The region of the South Urals can hardly be attributed to the number of the most popular and popular tourist destinations. Many people, choosing places for summer holidays, are guided by the principle "the farther, the better." But this approach is far from always justified. And a sharp change in climate does not benefit everyone. Sometimes it’s useful to just look around. The Chelyabinsk region, for example, has many interesting and peculiar natural objects. Lake Turgoyak is one of them. Moreover, it is located in the climatic zone of the Southern Urals, which is quite comfortable for most of our compatriots.
Lake Turgoyak, Chelyabinsk region
This is one of the most beautiful reservoirs in the entire Urals. It is located near the city of Miass, in a basin between the Ilmen and Ural Tau mountain ranges. Lake Turgoyak has a rather large depth and transparency of water. Its purity here is such that the bottom is visible at a depth of up to twenty meters. According to characteristics, water from this lake is usually compared with Baikal. The special purity of the reservoir is explained by the features of its hydrological regime. Four rather large rivers flow into the lake, and only one flows out. Water is in a constant state of circulation. Lake Turgoyak is a rather large rounded body of water, slightly elongated in the meridional direction. The length of its coastline is 27 kilometers. The maximum depth is 34 meters, the total water surface area exceeds 26 square kilometers. Particularly suitable for stopping on vacation, among other things, it makes the surrounding natural landscape. Mountain slopes covered with dense relict vegetation come close to the coast of the lake. Coniferous forests prevail on the shores of Turgoyak, they are well preserved, there are not so many traces of their felling and other unauthorized interference in the natural environment as in many other Ural regions.
An absolute tourist attraction is the
island of Vera. Lake Turgoyak was once the refuge of Old Believers, who left the pursuers in the Ural taiga. On the island of Vera, until the beginning of the twentieth century, an Old Believer monastery existed. It has not been preserved, but a large number of
archaeological sites and artifacts are found here, which are several thousand years old. Archaeologists continue their work here today, every field season on the island brings them new finds.
Recreation facilities on the lake Turgoyak
The recreational potential of this place is used very actively. Lake Turgoyak is well known in the Urals. Tourists come here from Chelyabinsk, from Yekaterinburg and from more distant places and cities. Many feel quite comfortable in a tent on the lake. But for those who can’t imagine their existence even without the minimal benefits of civilization, there are recreation centers on the coast: Silver Sands, Krutiki, Hotel-Club Golden Beach. The latter is more suitable for sports enthusiasts: surfing, diving, ATVs and bicycles.