Rest on Lake Baikal with children

Holidays in Russia is becoming more popular every day. A trip to Lake Baikal with children is an opportunity to enjoy the magnificent scenery. Active recreation in combination with unique landscapes will not leave your children indifferent. Where to go and what time, let's find out.

Lake Baikal is located on the border of Buryatia and the Irkutsk region. This is the cleanest and deepest lake in the world. In 1996, Lake Baikal was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The lake was formed as a result of the fracture of tectonic plates, its length is about 600 km.

The diversity of the flora is impressive: relict forests on the island of Olkhon, hornbeam and oaks forming southeastern groves, blue spruces, the appearance of which remains a mystery to scientists until now. The coast of the lake is a broken line. Most of the shore is not suitable for families with children.

With children it is better to go to rest in July, August and September. During the day, the air temperature warms up to + 28 ° С, at night it drops to + 13- + 15 ° С. The wind is warm, the water at the coast warms to a comfortable temperature. During the summer months all historical sights are available. Comfortably ride on cruise yachts, kayak, diving with children.

For bathing children choose the Small Sea, the water in this place warms up to +22 degrees. This place is popular among tourists, it is easy to reach.

In winter, the rest is amazing - white snow and clean, frosty air. To celebrate New Year go to Listvyanka for an active holiday or to Khakusy for a swim in the hot springs. Mountain landscapes are especially beautiful in winter around Arshan, skiers will appreciate the lifts of Baikalsk.

According to reviews of tourists who have already visited Baikal, the following advantages of recreation in this place can be identified:

• the fare to Baikal is small, route and sightseeing buses run from Irkutsk, the cost is from 800 rubles;
• crystal clear water;
• the absence of noisy parties, not only at night, but during the day;
• amazing landscapes;
• clean air filled with the scent of tar and herbs.

However, tourists call the following disadvantages:

• underdeveloped infrastructure for families with children (minimum of playgrounds or their complete absence);
• the water in the lake warms only at the end of July - the beginning of August, the rest of the time, the kids are uncomfortable to swim;
• lack of bathing facilities with children - backwaters, swimming pools;
• medical assistance in the form of junior staff - paramedics or nurses;

• in rest houses, boarding houses and guesthouses there are interruptions in hot water;
• most of the attractions located far from Irkutsk;
• the cost of hotels and camp sites does not correspond to the quality of services (tourists call vacation at the camp sites “a pioneer camp with permitted alcohol”);
• Toilets are most often located in the courtyard at the camp sites and in rest homes; pay attention to this when choosing a place to rest;
• forest fires can spoil the rest.

Baikal is a place of visiting not only Russian tourists.Germans and Englishmen like to fly here. Beauty and mysticism attract more and more tourists every year. Baikal can be reached in several ways. Consider the most optimal.

From Irkutsk, it is easier to get to Olkhon Island, the Small Sea, and Arshan by an excursion or shuttle bus.

You will get to Irkutsk:

• by plane;
• by train;
• independently by car.

Regular departures from Moscow and St. Petersburg. Trains go to Irkutsk from Yaroslavl and Kazan stations. There is no direct train from St. Petersburg.

You will get to:

• Cape Holy Nose;
• Arshan;
• Maksimihi;
• Ust-Barguzin.

Ulan-Ude can be reached by train. From Yaroslavsky and Kazansky railway stations - on the transit train "Moscow-Chita", "Moscow-Vladivostok", "Moscow-Khabarovsk". There is no train from St. Petersburg.

By plane - direct flight "Moscow-Ulan-Ude" or with transfers.

From this city prefer to travel lovers of tent cities and pristine and wild places of rest. It:

• Frolikha Lake;
• Khakusy;
• Dzelinda.

You can get to Severobaykalsk by train or independently by car.

From Siberia to get to Baikal is easy. So, the distance from Novosibirsk to Listvyanka is 1900 km along the highway. From Kemerovo - 1649 km. A serious distance for traveling with children will be the Khabarovsk-Baikal route, a distance of about 3,100 km (two days away).

Most tourists from Moscow and St. Petersburg get to Irkutsk or Ulan-Ude by train or plane, in Irkutsk they rent a car.

Now let's talk about the most beautiful and interesting places for families with children.

It is easy to get to Listvyanka from Irkutsk by a shuttle bus or independently on your own car. Listvyanka is recognized as the best recreation area with a developed infrastructure. There are shops, small snack bars and cafes, rest houses.

This is where the Shaman Stone is located and begins its Angara flow. In Listvyanka there is entertainment for children: the Taltsy Museum of Architecture, the Baikal Museum, the Arboretum, the Nerpinary. All this will help your child to learn the secrets of local residents, to plunge into the life of ancient peoples and learn about the conquerors of Siberia at different times.

The disadvantages of recreation in Listvyanka are:

• the influx of tourists at the weekend, lovers of secluded relaxation will not be able to enjoy the beauty and tranquility;
• The coast is rocky, huge boulders are located along the whole line of the coast, therefore swimming here is dangerous;
• water near the shore is cold at any time of the year;
• lack of bike lanes and sidewalks along the road.

What to see: museums, Cape Listvenichny, Shaman-stone, Chersky peak (altitude 728 meters above sea level), Vampilov monument, astrophysical observatory,

The island is located 300 kilometers from the city of Irkutsk. You can reach it through the crossing. Legend has it that it was on this island that Genghis Khan was buried. You can get from Irkutsk to the village of Sakhyurta, the ferry runs from 7 am to 10 pm.

In the summer season, a queue of tourists is created at the crossing, get ready to stand in the heat from an hour to several hours. The island has many tourist routes: hiking and cycling. The main disadvantage of living with children on the island, tourists called interruptions in drinking water and the presence of creeping reptiles. A big plus is the absence of ticks and insects.

What to see: capes Sagan-Shoon, Kobylya head, Khoboy; Ethnographic Museum, Buryat village. So that the children remember the rest on Olkhon, it is better to take excursions around the island. There are travel agencies with good guides.

The resort is known for over 200 years for its mineral springs. Great place to stay with children. It is best to take a ticket to the sanatorium "Goryachinsk."The main diseases with which children come: musculoskeletal and respiratory system diseases.

This is a good place for family holidays, walks in a pine forest. The city has a sandy beach with a developed infrastructure: a cafe, a disco, a toilet, and a changing room. You can get to the city from Ulan-Ude by bus.

This place got its name because of the strait separating the island of Olkhon from the lake. Here is a paradise for kids: the water is warm from mid-June, children can swim from the sandy shore.

The length of the Small Sea reaches 100 kilometers. Olkhon Island protects the strait from the cold winds, because there is always comfortable rest conditions here. Several small bays (Khuzhir-Nugai, Hagdan-Dalai) became popular places for families with children.

Tourists get here by bus or car. In the summer, up to some of the camp sites goes "Rocket". Some bases have private pools. For teens there is no urban entertainment, this is a place for a beach holiday.

Resort in the north-east of Baikal. Known for its hot thermal springs. The resort is located on a 4 km long sand spit, the springs are 700 meters from the shoreline.

The resort starts on 10 June and ends the season on 15 October. It is surrounded by the Barguzinsky Reserve and the Frolikhinsky Reserve. This is an ideal place for families with children: a developed infrastructure, warm mineral springs and coniferous forests around.

Families who prefer active recreation will be delighted. A small village in Buryatia has been attracting tourists for many years. Amazing places and infrastructure will allow you to relax with pleasure. What to see: Kangagri waterfalls, Datsan, Peak of Love, Chalice of virgins, mineral spring, Souvenir market.

You need to know the following:

• Be sure to take warm clothes, night temperature in summer in some areas - up to +13.
• Put vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis in advance.
• Stock up on mosquitoes and midges.
• Take remedies after insect bites.

• Baby food is better to take with you.
• If you plan to sleep in tents, take care of the inventory in advance. Also check availability for camping.
• Stock up on cash. Maps are not accepted everywhere.
• The territory of Baikal is the pricing of the Far East, take care of connecting roaming in advance.

Baikal is an amazing place not only for Russia, but for the whole world. Here is a quiet family vacation along with active. The best season for traveling with children is July-August, for the winter holidays fans of mountain skiing come here.

On the rest on Lake Baikal, see the following video.