Lake Baikal gave rise to many legends, mysteries and myths. Some of its secrets were revealed, but many of them are still filled with mysticism, sometimes bordering on historical reality. Interest in the lake does not dry out, rather, on the contrary, every year it attracts more and more travelers from all over the world. Many of them go directly to the tourist center of the Baikal region, which Listvyanka has been recognized for many years. Baikal here at any time of the year reveals its beauty and charm.
Tourist mecca
The village of Listvyanka was called a tourist mecca on Baikal. This is the most popular place to stay, located an hour's drive from Irkutsk. There is no better starting point for traveling around the legendary Baikal. It is from Listvyanka that people go on exciting cruises around the Pribaikalsky National Park, the famous Circum-Baikal, the Baikal-Lena Nature Reserve.
An old Siberian village is often called the key to the great lake. Excursions along it invariably include an unforgettable journey to the world's widest source of the Angara River, to the Shaman-stone, surrounded by mysterious legends from ancient times.
Recreation in Listvyanka on Baikal will allow you to see many wonders of the lake even in a short period of time, admire its endless views from a bird's eye view. There is no need to be bored here. Tourists are waiting for trips on real dog sleds, the best shows with trained seals, extreme ice diving, visits to unique museums that tell about life in Siberian villages in the 17th-19th centuries.
History of the village
The edges of the coast of the sacred lake at the source of the Angara began to settle in more than three hundred years ago. Initially, it was the winter quarters of the brothers Shamshurin, Natyaganov, then a postal station, and in 1726 a water crossing was established here across the lake. The first mention of the settlement is found in the notes of travelers of the XVIII century. Numerous larches growing on the nearby Listvennichny Cape gave the name to the settlement that arose here - Listvyanka. From the moment the settlement appeared, Baikal became navigable, which was also facilitated by the merchants Sibiryakov, Shigaev, Shishelov, Dudorovsky, Potapov and others.
Gate to Baikal
Listvyanka grew rapidly, new marinas, warehouses, offices, hotels appeared. It became the main landing on the great lake. It is often called the gate to Baikal.
During constructionThe Trans-Siberian Railway revealed serious difficulties in the lake area, which led to the decision to build Russia's first ferry railway crossing. For the transportation of trains in England, the shipyard "Armstrong and Co" ordered icebreakers-ferries "Baikal" and "Angara". They continued to serve even after the construction of the Circum-Baikal Railway, until 1918. The ferry was destroyed during the civil war.
Today, trips around Lake Baikal are carried out on comfortable luxury liners equipped with the latest navigation systems and highly maneuverable, such as, for example, the two-deck motor ship Alexander Vampilov.
Magic of Baikal
Going on a trip across the lake is a dream of many. Few people would refuse the most exciting adventures away from the gray haze of cities, endless business and eternal bustle. On Baikal, nature will appear in the form of beautiful meadows, mountains, taiga, clean air, crystal clear water, bottomless blue sky. Majestic cliffs, amazing caves and grottoes, mysterious rock paintings, cozy bays and bays fascinate. Having once visited Baikal, one cannot but be imbued with the magic of the great lake.
The most visited place here is Listvyanka. Baikal has a lot of interesting sights that attract tourists from all over the world. From the central pier offers a magnificent view of the natural wonder. Listvyanka and its environs are home to unique historical monuments, parks, and entertainment complexes.
Baikal Odyssey
Cruises on Baikal are recognized as the most popular and exciting type of recreation. Traveling through the endless expanses of the lake in a special way allows you to feel all the power and unique energy of the Siberian land. This is a great chance to get acquainted with the most famous sights of the lake. And you can get to many islands, beautiful bays and bays only by water.
Holidays in Listvyanka on Baikal will allow you to take advantage of one of these chances, since cruise routes usually begin and end in the village. During the journey, the ships enter the Sandy Bay, the islands of Olkhon, Ogoy, pass through the Chivyrkuisky Bay, the Kadilnaya Pad. Cruises are also organized in Irkutsk.
In the summer, for those who wish to travel around Lake Baikal in the circle of only close people, it is offered to rent boats and motor ships.
Sights of Listvyanka
Sights are often surrounded by mysterious legends and myths. This can also be said about the St. Nicholas Church located in the padi of the Cross St. Nicholas Church, which the people called the "Church-traveler". Everyone in the village of Listvyanka knows the history of its creation. Baikal is famous for such monuments of nature and history. The church, according to legend, was built with the money of the Siberian merchant Xenophon Serebryakov. At the beginning of the 19th century, he had a chance to endure disaster while sailing across the lake. He desperately prayed to Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of seafarers, for salvation, promising that if he managed to survive the storm, in gratitude he would build a temple on the shores of Lake Baikal. And a miracledone! At the source of the Angara, Serebryakov built a chapel, and after the death of the merchant, his wife built a temple in the village of Nikola. In 1848 the church was moved to Listvyanka. In 1956, the church was returned to Krestovaya Pad due to the construction of the Irkutsk hydroelectric power station.
The legend of the old man Baikal and his meek daughter Angara is one of the most popular legends that can be heard in the village of Listvyanka. Its must-see sights include the so-called Shaman Stone. This is the same piece of rock that was thrown in a fit of rage by Baikal after his beloved daughter Angara. Once, dancing among the mountains, she saw the mighty handsome Yenisei and fled from her father to her lover. The shaman-stone is still considered sacred, and adherents of shamanism claimed that the spirits of the lake lived on the rock.
While sightseeing, you should not ignore the Baikal Museum, which stores unique expositions representing the flora and fauna of the lake, as well as the private art gallery of Vladimir Plamenevsky, which is also a creative summer residence for artists working here in the summer. There is also a zoo and an aquarium with seals in Listvyanka.
The observation deck, located on Mount Chersky Stone, offers a beautiful view of the lake and the village. A cable car leads to the top. In winter, lovers of snowboarding and skiing gather on the mountain.
Pribaikalsky National Park
The village of Listvyanka on Lake Baikal is located on the territory of the Baikal Park. It covers a large part of the westernshores of the lake, including Olkhon Island, and is one of the five largest national reserves in the country. The visiting and information center of the park is concentrated in Listvyanka. Its flora and fauna are extremely rich and are represented by rare and endemic species.
On the territory of the park there are more than 700 ethnographic monuments belonging to both the Paleolithic era and the present. 52 objects were given the status of natural monuments. The most famous are the rock paintings of the Sagan-Zaba cliff.
The Circum-Baikal Railway is considered a special attraction of the park, which surpasses all other railways in the world in saturation with engineering structures. Not only its architectural sights are interesting, but also natural objects - amazing rocks with outcrops of the rarest rocks and capes with bird nests. In order to see them, you just need to go on a trip around the Circum-Baikal on a tourist train.
Sand Bay
Peschanaya Bay, striking with its unusual landscapes, is considered a peculiar attraction of the park. It is here that you can see a natural phenomenon created by the power of the wind. These are the famous stilted trees standing on their roots up to 3 meters above the ground. Their exposure occurs as a result of blowing sandy soils by winds. However, it still feels like the trees are resting and will soon continue their long journey again.
Unusual picturesqueness to the amazing natural ensemble of Peschanaya Bay is given by the so-called remnant rocks Hat, Buddha and others,rising above the taiga cover of the Primorsky Range.
Recreation centers and hotels
Listvyanka, which stretches for 5 kilometers along the coast of Lake Baikal, is home to many hotels, bars, restaurants and entertainment complexes. Tourists come here from all over the world every year to see this natural wonder. Finding a place to stay here is not difficult, as comfortable hotel rooms are designed for different categories of visitors. In Listvyanka, you can endlessly enjoy solitude in the bosom of magnificent Siberian nature, but it is absolutely impossible to get bored here. At recreation centers and hotels, everyone will find everything they need for their soul and relaxation.
To create the necessary comfort so that vacationers would like to return to the village again and again, hotels of any level are ready, regardless of their type. And a lot of them are provided in such a form as a guest house, chalet, private hotel or recreation center, Listvyanka. Baikal and recreation have long become close concepts for many Russians. A visit to the sacred lake gives a charge of vivacity and vivid impressions for the whole year. Therefore, often, if they want to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, tourists return to the village of Listvyanka. Baikal (hotels, the prices of which are quite democratic, contribute to this perfectly) attracts all categories of vacationers. Recreation at a high level is guaranteed to everyone here. At the same time, Baikal hotels are characterized by a special uniqueness, individuality, the presence of any of their own special "chips".
It is important thatalmost all recreation centers work for tourists all year round, such as the Baikal Hotel. Listvyanka is interesting at any time of the year. Highly qualified staff will always help with the organization and selection of exciting excursions, both walking and water. Tourists here can hunt and fish in plenty, in winter they can ride snowmobiles, snowboards, skis and sleds. Many routes have been developed for outdoor enthusiasts, allowing you to merge with nature and fully enjoy the romance of travel.
The choice of a hotel largely depends on its location, pricing policy, comfort level, personal preferences. At the very source of the Angara is the Baikal Hotel. Listvyanka in this place is the most picturesque. The Eastland Ski Complex and the Baikal Museum are just a 10-minute walk away. Prices for hotel accommodation - from 950 rubles. in the low season and from 1550 rubles. in high.
Not far from the Ex altation of the Cross Church of St. Nicholas the Pleasant is the "Cross Pad". This tourist base is located away from the main road. Its convenient comfortable rooms, cozy wooden interiors allow you to take a break from the bustle of the city and have a wonderful time riding horses, going on excursions or just elementary walks.
Mayak, the largest hotel on Lake Baikal, will be a good option for a holiday. The hotel and tourist complex is located in Listvyanka, directly opposite the main pier. Here you can rent a room for 1250 rubles per day and more.
Excellent location, beautiful panorama combined with comfort and top-class services attract vacationers to the walls of the Legend of Baikal hotel. Listvyanka has recently boasted modern luxury hotel complexes. Located in picturesque locations, combined with all kinds of services and entertainment, they are places for the perfect holiday.
Port Baikal
Water routes have won particular popularity on vacation. The pier of the village is the starting point of almost most of the waterways on the lake. The shortest of them is carried out by ferry. Listvyanka and Port Baikal are separated only by the source of the Angara, which is about a kilometer wide. Excursions to a small cozy village near Cape Baranchik are of increasing interest to tourists. It is very different from the usual classic ports. Modest and inconspicuous in appearance, the village is a narrow strip of houses and a railway along the coast of the lake. The port is the end point of the Circum-Baikal Railway, which is one of its attractions along with the old railway station complex with service, industrial and passenger buildings. There is also a lighthouse and a berth for icebreaker ferries.
The port has recently attracted more and more tourists seeking a peaceful and quiet holiday. Isolation from civilization is a unique advantage over many places on the coast of the lake. However, comfort and high-class service can be found here as well, staying at the Krugobaikalskaya base. The staff of the complex helps organize trips around the lake region, including Listvyanka, natural parks and reserves of Baikal.
Diving on Baikal
Diving enthusiasts are well aware of Listvyanka. Baikal (the map is presented in the article) in the vicinity of the village, especially in its northeastern and western sides, is simply replete with places for diving. They are protected from strong currents and are distinguished by an interesting relief, rich underwater flora and fauna. In the vicinity of Listvyanka, there are 10 dive sites, concentrated mainly in the source of the Angara. Their depth can reach 40 m, water temperature - from 3 to 12 degrees above zero. You can go to Chomuty, Bolshoi Koty and some other dive sites by boat from Listvyanka.
In the Circum-Baikal region, if you wish, you can go on an exciting adventure by going wreck diving in the area of a sunken barge and the remains of a large ship's superstructure.
During diving, the amazing underwater world of Baikal opens up: canyons, vertical walls, stepped slopes. In May, when the ice begins to melt, there is a unique opportunity to observe concentrations of seals. They let people close enough to them, which gives a lot of pleasure to fans of underwater photography. Ice diving at Baikal leaves an incredibly vivid impression. It seems to lift the veil over the mystery of a completely different world with its intricate underwater ice formations, caves, grottoes and hummocks up to 8 m thick.
Baikal City
Tourism is the backbone of the economy in Listvyanka. It is planned to further develop it with the attraction of foreign investments. A tourist center corresponding to the international level may appear in the village. As conceived by the authors, the Baikal City project includes a cable car connecting Listvyanka and the port of Baikal, luxury hotels, ski resorts, a water park, restaurants, a congress hall, a casino, entertainment centers, and nightclubs. Listvyanka has the prospect of becoming a world-class resort.
How to get to Listvyanka
The village is closest to Irkutsk. They are connected by a waterway and a land route along the Baikal tract (road R-258). Motor ships in Irkutsk depart from the pier "Rocket", where they get on fixed-route taxis and regular buses from the bus station of the city.
