What is a winter holiday in Baikal? This is a real frosty Russian winter, sparkling snow, sparkling ice and dazzling sun! Negative temperatures are carried in this region of Russia much easier than wet winters in the European part of the country. In the cold season, people go to Baikal for amazing shots, and lovers of an unusual holiday go here for new impressions. Today we offer to talk about winter vacations on Lake Baikal!
Baikal ice
A frozen lake is an incredibly large area that is covered with unique ice. On Lake Baikal, you can see giant hummocks, dead cracks and huge cracks. But the most interesting phenomenon is the transparency of the ice of winter Baikal. For the first time seeing this lake in the cold season, tourists usually lie for hours on their stomach, trying to make out through the transparent ice the bottom of Lake Baikal.
Car trip on ice
Winter Baikal allows you to move freely in almost any direction. One of the most extreme adventures is autotravel. They allow you to get incredible adrenaline primarily from the fact that only a meter thick ice keeps you from diving into the abyss of a person. Feeling about 1,500 meters of water underneath is not an entertainment for the faint of heart. And sometimes it can even be dangerous: for example, hummocks cannot be overcome without the help of special equipment, but it is much worse to see cracks or even wormwood during the trip!
It is worth saying that officially on winter Baikal there is only one road - the one that leads to the island of Olkhon. It is prepared by local rescuers: they periodically check the ice, fill in the cracks, establish road signs and clear the snow. Moving outside this zone is a serious risk. EMERCOM representatives say: you should not go on ice before February, and stop dangerous trips in the tenth of April. In their reviews, lovers of this extreme vacation warn - in such trips it is better not to buckle up, and you should always keep your hand on the handle of a car.
Fishing
Winter holidays on Lake Baikal are hard to imagine without fishing. The season begins in January, when the bays freeze. Near the coast you can catch fish such as roach, perch, pike. With the onset of cold weather and the freezing of ice, experienced fishermen go farther from the coast - in search of serious prey. In February, you can catch grayling, burbot, and even the famous Baikal omul. At the same time, one meter thick ice can be drilled using the most ordinary ice ax! Fans of fishing on this lake reveal a secret: the best time for this process is March and early April. At this time, the sun is already warming in the spring, and the ice is still quite thick.
In 2002, an ice-fishing championship under the name “Baikal Kamchatka” was held in the Irkutsk Region . The most popular Buryat championship is called "Baikal fishing", it is held annually in different places. And, of course, winter camps on Lake Baikal are always waiting for guests and are ready to provide all the services related to winter fishing.
Giant ice rink
In winter, the lake can be called a skating rink - not only the largest in the world, but also the most beautiful! In their reviews, vacationers say that one cannot but admire the bright blue (and sometimes even blue) ice. Tourists also say that the surface is smooth and slippery, and therefore requires a certain amount of skill in order not to fall.
By the way, employees of most of the tourist camps located on the shores of the Small Sea clear small ice rinks from snow. Sports equipment rentals are also opened here. There are a number of rules to ensure safe riding. So, you can’t go skating too far from the coast - the Baikal wind Sarma can rise in a matter of seconds and just carry a person to a great distance. At the same time, it will be fabulous luck that the hapless skater will not endure to hummocks or standing cracks.
The hot springs
Winter Lake Baikal is famous for its hot springs. At least once in your life, you should enjoy something similar to what you can get on Japanese onsen springs and immerse yourself in thermal waters during a snowfall. All sources are located in the territory of Buryatia. The north of Lake Baikal is famous for the hydropathic centers Dzelinda and Gougekit. Here guests are offered accommodation in cozy warm houses, there is food and ski and skate rental. Please note: unlike Japanese, Buryat springs are large shared baths, tiled. It is in these baths from underground sources that water is supplied.
In winter, on Baikal ice you can get to the resort of Khakusy. The path, of course, is not easy, but usually the administration of this resort provides visitors with a free shuttle service. In addition, it is not crowded, which means that this place is ideal for lovers of secluded relaxation. The hottest springs are located on Cape Kotelnikovsky, which is 80 kilometers from Severobaykalsk. There are always a lot of vacationers.
Other entertainments
In winter, guests are especially welcome on Lake Baikal. It is also important that prices are markedly reduced, and entertainment is many times more. You can ride snowmobiles or cheesecakes on the lake, there are championships in a variety of winter sports - from curling to golf on ice! And you can just stand on the shore of a frozen Baikal and feel the indescribable atmosphere of this place, a sense of unity with nature. A rich program is offered to guests by open-air museums!
"Angarsk village"
Winter Baikal is impossible to imagine without visiting ethnographic museums. In the heart of the city called Bratsk is the museum "Angarsk Village". This unique museum acquaints visitors with all stages of the development of settlements in Siberia.
Behind a sign that says “Quiet! Bears are sleeping ”there are booths and plague, the home of the shaman. On the trees there are storehouses where food was stored. The next stage, which the Angarsk Village introduces, is the Russian development of these places. A jail appears, which, by the way, has survived to our time by a miracle! It was in the tower of this prison from 1656 to 1657 that the rebel Protopop Avvakum sat. There are four stunning estates in the Russian sector that were exported from the villages of the Irkutsk Region and the Krasnoyarsk Territory. In total there are about 30 genuine buildings! You can go into each, get acquainted with the interior decoration. Tourists say there are not many objects here, but all things are genuine, and therefore you can’t touch them with your hands.
Talts
Going on a hike along winter Baikal, pay attention to the Taltsy Museum. What attracts guests here? If you believe the reviews - Buryat yurts, Evenki and Tofalar camps, Angara-Ilim temples made of wood and much more.
The construction of this museum began in the 70s of the last century, 10 years after the start of construction, the doors of the museum were opened for visitors. The territory of the museum is 67 hectares! It is named after the village where it is located. The first exhibits were the Kazan Gate Church and the Spasskaya Passing Tower. It is also interesting that this museum tells about how the Evenki burials were made. It is known that there are two types - ground and air. The latter is more ancient: the deceased was placed on two crossed pillars about three meters high! With such graves, clothes and household items were usually left. After the Russians came to these lands, the air was replaced by land graves: wooden crypts without doors and windows were built on the site of the Evenki grave.
Tours
Travel companies offer tourists winter tours to Lake Baikal - for every taste! For example, you can play golf on ice, visit hot springs, conquer the lake with powerful snowmobiles, and see crystal grottoes. Fans of extreme relaxation will appreciate the opportunity to travel on a safe hovercraft on the icy surface of the lake. What else awaits those who decide to spend a vacation in these places? Acquaintance with the original culture of local residents, meetings with Old Believers, Tibetan and Mongolian cuisines!