The oldest and deepest lake in the world tucked away in the mountains of Siberia, Lake Baikal is a natural draw for many tourists who want to experience one of the world’s most beautiful natural gems. Unfortunately, the lake has suffered from rampant pollution, but its 400 miles of low lapping blue waves still awe visitors with their beauty. Baikal contains one-fifth of all the fresh water on the earth, and it freezes over completely for about five months out of every year. Along the Transsiberian Railway, the closest major city to Lake Baikal is Irkutsk. Unfortunately, as is often the case in Russia, the word “close” may not mean what you think. In this case, Irkutsk is actually about two hours away from the lake, and in order to reach Baikal, you will need to take an additional bus ride to the village of Listvyanka. Fortunately, because Listvyanka is a popular destination for locals who want to visit the Lake Baikal, it is well-equipped for tourists and has several hotels and cafes.
