Abkhazia is a very peculiar territory which preserve a lot of interesting curiosity and rareness, like the tightest railway in the world. It is situated in the western part of Georgia that overlooks on the Black Sea and has a very particular story. Let’s find out together what are the features of the tiniest subway in the world and of its hosting state.
The narrowest subway in the world is in the “ghost” State
# The disputed country that claims for its autonomy
Abkhazia is a sort of “ghost State”. It is a region of Georgia that, in reality, has declared itself independent under the name of Abkhazia Republic, thank to the Russia’s support. After some armed fights between the Georgian government and the independentists, Abkhazia is still a disputed country. The territory continued to be claimed by Georgia, with which relationships are almost nil after the ceasefire signed in 2008.
The Republic is recognized as independent by Russia, besides some other states, and survive thanks to its military and economic support. Since the sign of the agreement, in addition, the territory live under the protection of 200 military observers of the European Union, but this does not detract from the fact that Abkhazia is considered by the most as a puppet state of Russia.
# The tropics of the former Soviet Union: the breathtaking beauty of Abkhazia’s landscapes
The region is characterized by a very particular morphology, on one side you can find high mountains, which cover the 75% of the total surface, whereas on the other there is the sea coast, that host most of the villages. Because of the incredibly beauty of the landscape, Abkhazia is also known as “the tropics of former Soviet Union”.
But besides the charm of the coastal area, this State has also numerous caves, among the deepest and the most extended in the entire world. And it’s right in this contest that you can find the smallest railway.
# The caves are so deep that need their own railway
The most accessible cave is New Athos, located under a monastery, destination of numerous tourists for the breathtaking view that offers. The enormous karstic cavern, with a volume of about 1 million cubic meters and a height of 1900 meters, is located so far inside the mountain that it is necessary to take an underground means of transportation to reach it. Stalactites, stalagmites, rocky waterfalls and little lakes, these caves hide a real underground world.
# The very narrow subway that allows you to visit the caves of New Athos
The tiny subway is the narrowest in the world and takes the name of the caves: New Athos. It is composed by an only electrified binary and a very narrow tunnel. The line was inaugurated in 1975, it is long 1,3 km and has only three stations.
The entrance station is necessary to take the tourists to a little stop located inside the mountain, where the passengers can reach a pedestrian itinerary. Whereas the third station is necessary, once the tour is over, to take back the tourist to the entrance station.
CHIARA BARONE
