The Lars station situated at the narrowest point of the Darial Gorge.
As the Terek River gorge is one of only two routes across the Greater Caucasus Range, the area has been known since antiquity: in the II century BC, the trade route beginning near present-day Lars was known as the “Sarmatian” route, named after the Iranian-speaking Sarmatians who inhabited the region.
The name “Lars” emerged much later, around the XVI century.
It most likely derives from the Ingush root *lar*—meaning “track” or “trace”—referring to a place where travelers left their tracks or a designated stopping point.
The Lars station was established in the early XIX century during the modernisation of the Georgian Military Road.
Eleven stations were set up along the route where travelers could change horses, Lars was the second station when traveling from Vladikavkaz.
By the early 1860s, a building had been constructed at the site, featuring a refreshment room serving hot meals as well as three rooms for travelers.