One of the largest regions in Adygeya is Maykopsky which occupies almost half of the territory of the republic. In 58 settlements about 60 thousand people live. This region is located in the northern part of Large Caucasian range. Its landscape is picturesque: rocky canyons, green fertile valleys, mountain tops and mysterious caves. Natural beauty, the unique ecological characteristics in a combination with a wide network of tourists bases, sanatoriums create good prospects for the development of internal and international tourism, treatment and rest.

Economical potential of the region are industrial and agricultural enterprises. Firms "Pishecom" and "Sane" work stably. They produce wines and drinks and deliver for various regions of Russia: from Arkhangelsk up to Transbaikalia. Production of "Pishecom" is awarded with the prize "A Gold Raceme" in Paris and gold medal at the exhibition in Krasnoyarsk. The firm "Sane" makes production of twenty names on its own prescriptions. Half of this production is marked with gold and silver medals at the prestigious exhibitions.

The enterprise with an almost century history is "Alcohol Plant Maykopsky". It produses spirits "Ekstra" and "Lux" which go for manyfacture of high-guality alcoholic production. This region is rich with minerals. The stocks of raw materials for manufacture of cement, notify, glass are significant. TOO "Nerugstroikom" makes not only building materials, but also delivers limestone for sugar factories of Krasnodar Territory. Roads of the region are considered the best in the republic, their extent is 330 kms.

The woods of the region occupy almost 70 percents of all area. On the basis of three forest-plantings the State unitary enterprise "Adygeyalesprom" for preparation and processing of wood of various breeds is created.

The climatic conditions and character of a relief of the territory are favourable for cultivation of fruit-berry, vegetable, fodder and some field cultures. Maykopskaya Station VIR was created in 1930 by the academician N. I. Vavilov, works with the world collections of plants, and it kept here about 30 thousand examples. The activity of the collective of the station MOS VIR is appreciated highly, the enterprise is awarded with the "Mark of Honour". On the plantations of Adygeyan NPO "Sochinsky" a high-quality tea is growing.

In the region the conditions for organization of leisure and education of young people are created: secondary schools, centre of children creativity, schools of arts, youth associations, museum of Zhernoklevs', centre of children and youthful tourism and excursions "Spring", houses of culture and libraries.

The regional centre is a settlement Tulsky. It is a capital of the regional festival of Cossack culture. It marked its 10th anniversary in 2001. The anniversary festival has found the status international. The amateur collectives not only from. Adygeya. Stavropol Territory, Don, Kuban and central Russia, but also by ensemble "Zaporozhskie Cossacks" from Ukraine have taken part in this festival.

With the purposes of preservation of a historical cultural heritage, unique ecological properties, rational use of potential of the foothill zone of the region ecologo-tourist territory "Fisht" with the centre in a settlement Kamenomostsky was formed.

Upland Lagonaky is a convenient place for organization of various kinds of tourism, mountain skiing, for example. The relief of snow slopes allows to train both fans and professionals.

In the region of upland there are more than 120 karst mines and caves; A category of complexity 5-A has one of the deepest mines not only of this upland, but also Russia "A Soaring Bird" (depth - 525 m, length - 1240 m).

The tourists usually visit easy caves. The most known of them is Large Azishskaya. Its length is 635 m, its entrance was formed with a failure in a ceiling of one of its halls. 270 ms of its courses are equipped with transitions and illumination. A great number of stalactites, stalagmites and stalangnates is kept. The mountains Fisht, Oshten, Pshekhasu are very popular among the tourists and climbers. Slopes of these tops are perfect "laboratory for climbers.

Through the picturesque valley of Belaya River a great number of tourist routes runs. The tourists visit a canyon "Shum", waterfalls 'Shnurochek"and "Maiden Tears", valley of the brook Rutabgo. In the tourists' camp "Romantika" that is at the bottom of a mountain Fiziabgo in the 19th century men's abbey was built and worked. You can visit the cave that were made by monks. To admire the constructions of the largest in the South of Russia Zakubanskaya Hermitage kept till now.

Thermal and mineral waters are unique on their properties and resources at the sanatoriums of the region people can treat from many diseases: nervous system, and others.

The Republic of Adygeya acquires great resources for tourism development including historical, cultural, aesthetic and natural values.

The large part of Caucasus state biosphere reservation [98 thousand ha out of 263,5 thousand ha] as well as some other territories are situated in Adygeya. At the height of 1500-1700 m over the sea level the grass vegetation changes the trees. Here sub-Alpine and Alpine grassland are spreading. The variety of vegetation in Adygeya constitutes 25 thousand species. All animal life numbers more than 380 vertebral species, 65 of which are very rare not only in Russia but all over the world. More than 340 vegetation species are put into Red Book of Adygeya. As for the animals the following species should be mentioned: Caucasian otter, badger, lynx, mountain aurochs, Caucasian stag, chamois, bear.

In 1994 Adygeya was the Nobel Prize winner in the field of environment protection. It happened after the Committee of World Nature Heritage of UNESCO decided to put the Western Caucasus into the list of the territories under their special protection.

It is the fifth Russian area in the list equally with golden Altai mountains, Kamchatka volcanoes and geysers, woods of Komi Republic and the Baikal Lake. According to the UNESCO Committee decision the territory of more than 300 ha was included into nomination "Western Caucasus". It includes a number of natural parks and monuments of the republic and the large part the Caucasus biosphere reservation.

The leading tourist companies of Adygeya despite of the prolonged crisis managed to keep the material base and personnel.

Mainly they are joint-stock companies with state property share. Most of them show preference to active forms of tourism such as mountain hiking, horse riding, mountain skiing. There are hiking routes over the mountainous part of the republic to the Black Sea in Krasnodar Sea. In the foothills and mountainous part of the republic they can offer a number of excursions to the monuments of nature, history and culture.

In Adygeya there are 20 tourist companies with different forms of organization and rights presenting activities beginning with excursion services and ending in international tours.

Sports tourism is being restored to the life. The republic federation of sports tourism recently reformed together with public tourist organizations prepared and carried out a number of mass competitions.

Every year on the Belaya river near Guzeripl village the Russian Championship on water tourism (canoe-paddling] called "Interraley Belaya" is held.

In 1999 the first mountain Marathon race "Transkavkaz" from Guzeripl to Dagomys was held. For the lovers of mountain bicycle the route is being worked out. Paraglider - pilots are making themselves familiar with the slopes of Adygeyan mountains. Hiking tours are still popular with the sportsmen of Adygeya, Krasnodar, Rostov and Stavropol areas, Moscow, St. Petersburgh and other regions of Russia.