Pyatigorsk divides naturally between the literary pilgrimage sites associated with Lermontov, the spa architecture of the imperial era, and the mountain scenery.
The Lermontov House-Museum is where the poet lived his last months; the Lermontov Duel Site on Mashuk's slopes marks where he was killed in 1841. The Diana Grotto and the Aeolian Harp Rotunda are the most picturesque of the 19th-century structures on Mashuk. For the full imperial spa experience, the Lermontov Baths — a Moorish-style bathhouse complex from the 1880s — are an architectural landmark whether or not you take the waters.
Mount Mashuk can be reached by cable car or on foot in under two hours; the summit panorama takes in the entire Mineral Waters region and, on clear days, the Greater Caucasus ridge including Elbrus. Mount Beshtau, the five-domed volcanic mountain northwest of the city, is a harder hike but rewards with views across the steppe.