Altai Krai is a region located in the south-east of Western Siberia. On a vast territory fit two regions of the Russian Federation - Kemerovo and Novosibirsk, as well as two republics - Altai and Kazakhstan. The distance from the capital of Russia is about 3.5 thousand kilometers. But, despite such remoteness, a huge number of tourists come here every year. Here are ideal conditions for recreation: a variety of reliefs, an abundance of natural reservoirs, clean air and the availability of infrastructure for a variety of types of recreation. The nature of the Altai Territory is striking in its beauty and diversity.
Mountains, lakes and forests
The total area of the Altai Territory is about 168 thousand km
2 ; mountains, plains, taiga and steppes stretch over this territory. The region is saturated with water resources: 13 large lakes and 17 thousand rivers. And yet, this part of Siberia is most valued for its natural gifts. There are a lot of mineral deposits and healing natural mud, rich flora and fauna. In the Altai Territory, in natural conditions, you can find plants and animals listed in the Red Book. Rest in the Altai Territory is pleasant at any time of the year. The climate in this area is temperate continental, with a pronounced summer and winter season. In the warm season, people come here for hiking, bathing and wellness treatments, and in winter, skiing and toboggan enthusiasts tend to snow-covered mountain slopes.
Tourism Opportunities
In the warmer months, vacationers prefer hiking or treatment at local sanatoriums. Many travel companies offer their customers well-established routes of various difficulty levels. On foot you can travel in various places, enjoying the taiga forests, mountain trails or the steppe plains. The nature of the Altai Territory as if created for various types of tourism. Horseback excursions organized by many local holiday homes are also popular. Fans of extreme sports will certainly be interested in rafting - there are a great many stormy mountain rivers in the region. You can try to conquer the airspace: delta and paragliding are popular destinations in this region. From December to March, all local ski resorts are open, they are no different from elite foreign ones for landscaping and downhill upgrades.
Reserves and sanctuaries
An interesting fact: the nature of the Altai Territory is of extraordinary beauty - these are mostly nature reserves. But according to experts, very little has been preserved in the natural form of the landscape. The Tigirek Nature Reserve deserves the most attention - it is the most famous, largest and at the same time the youngest, created only in 1999. The protected natural park occupies approximately 42 thousand hectares. The reserve is located on mid-mountain heights, in the area, according to the admissions of tourists, quite reminiscent of the Alps. Here you can observe the most diverse species of flora and fauna. You will see more variety only in the Barnaul arboretum. Here, on the territory of about 10 hectares, more than 1000 different types of trees, grasses and shrubs brought from all over the world grow. Having visited the exhibition hall of the arboretum, you can see almost the entire green world of our planet in a few hours.
The wildlife of the Altai Territory is also sanctuaries in which fairly large populations of birds and mammals live. The most interesting for tourists is the swan reserve. In this unique place, besides these royal birds, many other birds nest, but the reserve became famous thanks to the swans.
The unique nature of the Altai Territory is the wealth of the country
In total, there are about one hundred natural monuments in the Altai Territory. Agree, this is an impressive figure even for such a fairly large territory. There are interesting places to explore for every taste: caves, mountains, lakes, pristine rivers. Many vacationers are interested in trips to the springs (there are holy sources among them) and other natural riches. The most famous mountains are: Sinyukha,
Devil's finger, Bell, Pebble. If we talk about lakes, this is Chernoye, Buldyuk, Kazachka and Chertovo. The diverse nature of the Altai Territory is represented by such attractions as the caves of the Metlevo plateau, the Silurian Tigerek section, the Strashnoy log, the halophyte community of the coast of Lake Burlinsky.
How to organize a vacation in the Altai Territory?
If you believe the reviews of tourists who have visited these places, it is enough to come here for one weekend, and you will never want to leave for sure. For one trip, even extended for several months, it is impossible to see all the sights and simply beautiful places. Rest in the Altai Territory is famous for the opportunity to do the very things. Just imagine - you spend several days on a hike, then go on excursions, and then find a couple more days for recreation or active sports. Attention: in some areas of the Altai Territory hunting, fishing, picking berries, mushrooms and medicinal plants are allowed. It is most convenient to purchase an organized ticket to the direction you are interested in from an official tour operator. If you want to do your favorite hobby on your own, fill out all the necessary documents in advance and find out if the desired type of fishing is really allowed in the selected region.