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Travel to Baikal
- Listvyanka tour
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View to the lake from Listvyanka |
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Lake Baikal can be visited in a one day trip by the highway from Irkutsk. The route runs through the
taiga forest as far as Listvyanka village - a small Russian settlement on the shore of the lake - the best destination for
the first acquaintance with Baikal.
The distance between Irkutsk and Listvyanka is 70 km / 44 ml.
Listvyanka is also the site of the Limnological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences. The village is situated on
the shore of Baikal in Listvenichny bay - the place where Angara river, the only outlet, flows out of Baikal. |
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Highway Irkutsk - Listvyanka |
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Angara river outlet |
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Activities: sightseeing excursion; cultural & ethnographic sights.
Winter activities: Dog-sledding, snowmobiling, down-hill skiing.
The duration of the tour to Listvyanka depends on the places you are going to visit. It can be from 5 hours to
1 day. One can stay there for a night or to spend several days enjoying the sunsets and home-cooked omul specialties,
a famously flavorful salmonoid lake fish.
Transfer to Listvyanka |
Accommodation in Listvyanka |
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| Tour to Listvyanka |
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Meet guide and driver in Irkutsk (hotel/airport) and drive 68 km to Listvyanka on the
southwestern shore of 637 km long Lake Baikal, the world's largest and deepest freshwater lake. En route visit
the Museum of Wooden Architecture. Lunch in Listvyanka at the "Restaurant" of omul specialties, a famously flavorful
salmonoid lake fish. Tour the area and visit the Baikal Limnology Museum. Return to Irkutsk in the evening;
Visits & Excursions: (see the detailed description below)
- The Wooden Architecture Museum
- Baikal Museum
- Saint Nicholas Church
- Two observation spots (Shaman Stone / Local Fish market)
- Aquarium with Baikal seal - Nerpa (note: the aquarium is opened only during the weekends)
Price: directly depends upon the number of participants and can vary from $40 to 100 US per person. |
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The Museum of Wooden Architecture
On the way to Listvyanka there is a place called Taltsi. This is the ethnographical museum with the stop at
the 47th km of Baikalskaya highway. Taltsi is translated as 'spring'. A few kilometers from the highway, on
the shore of the Angara river, there is a museum of Wooden Architecture. It consists of several exhibit areas
which hold interesting ethnographical collections. The variety of Siberian wooden izbas, churches, living houses
and Buryat wooden yurts were brought together from different parts of Siberia. |
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Backyard. View to the church |
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Baikal Limnological museum / The Museum of Baikal
Baikal Limnological museum is located at the beginning of Listvyanka village. The museum is
engaged in collecting and storage the materials and analysis of the information bound with the lake. Tourists
will learn much about the origin of the lake, historical investigations, the surrounding area (maps, the samples
of rock and minerals, flora and fauna). Together with the explorers of Baikal group members will be omitted on
its maximum depth of 1637 m. |
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Aquarium with Baikal fauna |
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Aquarium with Baikal Seal - Nerpa
The aquarium with Baikal endemic seal 'Nerpa' now is situated right at the Baikal museum.
Amazing view of trained seals singing and dancing for you! It is said that Nerpa is the only fresh water
seal in the world. However, the Saimaa freshwater lake in Finland is also inhabited with ringed seals
called "Norppa". It is still a great mystery how nerpa appeared in the centre of the Asian
continent, if its relatives live in the northern arctic regions.
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Aquarium with the seals |
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Shaman Stone or Rock / Shaman Kamen'
There are two worth to visit open-air spots in Listvyanka. The only one ledge of Angara rapids,
situated at the place where the river flows out of Lake Baikal, is famous for the Buryat legend. |
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Angara outlet: Shaman rock |
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Fish or Souvenirs market
The other place called fish or souvenirs market is situated at the end of Listvyanka right
on the main town pier. After visiting the museums group members will try local home-made delicacies -
Baikal endemic fish (omul, sig, harius) - smoked, salted, dry ... |
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Hot smoked omul - $1 |
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The end of the highway
A few kilometres ahead from the fish market the highway turns into the bumpy road and ends behind
the Listvenichny cape. There is a beautiful view from that point to the open lake. |
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The end of the highway |
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Saint Nicholas Church
On the way back a short stop will be done to visit the Saint Nicholas church which is situated
500 metres away from the lake. It was build at the 19th century by a russian merchant Ksenofont Serebryakov.
According to the legend he was saved by St. Nicholas while crossing the lake in a terrible storm.
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Saint Nicholas Church |
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| You can ask a question or reserve the tour on our
Request Form page. |
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History / Facts:
Listvyanka received its name because of the larch trees, that grow on the neighbor cape "Listvenichny".
1645: first Russians appeared in Listvyanka. It was a group of Cossacks headed by Ivan Galkin.
Unlike other local villages founded by colonization, Listvyanka became important from economical
point of view. At that time Listvyanka did not have a single house.
1701: the first structure was built in Listvyanka. It was a chapel constructed on the spot of the
modern Nicola Village.
1716: people began to settle around it. They were mostly fishermen and sable hunters.
1725 - 1730: many of the Irkutsk middle class residents moved to Listvyanka. Soon it became the
main point of trade and communication with Asia.
1843: Listvyanka became the most important among neighboring villages.
1860's: the village grew up very quickly because of the shipping company of Hamesnov and Russanov.
1873: Listvyanka was a village in Irkutsk province with a population of 195 people.
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