It’s easy to find the Irkutsk region on the map. This is the largest subject of the Russian Federation, landlocked. What might be interested in this region of a tourist or local historian? What sights of the Irkutsk region should a traveler visit in the first place? This is exactly what our article will tell.
The main attractions of the Irkutsk region: photos, names and descriptions
The region is located in Eastern Siberia 5 thousand km from Moscow and 4 thousand km from Vladivostok. The region occupies a huge area, which could accommodate all the states of the Balkan Peninsula. The length of the region from north to south is almost one and a half thousand kilometers!
What sights is the Irkutsk region rich in first of all? And what interesting tourist can see here?
Cognitive, recreational, recreational, sports tourism is quite developed in the region. A number of resorts and health resorts operate in the areas of water and salt sources: Angara, Nukutskaya Matsesta, Ust-Kut, Rodnik, Metallurg and others. Business tourism is also actively developing in the region, the core of which is the annual Baikal Economic Forum.
When compiling a list of the main attractions of the Irkutsk region, the photo of Lake Baikal, without a doubt, should be the first number in it. The deepest freshwater reservoir of the planet borders the region from the southeast side. The lake is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its shores within the region are under the jurisdiction of the Baikal National Park.
It is worth noting that the natural attractions of the Irkutsk region are not at all limited to Baikal alone. In its southern part in the mountainous regions of East Sayan and Khamar-Daban there are many objects that attract the attention of climbers, water and walking tourists. Among them, one can not fail to mention the Baikal-Lensky Nature Reserve, Lake Heart, Sandy Bay, the mysterious Shaman Cape, as well as unique Warm Lakes on the border with Buryatia.
Below is a list of the ten most interesting sights of the Irkutsk region (some of which will be described below):
- Pribaikalsky National Park.
- Skansen "Taltsy".
- Circum-Baikal Railway.
- Bratsk hydroelectric station.
- Island Olkhon.
- Patom crater.
- Lake Heart.
- Clock Museum in Angarsk.
- Mineralogical Museum of V.A. Zhigalova.
- Mount Ehe-Erdo.
Circum-Baikal Railway
Under this abbreviation lies a unique railway, which was laid along the shore of Lake Baikal. It was built for a total of fifteen years (from 1901 to 1915) with the participation of the best engineers from Russia, Austria and China. The so-called Krugobaikalka is 94 kilometers of road along rocky cliffs and tunnels, 173 architectural and 583 engineering monuments!
Heart Lake
Tourists conquering the famous Chersky peak in the mountains of Khamar-Daban pass by another interesting natural monument. This tiny but incredibly picturesque Lake Heart. The name of the reservoir is by no means accidental. According to their outlines, the shores of the lake really resemble a heart in its classical representation.
Clock Museum
In Angarsk is one of the most interesting museums in the Irkutsk region. This is the oldest watch museum in Russia. It was founded back in 1968. The museum features about 500 exhibits - watches from various countries and historical eras. There is also a unique “space clock” - a gift from the outstanding Soviet cosmonaut Georgy Grechko. More than 10 thousand people visit the Clock Museum annually.
Mount Ehe-Erdo
In the valley of the Angi River, ten kilometers from the village of Elantsy, an unusual hill Ehe-Erdo rises. The uniqueness of this mountain lies in the fact that it has become a sacred object for representatives of the Buryat people. Here they hold their Yerdynsky Games - an old national holiday. The culmination of this event is a grand round dance around the mountain.
Sights of Irkutsk: photos, names and descriptions of objects
And in Irkutsk itself there is something to see. It is no coincidence that in the city center, at the beginning of Litvinov Street, an original monument to a tourist was erected. Therefore, it will not be amiss to tell about the sights of Irkutsk. Photos, names and descriptions of the most interesting of them you will find in this section.
The administrative center of the region is extremely rich in architectural, historical and cultural monuments. In addition, it is here that most of the museums in this region are located. Here is a list of the ten most interesting sites in the city that are worth a visit:
- 130th quarter.
- Lower embankment.
- Znamensky monastery.
- Epiphany Cathedral.
- Arc de Triomphe (Moscow Gate).
- Pedestrian bridge.
- House of merchant Vtorov.
- Fainberg Manor.
- Museum-icebreaker "Angara".
- Museum of entertaining sciences "Experiment".
While in Irkutsk, it’s a sin not to walk along the 130th quarter, where authentic wooden buildings of the 18th century have been preserved, or along the lower embankment of the Angara, where a huge number of sculptural monuments are installed. One cannot fail to visit the ancient Znamensky Monastery and not pass through the arch of the magnificent Moscow Gate. If you came to Irkutsk with children, you should definitely go to the Experimentarium, after visiting which you can take a fresh look at science.