Blue Lakes. Kazan

For those who come to Kazan the main sightseeing program is the Kremlin and the water park. But nobody canceled nature either. Moreover, 20 kilometers from the city there is such beauty as Blue Lakes . This is a whole system of reservoirs that do not freeze even in winter (the water has the same temperature all year round, about +6 degrees C). Two hundred years ago, the ground collapsed in these places and the voids were filled with water from an underground river. The lake system consists of a large lake and several small lakes. You can get here along the M7 highway, next to the village of Shcherbakovo you need to go under the bridge over the Kazanka (to the small lakes).

Blue lakes on the map.

The road down from the bridge is not good, so many people leave their cars on the M7 and continue on foot. But if you decide to go down, then a parking lot is provided further. You will not pass it, because there is no further road. Then on foot, to the farthest lake, go about a kilometer.

The road to the lakes after the bridge.

Stand with a story about blue lakes.

Here is the first lake.

And it has ducks.

Second lake.

Walking road to the last Small Lake.

Here you can always meet lovers of swimming in icy water. The water here is healing - it contains potassium-calcium sulfite-sulfate salts. At the bottom - silt salt mud of blue color. The lake is very transparent and clean, you can see all the smallest details of the bottom.

I know that divers often come to the Great Blue Lake to dive. But even here, on the small, we met lovers of diving.

Divers.

For lovers of swimming, the lake is equipped. There are dressing rooms, benches, footbridges.

Bridges for those wishing to swim.

Path along the lake.

Water from the lake flows into the Kazanka River as a waterfall. There is a bridge over the waterfall.

Bridge with a waterfall.

And here is Kazanka herself. Not clear or blue at all.

We did not get to the Big Blue Lake that day. You can drive up to it by car through the village of Shcherbakovo. They say that it is less known and therefore there are fewer people there. We will definitely go there, and then I will update the article with new photos.

Blue Lake in Kazan (Kazan, Russia) - detailed description, location, reviews, photos and videos.

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Blue Lakes is a general term for lakes of karst origin, common in the Volga region. There are three blue lakes not far from Kazan: Big, Protochnoe and Maloye. The entire area around them is about 19 square meters. km - a monument of nature, which Kazan citizens are rightfully proud of.

The reservoirs got their name due to the blue salt mud lying at the bottom - people with skin diseases often come here to be treated. The water here is completely transparent and clean, while maintaining a temperature of about +4 ° C all year round. The depth of the Small Blue Lake is about 4 m, the Protochny Lake is 3 m.

Another feature of the water in the Blue Lakes is the optical effect of the lens. Because of it, it seems that the lake is very shallow, even in the deepest parts.

Although Great Blue Lake is noticeably larger than the other two bodies of water, locals, as a rule, Blue Lake is called Small. Just on its shore, citizens of Kazan often rest. There are gazebos and benches, bridges and changing cabins.

Winter swimming enthusiasts swim in the lakes in any season, the rest prefer a contemplative rest on the shore.

Diving

The large blue lake, reaching a depth of 18 m, is loved by divers. For people involved in scuba diving, this is a unique training area with clear water and a variety of flora and fauna.

What can be seen in the depths of the lake? First, various algae. Some float on the surface and, according to divers, resemble islands or clouds, others grow on the walls of the lake. Entire colonies of crustaceans, planarians and water scorpions, listed in the Red Book, live in algae. Secondly, in the abyss of water you can see underwater springs and caves, stones and colorful pebbles.

Divers are especially attracted by night dives, when the bottom of the lake with underwater springs is better viewed, and at the top, the light of the stars, refracting, plays with all the colors of the rainbow.

On the lake, divers train almost every week, hold meetings and celebrate holidays. Yes, in New Year divers set up a Christmas tree underwater.

How to get there

By car: along the Kazan bypass road (M7 highway). Exit to the Big Blue Lake - behind the bridge over the Kazanka River, to Protochnoe and Maloye - in front of the bridge.

By public transport: from the center (station "Tukaya Square") by bus number 35 to the stops "Golubyatnikova", "Solnyshko" or "Ibragimova". From there, take bus number 40 to the village of Shcherbakovo (last stop). Continue walking following the signs.

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Where to stay: for sightseeing trips around the republic, it is most convenient to be based in its capital - Kazan, from where you can easily get to other cities in the region. The choice of accommodation options is the widest: there are hostels, and family pensions, and standard "three rubles", and pompous business hotels in the historical center. The second most popular city in the region is Naberezhnye Chelny, where there is also no shortage of hotels. Well, lovers of fine arts can safely book accommodation in Yelabuga, where Shishkin and Tsvetaeva "checked in".
What to watch: It is best to start your acquaintance with Tatarstan from the numerous sights of Kazan - the majestic Kazan Kremlin with the Syuyumbike tower and the Annunciation Cathedral, the Kul-Sharif and Zakabannaya mosques, the Millennium Bridge, the Epiphany Cathedral and the National Museum. You should definitely visit the ancient settlement of Bolgar and the cathedral mosque of Bolgar, as well as go to Yelabugato appreciate the extensive collection of Shishkin's paintings in his house-museum and visit Tsvetaeva's memory house. The choice of nature lovers is the most beautiful

I want to tell you about one of the natural attractions of Tatarstan, more precisely, these are two locations: Big and Small Blue Lakes. The system also includes Lake Protochnoe.

The place is very popular among Kazan citizens, and not only among them. People come here from nearby regions, and they also take guests from other cities on “excursions”. Coming here on weekends, it must be borne in mind that you will not be able to be alone.

How did the lakes deserve people's love?

They don't freeze all year round.

The water temperature is constantly kept at 4-8 degrees above zero. In this regard, the place is especially interesting in winter and looks quite exotic for our places.

The fact is that the lakes are fed by underground sources that saturate them with potassium-calcium and sulfite-sulfate salts. Due to the constant recharge and the high salinity of the lakes, the water does not freeze.

Due to the composition of the water, fish are not found here, but the Blue Lakes and the reserve itself are the habitat of species listed in the Red Book. These are the inhabitants of the waters: the milky-white planaria and the water scorpion, the inhabitants of the shores: the great spotted eagle and the mourning butterfly.

Cozy landscapes

Probably, it will not be an exaggeration to say that the Blue Lakes are the places that must be visited in Tatarstan.

By the way, for those who travel along the M7 through Kazan, it’s easier than ever to stop by the lakes to take a break. The map will be below.

The water in the lakes, indeed, has a rich azure hue, the color changes depending on the season - in winter, for example, the lakes may appear black with an admixture of blue.

Both lakes are located in the forest belt, so there is always a pleasant coolness. In winter, you can admire the bizarre patterns created by water, steam and cold.

The road to the Small Blue Lake itself is of great interest and pleases the eye. A wide path will take you under the arches of trees, along a stream that flows through rapids among mossy rocks and trees. Twice you will cross it over the bridges and here you can make beautiful shots.

Bolshoe Goluboe is located across the road, in the Kadyshevsky forest - it is also a wonderful place for picnics and walks, especially since big lake there is a real waterfall! One of the three known to me in Tatarstan.

Why is lake water blue?

The hue of the water is given by silty mud that settles at the bottom of the lake. In the photo, such layers are clearly visible. By the way, this mud is therapeutic and is used in the nearby sanatorium "Krutushka".

Unusualness and accessibility

As I have already said, the Blue Lakes are quite unusual for Tatarstan, which is why they attract so much attention. Those who have ever been to Abkhazia should know about Blue Lake on the way to Ritsa. Also, the lakes of the same name are located on the territory of Karachay-Cherkessia. I visited both of these places and personally, in my opinion, I like our lakes more. Largely due to the fact that so far, fortunately, they have not been “overgrown” with cafes and souvenir stalls, since they are little known.

Many advise to come here at night or at dawn, they say that at this time an amazing fog spreads over the water, and if you illuminate the water with a flashlight at night, you can see an amazing play of light and the reflection of stars in the water.

Another interesting fact in the fact that before the fish were still found here. There is evidence that a subspecies of pike once lived here, which somehow adapted to the composition of the water and could not survive in fresh water, and also had an unusual light color.

By the way, there are no fish, but ducks live here all year round. Probably good food. This time they hid behind a fence and did not manage to take a picture.

Of course, people come here to swim!

Both lakes are equipped with walkways for easy entry into the water and changing rooms. Swim here all year round. Someone (like me) is only enough to take a dip, while someone swims calmly, as in an ordinary river. In the second case, physical training is needed. Remember the temperature of the water?

Divers regularly appear here, because the depth of the Big Blue Lake reaches 18 meters, and the Small one up to 4 meters. And most importantly - the visibility of the water: 40 meters.

Another interesting fact is that divers of the Russian Geographical Society were trained on the Great Blue Lake before an expedition to Antarctica.

How to get to the Blue Lakes?

The map opens in Yandex.Maps and you can easily get directions to the point I specified.

No. 1 Drive to the Big Blue

The lowest point by the lake is the location of the waterfall. From here you can walk along the entire lake to the footbridges for swimming. And you can drive right up to them (upper mark) and then walk to the waterfall. In the second case, we leave the M7 to the village of Shcherbakovo and drive to the end of the street. The best place for parking, you can ask the locals.

#2 How to get to the Small Blue Lake?

Click on the tags and read the descriptions. I will also duplicate here that it is not necessary to drive under the bridge in winter or on ice. The climb is very steep. In summer, you can easily get to the parking lot.

By the way, in the summer you can get to the Blue Lakes by boat along Kazanka. This new excursion. The boat departs from the Riviera water park, the walk takes 4-5 hours.

Thanks for attention! I tried my best to show you as much as possible! Ask questions in the comments.

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Abkhazia is a popular holiday destination in the summer season. Apart from warm sea, the country offers tourists to visit its unique natural and historical attractions. An example of them is: Blue Lake, Lake Ritsa and Stalin's dacha. All of them are on the same route, so you can see them on a one day tour.

The area of the Blue Lake in Abkhazia is 180 square meters. meters. Max Depth reaches 76 meters.

Blue Lake is located in the region of Mountainous Abkhazia on the territory of the Ritsa Relic National Park. The lake is famous and named for its unusually bright color of the water. Scientists explain its rich color with layers of the lapis lazuli mineral located at the bottom and walls of the reservoir. The brightness of the color does not change depending on the season and weather conditions. Due to its relatively small width and great depth, daylight does not penetrate the water column. People looking into it create a feeling of turbidity, although this is not so.

The coast is very steep. Swimming here is not worth it. Interestingly, fish do not breed in it. There are no algae and phytoplankton. Also, it is not bound by ice in the winter season. It doesn't get hot in summer. Tourists who come to admire the lake note its calmness of the water, even despite the turbulent streams from Mount Akhtsykh that feed the reservoir. The nearest large river is the Bzyb. She and the lake are on opposite sides of the road.

Excursions to the Blue Lake in Abkhazia

Due to its proximity to Lake Ritsa, almost all tourist buses passing through Blue Lake. It is not large, so they make a short stop for photo shoots here. Also, on the way to it, groups usually stop by waterfalls, of which there are a lot in Abkhazia. The tour is purchased both in the nearest cities - the resorts of Gagra and Pitsunda, and in Russian Sochi and Adler.

The cost starts from 750 rubles. There is an additional fee to enter the territory. national park- 350 rubles. On the site you can get acquainted with the options for excursions in Abkhazia from Sochi.

Infrastructure

The site for viewing the lake is quite small. Due to the large number of tourists, there are traffic jams from people and buses. Entrepreneurial Abkhazians installed a stuffed brown bear, with which you can take pictures. For the same purpose, live peacocks are brought here. On the shore of the lake there are rows of shops with food and souvenirs.

legends

Like many amazing sights of Abkhazia, the lake has many legends and tales. Local residents and guides love to tell them to all visiting tourists. Most often they are associated with its karst origin and try to explain the nature of the color of its water. One of the legends tells about the goddess Dzidzlan, who patronized the waters of these places. She had an extraordinary appearance and loved handsome men. Usually Dzidzlan lured them to her, and then released them with gifts.

One shepherd found out about this, who was lazy and ugly. For his own selfish purposes, he began to seek a meeting with her. To do this, the shepherd descended from the mountains and went to bed in a clearing near the stream. Intrigued, the goddess went to see who was so vainly seeking her. Seeing the ugly face of the man, she got angry and threw him on the ground. At that place, an underground cave collapsed, into which a pure mountain river began to flow. This is how Blue Lake was born.

An even more tragic story is connected with an old man who lived on the site of the current reservoir. It is said that he devoted his whole life to hunting. In his old age, the hunter decided to move away from the villagers and lead a solitary life in a quiet cave. Despite this, many young hunters came to him for advice. In gratitude, they left the skins and meat of dead animals.

On one of the rainy days, the good old man sheltered two robbers who pretended to be ordinary travelers. Seeing his wealth and gifts, they dealt with him. For this, nature terribly got even with the robbers by flooding the cave. Since then, the body of the old man has been resting at the bottom of the lake, and his blue eyes give the waters their famous color.

How to get there

Getting to the Blue Lake is not difficult. It is located on the road leading to Lake Ritsa. You need to stop at about the 13th kilometer. What is good to go far from the road is not required. The reservoir is located almost next to the freeway, on the left hand side. The place is very popular, so you can use the services of travel agencies or get there on your own in a rented car.

From Gagra

If you leave the city center, you can get there without traffic jams in 40 minutes, moving along the Sukhumi highway E-60 and then turning near the village of Bzypta onto SH11. The total distance is about 30 kilometers.

From Pitsunda

The distance from Pitsunda is a little more. You will need to move to the northeast to the E60 highway. The journey will take less than an hour.

From Sochi and Adler

If you travel from Russian southern cities, you will have to cross the border with Abkhazia. The transition may take additional time. For such a trip, it is better to plan the whole day and leave early in the morning.

Among the natural attractions of Tatarstan, one of the main places is the Blue Lakes. This is the name of the complex consisting of three lakes located 20 kilometers from Kazan. The same name is given to the natural reserve, which covers the territory adjacent to the reservoirs.

The area of all three lakes is 0.3 hectares, and the total area of the reserve is 1910 hectares.

This natural monument in 1994 received the status of a reserve. Big Blue, Small Blue and Protochnoe lakes are reservoirs of karst origin, formed here about two centuries ago.

The lakes got their name not by chance, the water here is really blue, due to its sulfate composition. Since these reservoirs are fed by underground springs and have no tributaries, the water here is simply crystal clear (visibility is up to 40 meters). The light of the lanterns easily shines through the water to a great depth, which makes the lakes an attractive place for fans of night diving. Fans of water hardening have also chosen these places, since the water temperature in the Blue Lakes does not exceed +8 ° C.

For the unique beauty and medicinal properties these lakes were nicknamed the "Pearl of Kazan". After all, d but the reservoirs are covered with a thick layer of silt salt mud, rich in potassium, sulfates and other minerals, which attracts people to the Blue Lakes who want to improve their health. You can get treated with local mud in the nearby sanatorium "Krutushka".

You can visit the lake throughout the year, at any time of the day. But it is recommended to come here in summer or winter, as the roads can be dirty in the off-season. IN the May holidays there are usually a lot of people.

Big Blue Lake

The average depth of this lake, which in the old days was called Svetly, does not exceed three meters. However, the presence of two sinkholes has made this lake a favorite place for divers and walruses (fans of winter swimming).

The depth of one of the funnels - the Great Abyss, reaches 18 meters, the Small Abyss - 6 meters.

Rest on the Blue Lake of Kazan

Diving on the Great Blue Lake is extremely popular. The lake is equipped with special bridges for diving, and thanks to the crystal clear water, the bottom of the reservoir can be explored to the smallest detail. Diving training is regularly held at the Great Blue Lake and winter swimming among visitors and local federations of Kazan. One of the most striking events is the celebration of the New Year here, with the immersion of a decorated Christmas tree and drinking champagne under water.

Fans of studying vegetation and living creatures will find a lot of interesting things here. About a hundred different trees and shrubs grow in the forest, and there are many frogs, snakes and beavers near the coast. Also here you can see the water scorpion, listed in the Red Book. The lake is famous for its variety of amphibians and insects, so if you plan to visit the reservoir in the summer, then you should stock up on mosquito repellents. Unfortunately, there are no fish here. Attempts to “populate” the reservoir artificially did not bring results, since the water in the lake is salty and cold.

Lake in winter

In cold weather, the water does not freeze, which makes the reservoir a center of attraction for local and visiting lovers of extreme swimming. The water temperature in winter remains almost the same as in summer.

Small Blue and Flowing lakes

The Small and Protochnoe lakes are more accessible than the Big Blue and are a very popular holiday destination. Many associate the name "Blue Lake" (in the singular) with the Small. The Small Blue and Flowing Lakes are smaller in area than the Big Blue Lake, their depth reaches 4 meters. The territory here is also equipped for diving - there are special walkways and changing cabins. For those who just want to look and relax, there are benches and wooden gazebos. lovers hiking you will like the winding paths immersed in greenery.

Small and Protochnoe lakes have drains into the Kazanka River. One of them is in the form of a waterfall. Therefore, hikers will appreciate not only winding paths immersed in greenery, but also small ponds that are fed by drains.

How to get to the Blue Lakes

By car, you need to go to the M7 highway (Kazan bypass road), and move along it to the 808th kilometer. If you need to get to the Big Blue Lake, then you need to move out behind the bridge over the Kazanka River. If on the Small and Flowing Lakes - then in front of the bridge. Near the lake there is a good paved, but free and unguarded parking lot. You can’t drive close to the lakes, so you have to leave the car at the side of the road or in the parking lot and walk along the trail.

Route from Kazan by car - Google Maps

The easiest way for city guests to get to the lakes is to order a taxi using popular applications: Yandex. Taxi, Uber, Gett, Maxim.

You can also rent a car or find fellow travelers on blablacar.ru.

How to get there by bus

From the metro station "Northern Station", from the stop "Ulitsa Gavrilova" bus number 40 runs.
From the metro station "Aviastroitelnaya", from the stop "Ulitsa Pobezhimova" take bus number 20

You need to go in the direction of the village of Shcherbakovo, then you can follow the signs to reach the lakes.

Between the Big and Small lakes there is a dirt pedestrian and bicycle path that runs along the mouth of the Kazanka River.