Russia is famous for its rivers and lakes, which are more beautiful to find in the whole world. Some ponds attract with its picturesque beauty and charm, others with rare properties. Lake Baskunchak, which is located in the Astrakhan region, is interesting for travelers, tourists and guests of the region, and both.
Geographical position
The reservoir is located in the north of the Astrakhan region, not far from it there is a settlement - the city of Akhtubinsk. The pond has an elongated shape (from north to west), its length reaches 18 km, its width varies from 6 to 13 km. The total area is 115 square meters. km The distance from the Caspian Sea is 270 km, from the Volga River - 53 km to the east. Currently, the entire surrounding area is part of the Bogdinsko-Baskunchak reserve, where Lake Baskunchak is rightfully recognized as a pearl of the region. This region received the status of a conservation object in 1997. Since that time, special conservation regimes have been operating here that do not allow numerous guests to harm the environment or spoil rare natural sights.
Baskunchak is a marble lake, it is called so because of its unusual appearance with placers of salt. From afar, it looks like ice. Many first take it for a surface dotted with holes, as if water peeps through a crust of ice. These ice holes are the result of salt extraction from the surface. It is in these places that swimming is very beneficial for the body.
Legends
The lake is literally surrounded by myths. It has been known to people since ancient times, merchants and traders constantly carried their caravans through the adjacent territory. Legends are composed about its name - in translation from Turkic languages it can be translated as "the head of a dog." They say that once, in ancient times, the lake became so shallow that its bottom was exposed, and a merchant going by decided to shorten his path and drive right along it. The quick step of the horse and its hooves protected the animal from salt, and the dog running after it wounded its paws on the crystals and died. Then the rainy season began, the lake was filled with water, and the corpse of the dead dog was preserved in salt and constantly floated to the surface, many travelers saw it. Another legend also speaks of dog death - in the heat the merchants' caravan passing by saw the lake, travelers stopped near it to take a break. The dog accompanying the people rushed to drink water, but the animal was poisoned by the excess of salt and fell into the lake. And the dog’s head was seen for a long time on the surface of the water.
And the most beautiful of the legends tells about the unhappy love of a girl who was forcibly given out as a rich man, and therefore her beloved died. She cried at the foot of the mountain for several days, and her tears made a salt lake.
The properties
Baskunchak (marble lake) lies 21 meters below sea level. Its water is very salty, some sources say that it exceeds the Dead Sea. Its salinity is 300 g / l. The lake itself is a deepening of the salt mountain, the base of which goes thousands of meters deep. Its nutrition occurs due to numerous springs and a river with the name Gorkaya. Neither plants nor animals can exist in the lake - only bacteria with the ability to tolerate such a concentration of salt live there.
The vital product of these organisms is a special clay, which covers the entire coast. This clay and mud have a number of healing properties, curing many diseases. Baskunchak Salt Lake is widely used for recreational purposes. The air around it is also healing, it contains a lot of bromine and volatile, which have a beneficial effect on people. The salt solution with which the lake is filled is called brine. It positively affects many organs and systems.
Indications
Many vacationers are interested in the question: what does Baskunchak treat? Therapeutic mud has a beneficial effect on the musculoskeletal system, nervous and genitourinary systems, and digestive organs. A good effect is achieved in the treatment of skin diseases, ear, throat, nose and respiratory system. The mud of Lake Baskunchak has anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antispasmodic effects. Water has a number of therapeutic effects: vasoconstrictor, pacemaker, immunocorrective, anti-inflammatory, has a beneficial effect on metabolism and improves the digestive tract. Its treatment is indicated in the presence of diseases of the circulatory system, digestion, skin diseases. Healing water has a number of contraindications. For people with diseases such as tuberculosis, cancer, hypertension, infectious and venereal - in the acute stage, glaucoma and eczema, treatment is not recommended. It is best to use healing properties under the supervision of specialists - a dispensary is located nearby, in which there is an opportunity to undergo a full course of rehabilitation in comfortable conditions.
Baskunchak, lake: how to get there
The pond is located near the border with Kalmykia. The nearest villages are Upper and Lower Baskunchak, their indigenous people are Kalmyks. By road, you can get to the lake along the Volgograd-Astrakhan highway, from it there is a direct road with good surface. From Volgograd to the reservoir you need to go along the left bank of the Volga, a distance of about 200 km. The path passes through the city of Akhtubinsk to the villages of Upper and Lower Baskunchaki, before entering the last one must turn right - and Baskunchak, a lake, will open before the travelers. How to get to it from the villages, local residents can tell - for a separate fee. There is a railway along the highway; salt used to be delivered along it. Excursion buses constantly run from the nearest cities, you can get to them.
Salt production
Baskunchak Lake has been known since ancient times, it is famous for its purest salt - 98%. It was mined from the 8th century by hand, and sent along the Silk Road. The first mention of this place is found in historical sources since 1627. At that time, salt was mined using shovels and crowbars, from the lake to the shore it was delivered on camels. Since the 20s of the last century, production has improved - machines and combines began to be used, a railway was laid for export. Up to 300 tons of salt can be mined in one hour using special equipment. Baskunchak Lake, where one of the main salt deposits in Russia is located, was developed by the Bassol enterprise. It supplies up to 80% of all the country's reserves. Moreover, the salt of this particular field is notable for its purity and the most useful properties.
Place for racing
One of the unusual venues for car competitions is Baskunchak, a lake. (How to get to it is indicated above.) From 1960 to 1963, a high-speed highway was built on it. During the competition, 29 all-Union records were set. Races were held on a completely flat ring road, the length of which was 20 km. The salt crust covering the surface of the lake was a unique venue for the competition - it is absolutely flat. Later, when salt production increased more and more, the hydrological situation on the lake changed, and its surface became unsuitable for racing. In this regard, regular competitions in this region have stopped
Sanatorium
Baskunchak Salt Lake attracts many visitors from all over the country. The sanatorium in its vicinity with the same name consists of one building, where guests are offered 1-, 2-, 3-bed rooms, equipped with everything necessary for rest and living. Each room has a shower, a bathroom, a toilet, satellite TV, a refrigerator, cutlery. The meals offered in the sanatorium are 4 meals a day and have their own dining room. You can book a tour of the reserve, visit the Museum of salt production, which contains historical exhibits telling about the local craft. The prophylactic center offers guests various therapeutic procedures with healing muds and baths. There is massage and laser therapy, fitness exercises and special nutrition. On the territory of the sanatorium there is a cafe, gym, sauna, pharmacy, gym, several shops. It is convenient to get there by rail to the Upper Baskunchak station, or by road. The main landmark is Baskunchak, the lake. How to get to the wellness center, you can ask local residents or vacationers.
Baskunchak Lake: reviews
Travelers visiting the lake all admire the unusual landscapes and vivid impressions of the trip. Tourists recommend that you definitely bring shoes with you where you can go swimming, as there are a lot of sharp salt crystals at the bottom of the lake. In addition, you will need fresh water - rinse after bathing. If salt water from the lake gets into your eyes, it burns the mucous membrane, especially children suffer it painfully. It is customary to swim here carefully so as not to splatter yourself or those standing nearby. Healing mud is widely used by vacationers right on the shore, but it is better to collect the mud as close to the center of the lake as possible - it is cleaner there. Salt water literally pushes to the surface, when swimming it leaves a lot of impressions for everyone who came to Lake Baskunchak. Reviews of vacationers about him are numerous and mostly enthusiastic, so they will be useful to everyone who plans a trip for the first time.
Prospects
Baskunchak is also unique in terms of inexhaustibility - its reserves are constantly replenished naturally. It is interesting in that human intervention did little to damage this particular ecosystem. In 1927, scientists tried to get to the very bottom of the congestion and determine the underlying rock. Wells were drilled, excavations were carried out and work was carried out. They stopped at around 257 meters - and never reached the bottom. Despite the endless salt reserves, the lake is still in the conservation area - this means that careful treatment is regulated at the state level. Baskunchak Lake, where the country's main salt deposit is located, is not only a unique natural site, but also an important resource of the Russian economy.