Foggy Fortress in the Ghosts' Valley

Demerdzhi (or Blacksmith Mountain) is one of the most attractive and mysterious mountains of the Main Ridge, one of Crimean natural wonders. The plateau is extremely popular among Ukrainian and foreign tourists. For most of them the best way to get Funa fortress and The Valley of Ghosts at the foot of the Demerdzhi mountain is on horseback. Many tour-agency has such excursions in their agenda.

Sometimes this place is also called Demerji-Yaila (Blacksmith Pasture).

Demerdzhi is equally beautiful at any time of the day. Mountain's colour changes hour by hour. It can be blue, or green, or grey - or even black. The Valley is particularly impressive in the autumn. The natural stone formations in The Valley of Ghosts look like some fabulous animals and spooky creatures. The Dzhur-Dzhur waterfall in the Gorge of Khaphal can be easily reached from the plateau. It's best to be seen after heavy rains or in early spring when the snow begins to melt. The Valley of Ghosts attracts not only tourists but filmmakers as well.

In the past the whole mountain was called Funa which means "smoking, foggy, misty". The castle at the mountain was founded in 14 century (first mentioned in documents in 1384). Funa was the most eastern part of semi-legendary medieval Feodoro princedom. The village was settled at the fortress walls and a small spring soon.

The hostile fortification, castle Aluston was at the sea, at the foot of the Main Ridge. Good place for observation.

The castle itself was not big. Only 109 m from south to north and 57 v from west to east. Walls were 9 meters high.

The fortress was destroyed and got renewed many times. It was ruined in the beginning of 15 c. Turkish army destroyed Funa in 1475, when the Ottoman Empire seized the whole Crimean peninsula. Once again Funa was destroyed during one of Crimean earthquakes. Tourists will be able to visit ancient settings, see walls and loopholes, the remnants of the st. Theodor Stratilatus church (1459) and even... medival toilet.

The trail leads from the Funa Fortress to the Ghosts Valley where unusual landscapes strike imagination.

Demerdzhi southern tops offer a sublime view of the blue bowl of the sea, Alushta amphitheater with gardens, vineyards, white city at the sea, grand mountains: Babugan, Chatyrdag, Kastel’, Karabi, Ayu-Dag, Meganom, Sokol.

An Old Legend

There are many legends about Mountain and fortress Funa. Here the one of them:

Once upon a time there lived a giant wild blacksmith on this mountain, which never stopped spewing smoke. His forge produced so much smoke and fire that the plants and animals all around the mountain began to die; and rivers in the mountains went dry. A beautiful girl from the village, seeing that no one is brave enough to stop the nasty blacksmith, screws up courage to confront the odious giant. She went to his forge and asks the blacksmith to take pity on her people. Not moved by the girl’s words and beauty, he grabs a sword and runs her through with it. But then comes the turn of the mountain itself to bring vengeance on the pitiless murderer — old Funa decides it has had enough of the rude blacksmith’s viciousness and swallows him and his forge.