Siberia & Baikal

Siberia
 
A vast territory of 10,000,000 square km stretching from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Okhotsk Sea shore in the east, from the Arctic Ocean to Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Its mineral wealth accounts for over a third of the world deposits of oil, gas, diamonds and nickel. It is a country where the notions of “time” and “space” become truly philosophical.

Siberia is so large and varied that it can be compared with Western Europe, for they are nearly equal in size. Siberia is as many-faceted as Europe, inhabited as it is by dozens of different peoples, each having its own history ad culture, and geographically as diverse.
 In the north temperature stays below zero for nearly 8 months, while in the south it can be as hot as in the Mediterranean resorts. It has almost all climatic zones, except for the tropical and subtropical. High mountains (the Sayans) and marshy plains (the Tyumen Region), mighty rivers (the Ob, the Lena, the Irtysh, the Yenisei) and lakes (the Baikal, the Taimyr) – these are all Siberia.

In its western part, Tyumen is the first Russian town beyond the Urals, Russia’s oil capital. In the north, Norilsk, situated beyond the Arctic Circle, accounts for two-thirds of the world production of nickel. There are several dozen major cities in Siberia – Omsk, Tomsk, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk and other – and each can take pride in its economic achievements and architectural monuments.

Siberia’s main asset is its tremendous mineral wealth. The Krasnoyarsk “Pillars”, a reserve with famous rocks up to 90 metres high of the most whimsical shapes, created by time and wind, is visited by 200,000 people every year. Lake Baikal is even more popular. Its water is so clear that a small coin can be seen at a depth of 20 metres. Situated 300 metres below sea-level, it contains a quarter of the world’s fresh water reserves and has created a unique eco-system. The Baikal ringed seal, for example, occurs only here. The southern parts of Siberia – Tuva, Khakassia, Buryatia, the Altai – are a region of primeval nature where people, animal and birds live by the laws of a hundred years ago.

The Trans-Siberian railway line, the greater part of which goes across this region, is also of great interest. It is the world’s longest railway line (over 9.200 km) passing through 87 towns. It goes over the longest bridge (2,612 m), through the longest tunnel, the largest station and makes the most intricate loops. It has many more records entered into the world and Russian Guinness Books. It would be futile even to try and describe the views seen from the train window on the approaches to Lake Baikal.

Siberia is quite capable of providing an enjoyable and safe holiday: the visitor is offered the full range of services even at the tourist camps near Lake Baikal, in the Altai or in the vicinity of Krasnoyarsk.

Siberia. A country of safe adventure.