Vladikavkaz

Good to know

1. 1Vladikavkaz is the capital of North Ossetia–Alania and stands on the Terek River in the North Caucasus. It was founded in 1784 as a Russian fortress, and its name roughly means 'rule the Caucasus'.
2. 2The city is the northern end of the Georgian Military Road, the old mountain route through the Darial Gorge towards Georgia. For a long time this road was the main link across the central Caucasus.
3. 3Most people in the region are Ossetians, whose language belongs to the Iranian branch of Indo-European. They trace their roots to the Alans and Scythians, and you will hear Ossetian as well as Russian.
4. 4Ossetian pies are the local pride. They are round, flat and filled with cheese, potato, beet leaves or meat, and traditionally a feast has three of them stacked on the table.
5. 5Through the Soviet period the city changed names several times, and for decades it was called Ordzhonikidze. It went back to Vladikavkaz in 1990.
6. 6Prospekt Mira, the main avenue, is lined with 19th and early 20th century buildings, and the city also has an Orthodox cathedral and the Mukhtarov Mosque.

Tips for a first visit

• Try Ossetian pies fresh in a café or from a bakery, and ask for the cheese one and the meat one. They are meant to be shared and eaten hot.
• The centre is compact and easy to cover on foot. For the gorges and mountain villages outside town, take a taxi, a minibus or an organised day trip, since public transport thins out quickly.
• Plan a day trip to the Dargavs necropolis, the 'city of the dead' with its stone burial houses, or into the Alagir or Digor gorges. Allow a full day and bring layers, as mountain weather changes fast.
• Carry some cash in roubles for small cafés, market stalls and taxis, as not every place will take cards.
• If you are invited to a table, expect a series of formal toasts led by one person, and wait for the toast before you drink. Refusing food outright can seem rude, so take a little of everything.
• Dress modestly when you visit churches and the mosque, and cover your shoulders and knees.

When to go

Late spring and early autumn are the most comfortable, with mild days, green hills in May and June and warm colours in September and October. Summer is warm and is the best time for hiking in the gorges. Winters are cold and grey in town, with snow in the mountains that can make some roads slow.

From the airport

The city's airport lies north of Vladikavkaz near Beslan, roughly half an hour to forty minutes from the centre by road. The usual ways in are a taxi or a minibus, and a taxi is the easiest if you have luggage. Inside the city, buses and minibuses run on set routes, and the old tram system is a slow but pleasant way to see the streets.