Rest on Lake Baikal. Where is it better to relax on Lake Baikal with a child: personal experience

This is truly exotic - a vacation on Lake Baikal. Many people forget about this recognized object. World Heritage UNESCO, the largest and deepest lake in the world. This is the largest tank fresh water, which is so unburdened with mineral impurities that it has the chemical composition of distilled water.
For many decades, Lake Baikal has been welcoming guests, vacationers from all over the world travel to distant Siberia to experience something new. And indeed, the emotions and impressions from the beauties of this great lake justify all expectations!

Lake Baikal: first impressions

You get on the train and think: “What is Baikal like, how will it meet me?” Yes, people go to visit not to their own kind, but to the sea, as the locals call it, to an animated being, thinking, understanding. It is said to hide so far away that it is not easily accessible to evil or stupid people. But already on the way to the closest to the lake Big City, for example, Irkutsk, Severobaikalsk or Ulan-Ude, the first acquaintance takes place. The Trans-Siberian Railway is laid along it, and you can look out the train window for hours. You get off the train impatiently, you don’t care much about the conditions in the mini-hotel, you don’t want to rest after the journey, sleep, eat, you only ask how soon it will be possible to go to the shore.
Baikal bewitches with its power, it is impossible to take your eyes off the unusually clear blue water, through which even small pebbles at the bottom are visible. The feeling of delight from communication with the “Most” does not leave you, you involuntarily begin to feel involvement in the greatness of these places.
336 rivers and streams flow into it, and only one flows out - the Angara. The latter is considered a Baikal daughter, at its source is the Shaman-Stone, which, according to legend, was thrown into his daughter by her beloved daddy when she began to give water to her beloved Yenisei. The Shaman-Stone is endowed with magical powers. The Buryats believe that it is on this rock that the owner of the Angara, Ama Sagan Noyon, lives. In ancient times, criminals were left on it for the night, and if by morning they remained safe and sound, if the water did not take them to itself, then people were released. Now boat trips are offered around it, if there is an opportunity - be sure to make a circle.

Inexpensive holidays on Lake Baikal, prices in 2019

Prices, conditions, excursions - all this, of course, is of interest to tourists planning to spend their holidays in this unique place. The largest number of excursions and the most convenient (but quite cheap) mini-hotels are offered in the village of Listvyanka. And we recommend to relax in 2019 exactly there, as it will be interesting and comfortable. The village got its name due to its proximity to Cape Listvennichny. This is very old settlement, the first records of it date back to the 18th century. Initially, the locals were engaged in fishing and hunting. Later, pilots, meteorologists and representatives of those professions associated with shipbuilding and ship transportation appeared here. The icebreakers Baikal and Angara were built here.

Interesting places of Baikal: sights

The Baikal Lake Museum is located in Listvyanka. The expositions offer to get acquainted with the history of its study, flora and fauna. Here you will learn a lot of interesting things, for example, that only in these parts there is a viviparous golomyanka fish, whose body contains 30% fat. This restless fish does not like to eat at a depth where it lives, it swims every day in shallow water in search of food. Baikal is also unique in that freshwater sponges grow at great depths, and fish do not die under a thick layer of ice in winter, since the ice on the lake is so clean and transparent that the sun's rays easily penetrate through it and reach the algae, which, thanks to the sun give off a lot of oxygen. By the way, we note that omul, sturgeon and taimen are found in the water, and it is not uncommon to meet a bear or lynx on the banks.
The largest nerpinary is located in Listvyanka. The seal is the only mammal living in the lake. She is not found anywhere else. This is an endangered animal, it is possible to see it in the wild, but it is very difficult, since the seal is a very cautious and shy animal, it tries to settle on those shores where a person does not appear. But in the nerpinaria you will be able to communicate with this smart, independent beast. Due to her complex nature, she is difficult to train, but in Listvyanka you can hear her singing, dancing and even gouache paintings.

Winter holidays

In winter, a little less tourists come to Lake Baikal than in summer. It is clear that prices will go down at this time. But winter won't stop you from having a good rest. In addition to sightseeing and nature, there are many other entertainments. You can go skiing, snowboarding and dog sledding. Every winter, an exhibition of ice sculptures opens here. Walruses love to swim in holes. If you are not a walrus, but you want to dive (and, believe me, you really want to, the purest water with forty-meter visibility in depth beckons), then all year round here you can visit a diving club.
From the beginning of 1842, a gold rush passed through Baikal, the "yellow devil" was usually mined in the river valleys on the western side. You can visit the famous Sennaya Pad, where the wooden troughs of gold miners from the 19th and 20th centuries have been preserved.
From it, climb high into the mountains, but get ready for a difficult path, the mountain is steep. Having overcome the rise and being 200 meters above sea level, you will be able to get acquainted with the cave, which keeps the history of the New Stone and Iron Ages. Stone tools and pottery were found here.
Whatever you visit: lake, mountains, caves, museums, etc., you will not remain indifferent. Coming home from this magical journey, you will have something to tell your friends. Where you live, it will seem too colorful, but your enthusiasm will definitely be passed on to the audience and maybe next year you will go on vacation to Lake Baikal in summer or winter all together!

Its surroundings abound with unique natural attractions: rocks, caves, bays, islands, bays and waterfalls. Here you can see seals in their natural habitat, drink from a healing spring and visit ancient sacred places. Below are, in our opinion, the most interesting, beautiful and available seats on Baikal.

Listvyanka

For the majority of tourists who come to Lake Baikal, the village of Listvyanka becomes the starting point for travel. It is easy to get from Irkutsk by bus or fixed-route taxis from the bus station. The infrastructure is well developed here, you can come at any time of the year.

At the entrance to Listvyanka, at the source of the Angara River, one can see a lone char looking out of the water - the Shaman Stone. According to legend, he was thrown after his daughter, who had fled to the Yenisei, by the angry father Baikal. The Buryats believed in the power of stone, they brought a person accused of a crime here and left them alone with the spirits for the night. Some did not stand the test, went crazy or disappeared, but if a person survived, they let him go in peace. In summer, the stone is clearly visible from the shore.

The only Baikal Museum in the world with an arboretum is located in Listvyanka. Here you can see specimens of lake fauna: omuls, whitefishes, sturgeons, seals. On the second floor of the museum there is an office where you can examine the smallest organisms under a microscope. It is possible to see seal rookeries on the Ushkany Islands with the help of webcams, an interactive dive to the bottom of the lake is organized. The museum is open daily from 9 to 19, the ticket costs 250 rubles, with a dive - 300 rubles.

A touching show of seals can be seen in the Listvyansk nerpinaria. Performances run every hour from 11 am to 6 pm on weekdays (except Mondays), every 45 minutes on weekends. Entrance - 300 rubles. (adult ticket) and 250 rubles. (children).

On the way to the village, you can stop by the museum under open sky Taltsy. Here are the best examples of architecture and household items, reflecting the culture and customs of the Buryats, Evenks, Russians and Tofs, starting from the 17th century. The museum is open from 9 am to 6 pm daily, the ticket costs 150 rubles.

Now there are more than 40 architectural monuments and 8 thousand exhibits on the territory of the museum (Photo © chenevier / flickr.com)

Tazheran caves

To the south of Olkhon and the Small Sea stretch rocks, cut by caves, nicknamed Tazheransky. They can rightfully be ranked among the most interesting and beautiful places Baikal. The largest of them is the Dream Cave, its size allows you to walk in full growth. The most beautiful hall is the Throne Hall, inside which there is an elevation that really resembles a throne. The Baidin cold caves are notable for their archaeological finds. Here were found sites of ancient people, fragments of pottery, arrowheads and other items. ancient cave drawings can be seen near Aya Cave.

The caves are located between the ferry to Olkhon and the village of Elantsy. You can get there by car on the road from Sakhyurta.

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View of Baikal from Cape Khoboy (Photo © wikimedia.org / Digr)
On the way to the Tashkinei Pad there is a healing lake Shara-Nur, or Yellow Lake. The water in it is really cloudy due to the high content of hydrogen sulfide and can cure joint diseases. The locals believed that a giant snake lives here, and never swam in its waters.

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(Photo © TauraLilli / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Ogoy Island

In the Small Sea, a few kilometers from Olkhon, there is the island of Ogoy. They usually get there by boat from the village of Khuzhir or Sakhyurty. The place is notable for the fact that in 2005 a Buddhist Stupa of Enlightenment was erected here. Inside the 8-meter concrete structure, weapons and vessels with jewelry were hidden, the relics of Buddhist saints, ancient books and mantras that were brought from Nepal are also stored there. In order to be spiritually cleansed, you need to go around the structure eight times barefoot along a specially laid out path.

Buddhist Stupa on Ogoy Island (Photo © wikimedia.org / GeorgiyK)

Another beautiful and interesting place of Baikal is the Sagan-Zaba cliff. A cliff of crystalline limestone is located a few kilometers from Cape Krestovsky. It is more convenient to get to the place by water, by land you can drive by car, but then you have to walk. The white-pink cliff against the backdrop of the Black Forest looks especially beautiful in summer at sunrise.

The cliff of Sagan-Zaba (White Rock) is famous for its rock paintings (Photo © wikimedia.org / Deloverov Alexander)
Widespread fame for this natural monument brought the so-called petroglyphs - rock paintings of ancient people. Scientists date the oldest image to be 4,000 years old. Not far from the cliff in the bay of Zun-Sagan-Zaba, archaeological finds the Neolithic era. According to legend, shamans performed their rituals and sacrifices in one of the caves.

Petroglyphs on rocks. There are about 60 of them in total: people are depicted on one half, animals and birds are depicted on the other (Photo © wikimedia.org / Alexander Deloverov)
Circum-Baikal Railway

The Circum-Baikal Railway (CBR) is a segment of the Trans-Siberian Railway, built by decree of Emperor Alexander III. Now it is a historical landmark of Baikal, recognized as one of the most beautiful and expensive railways in the world. For the construction of a section 85 km long from Kultuk to the port of Baikal, engineers had to build 39 tunnels with a total length of 9.5 km, 18 galleries, 476 bridges and viaducts.

One of the tunnels on the Circum-Baikal railway(Photo © Vadim1962 / pixabay.com)
After the construction of the hydroelectric power station, the authorities paved a new path. Now the Circum-Baikal Express runs on this section with stops and sightseeing of local attractions. The express departs from Irkutsk and follows the route to the port. Then the passengers are transported by ferry through the Angara, back to Irkutsk they are already returning by bus. The tour runs all year round and takes the whole day. The total cost of the trip without meals is 3-3.5 thousand rubles. for adults and 2.8-3 thousand rubles. for children. You can order tickets for the company.

Of course, these are far from all the beautiful and interesting places on Baikal - there are Shumak springs, Mount Alkhanai, sacred to Buddhists, the Ushkany Islands with seals, Peschanaya Bay with stilted pines, the Sarma Gorge, waterfalls on rivers and many other attractions. Going to Baikal independent travel, it should be noted that many places are located in a protected area, and you need to obtain a special permit to visit them.

(Photo © Martha de Jong-Lantink / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Intro Image Source: © sidnegail / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Solo travel is freedom. But to trip to the very deep lake the world was unforgettable, it should be well planned. Especially if you eat Baikal as savages, and do not take a package tour and do not plan to live all the time in one of the tourist villages on the shores of Lake Baikal.

There are many nuances regarding the choice of a place to stay, the necessary things and routes, which we will try to talk about in this article.

Tip: to plan your trip more thoughtfully, you can study ready-made tours around Baikal, in which all the waypoints are listed (for example,) and borrow interesting ideas.

If you are going to Baikal with children, you will find it useful.

detailed instructions how to get by plane or train to the settlements closest to Baikal. The way forward depends on the specific place you have chosen to visit.

And, as well as (if you are traveling through Ulan-Ude), which are worth going to, and from which the journey usually begins.

The lake greatly affects the climate around due to the fact that large bodies of water at different times either absorb or give off heat. In the spring, when the ice melts, it is cool on the coast until the very end of June.

But until October, there is a beautiful warm autumn here - in July and August, Baikal was saturated with the sun and is gradually sharing it.

The winters here are mild, but the winds are constantly blowing, and the temperature is felt lower than it is.

The golden months for a trip are the tourist season on Lake Baikal - July and August (it is also warm in September, but the storm season is in full swing). At this time, you can sunbathe and swim on the lake without fear of catching a cold, the temperature is usually in the range of 20 - 30 degrees Celsius.

How to look for a deserted place

There are more and more tourists on the lake every year, so many places are crowded. Especially in places like Olkhon Island or Slyudyanka.

If anyone wants to relax alone, the way out is to take a tent, get to any tourist place, and from there make one or two hiking trips along the coast.

For example, from Maksimikha along the coast to the right, you can walk in four hours to a wonderful deserted beach and get settled there. Not far from civilization, but few people. Here you can swim in the warm Barguzinsky Bay or lie on the sand. If living in a tent is not interesting, then you can climb up from the coast and rent a room from local residents, rubles 500-600 per day.

Most wild places of Baikal- this is the taiga northeast, the vicinity of Severobaikalsk: Dzelinda, Khakusy, Lake Frolikha. Dense forests, mountains, lakes preserved from the last ice age ... Those who seek rest as an adventure go here. You can stop at the Khakusa recreation center, and from there explore the surroundings by boat.

If you get to Severobaikalsk by train, then Khakusa is easy to get to: a couple of hours on a boat, and you are there. From Irkutsk, either by plane or by regular ship, you will have to pay from 5 thousand for travel.

Main tourist places

Even a savage with a tent, sooner or later, may need civilization or want to visit the remarkable places of Baikal. We talked about the sights in detail, use it to plan your route. Below are the main points where the infrastructure is developed, where you can easily rent a house, go to a cafe or shop, find an ATM.

Where to look for housing

The tourist infrastructure on Baikal is developed - you can rent a house in virtually any settlement, prices range from 450 to 20,000 per day, depending on the level of comfort.

There are websites on the web that deal with this topic:

http://baikalov.ru/ - there you can book a room, a house, a hotel room anywhere on the Baikal coast, and a room for 300 rubles, and elite apartments for a couple of tens of thousands of rubles;
http://tvil.ru/ offers rentals not only on Baikal, but all over the world, so here you can rent a house or a cottage only in the most popular places, the cost is quite high, from 8,000 per day;
http://na-ozero.ru/, here the prices are small, from 500 rubles a day;
baikal-raduga.ru - a guest house in Maksimikha - a proven place. It accommodates only 12 people, you need to book in advance. But the rest will be wonderful - in the forest, not far from the wild beach, with a sauna. Accommodation without meals 850 rubles per day, meals 1100 (excellently prepared dishes of Buryat cuisine in a cozy dining room).

Although real savages prefer tents.

Useful online resources about Baikal for independent travelers

http://baikaler.ru/ - detailed guide along Baikal.
http://www.magicbaikal.ru/ - virtual tour along the lake and shores.
http://www.skitalets.ru , http://forum.awd.ru/ , http://www.bpclub.ru/ - these are forums independent travelers and tourists, there are many useful information for travel planning.

What you need to take with you to Baikal

1. Warm clothes set- Mandatory even in hot July and August. At any moment, a cold wind can blow from the mountains or from the lake, the temperature drops sharply at night, and drops even lower at dawn.
2. Remedies for mosquitoes and ticks- Taiga forests mainly grow along the shores of Lake Baikal, so you need to protect yourself from blood-sucking insects.
3. Ointment for burns should be in the first aid kit, sunburns are frequent. The first aid kit must be fully stocked - the necessary medicines are not always available even in hotels. You can read about how to collect it on any travel forum.
4. CHI policy And tick insurance.
5. Comfortable shoes- on Baikal, most of the routes are pedestrian, in order not to kill your legs on the first day, you need to take a pair in which you can definitely walk several kilometers in a row.

Cash. In many places, of course, they pay by card, but there are no ATMs in the taiga yet. If you want to go far away, take cash, and do not take large bills - there is nowhere to change.
If you feel sick - take medicine, you will have to travel a lot by bus or car, and to Olkhon and distant lakes - by ferry.

Things to know and remember

Protect yourself and your companions, before the trip, do special insurance for travelers (it is issued in any major insurance company).
Learn about everything in advance, buy tickets ahead of time, book accommodation - there are many tourists, even a place to camp in a tent is better to find, at least an approximate one, before the trip.
Don't eat at all unfamiliar food(unless you are an extreme gourmet) and do not get carried away with Buryat cuisine - one of the main components of its mutton fat, out of habit, you can greatly upset the stomach and liver.
Parking by the water do not do it at night - there is a tide on Baikal!

Who is still thinking about whether to go to Baikal or not, watch this informative film that tells about the nature of the lake, the geography and culture of the peoples living around:

Top 5 the best resorts Lake Baikal for health improvement, swimming, landscape photography and much more. From each of them you can start your acquaintance with the lake and the region.

Everyone knows about the extraordinary purity and great depth of Lake Baikal, the grandeur and beauty of the local nature, but few know about the Baikal resorts. But these places are great for relaxation and recreation. Thanks to Baikal, there is a unique temperate climate here, winters are warm, mild, and in summer there is no sweltering heat.

In addition, there is a clean ecology here, nature has been preserved in its original form, and thanks to the tectonic processes taking place in the mountains located near the lake, in the valleys of the entire coastal region, there are many thermal springs. Saturated with minerals, water heated in the bowels of the earth has medicinal properties. The surroundings of Lake Baikal are rich in sources of healing silt and sapropelic mud. Therefore, there are many sanatoriums and clinics where most common diseases are effectively treated.

There are many settlements on the coast of Lake Baikal, where you can also rent a hotel room or housing in the private sector. Several Baikal resorts are especially popular.

Excursions around Irkutsk and surroundings

The most interesting excursions are routes from local residents to Tripster. We recommend a trip lasting 6 hours and a 7-hour journey along the Baikal tract! There are others sightseeing routes with good reviews.

The best resorts of Lake Baikal

#one. Listvyanka village

The old village has a convenient geographical location. Irkutsk is only an hour away by minibus or by car. is located on the very coast of Lake Baikal, not far from the Angara flowing out of it, with the same clear water as in the lake. The places here are magnificent, reserved, with rich flora and fauna. Mild climate, beautiful nature attract many tourists.

Listvyanka stretches for more than 5 km along the coast of Lake Baikal. It got its name because of the numerous larches growing in these surroundings. Currently, it is the main pier of Lake Baikal. So get to it locality possible on a boat.

Many tourists are waiting in Listvyanka interesting places and entertainment. The service for vacationers is well established, there are many cafes and restaurants. One of the main ones is the Baikal Museum, the only one of its kind in Russia. Its aquariums are part of the lake itself, and various species of fish, mollusks, crustaceans, etc. live in them. In the village, you can visit the astrophysical observatory, which has the largest telescope in the country.

#2. Resort Arshan

This resort area is located east of Lake Baikal, not quite close to the coast, but it is among the first in many respects. "Arshan" in translation from Buryat means - " healing spring". Local mineral water is not inferior to the famous "Narzan". The well-known mountain climatic and mud treatment resort is located in the Tunkinskaya valley. Very close to it are the Sayan Mountains and a beautiful mountain river, which has more than 12 waterfalls.

Lake Baikal resorts: springs of Arshan / Photobank Lori

On the territory of the Arshan resort there are two sanatoriums for adults and one year-round children's camp:

Sanatorium "Sayan" is a six-story complex, which includes residential premises, a clinic, a dining room, halls for entertainment events, etc. Residential rooms with all amenities of different price categories. In the treatment of many diseases, complex methods are used: mineral water, mud procedures, physiotherapy, gymnastics, acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage and others;
Sanatorium "Arshan" provides vacationers with separate two-story wooden buildings. Cozy rooms of different price categories, dietary four meals a day. The sanatorium is intended for adults and children from 4 years old with their parents. Targeted health programs have been developed for the treatment of diseases. It offers vacationers a choice of entertainment, well-established service, personal services. Events and excursions are held;
Camp "Edelweiss"- a year-round place for recreation and recreation for children aged 7 to 15 years. School classes are held during school hours.

#3. The village of Goryachinsk

This resort is one of the oldest in Russia. On its territory there is a famous hot spring, about which the following story is told. During the hunt, the hunter's dog was wounded by a beast, and so that the wounds would not hurt, he climbed into the nearest stream. The astonished owner saw that the dog's wounds began to heal quickly. Then he himself plunged into this stream and was cured of an old disease.

Not far from Goryachinsk meet picturesque beaches/ Photobank Lori

From the very name of the village it is already clear that we are talking about a hot spring. Located within the resort sanatorium "Goryachinsk". In addition to the main treatments mineral waters and mud procedures, here other procedures are applied according to specially developed programs.

In a small village with a population of about 1000 people, more than 25 guest houses and mini-hotels have been built. All set up for comfortable rest tourists: many cafes, shops, and at some hotels the service and organization of leisure at the highest level. Of course, in cheap hotels, amenities are minimal, so information about all living conditions must be clarified in advance.

#4. Small Sea and Mukhor Bay

This most popular holiday destination is located between the western Baikal coast and Olkhon Island. On the entire coast - cozy beaches and bays, clean and warm water, beautiful landscapes, many tourist bases. Mukhor Bay is the southwestern edge of the Small Sea. Its length is about 8 km, depth is up to 5 m. There are 2 small islands in the bay - Bezymyanny and Toynak.

Resorts of Lake Baikal: a camp site on the Small Sea / Photobank Lori

The coast is made up of shallow bays with cozy beaches, diverse taiga vegetation, and amazing meadows. In these places, not only magnificent nature, but also excellent fishing.

#five. Olkhon Island

One of the most scenic spots Baikal is located between Small sea and main waters. Get to Olkhon through ferry crossing or from Irkutsk by boat. This island is the largest in Baikal, and due to its unique biosphere, it is a nature reserve. Olkhon is rich in numerous archaeological sites and has ancient history. Tourists live here in small camp sites or in the private sector.