Many Muscovites and residents of the suburbs of the capital like to go on vacation not to distant lands, but to their native suburbs, for example, to Bear Lakes (Moscow Region, Shchelkovo District). They attract with their beauty, unique energy, and some with riddles and mysticism. Located to the north-east of the capital, just 15 minutes from the Moscow Ring Road, the lakes make it possible to break into nature even for a day. The intriguing name involuntarily evokes associations with dense thickets and ponds with clear water, which are loved by the club-toed forest owners, brown bears. In fact, everything is much more prosaic, but no less attractive. Bear Lakes are truly unique reservoirs, on the banks of which there is a village of the same name, and more recently, a modern country club.
How to get there
A very correct decision is to come to the Bear Lakes on the weekend. The beach, fishing and a bunch of other pleasures will help you to relax. Getting here is easy. Drive by car to the Moscow Ring Road, taxi onto the Shchelkovo Highway, turn right at the Bear Lakes signpost. If there are no traffic jams, you can be there in 15-20 minutes. Who does not want to go by car, can be reached by public transport. Starting point - Metro Schelkovskoe. Next, take bus number 361 and follow to the Bear Lakes stop (also no more than 20 minutes), which is located 300 meters from the country club and, in fact, the lakes. You can use the train and go to the railway station "Bear Lakes", located in the village of the same name. From there to the final destination - about 3 km.
Lakes
No wonder Bear Lakes are so popular. The beach is one of the advantages of the area, given by nature itself. In addition to it, there is a wonderful forest of coniferous and deciduous trees, smoothly passing into the Losiny Ostrov forest park. The lakes themselves can be said to be unique. The largest of them is called Big Bear. The area of his mirror is 36 square meters. km, depth - up to 6 meters. On the north shore, the Bear Lakes base hospitably opens its doors. In the west lies the village of the same name. On the east side, a pond frames the forest. There is also a beach and a pier. An asphalt road is laid from the south. This stream connects with a stream to the Malashka River and to the smaller first Small Bear Lake. The area of his mirror is about 7 square meters. km, depth - up to 14 meters. It is much calmer here than on the Bolshoi, there are no pleasure boats, only a serene water surface. But there is also a pier here. Mostly fishermen use it. On the west side, this pond is surrounded by a fence and a swamp. In the east, they arrange picnics and tent camps for everyone who likes to rest savages. This lake connects with the second Small, even smaller in size. Its depth is up to 10 meters, the banks are covered with cattail, but this pond has a bay.
The Bear Lakes region is interesting not only for its beauties, but also for the sensational story about the Schelkovo Nessie, supposedly inhabiting them. It got to the point that a scientific expedition was equipped here. She did not notice the monsters, but found that Bear Lakes have powerful deep currents that can wash large cavities in karst soils and make a second bottom, so to speak.
Country club: specifics of work
There are many types of outdoor recreation. Someone needs beauty and clean air, someone needs a picnic place, and someone else requires the usual amenities. All this can be found by arriving at Bear Lakes. The country club of the same name, located on the shore of the largest of the "bear" three, offers its guests comfortable accommodation, and cozy gazebos with barbecue facilities, and wonderful walks in nature, untouched by civilization. In the club you can celebrate an anniversary, hold a wedding, have a corporate party, go fishing and just relax mentally with a big friendly company. The country club works all year. Its territory occupies 3 hectares, which housed a brick three-story hotel, wooden two-story cottages, a spa, a mini zoo, several sports fields, its own pier and beach.
Hotel accommodation
For everyone who comes to Bear Lakes, the country club offers several accommodation options that differ in comfort and price. The rooms are quite spacious, have a large balcony with views of the surrounding nature, lake, forest. Room categories are as follows:
1 "Standard". Area - up to 21 "square". The room has one double or two single beds, a TV, a mini fridge, a hygiene room with a washbasin, toilet and a modern shower. Price - from 4300 rubles per day. per room.
2. “Business class”. Area - up to 23 "squares". Everything else is the same as in the Standard. Price - from 4700 rubles per day.
3. "Junior Suite". Area - up to 40 "squares". There is a living area with a sofa and a set of appropriate furniture, a large comfortable bed, a minibar, a TV, a very spacious hygiene room, where, among other equipment, a bidet is installed. Price - from 5 thousand rubles per day.
4. "Suite". Area - up to 53 "squares". The rooms have a spacious living room with a fireplace, a set of upholstered furniture, a coffee table, a TV, a minibar. The hygiene room has a spacious bathtub, bidet, toilet, washbasin, soap and shower gel. Price - from 7800 rubles per day.
Rooms of all categories are double one-room.
Prices include the cost of breakfast (buffet on weekends and continental on weekdays). There are also trips with full board. For eating, the country club has a cafe, a dining room, a restaurant, an open veranda and a VIP restaurant.
Accommodation in cottages
The country club also took care of those who came to rest on Bear Lakes with a large company. The beach, free for the guests of the club, barbecue facilities, lots of entertainment and cozy cottages with heating in winter time - this is what is provided here. The houses are different - for 4, 6 and 8 people.
In quadruple 2 bedrooms, a sauna, a Russian bathhouse with a wood-burning stove, a fireplace room and a small pool, there is a place for cooking, dishes, a refrigerator, an electric kettle, a TV and a hygiene room.
In six-bedded rooms there are three rooms - a living room with a folding sofa and two bedrooms. Services are the same as in quadruples.
The eight-bed rooms have four bedrooms, two hygiene rooms, everything else - as in all cottages.
Prices need to be checked with the administrator.
Leisure
You can do a lot, having come to rest on the Bear Lakes. A beach with a pier where you can rent a boat or a catamaran (300 rubles per hour), cozy pavilions in the forest zone (1000 rubles plus firewood or coal, barbecue), an excellent SPA-salon (Finnish sauna, hammam, jacuzzi baths, cedar barrel, a small indoor pool, massage room, cascading shower). There is a sports equipment rental point on the territory of the club (bicycles, skis, skates). For children, in addition to the mini zoo, a playground with a sandbox is equipped. Sports lovers will find a billiard room, horseback riding, darts, archery, table tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, mini-golf, and small towns. Fishing enthusiasts can go fishing. There are stocked places on the lake, however, staying there costs from 1,500 rubles, there are catch standards and a number of rules.
Beach
One of the advantages of the Bear Lakes Country Club is the beach. Reviews of vacationers note that it has grassy and sandy zones. Entry into the water is good. Another advantage is that there are many attractions here: water slides and skis, catamarans, wakeboards, and trampolines in the center of the lake. Of course, they need to get to something, for example, on a catamaran. The beach is equipped with a toilet and shower, wooden loungers are issued. Entrance for outsiders - 200 rubles. Among the shortcomings, visitors call:
- small beach size and, as a result, crowded people;
- the availability of this holiday for everyone, both guests of a country club and outsiders (this drawback is noted in the club as a whole);
- water is not always clean, especially during the flowering period of aquatic vegetation.
Country Club Reviews
Those who were on vacation in Bear Lakes are not always unanimous in their opinions about this place. There are people who are satisfied with everything - staff, rooms, and leisure. But there are those who saw the flaws in the country club:
- too small beach;
- too many outsiders in the territory;
- noisy, especially on weekends, due to the many companies celebrating anything at the club;
- indifferent staff;
- poor quality service;
- in comparison with the services provided, prices are too high (if you are not resting on coupons, but at full cost).
Bottom line: for a vacation in the company or for an entertainment event, the Bear Lakes Country Club is very suitable. The beach, gazebos, local beauties, as well as proximity to the capital and convenient access - that's what you need to go here for.
For a long vacation, especially with children, the place is not very suitable, because, apart from the beach in summer and the ice rink in winter, there is no entertainment.
Where to relax in the Schelkovo district
In addition to the country club "Bear Lakes", where else can you go to nature? Holidays in the Moscow region are inexpensively offered by many bases. In the Schelkovo district, one can recommend the Atelika Sosnovy Bor hotel complex, which is really located in the forest near the wonderful forest lake, only 32 km from the Moscow Ring Road. It offers comfortable accommodation, a large swimming pool, a sauna, a bathhouse, a hammam, sports grounds, a gym with exercise equipment and much more.
There are excellent conditions for families with children of any age, for business events, corporate parties, family celebrations, as well as for people with disabilities. Prices are quite reasonable, starting at 1400 rubles per day. per person. 25 km from MKAD, also on the lake, there is another wonderful base "Ulitkino", which invariably causes delight in children and adults. Prices here start from 4000 rubles per day. per room.
Resort Park "Union"
Those who wish not far from Moscow to relax in nature with maximum comfort and at the same time have plenty of entertainment can choose the Soyuz resort complex. It is only 19 km from MKAD. Soyuz occupies a huge beautiful territory where various cottages are located in the shade of trees - from standard (all amenities are in the rooms) to VIP, spa, restaurants, cafes, a large heated pool, multiple sports grounds, a zoo, a toy library and the main attraction - wonderful water park. Prices start at 4200 rubles per day. for a single "Standard" and smoothly rise to 22,000. Just visiting the "Union" (without accommodation and meals) costs 300 rubles. for an adult and 150 - for a child from 5 years old.