Lake Baikal & Irkutsk, Siberia, Russia travel
Lake Baikal & Irkutsk, Siberia, Russia travel
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Irkutsk: Gateway to Lake Baikal
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The de facto capital of eastern Siberia, Irkutsk is by far the most popular stop on the Trans-Siberian Railway between Moscow and all points east. The main reason to stop in Irkutsk is to visit beautiful Lake Baikal, spending at least one night by the shore of Lake Baikal, either in the main township of Listvyanka (70km from Irkutsk) or the more traditional Siberian village of Bolshoe Goloustnoe (110km from Irkutsk), or strike out further and spend a couple of days exploring Olkhon Island.
Apart from the lake, it is worth spending at least a couple of hours exploring the city of Irkutsk for the beautiful traditional wooden architecture. An overnight offers a chance to enjoy a city tour and a dinner at one of the many restaurants in town. With extra time, visit one of the Decemberists museums and learn more about this important junction of the Trans-Siberian.
In recent years Irkutsk has seen something of a tourist boom, spawning a municipally funded information center, detailed city maps planted at strategic points and a handful of freshly conceived museums, as well as the popular 130th District (130 Kvartal) project, an entire neighbourhood given over to typical Siberian timber buildings housing new restaurants, bars, cafes and the odd museum. The lovely Marussia Hotel located there is our favourite.
Lake Baikal: The Pearl of Siberia
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Lake Baikal is the world’s largest freshwater lake by volume (7th largest by surface area), also one of the oldest lakes, and, at a depth of one mile, it is the deepest lake on the planet. The lake holds approximately 20% of earth’s fresh water, and its rich biodiversity is home to around 1,000 species of plants and a diverse marine life of up to 2,500 animals, 80% of which are endemic to the region. Lake Baikal was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996.
Listvyanka
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Listvyanka is located 70km from Irkutsk and is the main township on the shore of Lake Baikal, making it an ideal stop for visitors with time only for one or two days by the lake. The village sits is found where the Angara River flows from the lake and begins its long journey, its close proximity to Irkutsk making it a popular destination for locals and tourists alike.
The village is reasonably picturesque, though it lacks the more spectacular ecology and scenery of Olkhon Island or the more tranquil setting at Bolshoue Goloustnoe, visitors will still take delight in the many wooden homes with their colorful window frames and picket fences and vibrant flowering gardens.
The small port provides the opportunity for visitors to enjoy a short boat cruise on the lake. Ferries also connect Listvyanka to Port Baikal on the opposite bank of the Angara River, where visitors pick up the Circum-Baikal train that traces a scenic journey along the shoreline to Slyudyanka.
There is plenty of interest in Listvyanka to keep visitors busy for two days. A small market sells local crafts and is a good place to pick up some tasty local omul fish for a picnic lunch on the lake shore. A trip to Listvyanka should certainly include a visit to the Limnological Museum, which provides a very good overview of the flora, fauna endemic to Lake Baikal.
There are good hiking trails in the forested hills and along the cliffs overlooking the lake, though it definitely helps to arrange a guided hike as the trails can be hard to find and the hiking is moderately difficult in parts. In winter, the focus shifts from hiking to cross-country skiing, snowmobiling or dog-sledging. There are a number of good restaurants for visitors to enjoy the local cuisine and relax after a day exploring the area.
Bolshoe Goloustnoe
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Bolshoe Goloustnoe (BG) is a traditional village on the shore of the lake, located 110km from Irkutsk in the Pribaikalsky National Park. Originally settled in the late 17th century, and built in the classic wooden style, BG is great if you are looking for a quieter, and an authentic local Siberian experience removed from the more tourist-friendly Listvyanka.
Our local partners host visitors in a comfortable guesthouse, rather than the former homestay set-up, which adds to the privacy while still offering the intimate chance to experience a small traditional Siberian village. Being a more traditional village, there is little in the way of shops of tourist restaurants, and less English spoken.
Precious Necklace Of Baikal
Dear friends of Lake Baikal and Russian nature!
In 2015 the UNDP-GEF Regional Project “Integrated Natural Resource Management in the Baikal Basin Transboundary Ecosystem” (the Baikal project) completed an implementation of the special public awareness media concept “PRECIOUS NECKLACE OF BAIKAL”.
Specially protected nature areas (SPNA) cover 33% of Lake Baikal and include nature reserves, nature sanctuaries, and national parks. There are several nature reserves and national parks located in and around Lake Baikal which together are THE PRECIOUS NECKLACE OF BAIKAL: the Baikalsky State Nature Biosphere Reserve, the Barguzinsky State Nature Biosphere Reserve, the Baikalo-Lensky State Nature Reserve, the Dzherginsky State Nature Reserve, the Sokhondinsky State Nature Biosphere Reserve, the Daursky State Nature Biosphere Reserve, the Alkhanaisky National Park, the Zabaikalsky National Park, the Pribaikalsky National Park, and the Tunkinsky National Park.
The media concept bearing the same name, the PRECIOUS NECKLACE OF BAIKAL, developed under the Baikal project is to raise awareness of the people of Russia and the public in other countries about the current state and prospects of developing tourism in nature reserves and national parks of the Baikal region (Republic of Buryatia, Irkutsk Oblast , Zabaikalsky Krai). This is an area of unique flora and fauna, and magnificent landscapes. Special focus is put on eco-trails that lend visitors a possibility to enjoy nature in its pristine state.
Ecotourism in SPNAs is developed with support from the Baikal Project. The Baikal Project in conjunction with the government of Russia is focusing on sustainable development of territories included in the protected areas of the Baikal basin. The issue of promoting ecotourism in international markets is currently of special importance, and for this reason a promotion campaign for SPNAs has been launched under the auspices of a project targeting the European tourist market with special emphasis on development of eco-trails and using ecotourism best practices, and also promoting protected areas (PA) through the Internet in different languages.
Additionally the PRECIOUS NECKLACE OF BAIKAL media project has been produced to share the best practices of implementing ecotourism projects in SPNAs, engaging local communities, raising awareness, and attracting tourists.
For the purposes of implementing this concept, expeditions have been arranged to all the nature reserves and national parks of the area, and professional photographers have been hired to conduct photo and video shoots of the main landscapes, tourist routes, and eco-trails.
The Atlas of Culture Project has produced THE PRECIOUS NECKLACE OF BAIKAL documentary. The special edition of the World of Baikal Magazine has been produced and published which is a welcome addition to the Documentary and it describes all the SPNAs in and around Lake Baikal and lists the ecotours that lead through such areas. The documentary and the magazine have been produced both in the English and Russian languages. In addition, separate promotion video clips have been created for each protected area.
The SPNAs play a key role in land use on the Baikal Nature Territory and serve as centers for both biodiversity conservation and ecotourism development providing viable economic alternatives to local communities. Protected areas are designed to protect the natural state of the environment and nature conservation sites that present historic and environmental value.
Major responsible project partner is the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (Russian Federation). Additionally this project is supported by the Russian Geographical Society, the Baikal Institute of Nature Management of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Fund for Protection of Lake Baikal, Metropol Group of Companies.
Detailed information about the project “PRECIOUS NECKLACE OF BAIKAL” and all media material are available on this web site:
GFL Project - Forest Near Lake Baikal (Zabaikalsky National Park) [eng&rus subs]
The project for the Global Forest Link. Done by Andrew B., Anastasia N., Arsalan B. Russia, Republic of Buryatia, Ulan-Ude city, Lyceum #61. Contact us, andrew160300@gmail.com, Created using Prezi - May 2016.
BOLSHOE GOLOUSTNOE // October 2016
Бухта Песчаная , Байкал (видео 360 5.2k)
Бухта Песчаная (Байкал видео 360 5.2k)
Бухта Песчаная — залив на юго-западном берегу озера Байкал, в Иркутском районе Иркутской области, на территории Прибайкальского национального парка.
Находится в 33 км по прямой к северо-востоку от села Большое Голоустное, окружена отрогами Приморского хребта. От села до бухты проходит участок Большой Байкальской тропы.
Это облюбованное туристами место называют часто Байкальской Ривьерой, однако настоящее его имя – Бухта Песчаная. Этот залив, имеющий форму половинки овала, окружён пляжами, на которых летом можно встретить массу отдыхающих. Здесь, на юго-западном побережье «Славного моря» вода прогревается летом основательно, не уступая черноморской воде в бархатный сезон.
Берега Байкала и скальные ландшафты неразрывны. Бухта Песчаная – не исключение. здесь можно увидеть две скалы, напоминающие пирамиды. Их называют Большая Колокольня и Малая Колокольня. Именно они «отвечают» за формирование благоприятного микроклимата в бухте, так как закрывают Песчаную от всех ветров.
Peschanaya Bay is a bay on the southwestern shore of Lake Baikal, in the Irkutsk District of the Irkutsk Region, in the territory of the Pribaikalsky National Park.
It is located 33 km in a straight line to the north-east of the village of Bolshoe Goloustnoe, surrounded by spurs of the Primorsky Range. From the village to the bay passes the section of the Great Baikal trail.
This place, popular with tourists, is often called the Baikal Riviera, but its real name is Peschanaya Bay. This bay, which has the shape of a halved oval, is surrounded by beaches, where in summer you can meet a lot of tourists. Here, on the south-west coast of the Glorious Sea, the water warms up thoroughly in the summer, not yielding to the Black Sea water in the velvet season.
The shores of Lake Baikal and rocky landscapes are inseparable. Sandy Cove is no exception. here you can see two rocks resembling pyramids. They are called the Big Bell Tower and the Small Bell Tower. They are responsible for the formation of a favorable microclimate in the bay, as they close the Sand from all winds.
Great Baikal Trail - Unexpected Things
Turn on the English subtitles!
We did not expect to fall ill or have to turn back because the trail was too dangerous, but we still had a very memorable trip to Lake Baikal. :)
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Baykal-Lena Nature Reserve | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
00:01:19 1 Topography
00:02:12 2 Climate and Ecoregion
00:03:39 3 Flora and fauna
00:04:30 4 Ecotourism
00:05:29 5 See also
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SUMMARY
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Baikal-Lena Nature Reserve (Russian: Байкало-Ленский заповедник) (also Lake Baikal; or Baykal-Lensky, or Baykal-Lena) is a Russian 'zapovednik' (strict nature reserve) located on the northwest coast of Lake Baikal in southern Siberia. It protects both lake shore and the source of the Lena River. The reserve stretches along the western coast of Lake Baikal for about 120 km, with an average width of 65 km. The reserve is situated in the Kachugsky District of Irkutsk Oblast. As of December 1996, the Baikal-Lena Reserve (combined with the Barguzin and Baikal Reserves) is included in the list of sites of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, and a World Heritage Site with Pribaikalsky National Park. The Baikal-Lena Reserve is managed jointly with Pribaikalsky National Park, which is immediately to the south, thus protecting a continuous 580 km of shoreline on Lake Baikal.
Explore Moscow & Lake Baikal - 2
Travel to Moscow and Siberia for sightseeing. Tour Irkutsk city, Irkutsk University Botanical Garden, Solar Observatories, Baikal Museum. Cruse Lake Baikal and visit nearby islands, hills, villages, towns, and point of interests around the lake.