Baikal lake
Location | South of Eastern Siberia |
Age | 25-30 million yeats |
Height above sea level | 455m |
Length | 636 km |
Maximum depth | 1642m |
Shoreline length | 2100km |
« Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, it is also the world’s largest volume of fresh water. More than 300 streams and rivers flow into Lake Baikal, but there is just one outlet, the Angara.»
We arrived to Irkutsk in early September. Met with cold and rainy weather, we proceeded to shore of Baikal lake in Slyudanka. It is quite small town with buildings of Soviet time. We spent few hours in Slyudanka waiting for circum-baikal train called Matanya. This train is small, consist of only two carriages.
Weather was cloudy but luckily without rains. Circum-Baikal railway goes along the shore through several tunnels. In the evening we arrived to Port Baikal, took a ferrry and crossed river-head of Angara. It was dark when we checked in hotel in Listvianka.
Baikal lake
Circum-Baikal railway
View to Angara river and Baikal lake from Listvianka viewpoint
Then we drove to Olkhon island 300km from Irkutsk
West shore of Baikal lake is sandy with easy access to the water. Eastern part is steep and rocky. Flowers were still in bloom in September.
Seagulls on the roof
Khuzhyr village, Olkhon island
Cape Hoboi
Baikal seals
View from the top
Stones near the water
Rocky slopes of Olkhon island
Russian van called UAZ - best vehicle on paved roads
Sunset at Khuzhyr village
Shamanka rock, close to Khuzhyr village
View to «Maloe more» from Burkhan cape