Legends about the amazing Shira Lake are known in Khakassia and beyond. The ancients believed that this lake was able to cure any ailment - both physical and mental. Today, it is possible to assert with confidence about the therapeutic effect of its waters, and more often it is they that become the main reason why Khakassia attracts tourists. Shira Lake welcomes vacationers from all over the world.
Unique nature
The nature of Khakassia is unusually beautiful and diverse. Taiga mountains are adjacent to spacious meadows, deserts, sonorous rivers, calm mirrors of water bodies. There are saline and freshwater lakes in Khakassia , the total number of which reaches five hundred. Lake Shira is the most famous resort, tourist center and, undoubtedly, one of the most beautiful places in all of Siberia. The taiga forests of Khakassia abound in game and birds, and the flora of the region is truly unique.
Geographic location
The Republic of Khakassia is located in Eastern Siberia on the left bank of the Yenisei River. It occupies a significant part of the Khakass-Minusinsk pit. One of the main reservoirs in the region is Shira: by the reserves of healing mineral moisture, this lake is the largest in the country. The pond is located 175 kilometers from the capital of Khakassia, the city of Abakan. With a relatively small area of 36 km 2 , the 22-meter depth of Lake Shira (Khakassia) is really impressive. The map shows that there is a lake in the steppe zone, and only its southeastern shore is partially covered with forests.
Climate
The climate in the republic is sharply continental: winters are cold and summers are very hot. In spring, strong winds rage here. Humidity is average, rainfall is usually small.
The waters of Lake Shira
The main asset of the lake is highly mineralized water. It began to be used for medical procedures in the middle of the last century. Has a unique healing effect and sulfide mud. In combination with the mild steppe climate of Khakassia, the presence of mineral drinking water makes Shira one of the most attractive resorts in Southern Siberia. The amazing nature, which is so famous for Khakassia, has no less effect.
Lake Shira: indications for use
The properties of Shire waters and mud are successfully used to treat the digestive organs and the gastrointestinal tract. It will be useful to visit these places for those who have problems with the musculoskeletal system. One of the resorts located on the shore, which is called the "Lake of Shira", has successfully established itself in the treatment of patients with arthritis, polyarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis. They treat fractures, non-healing injuries, wounds and many other diseases. Sanatorium treatment has a number of advantages, however, you can relax and get well at camp sites.
Shira Lake Resorts
Those who decided to go to Lake Shira (Khakassia), recreation centers and pensions will be welcomed warmly and hospitably. The list of the most popular resorts, spread on the banks of a healing reservoir, is constantly updated with new names. Today you can stay at several tourist camps. The most popular of them: "Lakes of Khakassia", "Running along the waves", "Gostiny Dvor", "Altyn Sus", "Sunny Beach". With comfort and coziness you can stay in a private house in one of the nearest villages.
For tent enthusiasts
Not everyone likes to live in comfortable rooms. Someone is prettier than songs by the fire, the starry sky above their heads, the voices of birds and the smells of steppe grasses that Khakassia generously gives. Lake Shira is ready to shelter tent tourists on its shores. They can accommodate on the south, west or north coast. The most popular tourist destination has always been the south coast, where there is no problem with fresh water and you can easily get to the store.
The most desperate adventurers have chosen the north coast: sparsely populated, wild, sometimes swampy, but incredibly beautiful and clean. Those who decide to rest on the Shira as a “savage” should remember the ban on parking closer than 50 meters from the coastline.
What to bring
And vacationers in boarding houses, and even more so "savages" should think about means of protection against insects. Going to the north coast, you will have to take care not only of the fresh water supply, but also of the wood - you won’t be able to get them on the spot. It is worth stocking up with warm clothes, as it can be quite cold on the shore at night: the temperature, even in the middle of summer, can drop to + 10 ° C. However, a changeable climate is typical for these places. And Khakassia is famous for that.
Relaxation. Lake Shira. What to do for tourists?
The shores of the lake are suitable for swimming. They are lined with sand, small stones, pebbles. The bottom of the reservoir is flat, gentle, descending to the central part. The water is very clean and clear. The swimming season lasts all summer, but the water is completely warmed up only in July. On the shores of the reservoir there are several sports fields, a volleyball field, and tennis tables. All inventory can be rented.
But passionate fishermen will have to take a break from their favorite business - because of the composition of the water, there are practically no fish in the lake, as in most saline reservoirs of the Republic of Khakassia. Lake Shira opens up great opportunities for those who love active recreation on the water: here you can ride on water scooters and jet skis, catamarans and boats. You can diversify your leisure with excursions to karst caves, to Lake Bele, to the Malaya Syya nature reserve. A wonderful adventure will be a visit to the famous mountain range Chests. Any traveler will enjoy wandering around the picturesque surroundings, which Lake Shira, Khakassia is famous for. Photos from the trip will turn out to be spectacular and bright even for those who have never seriously taken a great interest in shooting and do not have professional equipment. So beautiful is the nature of southern Siberia!
How to get there
- From Moscow, Norilsk, Barnaul, Vladivostok, you can fly to Abakan by plane. There is a bus to Lake Shira.
- From Moscow, Tomsk, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Krasnoyarsk, Kemerovo and Abakan itself to the station "Shira" can be reached by train.
- A shuttle bus runs from Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, Vladivostok, Chita to the Krasnoyarsk station.
- From Novosibirsk, Kemerovo, Tomsk, Krasnoyarsk, Abakan there is a direct intercity bus to the resort "Lake Shira".