If you love outdoor activities, then traveling through the Urals is something you should definitely try. Here you will find great opportunities for active tourism, you will discover a world of amazing adventures and vivid impressions.
You can travel through these picturesque regions by car, quad bikes and even bicycles. Horse riding tours and hiking tours are also available. A climate favorable for outdoor activities, regardless of the time of year, will contribute to an eventful holiday that you will remember with pleasure for a long time.
Ural - holidays for every taste
The land of lakes and rivers - this is how the Urals are often called because of the huge number of reservoirs on its territory. Three and a half thousand rivers flow in the Chelyabinsk region alone. That is why one of the most popular sports here is rafting, which attracts thousands of tourists every year. There are many routes for traveling on water, you can also go on an excursion to the waterfalls or caves of the Urals, or go fishing on one ofthe most beautiful reservoirs.
In winter, the Urals are fabulously beautiful. At this time, you can take advantage of one of the toboggan tours, which are especially popular here. The journey will be along picturesque mountain and forest paths, covered with shiny snow, under the bright sun.
For those who prefer a relaxing holiday, there are many tourist centers where you will enjoy complete unity with nature away from the noise of big cities.
And if you want to travel around the Urals on foot, there is a wide range of such tours.
Thus, if you decide to go to one of the most beautiful corners of the country, you can choose the holiday that suits you.
The most popular routes in the Urals
While traveling in the Urals, routes can be very different, depending on the following factors:
- way of travel;
- the amount of time allotted for rest;
- financial opportunities;
- the most preferred type of holiday and other factors.
Among the most popular routes are the following natural objects:
- The Ural Mountains are a geographically unique region where the border between Europe and Asia passes. At a distance exceeding two thousand kilometers, there are many monuments and memorials.
- Azov Mountain, considered one of the most mysterious places in the Sverdlovsk region. This place is associated with legends about treasures hidden by robbers, the mysterious ghost of a girl in white, candle lights,lighting up at night, and many other equally mysterious and interesting stories.
- Mountains High, Ezhovaya, Shunut, Yuryev Kamen, each of which is unique in its own way.
- Lakes Ayatskoye, Bottomless, Asbestos Stone, Isetskoye, Moltaevo, Sandy, Tavatui, Talc Stone, Pike.
- The Blue Mountains Pass, which can be crossed on foot or by bike, and many other beautiful places.
The number of natural monuments and simply the most beautiful places in the Urals is so great that no matter how much time you take for a trip, there will always be corners that you will not have time to visit.
Trip around the Urals by car
For complete unity with nature and enjoying its wonders, you can go on a trip to the Urals by car. This method will provide an opportunity to see all the wonders of the region, not limited to standard tours, in which the trip time is fixed. And if you have a motorhome and a lot of time, then such a trip will be an unforgettable adventure.
So, if you are going on a trip to the Urals by car, where to go is not the most important question, because every corner here is a unique miracle of nature.
One of the many options for traveling by car is the Ural Ring, which includes the following places:
- "Ice Fountain" (village Sibirka).
- Porogi hydroelectric power plant.
- Alpine lake Zyuratkul.
- Lake Turgoyak.
- Kapova Cave.
- Arkaim.
- Gadelsha Waterfall.
Youstart your adventures in Ufa. The first point of the trip will be the "Ice Fountain" (Sibirka), a magnificent monument of nature, built by man. In 1976, drillers in search of iron ore accidentally stumbled upon a powerful underground river that escaped from a well. The workers tried to install the plug, but the force of the current broke through it. A few years later, the well was nevertheless closed, and now it beats up like a fountain. In winter, it freezes and turns into a real miracle of nature. The Ice Fountain looks especially impressive at night, when the purest snow plays with multi-colored highlights under the light of the stars.
The Porogi hydroelectric power plant, built by the Germans, is the only hydraulic structure in the world that was built using the method of laying wild stone - sandstone. The hydroelectric power plant supplies electricity to the village of the same name, as well as other settlements located nearby. Since 1993, "Thresholds" have been included in the list of monuments of international importance.
Turgoyak is a large lake with fresh water. It is surrounded by mountains and coniferous forests. A monument of nature with the purest water, close in quality to Baikal.
Traveling by car in the Urals would be incomplete without visiting the famous caves. This route includes the Kapova Cave (Shulgan-Tash), which is the only cave in Eastern Europe that has well-preserved examples of stone age painting. Worldwide, such ancient rock art has survived only in two countries: France and Spain. Studied onlya small part of the vast territory of the cave, scientists and speleologists were able to walk only 1.5 km. Tourists are attracted here by the positive energy of the place, as well as the healing properties of cave water, air and clay.
Arkaim is a place that is sacred to many people belonging to different religions, and even atheists. The summer solstice is special here. At this time, on Arkaim, you can see the communication of shamans with spirits, and the stones brought from here are considered talismans and are carefully stored.
The three-cascade waterfall Gadelsha, with a total height of up to 15 meters, is a majestic sight. Here you can find jaspers and jaspermoids, ornamental stones that are known all over the world.
The trip around the ring ends at the starting point, in Ufa.
If your choice is to travel around the Urals by car, the routes can be very different. Every place here is unique and worth a visit.
Quad bikes are the best transport for traveling in the Urals
Of course, driving on a flat paved road is nice, but more and more people are leaning towards off-road travel. The ideal transport for this kind of trip is a quad bike that will take you to the most inaccessible places, giving you an unforgettable experience.
There are many options for such trips. One of them is a trip on ATVs across the Urals along the route Yekaterinburg - Yurma - Yekaterinburg with stops in Upper Sysert, Arakul Shikhany and Mount Egoza.
This way is the best for feeling fullunity with nature, rest from the benefits of civilization and enjoy the speed and picturesque views. The rocky massif of the Arakul Shikhany, more than two hundred kilometers long, consists of many rocks of the most bizarre shapes that have been standing here since the Bronze and Iron Ages.
Mount Egoza is one of the most picturesque and highest. It can only be climbed on a quad bike in summer, in winter it is possible only on a ski lift.
To see so many peaks with breathtaking panoramas, to make a quick transition from the Middle Urals to the South, enjoying forest roads and intoxicatingly clean air - all this can be done on an ATV in the shortest possible time.
Traveling by bike in the Urals
For lovers of active ecotourism, a bicycle trip through the Urals is an ideal way. Of course, this way you will not be able to get to the most inaccessible places and make your way off-road with a breeze. However, excellent physical shape, a lot of positive emotions and beautiful places that you can slowly explore - all this is guaranteed.
There are many cycling tours organized in the Urals, but you can also go on a trip on your own.
The most popular cycling route in the Urals passes through the territory of the Bashkiria National Park, which borders on the Shulgan-Tash nature reserve. The latter is guarded by real bees, so you can taste the most organic honey along the way.
Hiking in the Urals
Despite the abundance of modes of transport on which you can travel around the Urals, hiking continues to enjoy unchanged popularity. The advantage of this method of transportation is the introduction into the environment of the territory through which you travel. In addition, hiking is a great way to keep fit, as well as the opportunity to visit unique places that are rarely described in guidebooks. Among the popular hiking routes in the Urals:
- Vishera Nature Reserve.
- Stone City.
- Memorialized (Kolchimsky) monument.
- Kvarkush plateau.
- Protected tours to Basegi and other equally interesting places.
You can go on a hike as part of a tourist group or a group of friends, but in the latter case, you should carefully consider the route and prepare the necessary equipment.
Horse tours in the Urals
Equestrian tourism continues to be very popular in the Urals. Various eco-tours offer trips to places that have preserved the pristine beauty of nature, and the small villages you meet along the way only enhance the overall impression of a journey into the past.
Tour programs are varied. Tourists are invited to take a walk to the sources of the Ural rivers, ride through forests and mountains with the cleanest air, and visit many natural monuments. Horse tours are what Ural has always been proud of. Travel photos you bring home will be remembered for a long time.
Rafting in the Urals
Mountain riversThe Urals are perfect for water tourism. Rafting on the river can be done by everyone, regardless of the level of training, as various programs are provided. The difference between local rafting is in the amazing nature - majestic rocks surround the rivers, along which descents are organized, creating unsurpassed beauty. Here, as a rule, water tourism is multi-day in nature and is suitable for families. Rafting routes pass along the rivers:
- White;
- Yurazan;
- Chusovaya;
- Big Inzer;
- Lemeza.
Each of them has its own fans who come here year after year to enjoy water tourism.
Ski holidays in the Urals
As with any mountains, there is an opportunity to go skiing in the Urals. There are trails for both true professionals and beginners to master this sport. More than 50 ski centers, the total length of which is 200 km, operate here. Most of them are in Bashkortostan, Chelyabinsk and Sverdlovsk regions. The longest pistes can be found in ski resorts such as Abzakovo, Zavyalikha and Adzhigardak.
You can go on a real ski trip along the snowy slopes of the Urals, the natural beauty of which will not leave you indifferent.
Horse and sleigh journey through the Ural expanses
You can go on a journey through the Urals on a sleigh pulled by horses. These tours are usedespecially popular with outdoor enthusiasts. Frosty air and bright sun, under which the purest snow sparkles - this is what awaits you on such a trip. The routes of horse and sleigh tours pass through natural monuments and through mountain passes, from which picturesque panoramas open up.
When is the best time to go to the Urals
Traditionally, the best time for hiking is from early July to early September. This interval is the most favorable in terms of weather conditions, and therefore the routes you will follow.
If you are going on a winter holiday, then from the beginning of November until the end of March you can enjoy all the delights of ski trips and luge tours.
Whether you go on a trip to the Urals by car, quad bike, bicycle or prefer hiking, the experience of visiting this region will be unforgettable.
