The river Terek and the 1908 Mukhtarov Mosque

Vladikavkaz is the main city of North Ossetia and a major transit hub for the North Caucasus region. Its position on the Georgian Military Highway makes it a staging post for journeys to both Georgia and South Ossetia.

Get in

By plane

Two flights from Moscow daily - S7 Airlines out of Domodedovo Airport, and Aeroflot Don out of Vnukovo.

By train

Trains run daily to Moscow (35 h) and other southern regional cities such as Rostov on Don (13 h), Adler (17 h) and Novorossisk (18 h).

Get around

Public transit is cheap and reliable - trams, bus, and minibuses (marshrutni). A taxi ride within the town generally costs 50 rubles (US$1.65 as of July 2009). Official taxis are recommended, they are easily available in the center of the city, avoid private taxis (chastniki).

Basically no English is spoken, do not expect to be able to comfortably move around the city without brushed-up knowledge of Russian or assistance from a translator.

City phone code is 8672.

See

The striking North Ossetian mountains: Tse and Fiagdon in particular. However, all non-Russian citizens are forbidden to travel outside the main towns of Vladikavkaz, Beslan, Alagir and Ardon. If found by local authorities outside the regulated areas you may be subject to a fine and/or deportation.

• 1 Mukhtarov Mosque. A striking historic mosque completed in 1908. The mosque takes it's name from the Azerbaijani millionaire Murtuza Mukhtarov who financed its construction. 

Eat

• Vogue Restaurant, U. Mayakovskogo, 21, ☏ 53-95-64NOCC. 10.00-24.00. Salads, Pasta, Pizza, Deserts, full bar and shisha. Lots of pretty people who like to stare at foreigners. One of the few places in town with outside seating. 
• Grusha, Ul. Shumlevicha, 41, ☏ 54-88-55NOCC. 12.00-24.00. Excellent Georgia food and shashlik. Loud music. 
• Magiya Cafe, Ul. M. Gorkogo, 9, ☏ 54-06-48NOCC, kofemagia@mail.ru. 9.00-23.00. Good deserts, light meals, drinks, great coffee. 
• Leonardo Cafe/Gallery, Ul. Revolutsii, 62, ☏ 53-88-88NOCC. 12.00-23.00. Interesting local art. Good meals, good cocktails, basement bar filled with smoke. 

Sleep

• 1 Hotel Imperial, Prospket Mira, 19, ☏ 54-74-74NOCC. directly on the central street of the city. Comfortable, recommended over other options, little bit pricier. Restaurant Bavaria behind the hotel with outside seating and extremely loud karaoke during the summer months. Sauna onsite. 

• 2 Hotel Vladikavkaz, ul. Kotzoeva, 75, ☏ 64-94-94NOCC, 55-03-83NOCC. Soviet style intourist hotel. Cheap, on the river, five minute walk from the center and across the street from a very unique mosque. Not very comfortable but generally has rooms at affordable rates. As with many soviet style hotels in other parts of Russia, expect your phone to ring if you are a male traveller. 

Go next

• Georgia - head south on the Georgian Military Highway to the border post at Verkny Lars and then to Kazbegi in Georgia.
• South Ossetia - head south on the Trans-Caucasian Highway through the Roki tunnel to the disputed region's capital, Tskhinvali.