On the southwestern edge of Akhsau, you can see the battle towers of the Telakurov, Buzoev, and Tegaev families. The hiking route to Bilagidon Waterfall also begins in the village. These two points of interest appeal to different interests: historic architectural forms in the village and a hike with a clearly identified starting point.

Battle Towers and Residential Buildings in Akhsau

The three battle towers differ in form and construction from other towers in Mountain Digoria. This gives Akhsau a distinctive architectural focus: the towers of the Telakurov, Buzoev, and Tegaev families are characterized not only by their tower design but also by their distinctive appearance and construction.

Another historic structure is the medieval Galuan of the Telokurov family, a residential building in the form of a castle. The Gor House of the Sakiev family is a residential building dating from the 19th century. Akhsau is also home to a semi-underground medieval crypt. These buildings differ in their recorded uses and forms: alongside the battle towers are a castle-like residence, a 19th-century house, and a crypt.

The Hiking Route to Bilagidon Waterfall

The hiking route to Bilagidon Waterfall begins in the village of Akhsau. This provides a specific starting point for planning; check current trail conditions and markings before setting out.

Regional Highlights in the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania

In the wider destination of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania, the Dargavs Necropolis Complex is located in the old village of Dargavs, in the valley of the same name, 42 km from Vladikavkaz. The site comprises 95 burial chamber structures of various types, dating from the 14th century to the first third of the 19th century. Since 1978, it has been a branch of the National Museum of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania. Its architecture and burial customs reflect the socioeconomic conditions and religious beliefs of the Ossetian population in the late Middle Ages.

Among the natural attractions in the wider destination is Galdoridon, a five-tier waterfall more than 30 meters high and a natural attraction in Alania National Park. The trail to Shagatsikomdon Waterfall follows the left terrace of the Tseydon River through a pine forest with Oriental beech, Trautvetter's maple, and gray alder, on brown podzolic mountain forest soils. It climbs steeply over an outcrop of gray granite, then descends to the riverbank and continues to the lower waterfall cascade.

Another hiking route in the wider destination leads from the village of Kharisdzhin through the Khilak Gorge to the Shalagom tract and the Shalagom viewpoint. The largest local population of endemic East Caucasian tur lives on the left slope of the gorge, within the North Ossetian Nature Reserve; it may also be the largest in all of North Ossetia. From the viewpoint, you can observe the animals in their natural habitat in the subalpine and alpine zones of the Bokovoy Range. A sighting is not guaranteed.

Discover more destinations: Stur-Digora.

Return to the destination overview: Irafskiy rayon.