Russia's natural beauty is something to behold. Even though I'm not a fan of hiking myself and I much prefer city landscapes, after being dragged kicking and screaming, and, sometimes even crying (hello Avachinskiy volcano), I would stop, marvel at the beauty around me and appreciate something much older and bigger than myself.

This WHS comprises of several sites. We visited the Caucasus Nature Reserve from two sides: once from Krasnaya Polyana near Sochi and once from the Adygea Republic. The first visit was during our summer visit to Sochi and Abkhazia. The trip to the grounds of the Nature Reserve was surprisingly easy: you take the ski lift to Gazprom ski centre in Krasnaya Polyana and then either hike to the grounds of the park, or if you're super lazy like me, ride on a horseback. It's an hour-long ride at a comfortable pace and no particular horseriding skills are required - the horses are trained to follow the horse-behind in frot of them.

The next time we explored it better, through a weekend trip to Adygea. We spent two nights in Guzeripl' and entered the core zone from there. Apart from forest trails there are also old dolmens and a museum. Then we rode to the other side of the mountain and hiked around Lago Naki plateau. Bear in mind that Russian natural trails aren't very well marked so either get someone who knows their way, or be prepared to get lost. In that case, know how to kill a bear with your bare hands, navigate using only the moss on trees and stars as your guiding points and how to survive in the wild. The trail markings in Lago Naki particular are very vague, pointing you in some kind of general direction with no trail visible - you make your own way as you go.

Fortunately we managed to return to our car in one piece and with beautiful pictures. So which one to choose? Sochi if you're looking for more tourist-friendly option with other places to see while you're there. Day trip to Abkhazia is highly recommended, just bear in mind you have to have a double entry visa. Unfortunately, Sochi has become much more expensive in last two years due to popular demand. Homestays in Krasnaya Polyana village intead of expensive hotels in Roza Khutor or Esto-Sadok are a good budget option. There's a regular train connection between Sochi Airport, Adler and Krasnaya Polyana/Roza Khutor. Taxis are also reasonably priced.

Adygea is a good budget choice that provide the most local experiece you can get. Krasnodar is the main transport hub, from there you can get to Maykop easily and from there take a taxi or marshrutka. We rented a car in Krasnodar airport and drove ourselves. Also, note that local supermarkets (look for Magnit in particular) have the local Krasnodar wine Fanagoria in stock. It's dirt cheap (3 euros per bottle) and the payoff is fantastic. From red ones, go for the Georgian Saperavi variety, Aligote when you're more into white and take their Brut sparkling wine whenever you see it available, it's great! And make sure to visit the Rufabgo waterfalls on the way, the easy hike or more strenuous walk takes about an hour and the views are beautiful!