- Where to go on vacation in Gorny Altai?
- Excursion rest
- Leisure
- Beach vacation
Are you facing a difficult choice of where to go to rest in Gorny Altai? This is understandable, because every year Gorny Altai is visited by many travelers who want to make a close acquaintance with the "Siberian Switzerland".
Where to go on vacation in Gorny Altai?
The most comfortable time for rest in Altai Mountains is June-August. The short tourist season is due to the sharply continental type of climate. During this period, climbing and speleo tours, recreation on Lake Teletskoye, rafting on the Chuya and Chulyshman rivers are in demand.
Gorny Altai is not empty even in winter, when snowboarders and lovers of ski holidays rush there. In winter, there is a demand for snowmobile tours.
A trip to Gorny Altai will not be superfluous to coincide with the festival of bard songs (August) and the holiday “El Oyin” (July), within which contests for adults and children are organized, exhibitions are held, musicians, throat singers and storytellers of the epic perform.
Excursion rest
Pursuing excursion goals, it is recommended to devote time to acquaintance with the sights of Gorno-Altaysk. You should visit the Upala paleontological site (visitors will be able to see dummies of ancient tools, take photos with Pithecanthropus, buy souvenirs) and the Local History Museum (paintings and graphic works of artists, archaeological materials, a collection of ethnography of Altaians and Russian Old Believers are subject to inspection).
You should definitely go to the island of Patmos (you can get here by the suspension bridge over the Katun): there is a functioning church of St. John the Evangelist, the doors of which are open to everyone (you can pray and order a prayer service). Another attraction of Patmos is the face of the Mother of God carved into the rock.
Leisure
Visitors to the Saylyugem National Park will be lucky enough to see snow leopards, brown bears, Altai mountain sheep and other animals, as well as about 150 bird species. Guests here can pitch tents and make fires, but only on specially designated areas. A tour of the park involves visiting the camps of Altai cattle breeders - if you wish, you can look at the grazing of horses and sheep, take care of the animals, live in a yurt near the parking lot, enjoy Altai and Kazakh cuisine.
Active tourists, having a rest in Gorny Altai and having good physical training, should climb Mount Belukha (altitude - more than 4000 m). Coming here, you should take care of warm clothes - it is frosty at the top of Belukha even in summer (down to -20˚C), and the average July temperature at the upper border of the forest is +8, 3˚C. The easiest way to climb Belukha is from the south, and faster, but more dangerous and more difficult - along the Akkem wall.
Of no less interest for travelers are the Tavdinskaya caves (the entrances to most of the caves, despite their location on sheer cliffs, are easily accessible; for example, wooden steps have been laid to some of them, and light is carried inside; the most visited is the Big Tavdinskaya Cave - when archaeological excavations were carried out there were fishing accessories, pottery and objects of the Bronze Age were discovered; interest is also caused by the Tavda karst arch, the vault of which is covered with rare grass vegetation) and the Chulchinsky waterfall (a cascading waterfall, 160 m high, on the Chulcha river; from those who want to admire the waterfall at the box office Altai Biosphere Reserve, a recreational fee of 100 rubles is charged).
As for downhill skiers, they should take a closer look at the Manzherok ski complex: it is located at the foot of Malaya Sinyukha Mountain and has: 32 slopes of different categories (total length - about 60 km); 3 mini-hotels; chair and drag lifts; a training trail (its length is more than 250 m) and a trail that is served by a baby lift. In winter, guests will enjoy snow tubing and snowboarding, downhill and cross-country skiing, and in summer - quad biking, entertainment on Lake Manzherok and an excursion climb to Malaya Sinyukha Mountain (from there you will be able to admire the lake, Katunya, Altai mountain ranges).
Beach vacation
Lake Aya is perfect for swimming (in its center, on a small island, there is the Gazebo of Love - you can get here by swimming), which warms up well in summer, compared to other bodies of water (temperature about + 23˚C). There, everyone will be able to relax on a comfortable beach, ride boats and pedal boats, and kids can jump on trampolines. Those who stay at one of the tourist centers near Lake Aya will be offered to paraglide, go horseback riding, fish on the lake shore, have fun at discos and take part in themed show programs. So, you can pay attention to the tourist center "Dikiy Bereg".
