LAKE BAIKAL, SIBERIA, RUSSIA: Any time of the year is a great time to enjoy the activities and scenery of the greater Lake Baikal area. Choose from incredible landscapes, snow-capped mountains, dense forests, endemic wildlife, traditional architecture, colourful festivals, exquisite cuisines, mineral hot springs, and even a city full of attractions. While the warmer months offer great opportunities for hiking and camping, winter is the most magical time when a spectacular winter wonderland is created on and around the lake.
Here is the Top 10 list of my greatest experiences around Siberia’s Lake Baikal.
1. Dance on frozen Lake Baikal
Defying its massive volume of water, Lake Baikal completely freezes over during the bitterly cold Siberian winters when the lake’s surface is covered with a thick layer of ice. By mid-winter, the entire lake is one big skating rink, if no snow!
With the absence of snow in this dry-winter region, the smooth surface of the lake is an ideal place for unlimited skating, cross-country skiing, ice bowling, body sliding, and any other creative ice-based sports you can imagine. With so little resistance on the surface, throw a big piece of ice and see how it keeps sliding, seemingly without stopping. Traditional Buryat dancing on the ice is a very memorable experience!
2. Cave hunting along the frozen lakeshore
By mid-winter, the shores of Lake Baikal are enthralled by an icy world, made up of cracks in the ice, ice-caves, ice crystals, and impressive ice- stalactites and stalagmites. Some caves are so large that you can walk upright inside and be mesmerised by the incredible world of icicles.
In smaller caves, you need to carefully slide in to view the blue hues against the sun’s rays. It is a world that few people have seen, and a world that is unrivalled here at Lake Baikal.
3. Explore mystic Olkhon Island
Olkhon is the largest of Lake Baikal’s 27 islands. While the island offers countless opportunities to experience the beauty created by its frozen waters, it is also a great place to learn about the culture and enjoy the traditional food of the indigenous Buryat people.
Many of the Buryats practice shamanism and believe the island to be a highly spiritual place. Several locations on Olkhon are regarded as holy, where prayer flags and colourful ribbons are wrapped around stupas, trees, and prayer poles.
4. Soak in Arshan Hot Springs
Located in Siberia’s Republic of Buryatia, the Tunka Valley stretches all the way from the rift valley of Lake Baikal southwest to the border of Mongolia. Here you will find the small resort town of Arshan. The town is known for its Mongolian open market and has also become popular for its carbonated mineral springs.
Reputed to contain therapeutic ingredients such as low-mineralized silicates, sulfates, magnesium-hydrocarbons and sulphide silt-mud, there is no better place to be on a cold day than in the Arshan hot springs!
5. Ride the Circum-Baikal Railway train
The historic Circum-Baikal Railway train travels along the lakeshore all the way from Slyudyanka at the southwestern tip of the lake up to Port Baikal at the mouth of the Angara River.
Using a railway constructed during the late 1800s and early 1900s, a diesel locomotive (or sometimes a steam locomotive) with two cars, runs the 89 kilometre (55 mi) scenic sector in 4 hours and 40 minutes. As the tracks are mostly high above the lake, this is the perfect way to see Lake Baikal.
6. Gasp at the domed churches of Irkutsk
As would be expected of any Russian town, or even village, those around Lake Baikal are blessed with many imposing domed Orthodox churches and cathedrals.
While many of the wooden churches have long ago been destroyed by fires, several of the 18th and 19th century buildings have survived the damage inflicted under Soviet rule. Today, towns like Irkutsk, Listvyanka and Ulan-Ude are proudly home to many glorious religious buildings attesting to their rich past and present.
7. Hunt for omul at the fish markets
Lake Baikal’s most famous fish is the omul which has long been the symbol of the lake, along with bread and vodka.
Once a year, Siberians gather in the lakeshore town of Listvyanka to celebrate the Omul Festival, a gastronomic feast.
While the government imposed strict restrictions on catching the omul, the indigenous communities living in the lake region of Buryatia are allowed to catch the omul in limited numbers. Buy at small fish-stands in the villages near the lake.
8. Hike the Great Baikal Trail
The Great Baikal Trail is a non-profit environmental organization working to build a network of hiking trails around Lake Baikal.
One of their most spectacular completed projects is the 22 kilometre-long (14 mi) Listvyanka to Bolshie Koty section which is located within the Pribaikalsky National Park along the shores of the lake.
Hiking along the lakeshore, as well as in the Siberian forests of this mountainous region, is an all-year-round activity.
9. Adore the wooden houses of Irkutsk
With ample supply of tall trees in the Siberian forests, during the 17th and 18th century most of the buildings in Irkutsk were built with wood. Suffering the same fate as the city’s wooden churches, many of these stately wooden houses vanished into ashes during the great city fires.
Fortunately, several of these two-storey houses are still standing. They are mostly concentrated around the old part of the city. Among the most celebrated buildings are the Sukhachev Manor, the Volkonsky Manor, and the Trubetskoy Manor.
10. Stare at a sunset from Listvyanka
The small town of Listvyanka, located at the mouth of the Angara River, the only outflow of Lake Baikal, faces west over the lake. On a cold winter’s day when the lake is frozen over, watching people cross-country skiing, skating, and participating in other activities on the frozen lake while the setting sun reflects off the ice creates a magnificent view.
For an alternative view, scale the two-kilometre trail up to Chersky Cliff for some immaculate vistas over Lake Baikal from the observation platform.
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Blog post and photos by Peter who has been travelling almost full-time since 2005 and has been to over 122 countries. He visited several countries, such as Japan, more than 20 times. Peter is Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of GlobeRovers Magazine, an independent travel magazine focused on intrepid destinations.