Buynaksk was founded as a Russian fortress during the long war against the mountain peoples of the Caucasus in the nineteenth century, and under the name Temir-Khan-Shura it became the military and administrative capital of Dagestan. Officers, writers and exiles passed through, and the town's grid of streets, old barracks and solid brick buildings still reflect that garrison past. In the Soviet period it was renamed after Ullubiy Buynaksky, a local revolutionary, and the capital moved to Makhachkala on the Caspian coast.
Today Buynaksk is a busy, mostly Kumyk and Avar town of around sixty thousand people, set in a broad valley among dry hills at the foot of the mountains. It is a useful gateway to inner Dagestan. To the south and west, roads climb toward the Sulak canyon, the Chirkey Reservoir and the mountain villages, and a long road tunnel under the Gimry ridge leads to the valley of Untsukul and the village of Gimry, birthplace of Imam Shamil, the legendary leader of the resistance to Russian conquest in the nineteenth century. The history of that war is still a living subject here.
The riding around Buynaksk is a mix of busy town roads and quieter mountain routes. Traffic in town can be chaotic, with minibuses stopping without warning, cars weaving and pedestrians crossing anywhere. Outside, the roads climb through dry, rolling hills toward the mountains, with sweeping bends and long views. The surface varies from good to rough, with potholes and loose stones, especially on minor roads. Spring is green and fresh; summer can be hot and dusty, and autumn is mild and golden.
Buynaksk has all the basic services: fuel stations, shops, cafes and a market where you can buy fruit, bread and local cheese. Try chudu, thin Dagestani flatbreads filled with meat, cheese or greens, or khinkal, the local dumplings served with broth and garlic sauce, quite different from the Georgian version. Long sleeves and trousers off the bike will earn you warmer looks than shorts. Use the town as a base to fill up, eat well and prepare for the mountains, which begin just beyond the edge of town.