Visly Kamen Cliff

Visly Kamen (Russian: Вислый Камень, "the Hanging Stone") is a limestone cliff on the Samara Bend, in the Volzhsky District of Samara Oblast, not far from the village of Shelekhmet. The rock rises 70–80 metres above the Zmeiny Backwater, is protected as a natural monument and is one of the best-known sights of Samarskaya Luka National Park and of the whole Samara region. Because of its distinctive profile it is also called the Stone Grandfather.

What to see

The cliff is built of thick layers of limestone, and its upper part juts out as a ledge hanging over the water. On the top there is a small platform with views of the Zmeiny Backwater, the Volga and the Shelekhmet Hills.

At the foot of the rock lies Lake Vislokamenka, about 47 hectares in area, also known as Zmeinoye (Snake Lake). In the past it was connected to the river only during the spring flood. Locals say the name comes from the many snakes that have always lived here.

The name and the Stone Grandfather

The cliff owes its name to the massive outcrop overhanging the water: the top of the rock seems to hang over the backwater. Seen from the side, the ledge looks like the profile of a bearded old man. That gave the cliff its folk name, the Stone Grandfather.

Nature

About 120 plant species grow on the cliff and around it, some of them listed in the Red Book, such as the marsh helleborine. The vegetation on the summit itself is sparse: feather grass, wormwood and oregano. Moose and roe deer live nearby, and in recent years pairs of swans and a family of beavers have settled on the backwater.

Getting to Visly Kamen

Hiking trails lead to the cliff from the village of Shelekhmet and from the Shelekhmet tourist shelter of the national park. Part of the route may run along the wooded slopes of the Vinnovka Hills. The climb to the top is considered hard.

There is also a water route: you can take a boat to the Zmeiny Backwater, land at the foot of the rock and climb the cliff from there. The ledge and the Stone Grandfather profile are best seen from the water.

Good to know

• The rock is slowly crumbling, so going near the edge of the ledge is dangerous.
• The cliff lies within Samarskaya Luka National Park, and the park's visiting rules apply.