Beautiful places in the Altai Mountains, which everyone must visit. Beautiful places of Altai

The Altai Territory is a complex territorial entity that includes the Gorno-Altai autonomous region(Altai Republic). Steppes (Kulunda), mountains (Western parts of the Sayans with a peak on Mount Belukha), caves (Ecological, depth 375 m), high-mountain lakes (Teletskoye, Aya) are surprisingly intertwined here. The Altai Territory is often called the Siberian Switzerland. It is home to several world famous resorts- Belokurikha, eco-resort Maryin Ostrov and others.

You can talk about the beauties of Altai for a long time. But the best thing is to go on a trip and see everything with your own eyes.

It is located in the highest part of the Altai Mountains - next to Mount Belukha on the Katun Ridge. The reserve was founded in the early 90s of the last century. The land area is about 151,000 hectares. The elevation difference is large - 1300 - 3280 m above sea level. The reserve belongs to the object world heritage UNESCO.

About 7 hundred species of plants grow on the territory, about 50 species of mammals live, including musk deer, mountain goat, American mink, sable, 120 species of birds - capercaillie, Asian snipe, reptiles and fish.

The landscapes of the reserve enchant the eye. Here you can see the tundra, mountain taiga, subalpine large-grass meadows, highlands with caps of snow and ice (glaciers), as well as steppes, forest-steppes, and middle mountains.

Once unremarkable, except for the most picturesque landscapes, now the village attracts a large number of tourists. And this is no coincidence. A must see here:

Turochak petroglyphs of the Neolithic period. Rock carvings are located near the village. Turochakskaya petroglyph. Unlike the petroglyphs carved on stone, here the drawings are made in dark red ocher. Damn finger. Vertex mountain range Salop mountains. If you have the courage to climb here, you can take gorgeous panoramic pictures - from here you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of the surroundings. Iconostasis. The image of the leader of all peoples on the rock may not be of interest to anyone, but the rock is ideal for rock climbing. The place is located about 10 km from Turochak.

The location of the village is remarkable. It stands on the Biya, one of the coldest rivers in Altai. About a kilometer from Turochak, the Swan flows - the right tributary of the Biya. This river is remarkable in that it warms up perfectly in summer (up to + 22 ° C) and you can swim in it. In addition, there are a lot of fish in Lebed, so fishing is always successful.

Balneological and ski resort, located in a picturesque place - in the foothills of Altai, in the valley of the Belokurikha River. The height above sea level is about 250 m. In addition to the indescribable beauty of landscapes, there is something to see here:

Mineral radon springs. Serpentine well. The water in this spring has a temperature of + 30 ° C all year round, which invariably attracts snakes. Rock of the 4 brothers. Temple of Panteleimon the Healer. This new object However, the interior decoration is incredibly beautiful.

Talmenka village

This place is ideal for ecotourism, because the main beauty here is natural. To get the most out of them, go to:

On the river Chumysh. Fish, relax, swim. To Lake Khomutinka. To the Talmenskoye tract.

And don't forget to take your camera with you. landscapes and natural beauty this place never ceases to amaze. It is especially beautiful here in spring, when nature wakes up from sleep.

Location - Kulunda steppe, 375 km from the capital of the region, Barnaul, 15 km from the village of Mikhailovskoye. Along with many other lakes, it stands out for the size and color of the water - it is pink-raspberry due to the presence of tiny crustaceans (plankton). The lake “blooms” especially brightly in spring. The area of ​​the water mirror is 11.4 sq. km.

The water here is healing, with a high salt content. During the period of rapid growth of algae, you can lie on them - you will not be able to drown even with a strong desire. The bottom is covered with a strong crust of salt with sharp protrusions.

Approximately half a kilometer is a small fresh lake. It is recommended to take a walk to it to wash off the medicinal salt.

IN tsarist times Salt was mined in Raspberry Lake. And it was an amazing pale pink color. Russian tsars surprised foreign guests with it.

There is a forest near the lake. Surrounding landscapes amazing beauty no one is left indifferent.

The object is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Another name is Altyn-Kol or Golden Lake. Its water is freezing cold. The water mirror stretches for 78 km. The depth of Lake Teletskoye is 323 meters, so it, along with Lake Baikal, takes pride of place in the deepest fresh lakes Russia. It contains a huge supply of pure water.

The right bank is occupied by the Altai State Reserve. Its area is almost 90,000 sq. km.

Complex geographical conditions made it possible to preserve Lake Teletskoye almost in its original form. In the 21st century, it becomes the center of ecological and adventure tourism. Hiking and equestrian routes have been developed that allow you to fully merge with nature, enjoying its power and splendor.

There are no roads along the lake itself. Therefore, in order to get to the confluence of the Cholushman - the largest high mountain river feeding the lake, you need to use a boat.

Biya and Katun

These two rivers give rise to the Ob, the largest water artery in Russia. The confluence point is located near Verkh-Obsky, a village in the Smolensk region. For a while, the waters of the two rivers flow without mixing. At Biya they are crystal clear, while at Katun they are unclear. This is especially visible when the sun is shining and there is absolutely no wind.

At the confluence of the Biya and Katun is the island of Ikonnikov. At the beginning of the 20th century, he received the status cultural monument. People began to settle here in the 7th-6th centuries BC. A little later, the place became ritual for local tribes.

The flora of Ikonnikova is very rich, there are swampy areas densely populated with birds. From a hill called "Look" open great views on Katun and Biya, mountains.

Nature and landscapes Altai Territory never cease to amaze. It is impossible to single out one place as the most beautiful. To verify this, you need to go to an amusing trip in the Altai Territory.

The nature of Altai is beautiful and unique: these are mountains, lakes, mountain rivers and waterfalls, bizarre plants, many of which I saw for the first time.

On the territory of Altai, the first states arose even before our era, as evidenced by the most ancient petroglyphs - rock carvings. There are both petroglyphs of people and animals, especially marals (Altai deer), and space petroglyphs, very reminiscent of modern rockets!

Here you can clearly see the petroglyph of the deer

And here, on the right, a whole herd of marals is depicted, and on the left, a man

And here is one of the space petroglyphs - a rocket

Our path to the Republic of Altai passed through the Altai Territory, on the territory of which we, so to speak, "climbed" a mountain with a terrible name "Devil's finger".

On the way to the Devil's finger, wonderful views of the valley of the Katun River and the Altai Mountains open up. We were fascinated by the beauty and did not yet know how much beauty awaits us ahead!

One of the most beautiful places in Altai is Patmos Island, which is a rock with sheer walls surrounded by the waters of the Katun River. There is a temple on this island, which can only be accessed by suspension bridge.

Not far from the island of Patmos is the confluence of two rivers - Katun and Chemal. In the photo below, this merger is clearly visible.

Let's admire the beauty from above? View of Lake Manzherok (or Lake Manzherok) from the ski lift.

And here you can see the bends of the right bank of the Katun.

We saw off the sunsets

And met the dawn

Enjoyed the noise of the mountain Katun

They admired the cosmic landscapes, so unlike Altai

Some places were simply breathtaking. For example, from the Chike-Taman pass

Some of them were speechless. Katu-Yaryk Pass

They rejoiced like children at the appearance of mountain peaks dressed in snow caps (100 km to the border with Mongolia)

After everything I saw, I wanted to hide in a calm, secluded place in order to remember all the emotions that I experienced. For this purpose, we stopped for a few days at north coast the legendary Teletskoye Lake.

It is worth noting that the lake is surrounded on all sides mountain ranges on which to a greater extent the human foot has not set foot. And how much beautiful waterfalls flowing into Lake Teletskoye! The most famous of them, Korbu waterfall

You can get to the southern shore of the lake either by swimming or through the most dangerous Katu-Yaryk pass. We sailed on a boat

On the southern shore of Lake Teletskoye we found very bad weather. Clouds and clouds literally clung to Mountain peaks and watered with cold rain.

But nature in bad weather enchants in its own way

Friends, I hope you are inspired! Thanks for reading. There is even more information and photos from Altai ahead! Happy travels everyone!

Altai is translated from Mongolian as "golden" and is a real paradise for travelers. His biosphere reserves and parks are included in the UNESCO heritage, and the abundance of natural attractions and magnificent landscapes attract tourists from all over the world. Even the most beautiful photos do not convey the charm of these places.

The region is also famous for “places of power”, in which shamans perform their rituals. These sacred objects have a mystical effect on a person, causing a surge of emotions, a change in the perception of the world, revealing creative and even extrasensory abilities.

Mount Belukha (Uch-Sumer)

Uch-Sumer or Three-Headed sacred mountain- the highest point of the Altai Mountains, crowning the Katunsky ridge, reaches a height of 4509 meters. It is always covered with snow and is home to many glaciers from which mountain rivers originate. The tectonic instability of the massif is manifested by weak earthquakes, which often cause collapses and avalanches.

For lovers mysterious mountain is one of the most powerful sacred places - equidistant from the world's oceans, it personifies the energy center of the planet. Vibrational waves of the Beluga whale contribute to the spiritual and physical purification of a person, relieve diseases.

Pass Karatyurek

Translated from Altai, it means "black heart", since closer to its top the vegetation ends and the ascent takes place on black stones. From the mountain pass, Belukha Mountain, the Katun Range, the Akkem River Valley are clearly visible.

The height of the pass is 3060 meters, the ascent is accessible even to people without mountain hiking experience, but who have endurance and are able to tune in for many hours (up to 2 days) overcoming scree obstacles.

When climbing, the rises are replaced by plateaus, from which truly magical views of the surroundings open up.

Tavdinsky (Taldinsky) caves

One of the most interesting speleological places in the Altai Mountains is the Tavdinsky caves, so named because of the village of Tavda, which was once located nearby. The caves, of which there are more than 30, are located in sheer cliffs and cliffs, some of them are interconnected by passages. Due to the tourist popularity of this place, many caves are equipped with lighting and wooden steps in front of the entrance.

The most visited is the Big Tavdinsky cave or Maiden's Tears, with a spacious main gallery and a drop from the lower entrance to the upper one of 23 meters.

Near the caves there is a unique Tavdinsky karst arch (or Arch of desires) - the rest of the arch of the tunnel with a through hole width of up to 13, and a height of up to 5 meters.

Plateau (plateau) Ukok

It is located in the extreme south of Altai, at the junction of Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China. The plateau is located at an altitude of 2-2.5 thousand meters and is framed by mountains, the highest of which - Kuiten Uul - reaches 4374 meters.

Mongolian and Chinese Buddhists, as well as pagan Altaians, consider this place sacred. Locals call the pastures of Ukok "the end of everything" - the threshold of the firmament.

During archaeological excavations, many burials of various periods were found here, the most incredible of which is considered the Altai Princess - the mummy of a young woman, presumably of an aristocratic family.

Valley of the Seven Lakes

This beautiful place is located in the Ust-Koksinsky district of Gorny Altai, not far from Lake Akkem.

Climbing to the valley to a height of 2.5 thousand meters takes up to 1 week and consists of three steps, when you climb them you can see rocky landscapes, mountain meadows with lush vegetation, noisy waterfalls and a calm expanse of lakes.

The color and temperature of the water in the lakes are different - in the warm Black Lake you can wet your feet and even swim, the turquoise-azure lakes are very deep and cold, they are fed by a stream from the glacier, and the shores of Lake Brides are decorated with white fluffy flowers.

Yarlu Valley (Edelweiss Valley)

It is located at an altitude of about 2 thousand meters, not far from Belukha Mountain, and is also called the Edelweiss Valley - these delicate flowers grow in abundance here.

The place is surrounded by rocks, which tourists have dubbed Blue - they whimsically shimmer with shades of blue, blue, gray, purple, pink. The ridge in the upper part of the Yarlu resembles the profile of a woman, for which he received the name Mother of the World.

In the center of the valley is the smooth Stone of Wisdom, locals claim that it is constantly growing, protruding several centimeters from the ground every year. Lying on a stone, you can recharge its energy and find solutions to important issues. Yarlu Valley - sacred place and is an object of pilgrimage for mediums and esotericists.

Akkem lake

Translated from the Altai Ak-kem means " white water"- due to the suspension of hard rocks, its waters have acquired a muddy gray-white color. The lake is 1350 meters long and 610 meters wide. It lies at the foot of the northern slope of Belukha Mountain and is saturated with melt waters of the Akkem glacier, so it remains cold even in summer.

There are no fish in the lake, and the locals call it water dead. Except exciting mountain views, opening from this place, and several beautiful natural objects nearby, Lake Akkem attracts tourists with its energy - it is believed that it has a positive effect on human health.

Big Kucherlinskoye Lake

Located at an altitude of 1790 meters above sea level and is one of the largest reservoirs of glacial origin with a length of about 5 kilometers and a width of up to 900 meters.

From the Altai the name of the lake is translated as "saline". Its calm waters have a milky turquoise color and are in perfect harmony with the steep rocky cliffs covered with cedar and deciduous forest and supporting the lake on both sides.

Local residents endow this reservoir with mystical power and believe that the water in it is “alive”, and the spirit of the owner of Lake Kol-Eezi lives in it, frightening people with a bull's roar.

teletskoye lake

Located in the northeast Altai mountains, in the Turochaksky and Ulagansky districts of the Altai Republic. The lake is located at an altitude of 434 meters above sea level, its length is 77.8 kilometers, its width is up to 5.2 kilometers, maximum depth- 325 meters. It is the second largest storage facility in Russia fresh water, which is characterized by extraordinary purity and transparency.

Local peoples call this reservoir Altyn-Kol, that is, "golden lake". From all sides it is surrounded by ridges, from the steep cliffs of which numerous waterfalls fall down, the shores open up with picturesque grottoes, sandy and pebble beaches.

Shavlinsky lakes

This group of alpine lakes in the Kosh-Agachsky district of the Altai Republic is located in the course of the Shavla River in the area of ​​the North Chuya Range and is considered one of the most beautiful places in the Altai Mountains.

From the middle of the Lower Shavlinsky Lake, a breathtaking view of three snow-capped mountain peaks opens - Beauty, Fairy Tale and Dream. In windless clear weather, these peaks are completely reflected in the bright turquoise water of the Middle Lake, on the shore of which stone city- a place of concentration of statues of spirits that rule the world, as well as houses and altars for them, made of stone. Past this city, the path rises and leads to the Upper Lake.

Katun River

Translated from Altai, it means “woman”, “mistress”, and is the main waterway of the Altai Mountains. Katun originates at the Gebler glacier on the southern slope of Mount Belukha, and after 688 kilometers merges with the Biya River, forming the Ob - one of largest rivers in Siberia.

All types of Altai landscapes are represented within the river - sheer cliffs, gorges, hills, waterfalls, rapids, diverse vegetation and wildlife. On the banks of the Katun are located settlements, camp sites, health resorts. The river and its tributaries are suitable for rafting. The powerful energy of this mountain river makes it a place of power that can help people achieve their goals.

Patmos Island

Located on the Katun River, on the outskirts of the village of Chemal. The locals call it Macarius Island - in honor of Saints Macarius Glukharev, the discoverer of the Chemal missionary camp, and Macarius Nevsky, who lived in the camp for 15 years.

Here is the Church of St. John the Theologian (currently - convent), known for its miracles - on one of the icons Mother of God, which was going to be restored, the colors came through on their own, another icon streams myrrh and knows how to hear the desires of people, helping them to be fulfilled.

This small stone island surrounded by the blue waters of the river, it can only be reached by a suspension bridge that can withstand no more than 6 people at a time. The place is a center of tourism, local newlyweds come here for a wedding.

Kamyshlinsky waterfall

It is located in the Shebalinsky district of the Republic of Altai, on the Kamyshla River, not far from the place where it flows into the Katun. Falling from a height of 12 meters, the water hits the rocks and crumbles into many splashes, shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow.

The ease of access, beauty and legends of this two-cascade waterfall make it popular excursion object. Since 1996 it has the status of a natural monument.

The flood of 2014 destroyed the suspension bridge over the Katun River, and now you can get to the waterfall by crossing the Katun by ferry or motor boat, or by going through mountain path to the river Kamyshla.

Big Chulchinsky waterfall (Uchar)

It is a cascading waterfall on the Chulcha River in the Ulagansky district of the Altai Republic. Locals call it Uchar - "flying" or "impregnable", it is very difficult to get to it.

The water falls not from a steep, but from a steep ledge and is about 160 meters, making the waterfall the largest in the region.

Uchar is quite young natural object, formed 150-200 years ago as a result of an earthquake and a collapse of rocks. The usually calm Chulcha River in this place overcomes huge obstacles, its waters begin to boil and foam, and the roar of the waterfall is heard far around.

Kurai steppe

It is a large, 20 kilometers wide, intermountain basin in the southeast of the Altai Republic. It is located in the valley of the Chuya River at an altitude of 1500-1600 meters above sea level, between the Kuraisky and Severo-Chuysky ridges.

In addition to picturesque mountain scenery this place attracts big amount archaeological sites - numerous mounds, stone statues with runic inscriptions and drawings, ancient irrigation systems.

Looking at the Kurai steppe with high altitude, you can see a giant ripple of the current - relief signs up to 20 meters high, formed during floods of glacier-dammed lakes about 15 thousand years ago.

Tract Kalbak-Tash (ancient petroglyphs)

It is located on the right bank of the Chuya River, on the 723rd kilometer of the Chuya tract, between the villages of Iodro and Inya. Kalbak-Tash is translated from Altai as “a flat hanging stone” – the rock hangs right over the road. The complex includes about 5 thousand rock paintings from different eras, the oldest of which belong to the late Neolithic (the end of the 5th-4th millennium BC).

The plates are engraved with images of animals, people, hunting scenes, as well as 30 lines of unique runic inscriptions. It is believed that this place was sacred to the peoples living here in different time. Some signs-petroglyphs testify that it was used as a temple and as an observatory.

Denisova cave

It is located in the Soloneshensky district of the Altai Territory, at an altitude of 28 meters from the Anui River and 670 meters above sea level. Locals call it Ayu-Tash - "bear stone". This horizontal type cave has a wide entrance, a length of 110 meters and an area of ​​240 square meters. Thanks to large sizes and close location to the water, for many millennia it has been a reliable shelter for people and animals.

The cave has a great archaeological value - the remains of plants, animals and people of different eras, tools, weapons, utensils and decorations were found here. Thanks to these findings, for the first time, it was possible to establish the exact sequence of the change of ancient cultures, as well as to define the "Denisovsky man" - a separate species that differs from Neanderthals and modern people.

Church of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine

This Orthodox church, consecrated in 2009, is located in the village of Srostki in the Biysk region and is considered the most beautiful in Siberia. It was erected on the site of the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity, destroyed in the 60s of the last century.

As conceived by the architect, the new building should externally repeat the forms old church, although not wood, but brick was chosen as the material. In 1929, the writer, screenwriter, film director and actor Vasily Makarovich Shukshin was baptized at this place, and the opening of the Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr was timed to coincide with his anniversary.

Altai (translated from Mongolian means "golden") - the land of golden mountains and blue waters, edge high mountains and low gorges... How many poets have praised this amazing place.

Gorny Altai includes 2 state reserves having the status of "biospheric": Altai and Katun, as well as natural Park Ukok. Here is located national park"Belukha". All this is the object of the World natural heritage UNESCO "Altai - Golden Mountains".

I suggest you to plunge into these amazing places untouched nature, in their original form.

10. Mother river Katun

The picture was taken near the village of Tungur. The length is 688 km. The river originates from the city of Belukha, near the Gebler glacier. The river got its name “Katun” from the Altai word “kadyn”, which means “lady mistress”, and “kadyn” comes from the ancient Turkic word “katyn” - “river”.

9. Ancient petroglyphs

Petroglyphs are ancient rock carvings carved on stone from ancient Paleolithic times to the Middle Ages. These petroglyphs belong to the Bronze Age of the Scythian time (7th-6th centuries BC). These drawings are located in the area of ​​the Kucherla River in the Ust-Koksinsky district of the Altai Republic. They are of great historical value.

Kucherlinskoye Lake is one of the most beautiful places in the Altai Mountains. It is located at the foot of the slope of the Katunsky Ridge in the upper reaches of the Kucherla River, at an altitude of 1790 meters above sea level. Subalpine and alpine meadows in the vicinity of the lake are often visited by Siberian wild animals, one of them is snow leopards (leopard leopards). The turquoise color of the water, steep cliffs, forested slopes, the sound of water falling from the ledges gives the lake unique beauty and attracts tourists from all over the world.

7. Big Chulchinsky waterfall

Big Chulchinsky waterfall (Uchar - “flying”) is the largest cascading waterfall in the Altai Mountains. The height of the fall of the waterfall is about 160 m. Uchar is located 7 km from the Altai Reserve, where the Chulcha River flows into Chulyshman. Waterfall Uchar is one of the 5 most hard-to-reach places Russia, and in 2010 - in the top ten most beautiful sights of Russia. The waterfall was formed not very long ago - a little over 200 years, after one of the collapses. This is one of the few places in the reserve that is allowed to be shown to tourists.

Teletskoye lake (with local language Altyn-kel - "Golden Lake") - the most big lake Altai. The area of ​​​​the water mirror is 230.8 km², and the depth is 325 m. Russian pioneers called it Teletsky, a little more than 400 years ago because of the Turkic tribes of Teleses who lived there at that time.

It is located in the northeast of the Altai Mountains, at the junction with the Western Sayan ridge. It is noteworthy that the lake is covered with ice in winter period only once every 8-10 years. It is under the protection of UNESCO.

5. Shavlinsky lakes

Shavlinsky lakes - a group of lakes in the Altai Mountains, located along the Shavla River, not far from the North Chuysky Range. The main two lakes in this chain: the upper one, located at an altitude of 2164 m above sea level, and the lower one, which is larger in area, lies at an altitude of 1983 m above sea level.

4. Karatyurek pass

Pass Karatyurek (translated from the Alt. Kara - black, јӱrek - heart) - Mountain pass, category of complexity according to the tourist classification - 1A. It is located between the Akkem and Kucherla rivers, on the Katunsky ridge, in the area of ​​Belukha Mountain, on the territory natural park"Belukha". Height is about 3060 meters above sea level. The view from the top of the pass is amazing! The top of Belukha mountain, Yarlu gorge and Akkem lake are visible.

3. Edelweiss Valley

The Edelweiss Valley (Yarlu Valley) is one of the most beautiful and amazing places Gorny Altai. It is located near Belukha Mountain, to the left of Akkem Lake, at an altitude of about 2000 m above sea level. The name of the valley is really speaking: flowers that are very rare in nature, listed in the Red Book - EDELWEISS, grow here. Small, fluffy, very delicate in appearance! In the same valley there is a fortress made of stones. She is visible in the photo. People took these stones from a small river flowing nearby. This place is certainly sacred for people, as evidenced by numerous stone figures built inside the fortress.

Looking at the photo, it seems that the mountains are within easy reach, but in fact, they are 5-6 hours away! This is such an optical illusion.

2. Valley of the Seven Lakes

The valley of the seven lakes is generally something unimaginable! The valley consists of a chain of small picturesque lakes, which are filled with mountain streams flowing from glaciers. The main thing that strikes is the color of the lakes: turquoise, green, blue-green, black, yellowish, and other shades of blue.

Particularly striking black lake and turquoise, which is located directly under the Ak-oyuk glacier! The whole secret is in the stones at the bottom of the lakes! The Valley of the Seven Lakes is located next to Lake Akkem. To get to it, you need to overcome 3 parts of the ascent. Having risen there, Mount Ak-oyuk (from the Alt. white mountain) opens before your eyes. The first person to climb Ak-oyuk was the Englishman Samuel Turner in 1904, before attempting to climb Belukha. On hot days, in summer, the lakes have time to warm up, so you can swim in them!

1. Mount Belukha

Mount Belukha (South Alt. Uch-Sumer - Three-headed, Kadyn-Bazhy - Top of the Katun, Kaz. Muztau Shyny) is not just the most high point Siberia (4509 m) is sacred place for the people living there since ancient times. This place is also called the “Axis of the World”. And in this, I will tell you, there is something: after all, the mountain is located at an equal distance from 3 oceans (Arctic, Pacific and Atlantic). And poets, philosophers and religious thinkers call it the "Silver Thread of the World." The mountain itself and its two servants nearby, Lake Akkem of blue clay, starry sky, the purest air and water - all this is pristine nature ... This is really a very magical, magical place, not only in its beauty, but also in peace of mind! Anyone who has ever visited these parts will never forget them!