It is customary to prepare for the upcoming summer vacation in advance, mobilizing financial resources and plunging into pleasant expectations from the upcoming trip to distant countries. And there is no time to think about the fact that it is not necessary to get a Schengen visa in order to be able to admire the natural beauties that are in no way inferior to the Swiss. For this, it is enough to pay attention to the reserves of Bashkortostan.
In the southern Urals
The nature of the middle zone, in which the Republic of Bashkortostan is located, is distinguished by visual expressiveness and significant landscape diversity. The climate here, despite its sharply continental character, is quite comfortable for most Russians. The Urals has traditionally been an industrial region, and this circumstance negatively affects the state of the environment. But precisely to overcome this situation, numerous natural reserves of Bashkortostan were created. In these territories, nature is reliably protected from any anthropogenic impact. But no one is going to hinder the access of civilized tourists to the reserves of Bashkortostan. The recreational potential of the South Urals is quite high, and it should be properly implemented.
Natural park and reserves of Bashkortostan
Free access is restricted to a considerable territory of the republic; construction and any kind of economic activity are not allowed on it. Reserves of Bashkortostan, and there are only three of them in the republic - Shulgan-Tash, Bashkir and South Ural, receive visitors throughout all four seasons of the year. But nevertheless, the main purpose of their existence is to preserve and increase the relict flora and fauna of the southern Urals region. In addition to them, the republic also has the Bashkiria Natural Park. The priority area of its activity is tourism.
Reserves of the Republic of Bashkortostan occupy a territory with a total area of 407 thousand hectares. Significant material and financial resources from both the republican and federal budgets are spent on their arrangement and maintenance.
South Ural Reserve
This territory, which has been in the reserve regime since July 1978, is located on the border of the Republic of Bashkortostan and is partially located in the Chelyabinsk region. The purpose of the reserve was to protect and study mountain taiga ecosystems of the Southern Urals. And the place for this task was chosen quite suitable. The entire territory of the reserve is characterized by very rough terrain. Several mountain ranges converge here at once and the highest point of the Southern Urals is located - the Bolshoi Yamantau mountain. Any actively organized tourist activities in the territory of the South Ural Reserve have not been recorded. They usually visit him privately.
Reserve "Bashkir"
This is one of the oldest protected natural areas by age, not only in Bashkortostan, but throughout the Russian Federation. The Bashkir Nature Reserve was founded in 1929 by a special Decision of the Council of People's Commissars of the Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.
The main territory of the Bashkir State Reserve is located in the forest zone of the southern slopes of the Ural Range. This zone is characterized by relict forests, consisting of both deciduous and light coniferous trees. Some natural objects in the reserve rightfully belong to the category of especially significant. This is, first of all, South Kraka, the place where unique forms of flora grow and the organic remains of the Silurian period are found. And also the cultural monument of Bashhard Sharyazh, which has cultural and ethnographic significance.
Shulgan-Tash
Each reserve in Bashkortostan has its own distinctive features. One of the most significant and famous far beyond the borders of the republic is the Shulgan-Tash nature reserve. Its territory was allocated to independent existence in 1986 from the Bashkirsky reserve.
The purpose of creating a new reserve was to study and preserve the unique ecosystems of the Southern Urals. This is due to the fact that in this area there are both characteristic and unique natural plant forms that other Bashkortostan reserves do not have.
"Shulgan-Tash" is the name of a rock massif on the vast gently sloping western slope of the Ural Range. This toponym gave the name to the entire reserve. The mountain slope on which it is located is a watershed of the Belaya and Nugush rivers. A visit to the unique karst caves and rocks of Shulgan-Tasha is included in the mandatory program of many tourist routes. The name of this rock massif is known far beyond the borders of the republic, and photographs of the Shulgan-Tasha rocks adorn many tourist publications and brochures. This is one of the visual images of Bashkortostan.
Natural Park "Bashkiria"
This is a vast territory located on the southwestern slopes of the Ural Range and functioning as a national park. It differs from an ordinary reserve in that its recreational exploitation is a priority area of activity.
Bashkiria National Natural Park was founded on September 11, 1986. It takes tourists in all four seasons of the year. The total annual number of tourists here exceeds thirty thousand, and this figure has a steady upward trend.
A promising and developing direction in "Bashkiria" is winter tourism. Sloping mountainsides are ideal for downhill and slalom. There is a need for the construction of ski lifts and the arrangement of ski resorts with appropriate infrastructure. The total territory of the park is 92 thousand hectares, and some of the land is in economic use, they were not withdrawn from agricultural circulation after the foundation of the natural park. The most attractive for tourists are karst caves. Most of them are concentrated in the Kutuk tract. In the Nugush reservoir and on the Belaya River, good fishing is provided.