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Lake Baikal divides two regions: the Irkutsk region and Buryatia. On the Buryat shore of the lake is the Baikal Biosphere Reserve – a fabulously beautiful place on the shores of Lake Baikal and in the central part of the Khamar-Daban mountain range. These mountains are considered some of the oldest on the planet. A unique Baikal microclimate has developed here, and relict plants from the Tertiary period are found. It is no coincidence that the slope of the ridge facing Lake Baikal is called the "Siberian jungle."
Tankhoy
The reserve has 22 routes with ecological trails. You can begin your journey at the reserve's Central Estate, located on the outskirts of the village of Tankhoy. There is a nature museum and an ethnographic town with a Buryat yurt, an Evenk tent, and a hunters' estate.
One of the routes, "The Path to Baikal," leads from the estate to the "Baikal Reserve" visitor center, located on the shore of the lake, on the territory of the historic Tankhoy port, which was one of the largest in Russia in the early 20th century. A special open-air exhibition tells the story of the Baikal ferry crossing, which connected two sections of the Trans-Siberian Railway under construction. The port operated until the 1980s and served as a base for the Pacific Fleet Hydrographic Service expedition.
An interactive exhibit in the visitor center will help you learn many interesting things about the history and nature of Lake Baikal, and in the enclosure complex, you can see the inhabitants of the Baikal taiga: two sables, Grom and Tuchka, live here. Behind the visitor center, on the edge of the cape, is a sculpture called "The Seal Family." On a clear day, the opposite shore of the lake and the source of the Angara River can be seen from here.
The Stupa of Complete Victory is also nearby. It was built in 2017 and, according to legend, helps recharge one's batteries, bestowing health, prosperity, and good luck in business.
Teplye Ozera
There are over 160 lakes in the Khamar-Daban Range. The most popular are the Teplye Lakes on the Snezhnaya River, near the village of Vydrino. Incidentally, this river forms the border between Buryatia and the Irkutsk Region, which is why Vydrino is sometimes called the "Gateway to Buryatia."
On the left bank of the Snezhnaya River are three lakes: Skazka, Izumrudnoe, and Teploe. They are not connected to each other, and each has its own unique ecosystem. The largest and deepest is Izumrudnoe. On its shore is the Chapel of King Solomon. The second largest is Teploe, and the smallest is Skazka, only about 2 meters deep. Swans live on the lakes, and in summer the water warms up to 27-31 degrees Celsius. There are equipped beaches here, where you can swim, ride catamarans, and admire the surroundings. Lake Skazka, for example, offers a magnificent view of the famous Mountain Monomakh's Cap. Mighty relict trees and human-sized ferns grow around it – it's no coincidence that this corner of the Baikal region is called the cold subtropics.
While traveling around Lake Baikal, be sure to also visit Olkhon, Listvyanka and Circum-Baikal Railway.
