The Caucasus Mountains are a mountain range at the intersection of Asia and Europe. Stretching between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, they are surrounded by the Caucasus region and are home to Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe at 5,642 metres above sea level.

In our series: MOUNTAIN RANGES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, This is part 3 with this special gallery of the Caucasus mountain range. In this part of the world geography is destiny. The Greater Caucasus Range, with its spectacular peaks including Mt. Elbrus at 18,510 feet, divides the region into the North Caucasus and the South Caucasus; other mountains split the area further. The North Caucasus includes Dagestan, Chechnya, and other small republics that are part of today’s Russian Federation. The South Caucasus is comprised of the independent states of Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.

As I started to collect the images about this mountain range, I was surprised I hadn’t heard of this mountain range before. However, I had heard of Mount Ellbrus, because anything above 14,000 ft (4267 Meters), is a serious mountain. I am delighted to give you this collection of photos so you too can learn more about this mountain range of the world.

There are deep historical roots for just about everything in the Caucasus. When discussing Chechnya and Dagestan, Western commentators often refer to conflicts that followed the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991. People from the region find this superficial, almost humorous, and instead tend to see things from a much longer historical perspective. Historical roots in the region are indeed impressive: Petroglyphs from 10,000 years ago can be found in Azerbaijan and Georgia is the site of the world’s first cultivation of grapes for wine, some 8,000 years ago.

Is it safe to go to the Caucasus?
In part due to this great diversity, historically the region has been embroiled in numerous ethnic and political conflicts, some of which remain unresolved to this day. Despite this difficult history, the Caucasus is for the most part safe for travel and increasingly ranks among popular emerging tourist destinations.

The Caucasus Mountains are commonly known as a line between Asia and Europe, and the lands in Caucasia are different considered to be in one or both continents. The northern portion of the Caucasus is known as the Ciscaucasus and the southern portion as the Transcaucasus. The highest peak in the Caucasus is Mount Elbrus (5,642 m) which, in the western Ciscaucasus in Russia, is generally considered the highest point in Europe.

The Caucasus mountains boasts eight mountains higher than the highest mountains in the Alps. A member of a British expedition that explored the mountains in 1874 wrote that in “in appearance and inaccessibility and in boldness of form they are beyond the Alps, and probably, when they are better known, they will be thought grander and more majestic than the Alps.” Now I am glad that I am posting this so that this mountain range can get some more recognition.

Even showing this village in the canyon below, the size of the mountains in this mountain range are just spectacular. The beauty of these mountains is worthy of being called “one of the best and most scenic mountain ranges in the world”.

CHECK BACK SOON AS THE 4TH IN THE SERIES: “MOUNTAIN RANGES OF THE WORLD” WILL BE PUBLISHED. WE WILL MOVE ON TO: “THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS”