Russia.
Often thought of as a cold state with even colder people. One of the biggest powers in the world. The land of Czars and the socialist revolution. The land of the hot brutality of men, cold beauty of women and vodka. But today, Russia is out to prove you wrong.
Here are a few examples of the beautiful, beautiful place that is Russia in all its warm glory.
1. Lena’s Stone Forest
The Lena is one of the largest rivers in the world and is the only river in the world that is completely inland of the Russian territory. The pillars are found on the banks of the river and amazingly the other side of the river is plain green.
The pillars are found lining the entire length of the river in eastern Siberia. They are now a World Heritage site.
2. The Valley of Geysers
It’s the largest concentration of geysers in the world. A little unnerving with hot water sprinting out of the surface of the earth but definitely a must visit site.
3. The Kungur Ice Cave
Nobody knows who discovered them or when. And only a small part of them have been explored despite attracting thousands of tourists from all over the world. These beautiful, sculpted by the nature caves are a wanderer’s treat.
4. Maly Semyachik Volcano
This crater is atop a live volcano containing an acidic lake which has a shocking hue of blue-green probably given by the high amount of phosphorous found there.
5. Uzon Caldera
Uzon Caldera is a vast field of geothermal craters and active volcanoes, that stretches farther than 6000 miles in area. It also contains a vast net of poisonous mud cauldrons, home to bacteria able to survive the most extreme conditions.
6. Putorana Plateau
The direct translation of Putorana is “the land of lakes with steep banks” and is a declared World Heritage site. It has so many varied ecosystems thriving within and is world’s largest nickel reserve.
7. The Golden Mountains Of Altai
It is a difficult area to get in as it is the highest point of the Atlantic Ocean watershed, people have to fly over to the place. But the lucky ones who manage to get there, are in for a treat.
8. Lake Baikal
The oldest lake known to humankind, possibly 25 million-year-old, is known as the Pearl Of Siberia. Quite rightly though as you can see it’s the deepest and the cleanest lake in the whole wide world.
9. Vasyugan Swamp
It is one of the largest swamps in the world and serves as a major source of fresh water for the region and is also home to a varied and vast amount of flora and fauna.
10. Commander Islands
It’s mostly is a natural preserve but a lone village of the population of 613 is still living there.
11. Curonian Spit
Spectacular shimmering sand dunes and wide beaches of fine sands, are the highlights of the Curonian Split which separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea coast.
12. Manpupuner Rock Formations
Manpupuner rock formations are a unique and unexplained geological monument. There are a total of seven beautiful stone pillars of a similar sort.
13. Ubsunur Hollow
In Ubsunur Hollow, the world’s most northern desert meets the most southern tundra zone. On its territory one can find glaciers, deserts, dunes, the Alpine tundra, and massive mountainous taiga areas.
14. Yekaterinburg Salt Mine
An abandoned salt mine, has taken this form that could send a person into a psychedelic trance with myriad colors naturally ingrained in the stone walls of the tunnels in the underground of the city of Yekaterinburg.