Five famous sights of the Trans-Siberian railway route
If you want the thrill of a panoramic view of Russia in just a week or two, accompanied by the rhythmic sound of a train, then the Trans-Siberian rail trip gives you just that. The classic Trans-Siberian journey covers over 5,700 miles and is truly epic. The trip begins in either St Petersburg or Moscow and ends in the port of Vladivostok, covering two continents, seven time zones and many Russian cities and towns en route. Here are a selection of some of the breathtaking lakes, rivers and mountains which you will have the pleasure of seeing during your journey.
Lake Baikal
It is the lake with many names, probably because people find it so hard to describe in words. It was declared one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites in 1996. Also known as Baygal nuur, meaning ‘the rich lake’ and the ‘Pearl of Siberia’, Lake Baikal is the biggest freshwater lake in the world. Geologists estimate that Baikal is over 25 million years old. It is home to more than 1,700 species of wildlife, two-thirds of which cannot be found elsewhere in the world.
Barguzin Mountains
Lake Baikal is surrounded by several snow-capped mountain ranges. Along the north-eastern shores of the lake is the Barguzin range, which reaches heights of up to 2,840 metres. The name is taken from the Barguzin River. The mountains are particularly beautiful as they are covered in larch taiga, a blanket of coniferous forests. On the west slope of the range is the Barguzin Nature Reserve.
Yenisei River
The “Great River” is one of the longest in Asia, which rises in the borderland of south central Russia and Mongolia and flows generally north along the edge of the West Siberian Plain into the Kara Sea. The river’s valley houses numerous species of trees, including the Siberian pine and Siberian larch. Ancient nomadic tribes such as the Yugh people and Ket people lived along the river’s banks, but on the whole the population of the Yenisei valley are diverse.
Amur River
Known as the Heilong Jiang in Chinese, or Sahaliyan Ula in Manchu, this is the ninth longest river in the world and forms the border between the far east of Russia and northeastern China. The Amur River is a very important symbol, as well as a vital geopolitical factor, in Russian-Chinese relations. It played an important role during the period of the Sino-Soviet political split in the 1960s and again afterwards, as the two countries negotiated disagreements of border demarcations.
Volga River
The Volga is the largest river in Europe in terms of length, watershed and discharge and flows through central Russia. The Volga is widely viewed as Russia’s national river. It belongs to the closed basin of the Caspian Sea. The Russian capital, Moscow, is situated in the river’s drainage basin. It is the only place in Russia that is home to pelicans, flamingos and lotuses. For three months every year, the Volga freezes almost in its entirety. The river’s fertile valley provides large quantities of wheat and is rich with minerals, and is also the location of a substantial petroleum industry. The delta and the Caspian Sea offer vast fishing grounds and are home to Astrakhan, the centre of the caviar industry.
(Photo by Sergey)