Lake Baikal




Sunday 6 August

Lake Baikal is the oldest (geologically) and deepest lake (1,637m) in the world. It covers an area bigger than Wales and holds 20% of the world’s fresh water supply. 

If all the rest of the world's drinking water
 of world’s drinking water ran out tomorrow, Lake Baikal could supply the entire population of the planet for the next 40 years. It contains more water than all of America’s great lakes combined.


The rail track went through numerous tunnels due to the steep mountainous slopes and rugged coastline that surrounds the lake.
Marina our guide, always smiling and made everything interesting and enjoyable






 It was very hot and sunny when we arrived at Port Baikal and our took a small ferry to another part to catch a bus to go to a well laid out open air museum, Taitsy Museum of Architecture and Ethnography. (Museum of Wooden Architecture)  This is an impressive collection of villages of the Siberian wooden dwellings and farmhouses from 16 -19th centuries.

 It is set in a delightful lakeside forest and is a popular spot for families and tourists in summer -especially at weekends.





One particularly interesting building was the school where the teacher lived in a small room behind the one classroom.




We also viewed a great program of local singing and dancing by many local groups. It is held every weekend in summer.



We then went to a small local fish market selling local dried fish

The company served a barbeque dinner on the shores of the lake before we all poured ourselves back on the train. We all agreed that it was a truly relaxing and enjoyable day.








Location: Lake Baikal, Russia

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