Kelardasht

Kelardasht (Persian: كلاردشت) is a city in the Central District of Kelardasht County, Mazandaran province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. At the 2006 census, its population was 11,921 in 3,361 households, when it was in the former Kelardasht District of Chalus County. The following census in 2011 counted 9,122 people in 2,809 households. The latest census in 2016 showed a population of 13,401 people in 4,565 households, by which time the district had separated from the county in the establishment of Kelardasht County. The city comprises 5 districts (Hasankif, Lahoo, Kordichal, Valbal and Rudbarak, Mazandaran). Hasankif has been the business district for many years and is currently also the political center. Originally a farming area, in recent years much of its land was sold in small lots to build numerous villas which are occupied by summer visitors trying to escape the heat of Tehran and points further south. Its attractions include Alamkuh Mountain (the second tallest peak in Iran at 4850m), Abbasabad Road, Valasht lake and cooler climate. Picnicking and mountain climbing in the area surrounding Rudbarak, Mazandaran, Mazandaran are also popular, as well as in the Abbasabad Forest nearby. The majority of the inhabitants speak Mazandarani and Gilaki, but a few migrants speak Kurdish.