Bashkiria is famous for its lakes, of which there are so many that would be enough for several countries. Each of them is unique in its own way, but not all of them can be called pristine. There are few reservoirs where camp sites or sanatoriums have not yet been built, which is probably why Lake Kalkan is so loved by tourists who prefer life in a tent to any comfort, but with nature on "you".
Lakes of the Uchalinsky district
Uchalinsky district of Bashkortostan can "boast" five lakes, each of which is original and has its own legend of occurrence. For example, on Lake Aushkul there is an island in the shape of a heart, which attracts lovers from different parts of the country.
White and yellow water lilies, rare for Bashkiria, grow in the waters of Vorozheich, which indicates its purity. According to local legend, these are mermaids who cannot stand sunlight, so every morning they turn into beautiful flowers.
Lake Kalkan has an elongated shape with a peninsula that looks like a hand from a bird's eye viewgiant holding a shield. And how could the ancient Bashkirs understand this, since they gave the reservoir such a name?
There is a floating peat island on Lake Urgun, which is amazing in itself, and it is also the largest body of water in the Northern Trans-Urals.
Lake Uzunkul has waters of a rare turquoise color, and since tourists rarely get to it, rest on it can be considered truly wild.
Each body of water in the region is beautiful, but not all of them were mined for gold and gems, which Lake Kalkan (Bashkiria) is so rich in.
Description of Lake Kalkan
In Bashkir, “Kalkan” means “shield”, and this is exactly what the surface of the reservoir looks like, which is cut exactly in the middle by a narrow peninsula, resembling a hand with a fist squeezing it. Lake Kalkan is famous for its clear but cold waters. It is fed by numerous springs, so when people have been swimming in other reservoirs for a long time, the warming of the water surface is just beginning here.
The lake is small, elongated only 2 km long along the meridian and a little less than a kilometer wide. The peninsula is also small, only 05 km2, but all covered with forest. In general, the first thing that tourists notice here is the air, which is saturated with the aroma of pine resin.
The northern half of Lake Kalkan is somewhat swampy, but the southern half is surrounded by hills from west to east, which are attractions in themselves. It is here that the famous quarries where jasper was mined are located.
Jasper LakeKalkan
The western shore of the reservoir rests on Mount Kalkan-tau, where there are still rocky outcrops in which jasper can be found. It was extremely unique, which is why its appearance is known in the world as "Kalkan jasper".
It was surprising that the gem deposit was located almost on the surface of the earth, since the jasper Ural belt passed here, which was intensively developed in the 18-19 centuries. Thanks to this deposit, Lake Kalkan became known far beyond the borders of Bashkiria.
It was all about her qualities: they were extremely good. The stones were distinguished by uniformity, solidity, strength and toughness. From them it was possible to make vases of any size, caskets, jewelry. For example, the most famous Kalkan jasper vase (2 meters high and 1 m in diameter) was exhibited in 1867 at the World Exhibition in Paris. Today it stands in the Hermitage (“Malachite Hall”) and still impresses visitors with its size.
So, having arrived at Lake Kalkan (reviews from tourists strongly recommend), you must definitely climb the mountain of the same name, firstly, to admire the surroundings, and secondly, look for a piece of jasper as a keepsake.
Active life on the lake
There are no camp sites on this reservoir, but this in no way prevents the Bashkirs from holding various events here. One of them is the bard song festival, named after the lake. Songwriters flock here not only from all over Bashkiria, but also from neighboring republics. In 2016the 29th rally was held, which indicates the continued interest in the event.
In addition to bards, singing groups participate in it, and those who could not submit an application on time for some reason are allowed to participate in the "free microphone" competition. For three days, music and laughter sound on the shore of the lake, participants exchange impressions and take part in a gala concert at the end of the festival.
The local district holiday Sabantuy, held in early June, is dedicated to the achievements of local producers.
To do this, an exhibition is organized on the shore, after which competitions begin (both national sports games and familiar football). Since the Bashkirs love horses, they can't do without jigging and equestrian competitions, and the holiday ends with a concert of local musical groups.
This is the kind of active life Lake Kalkan offers its guests in summer.
Recreation and fishing
Despite the fact that the waters of the lake are quite cold, the fishing here is excellent. Underwater inhabitants here are the same as in other reservoirs of Bashkiria, and although their reserves here are quite enough for economic fishing, it is not conducted here, which is extremely pleasing to fishermen.
To get an excellent result, it is better to have or rent a boat and explore Kalkan Lake. Fishing (reviews of experienced fishermen say that there are many baited places here) can bring a catch of carp, perch, grass carp, roach, pike perch, carp, bream and silver carp.
BecauseThe influx of tourists to the reservoir is growing from year to year, a special parking lot for cars and tents with barbecues, places for fires and gazebos has been built here. Behind the parking lot are trash cans that are attacked by ever-hungry seagulls, making a noise like an alarm clock in the morning.
Tours
Active people can expect horseback riding tours not only in the surrounding area, but also tours to Bolshoi Iremel, a mountain located 26 km from the lake. Deciduous and pine forests, a dilapidated steam mill, a picturesque peninsula, all this is part of hiking or horseback riding.
Those who travel to these parts for the first time are interested in how to get to Lake Kalkan. It is located 10 km from the city of Uchaly, so first you need to take the direction to this city, and then proceed to the village of Kalkanovo, near which take to the right towards the village of Rysaevo. You won't be able to drive past, as the road runs along the lakeshore.
