Nalchik

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Nalchik
<map lat='43.485' lng='43.607' zoom='9' view='0' />
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Information
Country:	Russia
State:	Kabardino-Balkaria
Major roads:	R217, A154
Meet fellow hitchhikers on Trustroots

Nalchik (Russian: Нальчик) is a city in the south of Russia, the administrative center of the republic of Kabardino-Balkaria. In the past, the "Kavkaz" highway passed through the outskirts of the city, often causing traffic jams and a lot of local cars, which created significant problems for hitchhiking. Now, a bypass highway has been built far to the east, making transit much easier.

Hitchhiking out

North towards Pyatigorsk and Mineralnye Vody via highway R217

• Closest police checkpoint (DPS) on the Baksan bypass.
• End of the Nalchik bypass just after the village of Chegem Vtoroy. Look for minibuses heading there.

South towards Vladikavkaz, Nazran, Grozny, Makhachkala, Baku via highway R217

• Closest police checkpoint (DPS) at the border of Kabardino-Balkaria and Republic of North Ossetia–Alania, near the Kabardian settlement Urŭkh. You can get there from the bus station by minibus 128, which runs every 20 minutes from 6:00 to 16:00. From the turn to Urŭkh, it's 2.5 km on foot or you can try hitching further.
• Junction with the bypass near the village of Urvan.

Southwest towards the village of Verkhnyaya Balkariya (A154)

• The turn is in the village of Urvan. Buses 87, 114, 122 go there. The last one goes all the way to Verkhnyaya Balkariya.

Accommodation and Sleep

Free

• Couchsurfing, Hospitality Club, Trustroots, BeWelcome, etc.
• You can try to find a hospitality host via VK: send a message with the city name to the Couchsurfing B.0.T. group. See here for tips on making requests.
• Stay with locals. As everywhere in the Caucasus, you may be invited in "straight from the street."
• In your own tent. The city is surrounded on three sides by mountains covered with forest. There are a couple of lakes in the eastern part of the city, but in summer, there will be too many people at night.
• "Raduga" Shelter for the homeless in Nalchik, 4 Zalihanova St.

Paid

• Rest rooms at the train station
• Hostels on 2GIS

Other useful info

• Wikivoyage
• Hitchhiking in Kabardino-Balkaria VK group
• Samokatus city guide
• Subjective guide by Ilya Buyanovsky (Varandej)
• Yandex Travel: Guide to Nalchik

Useful in Telegram

• Nalchiknews Chat
• Events in Kabardino-Balkaria
• Searching for You Nalchik
• “Nalchik” Channel