Syoma
The Syoma River (54 km from Dushanbe) is famous for its blue, crystal-clear waters, wild apple trees, dog rose bushes, birch groves, and currant bushes that bear abundant berries in the fall. On the hottest days, the water in Syoma is icy cold (not more than 4 degrees Celsius). It is always transparent and pure. Even during the spring floods, when the water in Varzob becomes dark brown from the mud, pebbles, and stones, Syoma remains an astonishingly blue hue.
Water with a "Narzan" Taste
Another attraction of Varzob is the six-kilometer "Istiklol" tunnel through the mountain massif at the Anzob Pass, which provides year-round connection between the center and the north of the republic. Nearby, 16 km to the northeast of the village of Ziddi, at an altitude of 3030 meters, are the cold carbonated mineral springs of Khoja Sanghok. The mineral water flows out of the cracks in the Paleozoic crystalline schists with several ascending streams and appears to boil from the intense release of carbon dioxide. It is reminiscent of "Narzan" in taste and is known to the residents of the capital as “Anzob” mineral water.
Scenic Gorges of Varzob
Near Dushanbe, in the right-side gorge of the Varzob River, the Gusgarf waterfall, the most beautiful in the Hissar range, cascades down. The turbulent river has carved a vertical rock wall over many centuries and plunges from a height of 30 meters. The massive volume of water below breaks into countless droplets that shimmer in the sunlight like a rainbow. The hiking trail to the waterfall starts at the 21st kilometer of the Varzob Gorge. From there, it takes about two to three hours to reach the waterfall (about 8 km). In addition to the Gusgarf waterfall, the gorges of the Syoma, Odzhuk, Kondara, Maikhura, and Takob rivers, which flow into the Varzob River, are also popular for their unique beauty.