Isborsko-Malskaya Valley

The nature monument is located 15 kilometers southeast of the city of Pechory within the boundaries of the municipal area "Pechory", "Izborskaya volost", "Novoizborskaya volost" of the Pechory district and extends from Lake Chernoye through the village of Stary Izborsk along the valley formed by the rivers Smolka, Skhodnitsa, Obdekh, together with the Gorodishchenskoye and Malskoye lakes in the north-west direction to the village of Maly and the village of Vashina Gora. In a relatively small area of the valley there is a large number of different terrain complexes: erosion, landslide, karst, glacial and postglacial. Outcrops of Devonian bedrocks form a number of unique geological objects.

The hydrological objects in the area are very diverse and closely linked to each other. A picturesque and unique composition is formed by a group of karst springs near the Gorodischenskoye Lake, which is known by its name of "Slovenian Springs".

In the valley grow 562 species of higher plants, of which 72 are the highest plants deserving special protection, and 14 species of plants deserving protection in the Northwest of Russia.

90 species of mosses and 97 species of lichens were found on the territory of the valley. The fauna of the valley is distinguished by a unique combination of typical representatives of the taiga zone and southern species. Rare species are found in almost all classes of animals. The valley has a certain significance for migrations of various species of birds. The total area of the natural monument is 1,792 hectares, including a forest area of 547 hectares.

It was declared a specially protected natural area of regional importance in 2008.