Lake Elton has been known since ancient times, even then people were well aware of its healing properties and regularly used the services of a natural "doctor" in order to improve their health. At the beginning of the XX century, a sanatorium was founded here. This is a huge salt lake, comparable only to the Israeli Dead Sea, surrounded by the natural landscapes of the desert steppe. Silt mud, brine and mineral drinking springs are valuable healing resources.
Where is Lake Elton
This is the eastern part of the Volgograd region, located almost on the border with Kazakhstan, in the Volga steppes. The depth of the lake is very small, in summer - no more than 7 cm, in spring it can reach several meters. The area is 152 square meters. m. A large circle of mirror surface, to which several meters you need to go along the dried salty crust. The required lake level supports 7 rivers. At the bottom there are exits of salty springs. The lake is located 18 meters below sea level.
It’s not suitable for swimming, as it is filled not with water, but with brine - an oily liquid that tastes bitter and salty. It is oversaturated with a solution of sodium chloride, as well as macro- and microelements. Elton Lake is decorated with another attraction - Mount Ulagan, which is an ever-growing salt dome.
Another interesting feature of the reservoir is that the lake is not dead, algae live in the water, which give it a pink hue.
Climatic features of the region
If you are going to relax on Lake Elton or heal in a sanatorium, be sure to bring sunblock creams and oil. The sun is burning, almost instantly burns both the face and other exposed areas of the body. The wind almost does not stop, so dark glasses will be a useful thing. They will solve two problems at once: they will protect from the bright sun and dust transferred by the wind. The temperature difference during the day and night is very noticeable, therefore, going for a long excursion, stock up on warm clothes, it will come in handy if you return in the evening.
The heat here is difficult to bear, so when leaving the hotel room, take a hat and a supply of drinking water with you. If you suffer from heart disease, then choose spring or fall when the weather is milder.
Today the resort operates 12 months a year, the average air temperature here in the winter months is -11 degrees.
For lovers of new experiences
The natural beauties here are specific, you need to get used to them, especially the Russian person who likes the sound of the wind in the treetops and the singing of birds. Here you will not meet either one or the other. As already mentioned, the neighborhood is a bare steppe, in which the pinkish lake is located. It is not recommended to drive close by car because of the salty mud in which the wheels skid, and a large amount of salt badly spoils the metal and rubber. On a sunny day, the eyes are blinding like snow, and only in the evening, when the sunset colors Lake Elton in magical overflows of red, you can appreciate the beauty of these places.
This is the real kingdom of salt. It frames the lake in the form of a wide variety of crystals. They resemble either snow flakes or fanciful snowflakes: with sharp needles, oval, cubic. It makes sense to walk around with a camera and look for a more interesting shot. Salt gets stuck in the hair, it is felt on the entire surface of the skin, settles on the lips ... The wind wears its smallest particles constantly, which makes it seem that it is here that you can taste the air.
Health Tourism
To do this, there is a sanatorium on Lake Elton. It is located 6 km from the lake, so tourists receive all the procedures in the local mud baths. Thrill-seekers can take a hike to enjoy nature's gifts in a natural setting on their own, or take a daily tour. Twice a day, a bus leaves the lake and takes out those who wish to take a “wild bath”. The advantages of such a trip are that it is here that the high temperature works for you, and even the special air of these places. Then, covered with salt crust, you have to go back to take a shower.
For comparison: fresh mud from the lake is also brought to the sanatorium twice a day. It is applied in the form of an application to the body, after which the patient is wrapped in polyethylene and covered with a blanket. The procedure lasts 15-20 minutes, then you can visit the shower (without a washcloth and soap). Further, in accordance with the doctor’s instructions, a sweating procedure is carried out: the patient is wrapped in several blankets and given to drink hot tea.
Not only the mud, but also the "water" of the lake itself is also healing. Rapa is recommended for the treatment of many diseases, and the best effect can be achieved by alternating brine and mud baths. The choice is yours to use the services of a sanatorium or the opportunity to plunge into the lake itself.
What is the reason for the therapeutic effect
Among Russians, Lake Elton is very popular. The Volgograd region is much closer to Israel, and treatment can be even more effective, since the salt content exceeds 1.5 times their concentration in the water of the Dead Sea. Therapeutic mud irritates the receptors of the skin and blood vessels. Organic acids, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogenous substances penetrate through the skin into the bloodstream and affect the functioning of internal organs.
Mud is a natural source of vitamins, enzymes, hormone-like and other biologically active substances. The mud procedure as a whole affects the entire body, the nervous and endocrine systems.
Magic mud and brine
Treatment on Lake Elton every year are hundreds of comers. The procedures bring significant relief, and subsequent therapy will give an even more tangible result. Therefore, in chronic diseases, people practice annual treatment at a local sanatorium.
High-salt silt, sulfide, bromine mud is a homogeneous, oily mass, slightly resembling solid oil. It is also laundered not easily, it smells of hydrogen sulfide. The crust of dirt on the body retains heat well, which is a catalyst for starting recovery processes. Elton Salt Lake is famous for the chemical composition of the mud. It contains magnesium and sodium chloride, bromine, iodine, magnesium and calcium sulfate, calcium silicate, magnesium, and aluminum. Also there is sulphurous iron, silicic acids, organic substances.
It is because of this amount of impurities that Elton Salt Lake is no longer used for the extraction of edible salt. Thanks to this, it has retained its original appearance and today can be a place of healing for many people.
Rapa is an even more amazing substance. When you approach the lake, the salty crust begins to break under your feet, and you plunge into the mud. Having enjoyed these sensations, you can go further. Here, the crust already fully withstands the weight of a person, and it is covered with an oily liquid in which undissolved salt crystals float. In the hot season, immersing in brine is completely difficult, the depth barely reaches 10 cm, but the concentration of salts is such that it begins to corrode the skin. More balanced brine baths will be offered at the sanatorium.
They include calcium chloride and magnesium, magnesium sulfide, calcium carbonate and sulfate, organic matter, bromine and boron. During brine baths, tiny salt crystals settle on the skin, which continue their therapeutic effect after the procedure.
Health benefits
Holidays on Lake Elton will be useful to everyone, without exception. The eastern part of this mysterious reservoir is most suitable for swimming and enjoying the views. Treatment is prescribed in accordance with medical indications, but it has a beneficial effect on the whole body. Metabolic processes are activated, hematopoiesis is normalized, immunity is increased, the nervous system is strengthened, the condition of the skin is improved, efficiency is increased, blood pressure is normalized.
Elton mud is similar to that which comes from the Dead Sea, and brine is 1.5 times higher than its water in terms of concentration of nutrients. Many note a pronounced bactericidal effect. The mud of Lake Elton is used as general and local applications. They are used to treat diseases of joints, bones and muscles, the central and peripheral nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, and ENT organs. Diseases of the genitourinary system (both female and male) respond well to mud treatment. In addition, Lake Elton is a real panacea for patients suffering from chronic skin diseases.
Contraindications for the passage of mud therapy
Despite the wide range of indications and the undeniable benefits of Elton’s wealth, consult your doctor before going to the lake. If you go to the official website of the sanatorium, you can read rave reviews. Lake Elton easily conquers the hearts of people, but there are still contraindications to treatment, which must be taken into account:
- Pregnancy.
- Any disease in the acute stage.
- Venereal diseases.
- All blood diseases are acute.
- Tuberculosis.
- Severe forms of hypertension.
- Any bleeding.
- Mental illness.
- Addiction and alcoholism.
If you should not use mud and brine baths today, this does not mean at all that you cannot visit Elton. The lake offers treatment in the form of clean air, the famous mineral drinking spring, as well as nature itself - calm, unhurried, pacifying.
Road to elton
You can get to Volgograd by train, car, fly by plane. Options - for every taste and budget. In the city you can take a bicycle or continue your journey by car. It is easy to get lost in the endless steppes, therefore it is better to adhere to the already known route. One of these is the path from Volgograd through the village of Volzhsky and Leninsk, but a poor steppe road leads to the lake. The second route is longer, it goes through Volzhsky, Nikolaevsk, Pallasovka, but along almost the entire route it is an asphalt road. Feel free to get ready for a trip to Lake Elton! Any local resident will tell you how to get there, even if you lose your way.
Nature Park Tours
One of the most popular services is bike rental, where you can take a tour of the surroundings. There is something to see here. The excursion usually begins with the lake itself. After listening to stories of miraculous healings, tourists head to Ulagan Mountain. This dome is unique not only in that it consists of salt, its height is fully consistent with the basin of the lake. But that's not all! Rocks come to the surface here, the history of which begins from the Jurassic period, often with preserved samples of the plant and animal world. The fossils of ancient mollusks can be found here on the surface, without excavation. This mountain is also interesting for its stunning views of the entire reserve.
If you are interested in geology, then you can visit the Grand Canyon, which is located next to Ulagan Mountain. But usually a guided tour takes place around the lake. An interesting cultural monument is the abandoned salt-mining village, Old Elton, which is located on the west bank. Here you will be told about the hard work of the villagers, who were supposed to get and load the precious goods, protect themselves from nomad raids and deliver salt unscathed through a difficult section of the steppe. An outpost was created here, which served as a fortress protecting people.
From here, the path runs north along the channel of the Khara River. Places are enchanting, with a completely unusual landscape. Even the plants here are unusual, adapted to salt soil and mineral water. Maybe that is why there are so many rare species of trees and grasses that are not found anywhere else. Surprisingly, a huge number of different types of ducks gather on this salty river, even gray cranes fly here.
A mandatory attribute of the tour is a visit to the Devil's Bridge. He is no longer there, he existed during the time of active salt mining on the lake, almost 400 years ago. Now only the ruins of a stone dam have been preserved here. Further, the route runs along the channel of the Hara to the Botanical beam. It will be interesting to connoisseurs and lovers of botany, but for the uninitiated tourist it’s just bushes and grass. About 400 plant species grow here. Among them you can find trees - apple trees and buckthorn; shrubs - thorns, rose hips, blackberries. Interesting rare species located on the slopes. These are tulips and irises, almonds, asparagus, valerian, tansy, tarragon.
If you are lucky, you can capture on the photo insects listed in the Red Book. This is a long-legged crawler, ascalaf colorful.
A walk under the hot sun makes itself felt, and tourists move towards the long-awaited Smorogdinsky mineral spring. The composition of the water resembles the water of famous sources in Kislovodsk, although the taste may not be liked out of habit.
Here, culture lovers can leave their bikes and go on a trip to the ethnographic museum. It is unique in that it was created and served by one person, a history teacher. These are four buildings located nearby. The first tells about Russian life. This is a hut, cleaned according to all traditional canons. Nearby is a Kazakh yurt, demonstrating the life of a nomadic people. The second yurt is a dining area, here, by your order, a real dastarkhan with beshbarmak, baursaks and delicious tea is covered. The fourth house is a museum of salt production.
The museum’s creator, historian, who knows and loves his land, leads the tour. He will tell you everything you want to know about Lake Elton. Volgograd region is the real passion of this enthusiastic person.
A visit to the Elton Natural Park can be a real adventure, full of new experiences, and a budget family vacation. Healing baths will improve the state of health and normalize the nervous system. This place is ideal for spending time pleasantly and with benefit.