The nature of Lake Baikal is very diverse. Here you can find great places for beach or active rest, for a romantic, family or extreme trip.
Using the interactive map of Lake Baikal, it is easy to compose the route that is optimal for you.
On the map of Baikal all tourist sites are indicated with links to their detailed descriptions.
Be sure to use the map of Lake Baikal so as not to miss anything interesting during your trip.
You may want to see with your own eyes the widest source of the river in the world. Angara, the only river flowing out of Lake Baikal, has a width of 1,779 meters at its mouth. Or you might want to visit the most mysterious cape of Lake Baikal - Ryty, shrouded in many superstitions and legends. Almost Martian landscapes of the Tazheran steppes await you, endless sand beach Enkhaluka, the large and beautiful island of Olkhon, considered the heart of Lake Baikal, and many others amazing places... They are all marked on interactive map of Baikal.
We wish you wonderful discoveries on Lake Baikal!
Lake Baikal is the most deep lake in the world. The lake covers an area of 31,722 km3, which is comparable to the territory of countries such as the Netherlands or Belgium. The lake is 636 km long and 24 to 79.5 km wide.
The satellite map of Lake Baikal shows that the lake is located on the border of the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia. The map also shows that the lake is crescent-shaped. The length of the coastline is 2100 km. The average depth is 744.4 m, and the deepest point of the lake reaches 1642 m.
Baikal is a fresh lake with water reserves of 23,615,390 km2. This is approximately 19% of all lake water in the world. It should be noted that Baikal is second only to the Caspian Sea (lake) in terms of water reserves.
The water in Lake Baikal is cold and clear. Even in summer, the water temperature rarely exceeds + 8-9 ° C. In winter, the lake is almost completely frozen, and by the end of winter the ice thickness reaches 1-2 meters. Freeze-up lasts on average from January 9 to May 4. In winter, cracks and unusual forms of ice cover form on the ice of Lake Baikal: "hills", "osenets", "sokuy". On the satellite maps Lake Baikal in winter you can see dark rings, which are formed due to an increase in the temperature of the surface layer of water.
There are 27 islands on the lake, of which Olkhon is the largest. Baikal is the habitat of 2630 species of animals and plants, of which 2/3 are found only here. The unique nature of Lake Baikal is largely influenced by a large number of sunlight, which is a record for Russia - 2524 hours.
Must Visit
On Lake Baikal, it is worth visiting Northern Baikal, Shaman-Kamen rock, Ludar, Ryty and Shamanka Rock, Ushkany Islands, Peschanaya Bay, Chivyrkuisky Bay and Chersky Peak. It is recommended to take a walk along the ecological trail - the Big Baikal Trail - to Bolshiye Koty, the Svyatoy Nos Peninsula and the Barguzinsky Bay.
Must know
Lake Baikal can be reached from the cities of Irkutsk, Severobaikalsk and Ulan-Ude. The Trans-Siberian Railway runs along the lake.
The main tourist center of Lake Baikal is Listvyanka village near the source of the Angara. From here, motor ships and boats depart, making cruises on Lake Baikal. River boats run from the village of Maksimikha to the Svyatoy Nos peninsula. In the villages of Sukhaya and Enkhaluk there are hotels and private houses. Here you can also stay overnight in a real yurt.
At the mouth of the Selenga River there are 2 tourist camps - "Baikalsky Priboy" and "Kultushnaya". The Khakusy resort is located in the north of Lake Baikal.
Mandarkhan Bay is located in the Mukhor Bay, which is located on the territory of the Pribaikalsky National Park in the Irkutsk Region. "Mukhar" in the Buryat language means "dead end", "end".
Local legends say that Mandarkhan is the name of the sun god. The bay lives up to its name, being the warmest bay of the bay. The depth here is rather shallow, in summer time the water temperature can reach 22 degrees, there is a sandy beach in the bay, and fish are well caught with a line.
The bay is surrounded by hills, from which an excellent view of Olkhon Island, the Sarma Gorge, the Maloye More bays and Baikal itself opens up.
On the territory of the bay you can also find a cafe, a canteen, volleyball, tennis, badminton courts.
Peschanaya Bay "walking pines
Peschanaya Bay is one of the most famous and picturesque places on Lake Baikal. The name of the Siberian Riviera is fixed behind the bay, and it is declared a natural monument. The famous Walking or walking pines grow on the sandy spit.
The formation of such roots in Baikal trees is not determined by genes. This is an acquired adaptation of existence in environment... Pines and larch trees grow with stilt roots on sandy soil near the village. Turka, on Olkhon Island and in Peschanaya Bay. Permanent strong winds blowing in these places from Lake Baikal, exposed the roots of these trees, blowing sand from under them. For this they are often called "walking trees". There is a statement that the sand on which these pines and larch trees grow is shifting towards Lake Baikal, dragging them along. Therefore, stilted trees "walk" in the direction of the famous lake and once disappear in it forever.