What is Lake Baikal? Where is? Surely, many travelers asked this question, trying to refresh their school knowledge. Baikal is considered the deepest lake. It is the largest freshwater reservoir on the planet. By age, depth and reserves of drinking water, he simply has no competitors.
So, Baikal! There are legends about him as a formidable and angry lake. Various epithets are awarded to the famous reservoir: “the blue eye of Siberia”, “the sacred gift of nature”, “the world source of drinking water”.
Baikal. Where is the lake located?
The lake is located in the south of Eastern Siberia. It is on the border of the Irkutsk region and Buryatia on the Asian continent. Now remember where Lake Baikal is located? A photo of the famous lake will help everyone imagine the Siberian beauty of the reservoir. Scientists have fixed the surface area of Lake Baikal - 31,722 square kilometers. This figure can be equated to the area of Belgium or the Netherlands. The width of the mysterious reservoir reaches 79 kilometers. The length of Lake Baikal is 620 kilometers. The aerial view of the lake looks like a giant crescent. Baikal is the deepest lake. According to research data, its maximum depth is 1642 meters.
Interesting about Baikal
No one can exactly answer the question of where the name Baikal came from. This topic was devoted to a lot of scientific works and literary publications. But not a single scientist could present peremptory evidence regarding at least one theoretical conjecture.
Where Baikal is located, beliefs and legends live. In the past, the peoples living near Lake Baikal in their own way called the lake: "a large body of water" or "rich water." If we take into account the age of the reservoir, then, according to scientific research, Baikal was formed more than 20 million years ago.
Usually, ice age lakes live for about 15 thousand years, and then gradually disappear from the face of the earth. However, Baikal does not show any signs of aging. Judging by recent studies, geophysicists have suggested that Lake Baikal may well be a nascent ocean.
Miscellaneous
The Baikal pit is recognized as the cleanest drinking water storage on the planet. The lake is incredibly clean and rich in oxygen. Experts believe that this water is close to distilled in its properties. Previously, Baikal water was used for treatment. There is a huge variety of living forms in Lake Baikal. This is a fish: the famous omul, whitefish, a family of perch and salmon. Which of the animal kingdom can still be found in the area where there is a lake. Baikal?
Baikal seals and loud gulls live on the coast. Sometimes there are brown bears emerging from the forest. Scientists have about 847 species of representatives of the animal world and about 133 species of various plants in the nature of Lake Baikal.
Thanks to this diversity, an increasing number of tourists come to this amazing place to inhale a breath of fresh Baikal oxygen. Every year on the lake Baikal there is an intensive development of infrastructure. This encourages everyone who has been here to visit the proposed recreation area many times.
Interesting places and entertainments
Where to stay on Baikal? Attention vacationers are provided with various hotels, resorts, tour operators. All conditions are created so that the traveler can improve his physical and spiritual health. For many years thermal and mud springs Goryachinsky, Zmeeva, Khakusy have been famous for their healing properties.
All of these natural sources are of great help to people in the treatment of blood circulation, nervous system and skin diseases. The most popular source is Snake Bay. Despite the lack of amenities, the number of visitors here is steadily growing.
Baikal is able to tear a person from the usual civilization, amaze with landscapes and fill with life-giving energy! Of course, having arrived on Lake Baikal once, it is impossible to study all the local culture and sights of Buryatia. To get started, use the services of guides or plan excursions in advance.
Think about what you will travel: on a bicycle, car or ATV? And if you are a great rider, then the horse is a great companion for such trips. If the question arises of what time of the year it is the cheapest to relax on Lake Baikal, then you should go in September. It was during this period that prices for sanatoriums and services of tour operators were significantly reduced.
Baikal. Where is the place that can cause excitement in the male population? This is a fishing area! This kind of entertainment delights all fans of an exciting activity. On the territory of Lake Baikal there is a great opportunity to allow everyone to show their fishing skills. The most popular places for this are Chivyrkuisky Bay, the Small Sea, the Gulf of Proval and Lake Baikal itself.
In these water areas there is indeed an abundance of fish, but its fishing is not an easy task. Some tourists even have to resort to the services of instructors. But no big deal!
It is worth practicing - and you will catch! Most likely, friends, looking at a photo on this topic, will ask: "Where are you?" After a little silence, you are likely to give a proud answer: "How where? Lake Baikal!"
Winter fishing has its advantages. It is no less exciting than in the warm season: fewer people, therefore - calm and a sense of freedom.
Advice
Holidays on the famous Lake Baikal are quite diverse. If you dream about swimming, summer fishing and other entertainments in the hot season, then it is more advisable to go on vacation in July-August. At the beginning of summer, it is still cold on Lake Baikal, and the water was not warm enough. And in the northern part of the reservoir there are even floating ice floes. The end of August can overshadow the pastime of travelers with gusty winds. Water during this period is mixed, and its temperature decreases. But for those travelers who seek solitude in nature, autumn is a great time of the year. The local coastal vegetation is painted in bright colors, forcing the tourist to maintain this beauty in the photo.
Where to relax on Baikal?
If you know what you expect from this trip, it will be easier to determine the place of rest. Those who prefer the thick of the masses, the roar of various music and the roar of water bikes will suit the west coast of Olkhon Island, Peschanaya Bay, the coast of the Small Sea, the coast from the village of Baikalskoye to the city of Severobaykalsk, the Circum-Baikal Railway.
A cruise along the Circum-Baikal Railway is a win-win option for an interesting vacation. Usually the tour lasts 2 days by train. On this trip, the guide will tell travelers about the famous places of Lake Baikal. There are short stops in remarkable places. Therefore, you can contemplate nature in these parts.
Places where Baikal is located offer everyone who wants the comfort of tourist bases and sanatoriums of Southern Baikal (Utulik, Electra, Angara and others). This should save the vacationer from questions about where to live on Lake Baikal. The Small Sea is located a bit secluded, and accommodation here is possible in a yurt at affordable prices. Olkhon Island is in an inaccessible place. You can get to it only on foot or by water. This is a great relaxation area for those who are tired of the hustle and bustle of the city.
To diversify your pastime on the deepest reservoir, you can take part in a cruise on a boat or yacht. In this way you can visit the wild shores of Lake Baikal. Known group excursion routes. They are notable for the fact that vacationers can visit the most unusual corners of the Baikal region.
If a tourist has a desire to use rest in order to restore physical health, he can resort to the services of hot springs in the north of the lake. Active travelers with enthusiasm will perceive foot and horse crossings, as well as exciting rafting along mountain rivers. Fans of winter holidays can organize walks on the ice rink of Lake Baikal, ride snowmobiles or dog sledding. For fans of alpine skiing from December to May, the tourist base "Sobolinaya Mountain" is actively operating.
Rest on Baikal by a savage
Where is it better to relax on Lake Baikal? And How? Rest savage - the most freedom-loving. For those who love adventure, Lake Baikal is a real find! The most suitable place for such a pastime is Peschanaya Bay. Only here a real tourist feels an absolute separation from civilization - there is no connection, no roads.
Only private yachts and the Barguzin motor ship go here, departing from the marina of Irkutsk. For vacationers, small houses or tents are provided. On this island pristine nature. It is so alluring that it literally bewitches the tourists, forcing them to come back here again and again.
Savage travelers are welcome at the tourist center, which can offer interesting excursions. Where to relax on Baikal savage? The magnificent island of Olkhon is ready to accept the wanderer! He can charm every person with the harmony of his forests and steppes. Olkhon is an unforgettable fishing and a lot of positive emotions.
Mysterious rock
This island is interesting as a place for shamans. It is believed that on the island of Olkhon is the grave of Genghis Khan. Some locals still worship spirits. Old-timers can tell travelers a lot about the mysterious Shaman Rock.
It is the highlight of Lake Baikal. Researchers of this area claim that in ancient times the Buryats brought a huge number of sacrifices to the rock. There are many legends on this subject. One of them says that Ezhin, the owner of the island, lives on Cape Shaman-rocks. Until now, locals with due respect to this place.
Among tourists there are few daredevils who are ready to approach the Shaman mountain. According to legend, this place is endowed with a special energy force. The photographs leave to the memory of the travelers the drawings of shamanic tambourines carved on a rock by ancient people. Unfortunately, these images are partially destroyed due to the intervention of a human hand in an attempt to extract marble.
Sights of Irkutsk
In those places where Lake Baikal is located, the city of Irkutsk is the most unexplored and underestimated in the world of tourists. Many Russians have vague ideas about this place of rest. It's a pity!
Foreign tourists visiting Irkutsk sights with undisguised interest. After all, this is a storehouse of natural and man-made works. Connoisseurs of architecture are happy to attend the Holy Cross Exaltation Church.
After all, its structure is unique: the fence of the temple and crosses are made according to the old model of blacksmithing. Another famous attraction of Irkutsk is the Taltsy architectural and ethnographic museum. It is located in the open air and keeps real masterpieces of architecture!
Tourists who came here can witness Orthodox holidays: in winter - Christmas and Shrovetide, in summer - Trinity. In the winter season, residents of Irkutsk build snowy towns, ride from the ice slides on cow skins! You must admit that this forgotten vacation can bring real pleasure to every traveler.
After such festivities, you can enjoy hearty dishes of original Russian cuisine from the heart: hot pancakes, meat goulash, Siberian dumplings! Along with this, everyone can enjoy Japanese and Chinese dishes in cafes, bars and restaurants at affordable prices.
Extreme vacation
So, you have come to Baikal! Where is the place that will give the traveler a drive? What else will conquer this famous vacationer territory? Baikal is able to provide the traveler with an extreme form of relaxation that can cause him a special surge of emotions and adrenaline. This is especially promoted by the dynamic rafting along the mountain rivers of the territory of Lake Baikal. Such water travels are noteworthy in that, after such a trip, the tourist is not indifferent to this type of rest.
It is worth at least once to see the wild nature of the Siberian taiga, rafting along a stormy river with a group of comrades. Memories of the euphoria of such a trip will accompany many years. So, remember that mountain rivers originate in the upper reaches of the mountains. River layers of water rush down from there - to the plateaus and plains. Due to sudden changes in altitude, the flow rate of mountain rivers ranges from 25 to 30 kilometers per hour. The number of obstacles encountered along the course of the course (rocks, waterfalls) determines the category of complexity of the water alloy.
The first category includes calm water, the sixth - obstacles with waterfalls and rapids reaching up to 15 meters. Tourists can conquer such mountain rivers on rafts. This is the most popular boat for such an extreme form of recreation. It is an inflatable boat. Its bottom contains holes for draining the water that has got inside the boat.
Raft differs from ordinary inflatable boats in that its design is reinforced with a durable shell, special fastenings for travelers' legs and two-layer balloons. Raft is used when passing water obstacles of 1-5 category of difficulty.
To get more acute emotions when passing rapids, tourists use a catamaran. These are two inflatable balloons made of very durable material, which are interconnected by an aluminum partition. A catamaran on the water is well stable and gives a stronger feeling than a raft.
To control the catamaran, more precise actions are needed. Usually it accommodates 2-4 people. On such a device, the passage of water obstacles from 1 to 6 categories of complexity is possible.
If you ask yourself where to go to Lake Baikal, then you should make a trip to the top of Mount Munku - Sardyk. Such a trip can be unforgettable, as this place is considered the highest point in Eastern Siberia. Tourists who have reached the snow-white summit will enjoy stunning views of the lakes frozen under the ice. At this moment, the nature of Lake Baikal will seem incredible! The best time to enjoy such beauty is April and May.
Tourists who have visited Baikal more than once note that, most likely, this trip will change a beginner. The mystery of this Siberian place can affect the subtle soul strings of a person, awakening in him a sense of novelty and harmony.