These places are delightful: the most beautiful lakes in Russia. Ski resort Western Dachstein. What are lakes

Lake Zeller is small. On a bicycle, an adult can easily go around it in an hour, with children and stops it will take no more than one and a half to two hours. Walk from the edge of the lake to the city for 20-30 minutes.
Two steamboats run every half an hour, alternating (each of them once an hour) to sightseeing tours. A small boat delivers from one coast to another according to its own special schedule.
The railway passes through the city. Stop at the main station high speed trains and even the Moscow-Nice train. If you plan to travel by public transport, it is better to settle in the main city, and not in the suburbs. Buses run quite regularly, including on weekends, and take you to many attractions even without a transfer.
When choosing a place to stay in the summer, consider the Sommerkarte Zell-am-See - Kaprun discounts in the price, especially if you travel big family. The card is provided by participating hotels/apartments. Not all hotels and apartments give a card, but many do. Unfortunately, open list I didn't find a participating home. It remains to look for references to the map on housing sites. If the card is not mentioned, then this hotel does not give it. Or write a request to the hotel / tourist office (which has this list - I personally found out). Hotel with card can cost a few more expensive than a hotel without a card, but discounts can make up for this difference many times over. For example, parents, children and grandparents travel and everything is paid from one wallet. Climbing the nearest mountain in this situation can cost about 100 euros, a joint trip to the thermal pool - another 100 euros, and both will be free on the card! Booklet with discounts downloaded from the site tourist office.
In the city itself, two grocery store working until 19 (Saturday 18 hours). Larger shops are located outside the city towards Salzburg. For example, Maximarkt (something like Kaufland, but simpler), where you can refuel cheaply (gasoline in Austria is cheaper than Germany, but not in the mountains and not on the highways). They work, however, not much longer.

Actually the main city is very small - in half an hour you can get around it in a circle. The suburb of Schüttdorf is a kind of residential area, where many apartments are rented out for vacation.

Main attractions and attractions

1. Historical landmarks

From historical buildings in C.Z. the most interesting are the Vogtturm (probably built before 1000) and the old Catholic Church St. Hippolyta. The church was built in the 11th century, mostly in the Romanesque style. Inside, the remains of frescoes and the old altar have been preserved.

2. Lake riding

As already mentioned, two steamboats make a circle around the lake. They sail from the main pier, they do not enter other cities. They are depicted on the booklet of the shipping company, you can choose which one you like best. We rode a big one and regretted it (even such a fan of boats, ships and yachts as my husband). The open area on this ship on the second floor is small, packed very tightly with people. Second open area at the very top bigger size, but has a VIP status, which is modestly silent in the booklets. If you want to go up, pay another 4.50. And since even 14.50 is a lot for a short trip, there are few people who want to pay extra, unless a group of wealthy pensioners appears. So it turns out that a couple of people are riding upstairs, the rest, like herrings, are crowded on the second deck, and those who have not found a place there are tormented by stuffiness at the very bottom.

South coast

East coast

north coast

West Bank with C.Z.

Installation for fountains

On this mountain beyond Ts.Z. V summer season raise three ropes.

3. Around the lake - on foot or by bike

Bicycle rental is inexpensive. In C.Z. You can rent in Intersport opposite the station. Schüttdorf has a large bicycle shop. I don’t recommend doing a full circle around the lake: on the opposite from the C.Z. On the coast, the entire line of the coast is occupied by houses; passage to the lake is possible in just a couple of places. The line drawn on the map next to the coast is a pure optical illusion. There is no pleasure in driving along the narrow sidewalk between the fences and the road (or, more correctly, but even more unpleasantly, along the roadway).
The northern part of the lake is occupied by a campsite, where you can go down to the water and many swim. In the southern part, near Schuttdorf, the shore is overgrown with reeds, the reeds are fenced, there are no paths there. The approach to the lake is possible only where the pier and Strandbad are. The coast, where the C.Z. is located, is quite high, there is no descent to the water, with the exception of a paid bath (Strandbad). However, many manage to go down even vertically on the rocks anywhere to swim.
The water in the lake in mid-June is no more than 20 degrees.

4. Swimming pool in C.Z.

There is a swimming pool, as an alternative to Strandbad, - unpretentious, with a paddock for children. The water temperature is not indicated anywhere, but it is difficult to expect anything more than the standard 28-29 degrees from an ordinary pool.

5. In the evening - light and musical fountains

On Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 22:00, a light and music show is shown near the station. Every day of the week different themes and different music. They did best classic theme on Sunday. With modern music, it is not always a good choice of songs - it is difficult to find a rhythm for fountains. Every couple of minutes, the main fountains are turned off and a very powerful fountain is turned on, which creates a kind of screen on which the projector shows pictures with views of the region. Pictures are more or less clearly visible only if you are exactly in front of this fountain. But since nothing super interesting is shown, you can safely watch the show from the side, away from the crowd of people.

6. Steam train to Krimml

The steam train runs on certain days at 9.20. In the season it is Thursday and Friday (maybe other days - you need to look at the schedule). The final station of the train is Krimml. But it is not very suitable for visiting the waterfall: you have to take the train for a long time, then transfer to the bus in order to quickly see only the lower steps of the waterfall, since after two hours you have to go back. The train returns at half past six. By the way, the driver was a woman.

7. Cableways

From the city itself there is one cable car (many small gondolas) - CityExpress (number 4). It launches in mid-June.
Bottom station second cable car(two large cabins, Schmittenhöhebahn, number 1) is located two kilometers from the lake (walk about half an hour up). The cabin rises approximately once every 15 minutes.
The Sonnenalmbahn (2) station is right next to it. These are also two cabins, lifting up to the middle of the mountain. Next comes the armchair to the top - Sonnkogelbahn (3).
The cable car from Schüttdorf Areitbahn (5) is under renovation this year and is not in operation.
From the entertainment at the top, you can name a couple of small lakes (cable car 4), playgrounds (cable car 4) and various original modern sculptures scattered across the mountains. One of the sculptures, for example, a wooden figure suspended on a parachute on a tree, from afar, seeming to be a hanging skeleton or a recent corpse, is a kind of memento mori.
I do not advise going down, as we did: the elevation difference is more than 1000 meters, the path is gravel in many places and slips, and the slope is sometimes more than 45 degrees. And if the first part is still acceptable (up to the upper CityExpress station), then further is a uniform mockery, which worsens a very approximate route map on the cable car map. If you think hiking, take better map cities or more other more detailed maps. And definitely better without small children (although our five-year-old managed), categorically without a stroller and in good (preferably mountain) shoes.

At the Schmittenhöhebahn upper station

View towards Grossglockner

We go down

These mushrooms, unfortunately, are also modern art.

How nice after a week of work to spend a weekend somewhere outside the city by the lake, away from the bustle of the city. For many, this pastime is an integral part of the holiday. But do people really know how lakes are formed, how they can be useful, and how sometimes they can harm?

What are lakes?

A lake is a closed depression in the ground, where underground water flows and does not evaporate. Such a recess is called lake basin. By origin, all lakes are divided into tectonic, river (oxbow lakes), seaside, failed, underground.

According to salinity, fresh (Baikal), brackish (Chany) and (Chad) are distinguished. All reservoirs can be wastewater when one or more rivers flow out of the lake; flowing - several rivers flow into the lake and one or more flows out; drainless - rivers only flow into the lake.

Reservoirs are filled with precipitation (rain, snow) or with the help of groundwater. Also, the nutrition of the lake can be mixed.

By mineral composition lakes are carbonate, sulfate and chloride.

How are lakes formed?

Most of the lakes on our planet - tectonic origin, that is, they were formed in large deflections of the earth's crust or in rifts (tectonic cracks). The bottom of such a lake has a rough outline and is below the level of the oceans. Its shores are covered with hard rocks, which are weakly susceptible to erosion. All the deepest lakes are formed as a result of

Many reservoirs are obtained as a result of geological processes (weathering, erosion, glacier activity). Among them, the most common - glacial lakes on the plains and in the mountains, as well as failures, which were formed as a result of thawing of earth rocks. These reservoirs are round in shape. They are small in size and depth.

After earthquakes and landslides, dammed lakes are formed, which can block river valleys. Lakes also appear in river valleys. These are the so-called oxbow lakes. How oxbow lakes are formed can be judged by the long-term functionality of the river. If the climate is dry - reach lakes are obtained, which in the form of chains stretch for hundreds of kilometers. But when the channels wander, deltaic lakes are formed.

Lake Baikal

Baikal is the deepest lake on the planet. His greatest depth is 1642 m, and reaches 460 m.

The formation of Lake Baikal occurred as a result of large faults in the earth's crust. Baikal is territorially located in Russia, on the border of the Buryat Republic and Irkutsk region. The area of ​​the reservoir is 31722 km2. More than three hundred rivers and streams flow into Baikal, including the Selenga, Turka, Snezhnaya, and Surma. And the Ankara River flows out of it. Thus, Baikal is a flowing lake.

Baikal waters are fresh and transparent. Stones are visible even at a depth of 40 meters! The amount of minerals in the lake is insignificant, so the water can be used as distilled.

The climate of Lake Baikal is cool. Winters are mild and summers are cold. Inhabits the lake for more than 2600 different representatives plants and animals, most of which are typical only for Baikal.

Scientists determine the age of the lake at 25-35 million years. The origin of the name is not exactly established. But translated from Turkic - Baikal (Bai-Kul) is a rich lake, which is an indisputable fact.

Origin of swamps

Swamp - part of the land, characterized by high humidity and acidity. In such places, stagnant or underground groundwater comes to the surface, but "does not linger" for a long time. All swamps occur in two ways:

1. Lake overgrowth.

According to the type of vegetation, swamps are divided into forest, shrub, herbaceous and moss. The relief of the bogs can be flat, convex or bumpy. Some swamps are characterized by the formation of peat (dead, but not completely decomposed plants). Peat is used as a combustible material, as well as in medicine (mud therapy) and industry.

If we talk about how lakes and swamps are formed, then the latter is the process of evolution of the former. The deposition of silt gradually leads to pollution and shallowing of the lake, resulting in low-lying swamps with rich water supply.

The value of swamps

Wetlands are a valuable natural asset. This natural complex, which is a habitat for rare species of flora and fauna.

Most of all, swamps are common in the tundra, taiga and forest-tundra - in zones with excessive moisture, where the amount of precipitation exceeds evaporation.

All swamps are subdivided into lowland, upland and transitional. The lowland ones feed on groundwater, the upland ones feed on atmospheric precipitation. Transitional swamps are the middle stage between the two previous types.

The flora of swamps is very valuable for humanity. Lingonberries, cranberries, cloudberries, junipers are berries that are widely used in medicine. Many plants from swamps are used in perfumery and industry.

Wetlands are an important source of river nutrition. Most of the water bodies originate from the swamps. Swamps are the second "lungs" of the planet after the forest. They recycle carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.

Secrets of the lakes

For example, the lake of Death, which is located in Italy, by its name alone inspires fear. There is no vegetation around it, and living creatures in its waters. Swimming in the lake is prohibited, and hardly anyone wants to, because it contains a high concentration of sulfuric acid.

The only logical explanation for all the anomalies that occur in water bodies is how lakes form. Perhaps the reason for everything is vegetable and animal world not fully understood by mankind.

Conclusion

Lakes are an important part of the Earth. Half of all plants and animals useful to humans are inhabitants of rivers and lakes. Why lakes are formed can be judged by the internal and our Earth. Tectonic and geological changes are main reason formation of all reservoirs.

The city of Dubna is located in one of the ecologically clean areas of the Moscow region. This is a city of regional significance, in which about sixty-three thousand people live. Dubna is located in the very north of the Moscow region on the banks of the Volga, one hundred and twenty-eight kilometers from the capital.

Lakes of the Moscow region

There are more than two thousand lakes in the Moscow region. total area they are more than one hundred and thirty square kilometers. This is twice as much as the territory of the Republic of San Marino, for example. According to their age, origin, the lakes of the Moscow region are different. Some of them appeared in the post-glacial era, when a giant glacier retreated to the north, left on it boulders, sands, pebbles and gravel brought from Karelia and Scandinavia, formed moraine ridges and hills in the west and north of the region, which now make up the upland, which is called Smolensko -Moscow.

In the basins between the ridges and hills, a large number of moraine-dammed lakes formed, which occupied large areas. Many of them gradually filled with silt and eventually disappeared or were significantly reduced in size. Today we want to tell you about one of the cleanest lakes in the Moscow region, where not only Muscovites, but also guests of the capital like to relax.

History of Lebyazhye

This lake is a man-made quarry for the extraction of clay, which was used to fill and strengthen the banks of the Canal. Moscow between the first and second locks. When the canal was filled with Volga water, it began to seep into the quarry. Before the construction of the highway and railway the water went east, then in ditches and streams to the Black River.

Interestingly, water swan lake above the level of the Bolshaya Volga microdistrict and the Moscow Canal by one meter.

Description of the lake

According to the citizens and tourists visiting these places all year round, this is the most picturesque and clear lake suburban city of Dubna. There are crayfish and almost all types of freshwater fish and even water lilies bloom here. Even in summer, the water is transparent several meters deep.

Lake Lebyazhye is located in the south-west of the city, very close to railway station"Big Volga". The mirror of the reservoir is two hundred and sixty-five thousand square meters. The reservoir is stretched from the northwest to the southeast for a thousand seventy-five meters in length and five hundred and twenty-five meters in width. At the border with the forest there is a flooded east coast. From the channel to them. Moscow lake is separated by a road embankment. To the north are horticultural areas.

The water in the lake is stagnant, there are no tributaries and flowing rivers. It is quite deep (about eight meters). The water is green-brown. The Dmitrovskoye Highway, which connects Dubna with the capital, divides Lake Lebyazhye into two parts. A little to the west of this reservoir, behind a small jumper, is the beginning of the Moscow Canal.

What is attractive about the lake?

His distinctive feature is transport accessibility. But not only this is famous for Lake Lebyazhye. Muscovites also like resting in these places because, despite the fact that the lake is not flowing, the water here is very clear and clean. The beaches are sandy, so here you can not only sunbathe, but also swim.

In addition, Lebyazhye Lake is famous for its fishing, not only in summer, but also in winter.

Fishing

For fishermen, the Swan Lake in Dubna is a real expanse: there are shallows and reed islands here. The pond along the banks is heavily overgrown with reeds, you can’t get to the water everywhere, so it’s better to fish from a boat. Moscow and Dubninsk fishermen are frequent guests here. The lake is home to perch and pike, crucian carp and roach, burbot and tench. Fishing on Lake Lebyazhye will please both spinners, floaters, and jig fishers.

Winter fishing on the lake is especially good, especially on the last or first ice, when you can successfully catch here with mormyshka, vents, and a float. In addition, the station and the highway are very close, there are no problems with visiting these places. Surprisingly, despite the great popularity, it is almost always cozy and quiet here. Especially during the period open water. At this time, many people prefer the stretches located on the Ivankovsky reservoir to the lake, and therefore sometimes you can swim all day on a rubber boat or sit on the shore all alone, and no one will distract you from fishing.

Current problems of the lake

When clay was mined for the banks of the canal. Moscow, aquifers were discovered and springs began to overflow the lake. The water level in the lake was constantly rising. Dmitrovskoe highway had to be raised twice above the lake. Drainage pipes were then laid under it, and water flooded the forest.

Over time, the "extra" water from the lake flowed through the forest to the area of ​​​​the city cemetery. Then the development of a project was begun to drain this area with the diversion of water from the lake into the Sestra River. The project was not carried out in full, the ditch was not brought to the forest. For this reason, for the construction of multi-storey buildings, deforestation became necessary, followed by backfilling with soil, which should block the path of water.

On June 15 this year, public hearings were held. They were devoted to the change in the General Plan of the type of land use between the railway and the Dmitrov highway on Lake Lebyazhye in Dubna. What do they want to do there? Representatives of the public of the city, deputies of the City Duma and officials from the city administration gathered for the hearings. At this meeting, the proposal of the Ministry of Property to change the type of use of this territory (twenty-five hectares) from “recreational zone” (P1) to residential development (Zh1) was discussed.

The hearings were chaired by Deputy Chairman of the Council of Deputies of Dubna M. Podlesny. He informed everyone present that many letters of protest had been received from big amount signatures of citizens and documents that justify the inadmissibility of creating a residential area near the lake. As a result of the hearings, Mikhail Podlesny expressed gratitude to the developers of the project and said that during the discussion of the General Plan, a compromise was reached, and he informed the residents that the General Plan can only be accepted in full. At the same time, he stressed that the majority of citizens do not support the General Plan in the proposed version, so they will work on it further.

As it became known later, the Ministry of Property of the Moscow Region took into account the opinion of the inhabitants of the city and abandoned plans to change the designation of the area it owns from recreational to residential.

Where to stay?

Between the lake and the canal Beautiful places, where you can pitch tents, but, as a rule, it is too noisy here on weekends. Therefore, if you prefer more comfort, we recommend that you stay at the Bolshaya Volga sports and fishing base. It is located on the shore of the Ivankovsky reservoir, which is located to the west of Lake Lebyazhye. In addition, there are many hotels and guest houses at the disposal of vacationers and fishermen in Dubna. The sanatorium-preventorium "Ratmino" and the recreation center "Lipnya" are popular.

Swan Lake: how to get there?

If you plan to go on a trip by car, then you should go by Dmitrov highway. Having passed the Dubna sign, the traffic police post, after a kilometer you will see the lake. You can use public transport. From the Savelovsky station there is an electric train to the Bolshaya Volga station. After leaving the train, go along the highway towards the capital no more than five hundred meters.

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What to see around Salzburg (Salzkammergut Valley): Castles, Breweries, Baths and Lakes

A little to the east of Salzburg is a valley rich in beautiful lakes - the Salzkammergut. Attractions here, in addition to the lakes themselves, include many small museums and historical buildings in small towns on the lakes. We will tell you what to see in the Salzkammergut valley and how to get there.

Let's start with the fact that the Salzkammergut is a historical region of Austria, the modern territory of which covers Upper Austria and part of the federal states of Salzburg and Styria. Of greatest interest to tourists are 24 mountain lakes, small and large, where the tourist infrastructure is well developed.

The nearest major city to the lakes is Salzburg, a little further away is Linz. It will be most convenient to travel around the Salzkammergut with your own or rented car, because most valleys cover high mountains, which greatly complicates the laying of railway tracks.

The Salzkammergut valley still has a railway connection: from north to south from Schärding station to Stainach-Irdning, and from west to east from Salzburg to Linz (in the central part) and from Bischofshofen to Selztal (in the south).

As for buses, this is an actual transport only in tourist season(summer) and only between major cities on the lakes. To find right direction, use the Scotty Austrian transport planner.

Things to do in the Salzkammergut

Since the Salzkammergut is simply an immense region within the framework of one article, we will limit ourselves to the iconic and intriguing places themselves. More information about each city separately can be found on the official website of the tourist office in the Salzkammergut - there is information for each lake.

Orth Castle in Gmunden

Austria is rich in historical buildings, and the Salzkamergut is no exception. In Gmunden, a typical medieval castle-fortress, built on the ruins of a Roman fortress on the Traunsee lake.

The castle itself is located on an island, and it is connected to the city by a wooden bridge, which offers wonderful views of the lake, especially in sunny weather.

Address: Ort 1, 4810 Gmunden, Austria

How to get there: a train runs from Salzburg to Gmunden 1-2 times per hour from 05:16 to 00:26, the fare is 6.70 €, travel time is 20-25 minutes.

Ceramics factory in Gmunden

Gmunden has been considered the center of Austrian artisans since the middle of the 17th century - it was at this time that many craftsmen lived here who were inspired by the beauty of the lake.

Even the very first potters' works were distinguished by amazing design, and today 50% of Austrian families have at least one plate or mug from Gmundner, a ceramic tableware company founded in 1903 and still in existence today.

Tours are organized around the factory all year round for tourists, and it also has a store where you can buy something for your kitchen. The company also has its own online store where you can see the assortment (there is no delivery to Russia yet, but you can write to the store and ask to make an exception for you).

Address: Keramikstraße 24, 4810 Gmunden, Austria

Working hours: Mon-Fri from 9 to 18, Sat from 9 to 15

Factory tour schedule: Mon-Fri at 9:15, 10:30, 13:00, 15:00, in summer additional tours on Saturday from 10:30 to 13:00. Tours for groups of 5 people, so register in advance - [email protected]

Tour cost: 5€ (free with purchases over 50€)

The Eggenberg Brewery in Forchdorf

Not far from the Traunsee lake (17 km from Gmunden) is the Eggenberg brewery, which was founded in 1803 and has continued the family tradition of brewing for the eighth generation. The castle itself, which houses a modern brewery, was built in the early 17th century.

This brewery differs from many others in that only local raw materials are used here - hops and barley from Upper Austria, water from nearby mountain springs.

ThermaeEurothermen Resort in Bad Ischl

The city itself became famous after Princess Sophia of Habsburg began to treat infertility here in 1828. After 2 years, the future Emperor Franz Joseph I was born, later - two more sons, Maximillian and Karl Ludwig.

Franz Josef made this city a place summer holiday for himself and the European aristocracy for the next 60 years.

It is noteworthy that on the letter that marked the beginning of the war against Serbia and the First World War, a stamp with Bad Ischl was pasted.

Today, the city is ready to boast a large hotel and thermal complex EurothermenResort, where you can soak up the thermal pools and grottoes, relax in the saunas (remember that the Austrians go to the sauna naked!), relax during a dozen varieties of massages and body wraps.

Address: Voglhuberstraße 10, 4820 Bad Ischl, Austria

Working hours: daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., swimming ends 30 minutes before closing time

Price: for 4 hours - 18.50€ for adults and 13.50 for children 3-15 years old, for a day - 26€ and 15.50€ respectively. Family tickets available

How to get there: from Salzburg, bus 150 from the Südtiroler Platz stop, runs once an hour from 5:55 to 20:15, travel time - 1.5 hours, ticket can be bought on the OBB website

Dachstein caves

IN southern part Valley of the Salzkammergut is the village of Obertraun, known for that it is the starting point when traveling to the Dachstein caves.

Obertraun Dachsteinseilbahn Talstation is the lower station of the funicular that leads to the caves. The caves themselves, which now conduct tours for tourists - Icy, Mammoth and the youngest, Koppenbrühler. The first two caves are located at the first stop of the funicular, and the third will have to be a short walk.

Take warm clothes with you to the caves! Even in summer, when it is hot, it is very cold inside, and an icy wind blows.

The upper stop of the funicular brings tourists to observation deck"5 fingers" - the photo shows why it is called so:

How to get there: from Salzburg to Dachstein there is a train 1-2 times per hour from 5:12 to 19:15, travel time - 2.5 hours, one transfer, fare - 27.90 €. Another option is bus 542 between Obertraun and the surrounding towns.

Ticket price: information about all combinations of tickets for adults and children is available .

Schedule: V different time of the year, each segment of the path has its own schedule of work, more details.

Salzkammergut in summer - where to swim

Out of all 24 lakes, you can swim in 19, so which one will be closer to your starting point, then you can choose. Traditionally, tourists like to swim in the Attersee, Traunsee, Mondsee and Wolfgangsee - these are the most big lakes throughout the region. In addition, they are the most picturesque - there are shaggy mountains and mountain valleys around.

You can not swim in the lakes Mattsee, Grabensee, Obertrummersee, Wallersee and Wistalstausee, which are closest to Salzburg.

In the photo, the landscape around Traunsee:

Small lakes a little to the north are already surrounded by more gentle landscapes, and it will be more difficult to get to the southernmost Halsternsee, Grendsee and others hidden deep in the mountains. Although you can swim there too, the water will be colder.

Lake Irrsee:

Salzkammergut in winter - ski resorts

Since this region is almost completely covered with mountains, the flow of tourists does not stop even in winter - all because of a large number ski resorts.

When to go? ski season in Austria it usually starts on the first weekend of December and ends at the end of March. Exact dates depend on the amount of snow.

Ski resort Dachstein West on the Gosshause

Dachstein West is located, so to speak, in the geographical center of Austria, an hour from Salzburg, three from Munich and four from Vienna. Height above sea level - 800 m.

What is this ski resort famous for? First, panoramic views:

Secondly, the length ski slopes- 44 km, which covers the whole three nearest villages - Gosau, Annaberg and Rusbach.

There is an interactive panorama.

How to get there: if you are traveling without a car, there is also an opportunity to get here. You can sit on free shuttle from Salzburg, Bad Ischl, Golling and other cities. All information with the schedule.

Price: at the very beginning and at the end of the season - 39.90 € per day for an adult, in the peak season - 42.40 €. More about prices.

Ski baseLoseron Altaussee

This ski resort focuses on family vacation- there are trails of any complexity, even for those who ski or snowboard for the first time. Lots of fun for the little ones.

Those who have enough extreme sports can paraglide (both in summer and winter) or ride a fat bike through the forests.

How to get there: From Bad Ischl the journey by train+bus will take less than 2 hours. First we go to Bad Aussee, then we take bus 955 to Loser Altaussee. By car, drive from Salzburg 80 km, from Vienna - 285 km.

Price: per day in the peak season - 39.50€, at the beginning and end of the season - 37.50€.

In fact, in Russia we have a lot beautiful lakes, and such a rating is quite difficult to compile. Just think for yourself: Baikal, Onega, Ladoga, Elton, Seliger. They are the ones that come to mind. But still, we at TravelAsk decided to take the liberty of compiling a list of the most beautiful lakes in Russia. And also unknown.

Seydozero

Seidozero is one of the most beautiful Russian reservoirs. It is located on Kola Peninsula V Murmansk region and surrounded by mountains. Even in ancient times, these places were considered sacred by the Sami, from their language seid, in fact, means “sacred”.

They say that in the vicinity of the lake in the twentieth century were found man-made monuments, ancient buildings and giant runic inscriptions. Moreover, the traces of some buildings look like destroyed pyramids, and on one of the rocks there is a huge petroglyph, reaching a height of 70 meters. He depicts a giant from Sami beliefs named Kuyva.

According to some researchers, these are ancient civilization Hyperborea, which is known from ancient myths. In this legendary northern country Apollo flew on his chariot, and people here led a blissful life with dances and songs, dances and feasts. And, by the way, they died, rushing into the sea, and all because they were tired of the eternal holiday of life)

In general, all these stories are very attractive for tourists, so travelers regularly come to the territory of Seydozero. But it is also visited by researchers. Moreover, researchers of various kinds: from experienced geophysicists to psychics.

But in addition to studying artifacts, there are amazing landscapes. Especially in winter, when over Seydozero arises northern lights.

Blue Lakes

And there is not one lake, but five! Blue Lakes located in Kabardino-Balkaria, about 30 kilometers from Nalchik. The lower lake has a depth, according to various sources, from 279 to almost 400 meters. This is the second deepest lake in Russia after Baikal. However, no one reached its bottom, so some say that the depth of the reservoir is even greater. By the way, even Jacques-Yves Cousteau dived into this lake, and he also could not determine the depth.

The reservoir does not freeze even in winter, and the water temperature does not drop below 9 degrees. Therefore, Lower Lake is very attractive for divers; there is even a modern diving center here.

And, of course, such scenic spots shrouded in history. There is a local legend about this reservoir. They say that the lake appeared when the local hero Bataraz, the ancestor of all the inhabitants North Caucasus, fought with a huge dragon and killed him. When the dragon crashed to the ground, a hole formed, which filled with water. By the way, this is how the locals explain the not very pleasant smell of hydrogen sulfide: they say, a dragon lies at the bottom of the lake, sheds tears and fills the reservoir with unpleasant odors)

In addition, there is also secret lake. It is in deep sinkhole which is surrounded by dense forest. Therefore, you can walk past a few meters and not even see it.

Another picturesque brother of these reservoirs is Dry Lake. It is located in a real karst well 180 meters deep. And at the bottom of this mine there is a reservoir, the area of ​​which is 2500 square meters. As the legend says, once this whole natural well was filled with the purest water. But one day the mountains trembled, and the Dry Lake flowed away, leaving water only at the bottom of the canyon.

raspberry lake

This beautiful reservoir is located in the Altai Territory. The lake is very salty and belongs to the Borovoye lakes. The beneficial properties of water and mud in Raspberry Lake are in no way inferior to those of the sea. And swimming here is easy because of the high concentration of salt. But still, you need to be extremely careful here: salt forms a hard crust on the bottom, which can hurt you.

By the way, Raspberry Lake has been known since the time of Catherine II: salt was brought to her table right from here, and she surprised overseas guests with this curiosity)

Raspberry Lake is unique for its crimson color. The fact is that planktonic crustaceans live here, which produce pink pigment. It gives the water its unusual color.

The color of the water changes throughout the year: in spring Raspberry Lake is rich and bright, and in autumn it becomes brown.

lotus lake

Do you think that you can enjoy living lotuses only in the countries of Southeast Asia? But no, we have such picturesque places in Russia.

Not far from Volgograd, in the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain, there is a real lotus lake. Large pink flowers cover this pond every summer. The flowers are huge, up to 35 centimeters in diameter, and in the sun they cast mother-of-pearl. All thanks to the special property of their petals: they are covered with the thinnest film, which gives the plants this shine.

It is especially picturesque here from mid-July to early September. This lake is chosen by tourists, schoolchildren and newlyweds. By the way, the lotus is a symbol of happy couples, because male flowers open in close proximity to female ones.

Where do lotuses come from in these parts, you ask? And this is a very interesting and mysterious story. Locals claim that the flowers appeared after a church was built on the shore of the lake, and the believers here had a vision of the Mother of God. And it happened quite recently. Even before the restructuring, there was a swampy forest in this place, which the local authorities decided to use as a dump. But during the period of struggle with the inhabitants, who were categorically against such interference in nature, a pond formed in place of the fishing line. It was chosen by wild ducks and muskrats, and then lotuses also blossomed. Imagine if it was just a dump! Mother Nature has found a great solution, hasn't she?)