Irkutsk and Lake Baikal

Irkutsk is the starting point for trips to Lake Baikal and therefore somewhat touristy. There are many old wooden houses and my hostel is also located in one of them. It takes some getting used to for me that the dogs roam freely and communicate with each other from one end to the other at night and that everything here seems much simpler than in the cities before. I am looking forward to the hiking tour from Listvyanka to Bolshie Koty and a few days of pure nature. The village can only be reached on foot or by boat in summer, and by car over the frozen lake in winter. Julia, my travel companion, knows a lot to tell. For example, she says that Lake Baikal is one of the oldest and deepest (at least 1600m) lakes in the world. She drinks the water from it, she says it's very clean.

The landscape reminds me of a Mediterranean island, only the forest is greener and the water is much colder. I don't see anyone bathing - Julia explains to me that people here mainly cool off after a banya (Russian sauna).

After a few hours of hiking, we reach our destination. I am very excited about the little cottage that belongs only to me for two nights! The tranquility of this small village is a nice change from the big cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg and constantly being surrounded by people.