Derbent

Inside the walled city

	WARNING: Travel to Dagestan is strongly discouraged, due to high criminal activity, frequent bombings, and general lawlessness and crime. As Chechnya's neighbour, Chechen terrorists often target Russians in Dagestan in bombings and other terrorist acts. At the same time, Salafist extremists (largely foreign) have engaged in violent conflict against native, moderate Sufi groups, in pursuit of the establishment of Sharia law. If you are planning to visit Dagestan, consult your embassy before you are planning a trip to this region.
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	(Information last updated Jun 2018)

Derbent (Russian: Дербе́нт dyeer-BEHNT) is a 5,000 year old city in Dagestan and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is the location of the mythical "Gates of Alexander," and easily one of the most impressive historical sites in Russia.

Get in

There are two daily communter trains from the regional capital of Makhachkala, one departing 10:00 and another departing 17:20, journey time is around three hours. Long-distance trains heading to and from Baku makes a stop-over here. From Moscow there are departures on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, leaving from Moskva Paveletsky station at 18:05 and arriving two nights later at 18:40. A second class sleeper ticket costs around 3,500 RUB. Other Russian cities with rail connections includes Saint Petersburg (59 h), Rostov-on-Don (25½ h) and Yekaterinburg (64 h). International connections includes Kiev (56 h) and Minsk (65 h).

Get around

The entrance to the Dagestan Museum

Sleep

Naryn-Kala Fortress