Russia Trip: Lake Baikal and Buryatia - 2019

A brief introduction... Russia, the largest nation in the world! Even with a very fertile imagination, one can only form a rough picture of what Russia represents in all its exuberance: by its size alone, it already presents contrasts of cultures and natures that would be impossible elsewhere. IRKUTSK is located in Siberia, more than 4,000 km from Moscow, at the confluence of the Irkut (from which it takes its name) and Angara rivers. Founded in 1661, the city of Irkutsk is 42 years older than Saint Petersburg. Over the years, it established itself as an important trading city, connecting the main trade routes between Russia and China, to become a major place of political exile in the 19th century. LAKE BAIKAL. One of the largest and oldest lakes in the world, stretching 636 kilometers long and 79.5 kilometers wide, it is the jewel of Siberia. The maximum depth of this freshwater reserve, the largest on the planet, reaches 1,741 meters. The transparency of its waters offers perfect visibility up to 40 meters deep. The lake is also home to a multitude of plant and animal species that you will not encounter anywhere else. In 1996, Baikal was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for its ecological richness.