Zlatoust lies in a valley between ridges of the southern Urals, about two hundred thousand people packed along the Ai river, and it is one of the most distinctive industrial towns in the mountains. The name means golden-mouthed, a translation of the epithet of Saint John Chrysostom, and the town was founded in the eighteenth century around an ironworks. It sits in a landscape of steep forested slopes and cold clear rivers, and the weather is often changeable, with mist and rain on the ridges.
The town is famed for steel. In the nineteenth century, a German-trained master began producing swords and knives in the town, and engraved steel weapons with beautiful decoration became its speciality. The Zlatoust arms factory, established in the early nineteenth century, made blades for the Russian army, and the craft of etching and gilding steel, with pictures of hunting scenes and landscapes, is still alive. The museum in town displays remarkable examples, and you can see how much skill went into the work.
From the town, mountains rise on every side. The Taganay National Park, just to the west, protects a range of quartzite peaks with rocky ridges, boulder fields and mossy forest, and the summit of Mount Taganay, at about 1,100 metres, offers a wide view over the Urals. A road leads close to the base, and well-marked trails climb the final stretch. Further on, Lake Zyuratkul, a cold, deep mountain lake surrounded by forest at high altitude, is a popular place for walking and for quiet camping. Satka, a small town to the west, is known for its magnesite quarries and the old Urals iron industry.
The main highway crosses the Urals near here, following the railway through the mountains. It is a road of long climbs and descents, with plenty of heavy trucks, and the weather can be wild on the passes, with fog, rain and early snow. Side roads climb through the forest on narrower tarmac, with short steep sections and bends.
Zlatoust has fuel stations, repair shops, supermarkets and cafés, and it makes a practical stop for a night. Local food includes dumplings, pickled vegetables and fish pies. The best months are June to September, and autumn is lovely when the birches turn yellow, though snow can arrive early in the hills.