko, already located on the peninsula.

Here the road ends, what goes on the road is very difficult to call. But along the rivers and stones, you can try to get to the northernmost part of the European territory of Russia - the German Peninsula.

Video trip to the Rybachy Peninsula

Why do we love the north so much? Because the beauty of these places can not only be seen, but lived! At the same time, test yourself, your courage, your endurance and stamina. Overcoming the trials of the chosen path is much more expensive than the southern gentle seas and beaches. Returning from the north, the trace of power does not fade in the eyes.

The Rybachy Peninsula is located in the north-west of the Murmansk region, it is a real "end of the earth". The plateau abruptly breaks off to the Arctic Ocean with sheer black cliffs. Off the coast of Rybachy, the waters do not freeze all year round thanks to the warm North Cape Current. That is why at different times it was a haven for the Vikings, the land of the Sami and even a closed military base. Today, the Rybachy Peninsula is famous for the largest bird colonies in northern Europe.

The raging Barents Sea, dank rain and roaring wind - these are the Rybachy Lands - extreme point The European part of Russia, then only the Arctic Ocean and the North Pole. In this world there are no trees and countless stones. The weather here changes ten times a day, and the sun never sets.

Our itinerary will go through natural park"Fishing". We will see the splendor of blooming tundra, picturesque bays and coves, sandy beaches, waterfalls. We will hear the hubbub of bird markets. Perhaps on our way there will be deer herds.

Here, crabs are found in the sea, and the streams are rich in salmon. Travelers come to the peninsula for various reasons. Someone wants to admire the northern nature.

Someone wants to see with their own eyes the places of ancient settlements and visit modern reindeer herding camps. Many are also interested in monuments related to the military past of Rybachy and his former military camps. Traces of the war can be found everywhere here. Between the stones there are rusty fragments of mines and shells, the remains of Soviet and German barbed wire, shells from grenades, broken weapons and cartridge cases. For 1200 days and nights, the defense of Sredny and Rybachy continued.

Number of participants: from 6 to 10 people

Age limit: from 14 years old accompanied by parents.

Tour features: backpacks are full from the first day - there will be no food delivery, inaccessibility to exit from the route is out of the plan.

Activities

Threads of the route

Murmansk - Sredny Peninsula - Volokovaya Bay

The purpose of this day is to reach Cape Koroviy

Pos. Wajda Bay - Cape "German"

We go to Cape "Skarbeevsky"

The center of the peninsula is Mount Perevalnaya

Mountain stream Lonsky

Musta Tunturi Ridge

Departure to the city of Murmansk

Route by day

On ordered off-road vehicles, the group advances to the village of Novaya Titovka, where they inspect the waterfall on the Titovka River and have lunch. Then we go through the Musta Tunturi ridge and the Sredny peninsula to the beginning of the hiking route. Upon arrival at the starting point of the route - Volokovaya Bay, we distribute public equipment and food into backpacks and go to the place of the first overnight stay about 10 km along coastline.

The purpose of this day is to reach Cape Koroviy. We will see the fortifications left over from the Great Patriotic War. Trenches carved into the rocks, underground structures, firing points. We will rise to the tundra lakes, we will see bird colonies on the rocks. The length of the second day is about 15 km.

We leave the coastline towards the village of Vaida - Guba, our path lies on Cape German. On the way we will pass several German bunkers (long-term firing points), several meters high, made of natural stone. These buildings are well preserved, they are not destroyed and they can be viewed both from the outside and inside. Then we will pass by the military camp and go to the German Cape.

T we will see the northernmost lighthouse of the continental European part of Russia, an abandoned frontier post and admire the ocean surf. Past the operating weather station, we go to the bay, where we set up a camp.

At the beginning of the day we will pass by the graves of English pilots who died defending Allied caravans. Then we cross the river and move along the road to Cape Kekursky. Eternity is felt here, and only here any person feels the full power of nature.

Tundra vegetation, a peculiar landscape, green and white lichens, moss, reindeer moss create unique landscapes in combination with rocks and the sea.

We go to Cape Skarbeevsky. Again we see reminders of the battles of the Great Patriotic War, several times we go to the sea, where we admire bird colonies on sheer cliffs.

The abandoned military town through which our path lies is reminiscent of the scenery of a Hollywood horror movie. Our stop this day is in a picturesque place under the rocks on the seashore. Passed 16 km.

The route lies in the center of the Rybachy Peninsula to Mount Perevalnaya. The sea will quickly disappear from view and the vast expanses of the polar tundra will stretch before us. Mosses, lichens, stones, mysterious seids and abandoned checkpoints will accompany us all day.

The herds of deer grazing here are evidenced by deer antlers along the way. Parking on the shore of the purest tundra lake.

We descend from Mount Perevalnaya along the picturesque canyon carved into the rocks by the stormy mountain stream Lonskoy. We go to the isthmus between the Rybachy and Sredny peninsulas. We will stop at the equipped parking lot next to the obelisk dedicated to the authors of the song "Farewell to the Rocky Mountains..." 14 km covered

Along the coast of the Bolshaya Motka Bay we go towards the Musta Tunturi ridge. On this day we will visit a museum dedicated to the defense of the peninsula from the German invaders. Parking in the foothills of Musta Tunturi. Passed about 20 km. We say goodbye to the rocky mountains, as it is sung in the Soviet song by Evgeny Zharkovskiy (music) and Evgeny Bukin (text). The poems set to music were written by the poet in Fishing Peninsula- the only place where the Nazis failed to cross the border of the Soviet Union.

Goodbye rocky mountains
The Motherland is calling for a feat!
We went out to sea
On a harsh and long journey.

And the waves groan and cry,
And splash on board the ship ...
Rybachy melted in the distant fog,
Our native land.

My ship stubbornly shakes
cool sea wave
Picks up and throws again
She is in the boiling abyss.

I won't be back soon
But enough for the battle of fire.
I know, friends, that I cannot live without the sea,
Like the sea is dead without me.

Departure to the city of Murmansk. Tickets can be taken after 20.00

To see Rybachy and not die... with delight, well, at least try. These words very accurately reflect the emotions from visiting the northernmost European part of Russia. It seems that moving around the territory of the peninsula, you pass through several countries: there are mountains, and the sea, and waterfalls, and lakes, and even different seasons.

As one member of the "Discovering the Silver Necklace" expedition said: "This is the coolest thing I've seen in my life!"

Until recently, the peninsula was a closed territory, so you can only get here by car.

The Rybachy Peninsula is located on the Lapland coast of the Arctic Ocean. Between the mainland and the Rybachy Peninsula lies the Sredny Peninsula. Many consider these peninsulas to be a single peninsula and call them by the same name - Rybachy. In all this vast territory there are only four bases where a traveler can stop.

We got acquainted with Rybachy with the help of mega hospitable guys from the base "Cool North". We were late for a trip around the peninsula on ATVs - the weather no longer allowed, so we explored the territory on a GAZ-66, popularly known as shishiga.

Here it is a fire-machine - Shishiga, which passes such roads, mountains and fords that one can only be surprised.

After the Second World War, mainly military and geologists lived on the peninsula. In the 90s, Rybachy was practically deserted, so roads and bridges in many places are in such a state that overcoming them becomes a quest. But Shishiga coped with everything and the expedition members are now safely sitting in their homes on the mainland.

For two days of traveling around the peninsula, we saw 2 people and one car.

Barencevo sea. After 2200 km from here is the North Pole.

Despite its northern position, the Rybachy Peninsula is the warmest place in the Murmansk region and the entire Russian north. Off the coast of the peninsula, the sea does not freeze all year round.

The white lambs of the waves of the Barents Sea do not let go, you do not want to leave. The sea, although cold, is so attractive in the sun. But our guide urges us on: “You haven’t seen so much yet!!!”

After the lowland waterfalls of Karelia and the mainland Murmansk region, the Rybachy waterfalls amaze with their height and power.

One coast, and the weather changes with cosmic speed.

At the entrance to Cape Kekursky, the clouds scattered and the sun came out.

On the cape there are probably the most picturesque cliffs of the peninsula. Bagpipes immediately sounded in my ears, and a Scottish cage flashed in my eyes, as in the series “Highlander”, which I looked into holes in my adolescence :)

Guba-Vaida is located near Cape Kekursky, as guides and books say, there was a Kegor trade where the British, Danes, and Dutch sailed to sell their goods. From here, these goods were already going to Arkhangelsk and Moscow.

Mount Motka met with snow and fog, because of which we could not see anything. Although we were told that the views here are more beautiful than from Cape Kekursky.

During the war, a divisional command post was located on this mountain. In general, we were warned that we must definitely look under our feet, because on Rybachy you can still find "echoes of the war."

Bloggers are bloggers. There are no views, but there is Internet from Megafon. I had to stay here and break the peninsular Internet detox program.

If you like abandoned places, then you have something to see here. The Bolshoe Ozerko garrison was disbanded in 1987, and by the 1990s everyone had left the village.

The village had a hospital, a school, a canteen, a diesel station and even a museum.

In the 60-70s, the first five-story house on the peninsulas with all amenities appeared.

When you walk around someone else's apartment, you see that there is a stove in every kitchen, you realize what incredible work it took to build all this on the peninsula and how hard it was for people to arrange their life.

It is unfortunate that all efforts went to waste and no one needs it anymore.

Let's go to the next waterfall.

Photos do not convey all the beauty and power of Rybachy's nature. You look at the camera screen and everything seems flat, small. I want to ask for a camera and just absorb everything that you see around.

Want to see mushrooms that are taller than trees? Here they are - boletus.

And you can’t stop the desire to tell about what you saw to the world, and right away. All the same Megafon periodically gave us such an opportunity.

He must be listening to something on Storytel about the birth of the Northern Sea Route :)

On the roads there are barrels filled with stones with a sticking out pole - milestones. We were told that this was also left over from the military.

German Cape, next to it is the village of Vaida-Guba, in which there is a weather station and a lighthouse. As the northernmost point of the European part of Russia, the cape attracts thousands of tourists.

Alas, there was quite a lot of plastic on the shore (Greta, you were right) and the remains of a whale that had thrown itself 3 years ago. There are also many pyramids of stones. It is believed that during the construction of the pyramid, they make a wish, and the stronger and larger the structure, the more likely dreams come true.

Well, here we are at the End of the Earth!

In mid-July, due to official business, my colleagues and I ended up on a two-week business trip to Murmansk. Since they arrived in Murmansk in my car, they tried to spend their free time actively: they saw the city, repeatedly fished in the Kola Bay, went to Teriberka twice, and I also managed to visit the Rybachy Peninsula ...

One weekend, I was lying on the sofa of a rented apartment and decided to read information about the Rybachy Peninsula and reviews of car travelers on my smartphone. The more I read, the more I got excited about the idea of ​​going there. Given the bad roads and the lack of preparation for the trip, I planned to drive only to the Musta-Tunturi pass, walk there on the rocks, through the battlefields and return back. It took no more than half an hour to get ready, in fact there were no fees, I just drank coffee, smoked a cigarette and drove off. I planned to refuel on the way, stop by the store for some food and water, but somehow I skipped all the stores and, having refueled, went with a bottle with about 50 ml of water in the back seat. This attitude to provisions was a big mistake, I realized it quickly. During the entire two weeks of our trip, the heat was around 30C, which, coupled with high humidity, created a terrible stuffiness. The day of the trip was no exception and I wanted to drink already 50 kilometers from Murmansk.

The route from Murmansk to the Titovka checkpoint is excellent, everyone’s documents are checked at the checkpoint. As I understand it, the main requirement for free travel is citizenship Russian Federation. After the checkpoint, turn right onto the dirt road, in fact, from this moment the adventure begins. The road along the Titovka River is full of pits and potholes, like the rest of the way, it probably makes no sense to describe the quality of the “coverage”, because there is none there, there are a lot of reviews on the Internet, I can only say that it’s quite possible to drive, if carefully.

The road along the river abounds with scenic views and I have repeatedly stopped to admire and take a picture. Unfortunately, the photo does not convey the height.

After some time, the road leaves to the left of the river and, meandering, rises higher and higher to the pass. Not the Caucasus, of course, but the rocky northern hills have their own, special beauty, it’s not just that people who have visited these places once come here again and again.

While driving along Titovka, I was very thirsty, there was a feeling that the palate was stuck together and cracked, I definitely decided that I would reach the pass and turn around. At some point, while driving around another pit, it seemed to me that a bottle was lying in the road dust, I drove, looked in the mirror - it really seemed like a bottle. He stopped, approached and was stunned, in the dust of the road lay a one and a half liter sealed bottle of water “Holy Spring”. At that moment, it was a sign for me, a sign that I had to go further, beyond the pass. And indeed, it was worth getting drunk as the mood immediately rose and the strength and desire to go further appeared. After that, I got to the Musta-Tunturi pass quickly.

Unfortunately, I was not prepared for this trip and did not have a plan, any points of interest, so, stopping at the pass, I just walked along the surrounding rocks. He climbed the peaks in search of traces of the war. Found.

Echoes of war

Behind the pass, the road began to descend, also replete with views worthy of an artist's brush. I have repeatedly stopped and admired. Thus, he reached the Sredny Peninsula. I did not like the path through the Sredny Peninsula: a dead road, pits winding the car from side to side, a speed of 10 km / h, a monotonous landscape on the left and Bolshaya Motka Bay on the right. From time to time on the coast of the bay there were camps of visiting fishermen and tourists. Sights of the Middle - monuments to Soviet soldiers who fell in battles. In my opinion, it is necessary to go to the Middle to touch the history of the Great Patriotic War, not passing like me, but thoughtfully, knowing specific points. It was in these places and about the events that took place in these places that Konstantin Simonov wrote the poem “The son of an artilleryman”.

Reminds me of K. Simonov's "Son of the Artilleryman"

The Middle Peninsula is war

The middle one traveled along the eastern coast and ended up on the isthmus with Rybachy. I set myself the task of getting to Cape German, the northernmost point of the peninsula, which is also the northernmost point of the European part of continental Russia. In one of the reviews I read that it is better to get there by west coast Rybachy, I did just that. Having passed the isthmus, I immediately turned left onto the road leading to Cape German, leaving the abandoned village of Bolshoye Ozerko on the right. The Rybachy Peninsula is no longer as monotonous as the Middle one, at least it seemed to me so. I was driving towards the sun, sometimes it made it very difficult to go around stones and pits, but the views were simply fantastic.

The road on the western side of Rybachy is better than on the eastern side of Sredny, the speed is also 10-15 km/h, but somehow more varied. The car talks less from side to side, but there are a lot of large stones and fords. If you do not hurry, then it is quite passing by almost any car.

Perhaps the strongest impression on me was the beach, about one kilometer short of Worm Creek. Dark gray sand, as transparent as an angel's tear, sea water in the rays of the setting sun, calm and warm evening ... I didn’t swim right away, I decided to cheer myself up on the way back, but, looking ahead, I’ll say that I didn’t succeed, because the low tide had pushed back by that time 150 meters of water and the view of the beach was no longer so fabulous. The photo cannot convey, it must be seen in person, it's worth it!

From this place it remains a stone's throw to Cape German. Having wandered a little along the roads of the tundra in unsuccessful attempts to bypass the military unit standing in the way, I reached my destination.

Below is a short video sketch, which I blinded from videos shot on a mobile phone. Filmed with one hand, the other held the steering wheel, respectively, the sections that had to be overcome holding the steering wheel with both hands were left behind the scenes.

At the end point, I stayed no more than an hour, walked, admired the sea and drove back. The return trip followed the same route. I left home at about 2:30 pm and came back at about 9:30 am.

While driving along Rybachy, I met a car of French travelers. I didn't see any people nearby, so I just drove by. Having already returned to St. Petersburg, I went to the site indicated on the board of their car and read information about them, about the car and their travels. Read it, it is interesting to look at our country through the eyes of foreigners who have seen it not only at football stadiums and bars in big cities.

P.S. I consider it my duty to ask you, friends, please do not litter. The tundra will not take anything, everything that you left will lie for decades, if not centuries. The soil layer is very small, do not tear it with tire treads, it will heal for a very long time, there are roads there.

P.P.S. A week ago, I was sure that there were no more riders on Rybachy by car, but now I’m already thinking about the right preparation and how to plan the route. I will go, I will definitely go again, but not in a hurry, with fishing and spending the night in a tent ...

we, of course, could not refuse the offer to trample on the northernmost geographic point mainland European territory. Yes, and they promised different beauties ... things in the teeth, a camera around the neck, jumping into the car - we are going to the Rybachy Peninsula.

Strategic map of the area with important notes :) blue dotted line - our approximate route

the weather in the Arctic is all so sudden. and if the never-setting sun accompanied us all the way to Teriberka, this time we passed almost the entire way in foggy milk. almost the checkpoint and the barrier did not slip through :)) - access to the peninsula itself has been open since not very long ago, but harsh guys in uniform are interested in the purpose of visiting)

after the barrier, the civilized road ends. the cars are clustered, the guys are pitting the wheels - they are getting ready for the delights of off-road life :) and then beauty begins.
the Titovka river and the cascade of waterfalls Melnichny.

I would love to spend more time on the waterfalls, but it was evening, and it was still a long way to go to the place of spending the night .. limited to a couple of views

five-minute rest before the mountain pass.

the fog thickens. Musta-Tunturi is a mountain range that separates the middle and Rybachy peninsulas from the mainland.

driving along the pass in the fog is still a pleasure. visibility tends to zero - I'm going there, I don't know where.

mountain roads can be dangerous even if they are not high mountains.

rescue operation to get a stuck tractor. they say he has been resting here since the beginning of spring) the operation ended successfully, after 2 days on the way back, they got just at the very moment when they managed to pull him onto the road.

the fog has cleared, the pass has been passed - we are on the Sredny Peninsula.

in general, Sredny and Rybachy are often called in one word - Rybachy. but in fact there are two peninsulas - one passing through the isthmus into the other. Average in Rybachy.

the time on the clock is midnight, it was decided to stop here.

having dinner (or what is the name of the meal after midnight? :), we explore the surrounding area. a suspended project of a hotel - a recreation center (according to the plan, it should have already been commissioned). very nice project, I hope someday it will still work. we walked to the houses, looked - if everything is completed, it will turn out great. not much on the shores of the Arctic cozy places recreation..

the next day came - there is a long excursion along the Middle, but by the evening we should get to Rybachy itself. the path is expected to be difficult)

we go along the coast. if you look very carefully - you can see Norway :)

somewhere around here:) here and sms come "welcome to Norway". Pts nice, but the connection on the phones was turned off just in case :)

A lonely sail turns white in the blue fog of the sea ...

subtle natural toning. once again we were lucky with the weather, it seems that there is not much sun, but it is not cloudy either.

us there! I like places where there are not many people, to put it mildly)

our little gang

They promised to show us "two brothers". what is it, what does it look like? .. we drive the first car: "Guys, tell me at least where to look? what if we miss it?" ...No, they say, don't miss it! You will see, you will immediately understand!
and really .. they didn’t miss and understood :))

"Two Brothers" are multi-meter stone remnants located on the coast of the Sredny Peninsula. In ancient times, they served as landmarks for fishermen, and the Sami considered bizarre stone sculptures to be sacred, they performed sacrifices and pagan rites here.

brother one.

and another brother.

There is a beautiful Sami legend about the Noids. it means that they are not brothers, but the groom and his wife. well, it doesn’t matter .. the spectacle is impressive in any case)

view from the viewing stone away from the brothers)

encyclopedic reference: the peninsula is a plateau, abruptly breaking off to the sea. The plateau is composed of shales, sandstones and limestones.

a few kilometers from the "Brothers" there is another interesting place - the Coast of Red Stones. or the Coast of White Stones (apparently, from the weather on this moment, depends:))

stones of amazing alien shapes honed by the ocean-sea.

yes, and indeed - the stones in the sun are red.

and without it - white.

selfie - holy :)

I've also guarded the surf a bit. the most difficult thing is to simultaneously catch a wave and a ray of the sun, which peeked out timidly from behind the clouds))

the panorama in a narrowed form looks so-so .. I recommend to see it live :)))

perfect place for lunch.

I also didn’t know that there are eagles on the Kola)

to be continued...