Morning walk in the vicinity of Lake Ullu-Kol. From Salzburg to Salzkammergut. Current problems of the lake
Salzburg and its surroundings is one of the business cards Austria. What is Salzburg? For some, this is, first of all, ski resorts. For others - hometown Mozart. Still others go to Salzburg for the sake of the beautiful mountain scenery, lakes, waterfalls, caves… One way or another, millions of tourists from different parts of the world visit this region every year. Of course, and we could not ignore this wonderful place. As a matter of fact, further we will discuss possible routes of independent travel from Salzburg. In other words, we will try to offer a few ideas on the topic “Where to go from Salzburg?”
In order not to return once again to the transport issue in the future, we present a few useful links. Firstly, the website of the Austrian railways www.oebb.at is very useful in planning independent trips from Salzburg. Its undoubted advantage lies in the fact that it covers not only railway, but also bus routes. That is, by setting the points of departure and destination in the search form, you can see an almost complete palette of transport solutions. This greatly simplifies the search process. Secondly, for additional information, you can look at the site www.svv-info.at, as well as some local resources, which will be indicated below in the course of the story. Finally, if you are planning to choose Salzburg as a base for traveling around Austria, you should read this article (it is dedicated to Salzburg hotels and the issue of choosing a location in the city).
Where to go in the vicinity of Salzburg?
We repeat, but still we note that the surroundings of Salzburg are extremely beautiful. Therefore, perhaps the best thing you can think of is to rent a car and just drive around the alpine towns and villages located in the district, maneuvering between mountains and lakes. Nevertheless, public transport is also very well developed in Austria, which allows you to move between the main attractions almost unhindered.
In the nearest district of Salzburg, you can find such villages (communes) as Anif (Anif), Grödig (Grödig), Eugendorf (Eugendorf), and small towns– Wals-Siezenheim, Bergheim and a number of others (more detailed information about the immediate surroundings of Salzburg can be found on the website www.salzburgerland.com). All of them are within half an hour of Salzburg and deserve some attention. For example, in Hellbrunn Castle (Schloss Hellbrunn) it will be interesting to look at the so-called amusing fountains. However, in our opinion, it is worth focusing on these places only if you plan to thoroughly focus on Salzburg. In this case, they are able to diversify their stay in the city. However, there are also more interesting directions for excursions from Salzburg.
In particular, these are the salt mines in the city of Hallein (or Hallein - Hallein), which can be reached from Salzburg in just 15-20 minutes. glean Additional information about this route, and you can also buy entrance tickets on the website www.salzwelten.at/… (in the same place, by the way, there is information about other salt mines, which you can also visit if you wish - they are, however, much further from Salzburg, than Hallein).
You can also take a day trip to the town of Werfen (Werfen) - it is not so far from Salzburg - within an hour by train. At the same time, in addition to Werfen itself and the nearby Hohenwerfen castle, you should definitely see the Eisriesenwelt ice cave here. It is located in the mountains, at an altitude of more than one and a half thousand meters. Buses run regularly from Werfen towards the cave (see www.eisriesenwelt.at/... for details).
Another no less interesting place an hour's drive from Salzburg is the Liechtenstein Gorge (Liechtensteinklamm). It is located near the town of St. Johann in Pongau (Sankt Johann im Pongau) - walk about 5 km., But you can also take a taxi. By the way, it is also worth walking around St. Johans for a couple of hours.
There are other very attractive avenues for independent excursions from Salzburg. True, they are further away, but, in our opinion, they are worth spending some time on the road.
From Salzburg to Salzkammergut
First of all, these places include lakes and, in particular, the Salzkammergut region, which is often called the Austrian Lake District. With Salzburg in mind as a starting point for trips, we will single out four lakes: Wolfgangsee (Wolfgangsee), Mondsee (Mondsee), Traunsee (Traunsee) and Hallstätter See (Hallstätter See). It is quite convenient to get to them (especially the first two) from Salzburg. So, to the village of St. Gilgen (St.Gilgen or Sankt Gilgen), on the Wolfgangsee, only 50 minutes by bus. The same amount of time to go to the town of Mondsee, located on the shores of the lake of the same name. To Lake Traunsee, for example, to Gmunden, you will have to go with a change in Attnang-Puchheim, but in time this is also relatively short - less than an hour and a half. Another 10-15 minutes from Gmunden is the picturesque village of Traunkirchen, which is also worth dropping by for an hour or two. The longest way to get to Hallstatter See is about two and a half hours with a transfer all in the same Attnang-Puchheim. But it's worth the trip. On the shore of this lake is the town of Hallstatt (or Hallstatt - Hallstatt), which, together with the surrounding area, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In fact, on the road from Salzburg to Hallstatt you will pass both Gmunden and Traunkirchen, as well as Bad Ischl, which deserves no less attention. Theoretically, of course, it is possible to cover all these places (from Gmunden to Hallstatt) in one day. But we would not recommend doing this, otherwise the trip risks turning into a meaningless gallop.
In addition to the listed lakes, one more lake can be mentioned - the Attersee. True, the villages located on its banks are not particularly remarkable in comparison with those listed above. However, the lake itself is well suited for swimming - its shores are mostly gentle, and the water warms up to 25-26 degrees in summer. However, you can also swim in other lakes (in particular, Mondsee and Wolfgangsee), and some hotels even have their own beaches (see, for example, Pension Linortner or Strandhotel Margaretha in St. Wolfgang (Sankt Wolfgang) on the Wolfgangsee).
In addition to swimming and exploring the villages and towns, the Salzkammergut is interesting for all kinds of walking routes, which should especially appeal to lovers of climbing. mountain paths. In addition, from many places (Halstatt, St. Wolfgang, St. Gilgen, Gmunden, etc.) you can climb the mountains by cable cars. Also near Hallstatt you can see the caves and go down to the salt mine. You can also take a boat ride on the lakes (see, in particular, www.atterseeschifffahrt.at, www.wolfgangseeschifffahrt.at and www.hallstattschifffahrt.at). Finally, one cannot fail to mention winter sports and, in particular, skiing. You can have a great ride, for example, in the western Dachstein ski region (Skiregion Dachstein West - www.dachstein.at), which is near Hallstatt, Bad Ischlem and Gosau (Gosau) or, if you are a beginner, then in Zwölferhorn (www.dachstein.at). 12erhorn.at), a ski resort that rises on the mountain of the same name above St. Gilgen. Additionally, a lot of useful information about the Salzkammergut region can be found on the website www.salzkammergut.at.
From Salzburg to Zell am See, Kaprun and Krimml
Another interesting region within reach from Salzburg is the district of Zell am See. Here, on the shores of Lake Zeller (Zeller See), is the city of the same name Zell am See, and in the vicinity there are other interesting places - in particular, Kaprun (Kaprun) and Krimml (Krimml).
The journey from Salzburg to Zell am See takes about an hour and a half (by train). In summer you can swim and walk in the mountains, and in winter you can go skiing and snowboarding - at your service is Mount Schmittenhöhe 2000 meters high (Schmittenhöhe - www.schmitten.at).
A little further south (20 minutes by bus from Zell am See) is the town of Kaprun, which, in our opinion, is much more democratic than Zell am See. The mountains in the Kaprun region are even higher - next to the glacier mountain Kitzsteinhorn (Kitzsteinhorn), whose height is more than 3000 meters. Of course, here too there is ski resort(see www.kitzsteinhorn.at). The Kitzsteinhorn glacier can be visited not only in winter, but also in summer. It is very beautiful here at any time of the year.
Besides, special attention the Sigmund-Thun-Klamm Gorge (www.kaprunmuseum.at/…) deserves a small walking route along the narrow gorge leading to Lake Kapruner Ache. The entrance to the gorge is a 20-30 minute walk from the center of Kaprun, but it can also be reached by bus - the road to the gorge (Krammweg) branches off to the right between the bus stops Tauernplatz (Kaprun Tauernplatz) and Maiskogelbahn (Kaprun Maiskogelbahn), closer to the latter ( these stops are marked on Google Maps - see).
Also from Kaprun you can get to the high-mountain reservoirs (Kaprun Hochgebirgsstauseen - www.verbund.com/...). This route starts from the end bus stop Kesselfall-Alpenhaus (Kaprun Kesselfall-Alpenhaus). A visit to the Sigmund Tuna Gorge will not take much time, and this walk, in principle, can be combined with a trip to the reservoirs.
If you're traveling around Kaprun by car, it's also worth taking a ride on the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse Alpine Highway, sometimes called the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse Panoramic Highway. This road runs through national park"High Tauern" (Hohe Tauern). For this reason, the passage on it is paid. Here you can admire high mountain the Austrian Alps (Grossglockner - the road is named after her), the Pasterze glacier and other beauties of alpine nature, including extremely friendly marmots ( detailed information about this and other similar "protected" roads can be found at www.grossglockner.at/...).
If we talk about Krimml, then perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is the Krimmler Waterfall (Krimmler Wasserfälle - www.wasserfaelle-krimml.at), which is often called "the highest in Europe" (about 380 meters), although it not quite so, or rather, not at all, which, however, does not detract from the grandeur and beauty of this waterfall. The village of Krimml is about an hour and a half from Zell am See. Of course, it is far from Salzburg to go here by public transport - in total, the journey takes more than three hours one way. Plus, at least four hours should be laid on the waterfall itself, since from Krimml (from the final stop of bus No. 670 Krimml Wasserfälle) you need to climb the mountains on foot. There are no funiculars and other miracles of technology here, which, however, is fully compensated by the stunning beauty surrounding nature. Thus, it is worth allocating a whole day to visit the Krimml waterfall. But you can do otherwise, and, as in the case of the Salzkammergut, stay for a few days somewhere directly in the Zell am See region - for example, in Zell am See itself (hotels) or in Kaprun (hotels).
These, in our opinion, are the main ideas of independent travel routes from Salzburg, although, of course, you can find other interesting places. However, the attractions already listed are enough for more than one week of travel. In addition to all of the above, here are a few more useful links. This information will help you save on the costs associated with visiting the most popular tourist sites. So, it’s worth reading more about SalzburgerLand Card, which includes visits to many attractions in its price (without additional fee). You can also find information about the Zell am See-Kaprun Card (although it is not for sale, but is issued free of charge if you stay at one of the hotels presented on the site indicated) and about the Salzkammergut Erlebnis-Card (this is a "summer" card, and is there some more
Lake Como is one of the most beautiful places in Lombardy. It is located 45 km north of Milan near the Swiss border. Como is 46 km long and Y-shaped upside down, and is also considered one of the most deep lakes in the world. In some places, the depth reaches 400 m. Surrounded by a chain of mountains with peaks up to 2,700 m, this Pre-Alpine lake impresses not only with its nature, but also with its rich history and traditions. Como is ideal for both active and relaxing holidays.
In this region, tourists will find magnificent 17th century villas with beautiful gardens, ancient Romanesque churches, Mountain peaks With spectacular views to the lake and many other attractions that will not leave indifferent the most demanding traveler.
Traveling on Lake Como by boat, you can enjoy the coast, dotted with small, incredibly beautiful towns. By car or bus you will see the valleys with rural settlements and small churches. Hiking and mountain biking enthusiasts will be very interested in exploring the numerous trails around the lake.
How to get to Lake Como
Immediate big cities to Lake Como - Milan and Bergamo. From them it is most convenient to get by public transport to most of the towns located on the coast of the lake.
From Milan to Lake Como
Trains run from Milano Centrale to Lecco, Varenna, Bellano and Colico. Suburban express trains run every hour. The first one leaves Milan at 06:20 and the last one at 21:20.
From the Milano Porta Garibaldi station it is possible to get to the city of Como.
Belfry of San Nicolo
San Nicolò is the symbol of Lecco. The bell tower rises 96 meters above the city. It offers stunning views of the city and Lake Como. To climb the tower, you must first book a visit on the official website of the bell tower.
Varenna
This is a quiet and peaceful town, located in the central part of Lake Como. Varenna has excellent transport accessibility from Milan.
Here you should take a leisurely stroll along the embankment, walk along the tangled streets and enjoy excellent cuisine in one of the restaurants. Quiet and cozy atmosphere this place, with magnificent views of the central part of Lake Como, will not leave indifferent any tourist.
If you were asked to list the strangest natural phenomena on Earth, chances are that no one would name "lakes". And very in vain. It turns out that these seemingly serene bodies of water hold some of the craziest and strangest surprises in the natural world. From a mysterious lake that appears out of nowhere, to a killer lake that has destroyed everything within a few kilometers of its shores, here are ten of the most unusual and strange lakes in the world!
10 Gafsa Lake, Tunisia
Pretty early in our lives, each of us realizes that nothing can come out of nowhere. Apparently, this does not apply to Lake Gafsa, located in Tunisia. One day in 2014, a group of Tunisian shepherds led the animals to a familiar pasture. What was their surprise when they got to it and found a huge lake in the place where there was a meadow. The lake that appeared had an incredibly attractive azure hue. Gafsa is an area where natural resources were mined in the past, and for the most part she was not controlled by anyone. Scientists believe that the sudden appearance of Lake Gafsa occurred as a result of a break in the rock above the water table, and underground water came to the surface. Whatever the reason, it happened quickly. One local resident said he had walked through that remote area three weeks earlier and the area was completely dry. Although Lake Gafsa originally had clear, blue water that was inviting to swim, it quickly became filled with algae, and is possibly toxic to humans. But this does not stop the locals who come here to swim. Because in hot Tunisia, even a lake full of green mud is better than nothing.9. Roopkund Lake, India
There are certain things that no one would like to find in any body of water. Piranhas are one thing. The remains of hundreds of people who died a terrible death - this is the second. However, this is exactly what British troops discovered in the winter of 1942 in Lake Roopkund. Since this happened in wartime, the British naturally assumed that they were on the site of a terrible Japanese massacre. However, the truth was quite different. When the bones were examined, they were found to date from 850. In addition, all these people were killed in the same way: by a blow to the head, due to which their skulls were crushed. The nature of the injury does not match any known type of weapon. What could happen for two hundred people to die in this way? The most possible answer voiced by scientists is hailstones. Actually, very, very large hailstones. In the vicinity of Lake Roopkund, an old song is known about the goddess of the mountains, who punished a group of travelers with a colossal hail. Now it is believed that this is a folk memory of a real event and an unusual hail the size of a baseball, which fell in blocks of solid ice, killing all 200 wanderers who could not reach the shelter. Over time, the valley filled with water, eventually becoming the skeleton-infested Roopkund Lake. 8. Lake Nyos, Cameroon
Imagine the picture: a man returns home after a weekend to find his entire neighborhood full of corpses. Bodies lie in the streets with expressions of horror on their dead faces. One immediately wonders what could have killed all these people. Was it an explosion? Or a virus? The answer to this question may be much stranger: they could have been killed by a nearby lake. This is exactly what happened in Cameroon in 1986. As the locals lay in their beds, Lake Nyos released a gigantic amount of carbon dioxide (CO2), as if the Earth were taking a deep breath. The effect was immediate and terrifying. A cloud of deadly gas enveloped the region, destroying everything in its path. People and animals located at a distance of up to 25 kilometers from the lake suddenly fell to the ground, had difficulty breathing and, trying to inhale oxygen, suffocated from poisonous gas. The fire went out, the children were dying in a matter of seconds. Within minutes, 1,746 people and 3,500 animals died. Entire villages were destroyed. This disaster remains one of the strangest in the world. What happened is called a limnological catastrophe - a physical phenomenon, the main component of which is the release of carbon dioxide from an open reservoir that is detrimental to all living things. Lake Nyos was formed on the site of a volcanic crater rich in carbon dioxide (CO2). Normally, these crater lakes release small doses of carbon dioxide over a long period of time, but in Lake Nyos, this poisonous gas for some reason has become trapped, accumulating in huge, deadly concentrations. He stayed at the bottom of the lake until something - a landslide, a heavy downpour on one side of the lake - agitated the water, which released this giant bubble of poisonous gas outward, destroying all life at a distance of 25 kilometers. 7. Lake Peigneur, Louisiana, USA
Unlike what happened with Lake Nyos, scientists know for sure what caused the disaster at Lake Peneur. Texaco workers were drilling a well in search of oil, accidentally breaking through the ceiling. salt mine located next to the lake at a depth of 400 meters. What happened next was no less strange and scary. The collapse of the mine formed a funnel - a funnel that turned into a powerful whirlpool. The water vortex increased in size more and more until it became a giant karst funnel that sucked in more than 13 billion liters of water within 3 hours. The entire lake began to disappear into a swirling mess of mud and horror. A giant whirlpool sucked the drilling platform, 11 barges that were at that time on the lake, a tugboat, a dock, trucks and houses. A landslide began, as a result of which the forest and villages surrounding the lake began to go into a karst funnel. The channel connecting the lake with the Gulf of Mexico, located at a distance of 20 kilometers, began to shallow along with the lake leaving the mine, so salty water from the Gulf of Mexico flowed into reverse side filling the empty lake. Imagine that a person pulls the plug out of the bathroom, and not only his entire house, but half of the entire area is sucked into the sewer. This was what happened to Peneur Lake. Incredibly, this dirty and muddy whirlpool of horror did not kill a single person. All fifty people who were on the lake and in the mine, in groups or alone, miraculously managed to escape what was their certain death.Source 6Toxic Baotou Lake, Inner Mongolia
Lake Baotou, China, is so new it doesn't even have a real name. Instead, reports refer to it simply as "Baotou Toxic Lake". The word "toxic" in those three words speaks for itself. Baotou is an artificial lake created by mining and processing "rare earth" minerals needed to make shiny iPhones. As such, it is one of the most polluted lakes on Earth. To be face to face with this lake is like stepping into a dark nightmare. The almost black surface of the lake, filled with black toxic precipitation, resembles a real Hell on Earth. Nothing can grow here. Its entire coast is painted black, like the lake itself. The result of this is a nightmarish, monochrome world. A place that is as realistic as it is terrifying. Perhaps the strangest thing about Baotou Lake is the reason it exists. Most modern technology uses special minerals, such as cerium, thanks to which we have touch phones. Many of these minerals are also used in green technologies such as wind turbines and electric vehicles. Minerals for such machinery are one of the largest exports of Baotou City. That's right: perhaps the most polluted lake on Earth was created thanks to our love for environmentally friendly technologies.5. Lake Natron, Tanzania
It sounds like a fairy tale: a lake that will magically turn into a frozen statue everything that touches its surface. However, Natron in Tanzania is far from being a fictional lake. Hidden deep in East Africa, it is surrounded by eerie petrified statues of animals that accidentally approached its deadly water too close. Of course, Lake Natron is not magical or cursed or anything like that. It's just that its waters are filled with soda, a naturally occurring compound containing a high concentration of sodium carbonate (salt) and some sodium bicarbonate. They are also dangerously hot and have an alkalinity that reaches a pH of 10. As a result, anyone who tries to drink from this lake dies - quickly - and sinks into the water. The soda then does its work, calcifying the bodies and essentially turning them to stone. For visitors, it is an incredibly terrible sight. All that can be seen around the lake are dead statues, most often birds, that died while trying to splash down on its surface. 4. Kawah Ijen Crater Lake, Java, Indonesia
At first glance, the Kawah Ijen crater lake in Indonesia looks almost inviting, but this sky-blue lake on top of a volcano has fiery bowels. It is so full of sulfur that it periodically erupts in neon blue flames. As hypnotic as it looks, it is deadly: approaching the lake, you can lose your balance and die from the fumes emitted. While the shores of the lake are burning and rampaging, the lake itself is one big bathtub filled with hydrochloric acid. The contents of the lake have a pH of 0 and can instantly melt anything that gets into it. Speaking of acid, the air around the lake is dangerous, so wearing a gas mask is also a must when visiting it. Unless, of course, no one wants their lungs to look like the lungs of a smoker who smoked six packs of cigarettes a day all his life. What is the craziest thing about this lake? That some people come here to work, dodging streams of flickering blue fire and extracting lumps of sulfur from the volcano itself. 3. Pitch Lake, Trinidad
Pitch Lake ("bituminous lake") has perhaps the most appropriate name of all the lakes on our planet. This lake is completely composed of liquid asphalt, the same one that is used for road construction and more. It is better to take our word for it and not check: this lake is so thick in some places that you can walk on it ... and so dangerously thin in other places that you can easily slip through its surface, disappearing forever into the dark depths. The texture of the lake's surface ranges from thick and hard like rock to springy like rubber to soft and intimidating like quicksand. Trees, big stones and so on, falling into his arms, often get stuck on the surface, where the asphalt hardens around them, in essence, turning into stone. Tip for those who are planning to visit this lake: while some tourists dare to swim in more clear waters lakes, it's as dangerous as the idea of swimming in asphalt sounds. 2. "Lost Lake" (Lost Lake), Oregon, USA
As we already know from the example of Lake Gafsa, it can spontaneously appear out of nowhere. But what about the lake that disappears? Lost Lake in Oregon is just that. Every summer, a lake with a depth of almost 2.7 meters and an area of almost 34 hectares quietly disappears into the bowels of the earth, and every autumn it reappears, as if nothing had happened. We don't mean "almost everything dries up" or something like that - it completely disappears. In its place, a small meadow appears, on which, it seems, there are no traces of water at all. The reason this happens is lava tubes. Lava tubes are unusual tunnels formed by the uneven cooling of lava flowing down the slopes of a volcano that was active 1,000 years ago. They may be less than 30 cm in diameter or be large enough for a person to enter. There are two small lava tubes in Lost Lake. In autumn, precipitation accumulates in lava tubes, and when the amount of precipitation exceeds their capacity, water seeps onto the surface of the lake, and a small valley fills with water. By summer, the flow of water into the lake stops, and it is drawn into the lava tubes until autumn, until precipitation again sets in, and the lava tubes are filled with water so that the "Lost Lake" reappears on the surface. 1. Yellowstone Lake, USA
Almost everyone has read or heard about Yellowstone Lake. Vast, calm and beautiful, it is probably quite far from the concept of "strange", as many people probably think. At least it's on the surface. And if you dive into its calm depths, you can see a strange dome growing at the bottom. This is the current highest point of what has been called the Yellowstone supervolcano. One day it will erupt, and then it will not seem enough to anyone. Imagine that the lake is the face of a teenager, and the dome is a fat little pimple that is just starting to swell under the skin. Over time, this place will grow more and more until it "ripens" and is ready to burst. Only it will not be a small stream of pus coming out. Instead, the bottom of Yellowstone Lake will open up a giant magma cavity that contains enough lava to fill the Grand Canyon more than 11 times. If that happens one day, it will be a disaster. Although such a giant explosion would kill a relatively small number of people (estimated to be in the region of 90,000), the Midwest would be buried under a layer of ash, and a massive crop failure would harm and bring disaster to the United States for the next few decades. If you still thought that Lake Nyos is the deadliest, then wait until Lake Yellowstone explodes. 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 traces of the ancient civilization of Hyperborea, which is known from ancient myths. Apollo flew to this legendary northern country 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 the northern lights appear over Seydozero.
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?)
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.
Passes through the city Railway. 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(who has this list - she 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! The booklet with discounts can be downloaded from the website of the 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.
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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 of a larger 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.
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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.
