- In the Nizhny Novgorod region
- Around Samara
- Routes in Tatarstan
- On a note
The Volga is the largest and most beautiful river in Europe. It flows through the entire European part of Russia, forming several reservoirs. Several national parks and reserves have been created on its shores; many sights, both natural and historical, are concentrated in the Volga towns and villages. The Volga region is a budget and, at the same time, a very interesting and attractive place for hiking.
In the Nizhny Novgorod region
The Nizhny Novgorod region is distinguished by the uniqueness of its landscape: there are many karst caves, sinkholes and lakes. It is to such objects that walking routes are most often directed.
- Lake Svetloyar is the most famous lake in Russia. According to legend, it is at its bottom that the famous underwater city of Kitezh is located. It is located on the territory of the Voskresenskoe Povetluzhie natural park. Svetloyar is distinguished by surprisingly clear cold water, because it feeds on underground springs. Scientists argue about its origin, according to the most common version - it is a meteorite crater, which is about 3 thousand years old. According to other versions, the lake was formed as a result of a karst failure about 800 years ago - and this is quite consistent with the legend of the city of Kitezh. The length of the route from the nearest settlement, the village of Vladimirskoye, is 1.5 km.
- Full day hike to Tekun Lake, surrounded by swamps and pine forests. It is located in the Sokolsky district. An uncomplicated and interesting route passes by the now half-abandoned village of Safronieva Pozhnya to the lake itself. It is unique for the Nizhny Novgorod region: there are many glacial boulders, this is found only much further north. A road of these boulders is laid across the swampy shore of the lake. Legend says that in the 18th century, the famous robber ataman Fateich traded here, and somewhere at the bottom of the lake, or next to him, robber treasures are still hidden. The route can be varied, the closest settlement to the lake - the village of Rodinka is 4 km away. from the lake.
- Karst lakes and sinkholes. One of the most interesting tourist sites in the Nizhny Novgorod region is the Peshnee (or Peshky) karst lake and a large karst sinkhole outside the village of Venets. In general, there are a lot of karst sinkholes in these places, they look like regular funnels or gutters, but this one is the largest. It is about 100 m in diameter, in the depths of which a small blue lake is hidden. Lake Peshneye itself is also, apparently of karst origin, it has been declared a natural monument: plants listed in the Red Book - for example, forest orchids, grow along its banks, and many cranberries can be found in wetlands. The length of the route is 2 km from the village of Venets.
Around Samara
The Samarskaya Luka National Park, and especially the area around the village of Zhiguli, has long been considered an anomalous zone by the people. There is even a corresponding museum in Zhiguli - the Museum of Ufology and Anomalous Phenomena of the Samara Region. But in addition to being mysterious and enigmatic, it is also simply very beautiful here: the wide Volga, the Kuibyshev reservoir, rocks and hills, ancient villages and dense forests. Several tourist routes have been laid along Samara Luka:
- The village of Shiryaevo and Mount Camel is one of the most popular and interesting ecologically-excursion paths of the reserve. It passes through the villages of Shiryaevo and Bakhilovo. Shiryaevo is the same village where I. Repin wrote his "Barge Haulers on the Volga", there is his museum, and Bakhilovo is an old Mordovian village located on Lake Witch. It is known for its pagan traditions, healers and sorcerers. A separate small trail leads around this lake, which is included in the large route, but is also accessible on its own. It will be especially interesting for children. The route leads through the high mountains above the Volga: Camel and Popovaya, on which observation platforms are located. In addition, there are abandoned limestone adits under the Camel Mountain. The length of the route is 8 km.
- The Stone Bowl is also located in the vicinity of the village of Shiryaeva - this is a round stone tract, at the bottom of which there is a source, considered miraculous - it is dedicated to St. Nikolay. For those who wish, there is a swimming pool. In addition to the spring, there is a small grotto-cave in the tract, which is called "Bear's grotto". Through the tract and the source you can reach the second large center of the reserve - Solnechnaya Polyana. Then the length of the route from Shiryava to Solnechnaya Polyana will be 11 km.
- Molodetsky Kurgan and Devya Gora - two official routes have been laid to these places, longer and shorter ones, both lead through a picturesque forest. Several romantic legends are told about these two high hills, which are mainly associated with the legendary Stepan Razin, whose camp was allegedly located on Molodetsky Hill. The views from the hill are really fascinating, although, of course, there was no Zhiguli Sea at Razin. On the nearby Deveye Hill, there is a memorial sign to 4 friends who died here in 1963 while rescuing drowning people. In early June, a tourist rally is traditionally held here in memory of this. The length of the route is 6 km.
Routes in Tatarstan
In Tatarstan, the Volzhsko-Kamsky Nature Reserve is located - one of the largest and most interesting in Russia. In addition, now the leadership of the republics is actively developing hiking excursion tourism and equipping convenient tourist trails, which should cover almost the entire territory of Tatarstan.
- A multi-day route across Tatarstan from Kazan to the village of Novy Kurlai, where Gabdulla Tukai, a Tatar public figure and poet of the 19th-20th centuries, spent his childhood. The route is declared as "ecological and cultural pilgrimage". It exists in two versions: through Kamaevo, Arsk, lower Meteski and Staryi Kyrlay, or through Klachi and Koshlauch. It is assumed that in the coming years it will be continued, and its length will be about 200 km. In Arsk, you can visit the Gabdulla Tukay Museum and the Historical and Ethnographic Museum, another Tukay Museum is located in Kashlauch, and another one in New Kurlai itself. The length of the route is 85-100 km.
- "Visiting the Forest" - an ecological path in the Volzhsko-Kamsky nature reserve. The trail goes along four picturesque lakes: Belo-Bezvodnoe, Chernoe, Shatunikha and Krugloye, across the small river Baguka, on which a family of beavers lives and kites are found. Unfortunately, there are not many signs on the trail: this is just a route along the lakes, it is quite easy to get off it. Hanging this trail can be conveniently combined with a pilgrimage to the Raifa Monastery of the Mother of God. This is the largest male monastery in Tatarstan. All of its buildings (XVII-XIX centuries) have been restored: there are several churches and powerful battlements. The length of the route is 7.5 km.
- The Dolgaya Polyana National Park is located on the banks of the Volga. Once upon a time there was the estate of the Counts Molostovs, who specially brought here rare plants for their park. The manor park itself with alleys and ponds, the Gothic manor house has been preserved, and besides, the place itself is unique. In addition to the fact that this is just a very beautiful steep bank over the wide Volga, there is the longest clearing here - a place on a hill where trees have not grown at all for many decades, so it remains bare and does not overgrow. Many consider this place to be an anomalous zone, but in any case it is very beautiful and interesting. The length of the route is 5-10 km.
On a note
In addition to insects, when traveling along the Volga region, one can encounter another danger - this is the Sosnovsky hogweed that has spread here. This is a very dangerous plant, touching which can cause severe burns, and its pollen during flowering - severe allergies.
