Geographical object Lake Baikal. Message about Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal is located on the territory of Buryatia and the Irkutsk region. This is the deepest lake in the world, it is also the largest natural reservoir fresh water.

general description

The area of ​​Lake Baikal is 31,722 square kilometers, the maximum depth is 1642 meters, the average is 744. The transparency of the water can reach 40 meters. Volume - 23.6 thousand cubic kilometers. Lake Baikal is 636 kilometers long and its greatest width is 79.5 kilometers. The length of the coastline is two thousand kilometers.

The drainage basin area is 570 thousand square kilometers. The only river flowing out is the Angara, the largest of the inflowing rivers are the Selenga, Barguzin, and Upper Angara. The total number of tributaries is unknown; figures are given as high as 1,120 rivers and streams, but most of them are not permanent watercourses.

The water surface of Lake Baikal is located at an altitude of 456 above sea level, and the lowest point (at the place where the maximum depth) is 1187 meters below the level of the world ocean.

History of the origin and development of the lake

The age of Lake Baikal is not known exactly; scientists talk about a range from 25 to 35 million years. By the way, this makes Baikal unique in its own way, since the vast majority of lakes do not exist like this long term. In 2009, it was suggested that the age of the lake is 150 thousand years, and the age of the coastline in its modern form is about 8 thousand years. This version found indirect confirmation.

However, precise information about the origin of the lake (such as the history Lake Ladoga) No. In addition, the process of transformation of Lake Baikal continues to this day - earthquakes occur here.

It is known that already two thousand years BC, tribes who were the ancestors of the Evenks lived on the lands near Lake Baikal. The first Russian to visit the lake was the Cossack Kurbat Ivanov, and Russian settlements began to appear on the shores at the end of the 17th century.

Lake water

There is very little in the water of Lake Baikal minerals, a lot of oxygen and very few organic impurities. Exceptional purity of water is possible due to the crustacean epishura, which consumes organic matter. It makes up about 90% of the lake’s biomass and it is because of its activity that the water in Baikal is very clean, and its transparency in some places reaches 40 meters.

The water is cold, the maximum temperature during the entire observation period is +23 degrees Celsius. In some places even summer period the water temperature of the surface layers may not exceed +9 +10 degrees. In the deep layers the temperature is around +4 degrees.

Due to the purity and transparency of the water, the ice in Lake Baikal is very transparent. The lake freezes in early January and is cleared of ice in early May. By the end of winter, the ice thickness usually reaches one meter, in selected places can reach up to 2 meters.

The ice of Lake Baikal is very beautiful; in addition, it has certain properties and regularly presents scientists with mysteries. For example, only on this lake were ice tents discovered, which are cones of ice, the height of which can reach up to six meters. Their origin has not yet been fully explained.

It is also worth noting the “stagnant cracks” that form in approximately the same places every year. Their width can be up to three meters and their length up to 30 kilometers. The ice cracks with a very loud noise, and thanks to this, the fish do not suffer from a lack of oxygen.

Climate

Of course, a body of water with such a huge water mass and area cannot but have an impact on the climate that is quite serious. Thus, in the vicinity of Lake Baikal, winter arrives on average two weeks later than in other areas in the neighborhood. Winters here are generally milder, however, and summers are usually cooler.

The surroundings of the lake are rich in sunny days; here their total duration is even longer than in the Black Sea resorts. There are rarely more than 40 days without sun in a year.

Baikal winds have proper names. Here are some of them, the most famous:

• Barguzin - east and strong wind;
• Kultuk is the name of the southwest wind;
• Verkhovik - longitudinal wind, which usually blows in sunny weather, has a north-east direction;
• Sarma - this wind is the most powerful and blows in the middle part of the lake.

The average annual temperature in the lake area has been steadily increasing in recent years. Thus, in 2014 there was an unusually warm summer, then average temperature exceeded the average for long time by 2 degrees, a record temperature of +34 degrees Celsius was also recorded.

Earthquakes

The area of ​​Lake Baikal is called the Baikal Rift Zone, which is an area with high seismic activity. The vast majority of earthquakes are very weak, their strength does not exceed two points (that is, they are practically not felt). But there are also strong ones. One of the strongest occurred in 1862 and its strength was 10 points (on a 12-point scale). Then an area of ​​200 square kilometers went under water. Also strong earthquakes(with a force of more than 5 points) were recorded in 1903, 1950, 1957, 1959, 2008, 2010.

Every year, seismologists record from 3 to 7-8 thousand earthquakes in the area of ​​Lake Baikal; their sources are usually located at a depth of 12 to 20 kilometers. The spots occur mostly in the central part of the lake and on the eastern shore.

According to the history of observations, quite strong earthquakes in the area of ​​Lake Baikal occur every 2 years (with a force of 6-7 points), every 10 years there are tremors with a force of 8 points, every 75 years with a force of 9 points. Earthquakes with a magnitude of 10 or more occur on average once every 175 years. The last time this happened was in 1905, it was called the Bolnai earthquake. Then the magnitude of the force was estimated at 8.3 points, and the intensity of the tremors at the epicenter at 11 points.

Flora and fauna

Lake Baikal is home to 2,600 species and subspecies of aquatic animals. In addition, about half are found only here, that is, they are endemic. The abundance of living organisms can be explained by the high oxygen content in the water. Of the most valuable fish, it is worth noting grayling, whitefish, Baikal sturgeon and perch, taimen, and pike.

In the area of ​​Lake Baikal there are 236 species of birds, of which 29 are waterfowl. The most common animals are bears, foxes, wolverines, wolves, sables, stoats, wild boars and others. At all, animal world The Baikal region is very diverse.

The flora is also very diverse. The forests are mainly coniferous - spruce, cedar, pine, larch and alder, but other species are also found. In general, it is simply impossible to briefly describe the flora and fauna of Lake Baikal; read other articles on our website.

• Animals of Lake Baikal;
• Fishes of Lake Baikal.

Ecology

Since Lake Baikal is a unique natural object, there is even a separate Federal Law “On the Protection of Lake Baikal,” which was adopted in 1999. However, anthropogenic impact has a significant Negative influence on the ecology of the lake. In particular, it is worth noting the pulp and paper mill, which is one of the most famous sources of pollution, but not the most important.

The main factor that negatively affects the ecology of Lake Baikal is the Selenga River. It is the largest tributary, and the volume of its flow exceeds the volume of flows of all other rivers and streams combined. In its course, the Selenga River is polluted in the territory of Buryatia, the Trans-Baikal Territory (through tributaries), and Mongolia.

Unfortunately, poaching is also a very significant problem. The main objects of poaching are the Baikal seal and omul. In total, poachers catch about half of all the fish caught in Lake Baikal.

In general, Lake Baikal has certain ecological problems however, at the moment they can be considered not too significant (considering the volume of the lake). However, it is extremely important to prevent increased pollution of the lake; this unique natural site needs protection.

Tourism

Lake Baikal is a popular tourist destination. Tourists come here not only from Russia, but also from other countries of the world. As a rule, they get there through Irkutsk, Severobaikalsk or Ulan-Ude. The most popular place on the lake itself is the village of Listvyanka, where it starts a large number of excursions and cruises on the lake.

Visited places on Lake Baikal include Barguzinsky Bay, Chivyrkuisky Bay, Posolsky Bor Bay and others. On the shores of the lake there is a developed tourist infrastructure - many tourist centers, a large number various options excursions and cruises.

In the vicinity of the lake there are also many interesting places and natural attractions, the most famous include:

• Cape Ludar;
• Circum-Baikal Railway;
• Chersky Peak;
• Peschanaya Bay;
• Ushkany Islands;
• Rock Shaman-stone.

Video about Lake Baikal

Almost in the center of the huge continent of Eurasia there is a narrow blue crescent - Lake Baikal. In the Baikal mountain region, surrounded on all sides by high ridges, it stretches over 636 kilometers in length and up to 80 kilometers in width. Baikal's area is equal to Belgium with its almost 10 million population, many cities and industrial centers, highways and railways.

IN Baikal 336 permanent rivers and streams flow into the lake, while half of the volume of water entering the lake comes from the Selenga. The only river that flows out of Baikal is the Angara.

The area of ​​the lake's water surface is 31,470 square kilometers. The maximum depth reaches 1637 m, the average - 730 m.

In order to understand the enormity of Baikal’s water body, imagine that the Angara, which annually removes 60.9 km3 of water from the lake, would need 387 years of continuous work to drain its bowl. Provided, of course, that during this time not a liter of water gets into it and not a drop evaporates from its surface.

Undoubtedly, Baikal - deepest lake in the world. Not everyone knows that the second contender in the world for this title, the African Lake Tanganyika, lags behind the leader by as much as 200 meters. There are 30 islands on Baikal, the largest is Olkhon Island.

The question of the age of Lake Baikal should be considered open. Usually the literature gives a figure of 20-25 million years. However, the application various methods age determinations give values ​​from 20-30 million to several tens of thousands of years. But, if we assume that the traditional point of view is correct, then Baikal can be considered the oldest lake on Earth.

BAIKAL WATER

Baikal water unique and amazing, like Baikal itself. She's extraordinary
transparent, clean and oxygenated. In not so long ago, it was considered healing, and illnesses were treated with its help.

In spring, the transparency of Baikal water is as much as 40 meters! This is explained by the fact that Baikal water, thanks to the activity of living organisms living in it, is very
slightly mineralized and close to distilled.

The volume of water in Baikal reaches about 23 thousand cubic kilometers, which is 20% of the world's and 90% of Russian fresh water reserves. There is more water in Baikal than in all five Great American Lakes combined - they only reached a total of 22,725 km3. Every year, the Baikal ecosystem reproduces about 60 cubic kilometers of clear, oxygenated water.

INHABITANTS OF BAIKAL

The exclusivity of many physical and geographical features of the lake was the reason
the extraordinary diversity of its flora and fauna. And in this regard, it has no equal among the fresh water bodies of the world.

The lake is home to 52 species of fish of several families.:

• sturgeon (Baikal sturgeon),
• salmon (Davatchan, taimen, lenok, Baikal omul - endemic fish, whitefish),
• grayling (Siberian grayling),
• pike,
• carp,
• loaches,
• catfish,
• cod,
• perch,
• sculpin gobies,
• Golomyanka

The food pyramid of the lake ecosystem is crowned by a typical marine mammal - the seal,
or Baikal seal. The Baikal seal is the only representative of mammals in the lake. For almost the whole year
it lives in water, and in the fall it forms mass haulouts on the rocky shores of the lake.

The life of many animals characteristic of Lake Baikal is inextricably linked not only with the lake itself, but also with its coast. Gulls, mergansers, goldeneyes, scoters, scorches, white-tailed eagles, ospreys and many other bird species nest on the shores of the lake and on its islands.

Also remarkable is such an integral part of the life of the great lake as the mass emergence of brown bears on the shores, entirely due to the peculiarities of the nature of Lake Baikal.

In the mountain taiga of the Baikal region there is a musk deer - the smallest deer on the globe.

Diversity organic world Lake Baikal is amazing, but its originality is no less phenomenal. Many of the animals and plants living in the lake are not found anywhere else in the world. Baikal has 848 species of endemic animals (about 60%) and 133 species of endemic plants (15%).

BAIKAL FOR TOURISTS

Today, everything connected with Baikal arouses genuine interest not only in our country, but also abroad. Over the past decade, Baikal has become a magnet for many tourists. Relatively well preserved nature
lakes and seas, rapidly developing infrastructure - hotels, roads, proximity to transport interchanges - give reason to believe that in the future the tourist flow to the shores of Lake Baikal will only increase.

Come to Lake Baikal! Admire its beauty and purity of water, feel the almost mystical
the energy that the sacred sea gives to everyone who comes to its shore.

Based on materials from the article “Unique Baikal”, prepared by Valentina Ivanovna Galkina, Honored Worker of Culture of Russia, head of the exhibition of the Baikal Museum of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences.

Numerous scientific studies have been devoted to the problem of the origin of the word “Baikal,” which indicates a lack of clarity on this issue. There are about a dozen possible explanations for the origin of the name. Among them, the most probable version is considered to be the origin of the name of the lake from the Turkic-speaking Bai-Kul - rich lake.

Of the other versions, two more can be noted: from the Mongolian Baigal - rich fire and Baigal Dalai - large lake. The peoples who lived on the shores of the lake called Baikal in their own way. Evenks, for example, - Lamu, Buryats - Baigal-Nuur, even the Chinese had a name for Baikal - Beihai - North Sea.

The Evenki name Lamu - Sea was used for several years by the first Russian explorers in the 17th century, then they switched to the Buryat Baigal, slightly softening the letter “g” by phonetic replacement. Quite often Baikal is called the sea, simply out of respect, for its violent temper, because the distant opposite shore is often hidden somewhere in the haze... At the same time, a distinction is made between the Small Sea and the Big Sea. The Small Sea is what is located between the northern coast of Olkhon and the mainland, everything else is the Big Sea.

Baikal water

Baikal water is unique and amazing, like Baikal itself. It is unusually transparent, clean and saturated with oxygen. In not so ancient times, it was considered healing, and diseases were treated with its help. In spring, the transparency of Baikal water, measured using a Secchi disk (a white disk with a diameter of 30 cm), is 40 m (for comparison, in the Sargasso Sea, which is considered the standard of transparency, this value is 65 m). Later, when massive algae blooms begin, the transparency of the water decreases, but in calm weather the bottom can be seen from a boat at a fairly decent depth. Such high transparency is explained by the fact that Baikal water, thanks to the activity of living organisms living in it, is very weakly mineralized and close to distilled.

The volume of water in Baikal is about 23 thousand cubic kilometers, which is 20% of the world's and 90% of Russian fresh water reserves. Every year, the Baikal ecosystem reproduces about 60 cubic kilometers of clear, oxygenated water.

Age of Lake Baikal

Usually in the literature the age of the lake is given as 20-25 million years. In fact, the question of the age of Baikal should be considered open, since the use of various methods for determining age gives values ​​from 20-30 million to several tens of thousands of years. Apparently, the first assessment is closer to the truth - Baikal is indeed a very ancient lake. If we assume that Baikal is actually several tens of millions of years old, then it is the oldest lake on Earth.

It is believed that Baikal arose as a result of tectonic forces. Tectonic processes are still ongoing, which is manifested in increased seismicity in the Baikal region.

Climate in the area of ​​Lake Baikal.

The climate in Eastern Siberia is sharply continental, but the huge mass of water contained in Baikal and its mountainous surroundings create an extraordinary microclimate. Baikal works as a large thermal stabilizer - in winter it is warmer on Baikal, and in summer it is a little cooler than, for example, in Irkutsk, which is located 70 km from the lake. The temperature difference is usually about 10 degrees. A significant contribution to this effect is made by forests growing almost along the entire coast of Lake Baikal.

The influence of Baikal is not limited to temperature regulation. Due to the fact that evaporation cold water from the surface of the lake is very insignificant; clouds cannot form over Baikal. Besides, air masses, bringing clouds from land, when they pass the coastal mountains, they heat up, and the clouds dissipate. As a result, the sky over Lake Baikal is clear most of the time. This is also evidenced by the numbers: the number of hours of sunshine in the area of ​​Olkhon Island is 2277 hours (for comparison - on the Riga seaside 1839, in Abastumani (Caucasus) - 1994). You should not think that the sun always shines over the lake - if you are unlucky, you can end up with one or even two weeks of disgusting rainy weather even in the most sunny place Baikal - on Olkhon, but this happens extremely rarely.

The average annual water temperature on the surface of the lake is +4°C. Near the coast in summer the temperature reaches +16-17°C, in shallow bays up to +22-23°C.

Wind and waves on Baikal.

The wind almost always blows on Lake Baikal. More than thirty local names of winds are known. This does not mean at all that there is such a quantity on Baikal different winds, it’s just that many of them have several names. The peculiarity of the Baikal winds is that they almost always blow along the coast and there are not as many shelters from them as we would like.

Prevailing winds: north-west, often called mountain, north-east (Barguzin and Verkhovik, also known as Angara), south-west (kultuk), south-east (shelonnik). The maximum wind speed recorded on Lake Baikal is 40 m/s. In the literature there are also higher values ​​- up to 60 m/s, but there is no reliable evidence for this.

Where there is wind, there are, as you know, waves. Let me immediately note that the opposite is not true - a wave can occur even with complete calm. Waves on Baikal can reach a height of 4 meters. Sometimes values ​​of 5 and even 6 meters are given, but this is most likely an estimate “by eye”, which has a large error, usually towards overestimation. The height of 4 meters was obtained using instrumental measurements in the open sea. The excitement is strongest in autumn and spring. In summer, strong waves on Lake Baikal are rare, and calm often occurs.

Ichthyofauna of Baikal.

Depending on their habitat conditions, fish can be divided into several groups. Sturgeon, pike, burbot, ide, roach, dace, perch, and minnow occupy the coastal shallows and river deltas of Lake Baikal. Fish of Siberian mountain rivers: grayling, taimen, lenok inhabit small tributaries of the lake and its coastal zone. Omul, since ancient times considered a symbol of Baikal, inhabits its open and coastal part, whitefish, another famous resident of Baikal, inhabits only the coastal part.

The most remarkable group of Baikal fish are gobies, of which there are 25 species. The most interesting of them are the golomyankas. This miracle of Baikal is not found anywhere else in the world. Golomyanka is incredibly beautiful, shimmers blue and pink in the light, and if you leave it in the sun it will melt, leaving only bones and a greasy stain. It is the main and most numerous inhabitant of Lake Baikal, but rarely gets caught in fishermen’s nets. Its only enemy is the seal, for which it is the main food.

To preserve rare and endangered animals, there is a strict and complete ban on hunting, maximum conservation of habitat, the creation of special nurseries, national parks, nature reserves and sanctuaries.

Can rightfully be attributed to seven natural wonders of the world. It is located in the center of Asia, stretching 636 km from northeast to southwest in the form of a blue crescent. The width of the lake varies, if in narrow places it is 24 km, then in the widest places it reaches 80 km. Baikal is the deepest lake on the planet. In 1983, the maximum depth of the lake was established, which was 1637 meters. In 1992 it was put on maps. The average depth of the lake is also great - 740 meters, which is much greater than the maximum depths of many lakes, which are considered very deep. Besides Baikal, there are only two lakes on the planet whose depth exceeds 1000 meters. This is the African Lake Tanganyika, whose depth is 1470 meters, and the Caspian Sea with a depth of 1025 meters. The surface area of ​​Lake Baikal is 31,470 sq. km.

The lake contains 20 percent of all fresh water in the world and 90 percent of Russia's fresh water. There is more of it here than in the five Great Lakes of America combined. In terms of water reserves, Baikal is the second largest lake in the world. The first place belongs to the Caspian Sea, although its water is salty. The famous Baikal water has amazing, unique properties. In ancient times it was believed that she had healing properties, with its help they treated various diseases. Diveevskaya Sloboda - a hotel in Diveevo offers excursions to historical places, entertainment programs And different kinds active rest. The water in the lake is surprisingly clear and clean. It is most transparent in spring; at this time of year you can see stones and various items at a depth of 40 m. In spring, the water may also be of blue color. In summer and autumn, in water heated by the sun, the process of development of living organisms living in it occurs. The color of the water during this period becomes green, transparency decreases to 8 meters. The purity and transparency of the water in Lake Baikal is explained by its low content of mineral salts; its composition is close to distilled water. Baikal water is saturated with oxygen. The water in the lake is cold, even in summer the temperature of the upper layers does not exceed +9 degrees, and the deep layers do not exceed +4 degrees. In winter, Baikal freezes entirely; the ice thickness reaches 1 meter by the end of winter. Moreover, the ice is very transparent, which allows deep penetration sun rays, therefore, planktonic algae continue to develop in the water, which release oxygen. The flora and fauna of the inhabitants of Lake Baikal are many-sided and diverse. 60 percent of the animals and 15 percent of the plants found here cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Lake Baikal is home to 52 species of fish of the sturgeon, salmon, carp, cod and other families. A typical representative of marine mammals lives here - the seal or Baikal seal, which is the only representative of the mammals in the lake. Freshwater seals cannot be found anywhere else. A huge number of birds (seagulls, goldeneyes, sardines and many other species) build nests on the shores of Lake Baikal and its islands. A mass exodus to the shores of the lake is being made brown bears. In the vicinity of the Baikal region you can meet the smallest deer in the whole world - musk deer. There are 27 islands on Lake Baikal, the largest of which is Olkhon Island. The largest peninsula is Svyatoy Nos. And today the question about the age of Lake Baikal remains open. If we agree with the point of view of scientists who have proven that the age of Baikal is 25 million years, then Baikal will turn out to be the oldest lake on the planet. More than 30 thousand tourists come here every year. Here, each of them can enjoy the unique nature, fishing, and extreme sports enthusiasts will also enjoy it. The healing power of hot springs has long attracted vacationers to the shores of a unique miracle of nature - Lake Baikal. Here are architectural and cultural monuments of tribes and peoples who have long lived on the shores of Lake Baikal. The World Organization UNESCO has included Baikal in the list of natural heritage. Lake Baikal is the deepest, oldest of the natural wonders of the world.

What is Lake Baikal like? Where is? Surely many travelers have asked this question, trying to refresh their memory of their school knowledge. Baikal is considered the largest fresh water reservoir on the planet. By age, depth and reserves drinking water he simply has no competitors.
So, Baikal! There are legends about it as a formidable and angry lake. Various epithets are awarded to the famous reservoir: “the blue eye of Siberia”, “the sacred gift of nature”, “the world’s source of drinking water”.

Baikal. Where is the lake?

The lake is located in the south of Eastern Siberia. This is on the border of Buryatia on the Asian continent. Now do you remember where Lake Baikal is? A photo of the famous lake will help everyone imagine the Siberian beauty of the reservoir. Scientists have recorded the water surface area of ​​Lake Baikal as 31,722 square kilometers. This figure can be equated to the area of ​​Belgium or the Netherlands. The width of the mysterious reservoir reaches 79 kilometers. The length of Baikal is 620 kilometers. From a bird's eye view, the lake looks like a giant crescent. Baikal is the deepest lake. According to scientific research data, its maximum depth is 1642 meters.

No one can definitely answer the question of where the name Baikal itself came from. Many scientific works and literary publications have been devoted to this topic. But not a single scientist was able to provide categorical evidence regarding at least one theoretical guess.

Where Baikal is located, beliefs and legends live. In the past, the peoples living near Baikal called the lake in their own way: “big reservoir” or “rich water”. If we take into account the age of the reservoir, then, according to scientific research data, Baikal was formed more than 20 million years ago.

Typically, ice age lakes live for about 15 thousand years, and then gradually disappear from the face of the earth. However, Baikal shows no signs of aging. According to research recent years, geophysicists have suggested that Baikal may well be an incipient ocean.

Miscellaneous

The Baikal pit is recognized as the cleanest reservoir of drinking water on the planet. The lake is incredibly clean and rich in oxygen. Experts believe that this water is close in properties to distilled water. Previously, Baikal water was used for treatment. Lake Baikal contains a huge variety of living forms. These are fish: the famous omul, whitefish, the perch and salmon families. Which of the fauna can still be found in the area where the lake is located? Baikal?

Baikal seals and noisy seagulls live on the coast. Sometimes there are brown bears emerging from forest areas. Scientists count about 847 species of representatives of the animal world and approximately 133 species various plants in the nature of Baikal.

Thanks to such diversity, an increasing number of tourists are coming to this amazing place to breathe a breath of fresh Baikal oxygen. Every year there is intensive infrastructure development on Lake Baikal. This encourages everyone who has been here to visit the proposed recreation area many times.

Where to stay on Baikal? Various hotels, sanatoriums, and tour operators are available to vacationers. All conditions are created so that the traveler can improve his physical and spiritual health. For many years, the thermal and mud springs of Goryachinsky, Zmeevoy, and Khakusy have been famous for their healing properties.

All of these natural sources are of great help to a person in the treatment of blood circulation, nervous system and skin diseases. The most popular source is Zmeinaya Bay. Despite the lack of amenities, the number of people coming here is constantly growing.

Baikal can tear a person away from his usual civilization, amaze him with its landscapes and fill him with life-giving energy! Of course, having come to Lake Baikal once, it is impossible to study all the local culture. To begin with, use the services of guides or plan excursions in advance.

Think about what you will travel on: a bicycle, a car or an ATV? And if you are an excellent rider, then a horse is an excellent companion for such trips. If the question arises about what time of year is the cheapest to relax on Lake Baikal, then you should go in September. It was during this period that prices for sanatoriums and tour operator services were significantly reduced.

Baikal. Where is the place that can cause excitement among the male part of the population? This is a fishing zone! This type of entertainment delights all fans of this exciting activity. On the territory of Lake Baikal there is a great opportunity to allow everyone to show their fishing skills. The most popular places for this are considered to be Chivyrkuisky Bay, Maloye More, Proval Bay and Lake Baikal itself.

In these water areas There is indeed an abundance of fish, but catching them is not an easy task. Some tourists even have to resort to the services of instructors. But it's okay!

Just practice and you'll be on your way! Most likely, friends, looking at photos on this topic, will ask: “Where are you?” After a short pause, you will probably give a proud answer: “Like where? Lake Baikal!”

Winter fishing has its advantages. It is no less exciting than in the warm season: there are fewer people, so there is peace and a sense of freedom.

Holidays on the famous Lake Baikal are quite varied. If you are dreaming of swimming, summer fishing and other entertainment during the hot season, then it is more advisable to go on vacation in July-August. At the beginning of summer, Lake Baikal is still cold and the water is not warmed up enough. And in the northern part of the reservoir there are even floating ice floes. The end of August can ruin travelers' time with gusty winds. During this period, the water mixes and its temperature drops. But for those travelers looking for solitude in nature, autumn is a wonderful time of year. The local coastal vegetation is painted in bright colors, forcing tourists to preserve this beauty in the photo.

Where to relax on Baikal?

If you know what you expect from this trip, it will be easier to decide on a vacation spot. For those who prefer the thick of the masses, the roar of different music and the roar jet skis, the western coast of Olkhon Island, Peschanaya Bay, the coast of the Small Sea, the coast from the village of Baikalskoye to the city of Severobaikalsk, the Circum-Baikal Railway are suitable.

Cruise on the Circum-Baikal railway- a win-win option for an interesting vacation. Typically the excursion lasts 2 days by train. On this trip, the guide will tell travelers about the famous places of Lake Baikal. There are short stops at noteworthy places. Therefore, you can contemplate nature in these parts to your heart’s content.

The places where Baikal is located offer everyone the comfort of tourist centers and sanatoriums of Southern Baikal (Utulik, Electra, Angara and others). This should save the vacationer from questions about where to live on Lake Baikal. Maloe More is located a little secluded, and accommodation here is possible in a yurt at affordable prices. Olkhon Island is located in an inaccessible place. You can only get to it on foot or by water. This is an excellent relaxation area for those who are tired of the city noise and bustle.

You can diversify your time at the deepest reservoir by taking part in a cruise on a boat or yacht. This way you can visit the wild shores of Lake Baikal. Group excursion routes are known. They are notable for the fact that vacationers can visit the most unusual corners of the Baikal region.

If a tourist has a desire to use the vacation for the purpose of recovery physical health, then he can resort to the services of hot springs in the north of the lake. Active travelers will enthusiastically embrace hiking and horseback riding, as well as exciting rafting along mountain rivers. Lovers winter holiday can organize walks on the Baikal ice skating rink, snowmobiling or dog sledding. For fans of alpine skiing, the tourist base “Mount Sobolinaya” is active from December to May.

Holidays on Lake Baikal as a savage

On Baikal? And How? Rest as a savage is the most freedom-loving. For those who love adventure, Lake Baikal is a real find! The most suitable place for such a pastime is Peschanaya Bay. Only here a real tourist feels an absolute separation from civilization - there is no communication, no roads.

Only private yachts and the motor ship "Barguzin" go here, departing from the Irkutsk pier. Small houses or tents are provided for vacationers to stay. This island has pristine nature. It is so alluring that it literally bewitches tourists, forcing them to return here again and again.

A tourist center that can offer interesting excursions is at the service of savage travelers. Where to relax on Lake Baikal as a savage? The magnificent island of Olkhon is ready to welcome a wanderer! It can charm every person with the harmony of its forests and steppes. Olkhon is an unforgettable fishing experience and a lot of positive emotions.

Mysterious rock

This island is interesting as a place of shamans. There are opinions that the grave of Genghis Khan is located there. Some local residents still worship spirits today. Old-timers can tell travelers a lot about the mysterious Shaman Rock.

It is the highlight of Lake Baikal. Researchers of this area claim that in ancient times the Buryats brought a huge number of sacrifices to the rock. There are many legends on this topic. One of them says that Ezhin, the owner of the island, lives on the Shaman Rock cape. Until now, local residents treat this place with due respect.

Among the tourists there are a few brave souls who are ready to approach Shaman Mountain. According to legends, this place is endowed with special energy powers. The photographs leave as a souvenir for travelers the drawings of shamanic drums carved into the rock by ancient people. Unfortunately, these images have been partially destroyed due to the intervention of the human hand in an attempt to extract the marble.

Sights of Irkutsk

In those places where Lake Baikal is located, the city of Irkutsk is the most unknown and underrated in the world of tourists. Many Russians have vague ideas about this holiday destination. It's a pity!

Foreign tourists explore the sights of Irkutsk with undisguised interest. After all, this is a treasure trove of natural and man-made works. Architecture connoisseurs enjoy visiting the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross.

After all, its structure is unique: the temple fences and crosses are made according to the old pattern of blacksmith work. Another famous attraction of Irkutsk is the Taltsy architectural and ethnographic museum. It is located under open air and stores real masterpieces of architecture!

Tourists who come here can witness Orthodox holidays: in winter - Christmas and Maslenitsa, in summer - Trinity. IN winter time year, residents of Irkutsk build snow towns, ride with ice slides on cow skins! Agree that this forgotten vacation can bring real pleasure to every traveler.

After such festivities, you can enjoy hot dishes of original Russian cuisine: hot pancakes, meat goulash, Siberian dumplings! Along with this, everyone can taste Japanese and Chinese dishes in cafes, bars and restaurants at reasonable prices.

Extreme holiday

So, you have arrived to Baikal! Where is the place that will give the traveler drive? What else will captivate this famous territory for a vacationer? Baikal is capable of providing the traveler with an extreme type of recreation that can cause him a special surge of emotions and adrenaline. This is especially facilitated by dynamic rafting along the mountain rivers of Lake Baikal. Such water travel is notable for the fact that after such a trip the tourist is no longer indifferent to this type of recreation.

Worth seeing at least once wildlife Siberian taiga, rafting along stormy river with a group of friends. Memories of the euphoria of such a hike will accompany you for many years. So, let us remember that mountain rivers originate in the upper reaches of the mountain. River layers of water from there rush down to the plateaus and plains. Due to sudden changes in altitude, the flow speed of mountain rivers ranges from 25 to 30 kilometers per hour. The number of obstacles encountered in the path of the current (rocks, waterfalls) determines the category of difficulty of water rafting.

The first category includes calm water, the sixth includes obstacles with waterfalls and rapids reaching up to 15 meters. Tourists can conquer such mountain rivers on rafts. This is the most popular vessel for this extreme type of recreation. It looks like an inflatable boat. Its bottom contains holes to drain water that gets inside the boat.

From ordinary inflatable boats The raft is distinguished by the fact that its design is reinforced with a durable shell, special fastenings for travelers’ legs and double-layer cylinders. The raft is used when passing water obstacles of 1-5 difficulty categories.

To get more intense emotions when passing river rapids, tourists use a catamaran. These are two inflatable cylinders made of very durable material, which are interconnected by an aluminum partition. A catamaran on the water is well stable and gives a stronger sensation than a raft.

To control a catamaran, more precise actions are required. It usually accommodates 2-4 people. With such a device it is possible to pass water obstacles from 1 to 6 categories of difficulty.

If you are wondering where to visit Lake Baikal, then you should take a hike to the top of Mount Munku - Sardyk. Such a trip can become unforgettable, since this place is considered the highest point in Eastern Siberia. Tourists who reach the snow-white peak will enjoy stunning views of the lakes frozen under the ice. At this moment it will seem simply incredible! Best time enjoy such beauty - April and May.

Tourists who have been to Lake Baikal more than once note that, most likely, this trip will change a beginner. The mystery of this Siberian place can touch the subtle strings of a person’s soul, awakening in him a sense of novelty and harmony.

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