About Baikal

About Baikal

Lake Baikal is a marvelous blue jewel framed by scenic mountains and forests. From its deep and clear waters to the many unique species that dwell there, the lake has no equals anywhere in the world.

The breathtaking beauty of Baikal is almost unearthly — no wonder that local tribes have for centuries worshipped it as a land of spiritual power and godly wisdom. Once there, you can almost physically feel the restorative energy of nature flow through you.

Interesting facts
01.
Lake Baikal is the world’s oldest lake
Scientists speculate that it may be 30 million years old. Its exact origins remain a mystery.
02.
Baikal is also the world’s deepest lake
Its maximum depth is 1,642 meters. As it is located in an active rift zone, it will only get wider and deeper in the future.
03.
No other lake is so clear
Baikal water is so transparent that you can see objects inside it at a depth of 40 meters. It retains this incredible quality as ice.
04.
Baikal contains 20% of the world’s unfrozen freshwater reserve
Its water is so clean that you can drink straight from the lake.
05.
More than 2,500 species of animals and plants live at Baikal
Two-thirds of them are unique. That includes nerpas (the only freshwater seal species), omul whitefish and golomyanka oilfish.
06.
336 rivers flow into Baikal, and only one flows out: Angara
Its riverhead never freezes because the water in it comes from the lake’s warmer depths.

A Rich and Varied Destination

If you visit it in summer months, you will encounter a stormy sea, while in winter it turns into a strange and marvelous icy expanse. Frozen waves and pressure ridges further enrich the vibrant landscape of rocky isles, jagged sea cliffs and intriguing grottoes.

Buryat shamans know many beautiful and remote places of power around the lake, and you will certainly feel their energy when you come here. Learn their customs and take part in rites meant to appease the spirits of the lake and earn their favor.

Striking examples of wooden and stone architecture abound near the lake. See unique Eastern Orthodox churches and exotic Buddhist shrines and temples throughout the region. Visit the Stupa of Enlightenment, a singular pilgrimage site on an uninhabited island.

Discover the Circum-Baikal Railway, a unique marvel of railroad engineering created in the most difficult and awe-inspiring terrain. No other railway has as many components! It was once a part of the famous Trans-Siberian Railway.

But it is better to see everything by our own eyes, as Baikal is incredible at any time of the year. Once visited it, you will never forget this holiday!

We invite you to spend an unforgettable time on lake Baikal with our company!

Discover all the beauty and grandeur of this wonderful place with Travel Baikal!
Lake Baikal is a rift lake in Russia, located in southern Siberia, between Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast. Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater lake by volume in the world, containing 22–23% of the world's fresh surface water.
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