When planning a vacation to a new country, experienced travelers look through the list of attractions in advance and are often surprised at how many interesting places their trip promises. In fact, you don’t have to travel far to see the wonders of nature and architecture – our country is so wide and diverse that the list of beautiful places can be endless.
1. National Park “Samarskaya Luka” (Samara region)
Photo: © Gorbunov Valery/photosight.ru
The Volga, the largest European river, makes a large arc in its middle course, on the banks of which the Samarskaya Luka natural park is located. The uniqueness of this place lies in the only mountains of tectonic origin on the territory of the Russian Plains, although low, but very picturesque! The park is crossed by countless hiking trails, along which you can climb to the tops of mounds and hills. The most memorable of them are the Molodetsky Kurgan and the Devya Mountain, with which the tragic myth of love is associated, as well as the Visly Kamen – a rock hanging directly above the river at an altitude of 70-80 meters.
How to get there: from Samara by bus or train to Zhigulevsk, and from there by minibus to the village of Shiryaevo. If you decide to go by car, then you need to take the E30 highway towards Togliatti.
2. Gunib plateau and Kurush village (Republic of Dagestan)
Photo: © Nikolay M./photosight.ru
The Verkhniy Gunib Natural Park is not only an incredibly beautiful, but also a truly healing place. The plateau, located at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level, is surrounded on all sides by deep gorges, creating a special climate here. In this part of Dagestan, herbs from the Red Book of Russia grow, and the air is so clean that people come to local sanatoriums specifically to improve their lung health. The sun almost always shines here, and slender spotted deer come to the running clean streams to drink. At the same time, the park also has historical attractions, for example, the Gunib Fortress, and for the comfort of guests there are walking routes and gazebos with barbecues.
How to get there: The Gunib plateau and the village of Kurush are located 130 kilometers from Makhachkala. You can get there yourself by car or by minibus from the Makhachkala bus station.
3. Usva River (Perm region)
The name of the Usva River comes from Komi-Permyak words and literally means “falling water”. This fast, winding and shallow river with very clean, transparent water attracts fans of active recreation all year round: in summer you can raft along it, and in winter you can ski, and the picturesque banks are equally beautiful at different times of the year. Thus, along the 15 kilometers of the route along the river there are impressive stones and rocks: the carved Small and Large Logs, the stone canopy “Hanging Stone”, decorated with thick spruce trees, the majestic Strelny Stone and dotted with Omutnaya waterfalls. Almost everywhere there are gazebos near the stones so that travelers can relax and refresh themselves in comfort and with a gorgeous view.
4. Multinskie lakes (Altai Republic)
Photo: © Natalya Voloshina/photosight.ru
The Altai region is incredibly rich in beautiful places, and here is another one from the long list – a cascade of seven lakes in the upper reaches of the Multa River. The highest, Kuiguk, is located at 2200 meters above sea level. Mountain streams carry its waters lower, forming backwaters and rocky rapids down to the lower, largest Nizhny Multinsky Lake at an altitude of 1700 meters. A hike along the entire cascade takes at least a day, with an overnight stay under the starry sky and a fantastic view of the majestic mountains.
How to get there: by car from Biysk, distance – 534 kilometers. The route is quite difficult, it is best to follow the navigator, some sections of the route are
5. Kurtatinsky gorge in Dzivgis (North Ossetia)
Photo: © efrem3882/photosight.ru
The long gorge in the Caucasus Mountains is considered the cradle of Ossetian civilization; many historical monuments of the Middle Ages have been preserved here. Most of them are so organically integrated into the landscape that you don’t immediately understand that they were not made by nature itself. Thus, the basis of the Dzivgis fortress is the natural relief of Mount Kariukhokh, which was reliably strengthened with stone walls and connected different levels with narrow paths carved into the rock. In the gorge there is a beautiful canyon, through which in some places there are stone “bridges” of boulders, as well as caves that have preserved ancient rock paintings.
How to get there: from Vladikavkaz by car along the P297 highway, then turn onto P299 or by bus from bus station No. 2 to the village of Kharisdzhin.
6. Shulgan-Tash Cave (Republic of Bashkortostan)
Photo: © curier/photosight.ru
The cave in the Shulgan-Tash nature reserve is also called Kapova Cave; it became known thanks to well-preserved rock paintings from the Paleolithic era. But it’s not only ancient painting that amazes the imagination here. The cave has three floors, the lower of which is occupied by the river bed, and inside you can hear the music of a continuous drop, repeated many times in an echo. In the open air, next to the wide arch of the entrance, there is a lake with a diameter of only 3 meters, but a depth of as much as 35; it is believed that swimming in it has healing properties. A deep canyon also winds along the cave, and not far from the entrance there is the so-called Mammoth Grotto, the shadow of which at sunset resembles this ancient animal.
How to get there: the cave is located 360 kilometers from Ufa, you can get to it by car along two roads: through Meleuz or through Starosubkhangulovo.
7. Kurai steppe (Altai Republic)
Photo: Malakhov Alexander/nat-geo.ru
The Churay highway is included in the top ten most beautiful roads in the world, and it also passes through the Kurai steppe. In fact, this steppe is a huge flat intermountain basin; it is located at an altitude of 1500 meters above sea level, and from any point on the horizon mountain ranges are visible. But what is most impressive here is the field of giant signs of current ripples. This complex name refers to a relief similar to giant water ripples, formed as a result of the movement of glaciers fifteen thousand years ago.
How to get there: The Chuya tract passes through the steppe (from 824 to 848 kilometers).
8. Sentinsky and Shoaninsky temples (Karachay-Cherkess Republic)
Photo: © Elena Brezhitskaya/photosight.ru
It is reliably known that the Great Silk Road passed through the mountain ranges of the Caucasus, and the life of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic centuries ago was very lively and in many ways ahead of history. Thus, the first Christian churches were built here even before the baptism of Rus’. And the two most beautiful ones – Sentinsky and Shoaninsky – were erected on rocky peaks by Byzantine masters around the 10th century. To get to them on foot along a dirt road, you need to overcome a small elevation difference, only 200 meters. But the ringing silence and impressive view at the foot of the temples leave no doubt why these particular cliffs were chosen for construction.
How to get there: by car from Pyatigorsk we go first to Cherkessk (90 kilometers),
then another 45 kilometers towards Karachaevsk to the Shoanin temple. To get to the Sentinsky temple you will need to drive about another 25 kilometers towards Nizhnyaya Teberda. Or by bus from Cherkessk to Karachaevsk or Nizhnyaya Teberda.
9. Talavskaya Tower in Izborsk (Pskov region)
Photo: @alstrdv/Instagram.com
In the Pskov region, a real medieval fortress has been perfectly preserved. Once upon a time, she defended the western border of Russia and the city of Izoborsk, which was mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years. The fortress includes several towers, one of which, Talavskaya, was built later than the others, in the second half of the 14th century, and survived the conquest, which left deep imprints of stone cores on its walls. In the Izoborsk Museum-Reserve, dilapidated stone walls rise above the untouched expanses of nature; here you literally touch the ancient history of Russia, and willy-nilly you think about the eternal.
How to get there: Izborsk is located 30 kilometers from Pskov. You can get there by car along the A-212 highway.
10. Ivangorod Fortress (Leningrad Region)
Photo: Prokofyeva Natalya
Another ancient castle with a rich history is located in the Leningrad region. The Ivangorod fortress was built in 1492, gradually expanding its territory on the banks of the Narva River over several centuries. It survived several sieges and conquests, passed from hand to hand until the middle of the last century, was destroyed and restored, but, fortunately, has survived to this day in very good condition. Now it is a large beautiful architectural ensemble with high walls and powerful towers, an old town, a cathedral, a church and other historical buildings.
How to get there: from St. Petersburg by bus from the central bus station on the Obvodny Canal or by train to the Ivangorod station.
It is worth keeping in mind: Ivangorod is a border town, you can enter it only with an open Schengen visa or with a pass ordered in advance.
Text: Irina Krokhaleva
