Irkutsk Off The Beaten Path

Main stop on the Transsiberian and Transmongolian train routes, Irkutsk is the gateway to Lake Baikal.

The closest and most easily reachable village on Lake Baikal is Listvyanka. However, due to crowding, Listvyanka has little charm left if you ask me.

Harder to reach (as there are no roads leading there) but therefor much quieter and authentic is the village of Bolshie Koty, +/- 20 km more to the north on the Baikal's lake western shore.

With less than 20 inhabitants (and never more than 100 residents in summer), no cars and no real roads, this place feels like the end of the world.

In summer a daily connection by hovercraft exists between the Raketa Harbour at Irkutsk and Bolshie Koty (stopping also at Listvyanka), schedules see here : http://www.vsrp.ru

The Talcy museum was founded in 1969 and is situated between Irkutsk and Lake Baikal. There are over 40 monuments, like a wooden church, a wooden fort, a schoolhouse and other buildings of architectural heritage plus 8,000 historical exhibits. You can find both an area of Russian architecture as well as of Buryat housing and life.

Operating hours: daily, from 10:00am to 5:00pm.

4 more images

You want to learn local people, get a taste of Russian amusement performance and get your hunger stilled.
Visit the senator Restaurant, Wednesday evening (please check) Quiz night.
In Russian of course, but due to type of question you always will recognize and know answers without any knowledge of the language.

But be prepared, just a few words of Russian always will be of help.

2 more images

Cafe and flower shop, cool combination. Can't remember street name but one of two main is for sure. Just look all three photos I posted and try to find two cups in front of the shop. Staff is really friendly.

Listvjanka is this beautiful fishing village, that about every tourist group has to visit - and still I had the feeling, it was quite off the beaten path! I have the best of memories from both of my visits!

The first time we were just more or less left alone and strolled through the village with those beautiful wooden houses. It was then when an old man invited us in and showed us pictures of his family and of him as a young lad who had just killed a brown bear! It was such a heartwarming encounter, since he did not speak any English and non of us knew any Russian, but still we communicated!

The second time we visited the church of Listvjanka and were offered a little icon of the saint of travellers and thieves - hahaha, what a nice combination!!! Of course, I bought one and it is accompanying me ever since!

The limnological museum of Listvjanka is a real sight to see as well! I have never ever seen such a colorful and full museum in my whole life! Fun!!!

it is not off the beaten path, but it is a couple of kilometers away and sooooooo worthwhile visiting: Lake Baikal!

Lake Baikal is the oldest lake (25 million years) and the deepest lake (1700 m deep) in the whole world. It contains 20% of the non-frozen fresh water reserves!

Lake Baikal is a UNESCO World Nature site and here is why: UNESCO description of Lake Baikal

1 more image

Thanks to Eugene Iachmenov i went to the theater bar , close to the Irkustk Grand theater. I met there all the comedians you can see in the picture ...
the day after, i attended "Cyrano de Bergerac" played in russian in the theater ... played by my friends
Inforgettable moment
thank you all
Thank you Eugene

Port Baikal... the city where in the really old days the trans-siberian train entered the ships and sailed across the baikal to continue the jorney on the other side. this extremely small city is one of the places where everybody knows everybody and where the history teacher have been teaching the grandmother, mother and daughter in the school! this is no joke! at the same time it is quite charming, but without many of the modern day facilities that the west are used to. the surroundings are beautyful with the baikal lake on one side and the hills and mountains to the other side. in between you have the city where cows and chickens are "rulling" the unpaved streets. the city itself does not offer much, but the area around it is great for hiking. the city is located on the opposite side of the angara river where listvyanka is. there are 2 daily ferrys crossing from listyanka to port baikal which would offer you a perfect combination of going to listvyanka and then in the evning croosing the angara river and spending the night in port baikal. port baikal is also the starting point of the circum baikal railway, which was a part of the trans siberian railway when the tzar constructed a railway around the baikal lake so the train should not cross the lake. today there are tourist trains going along the lake from port baikal to sludyanka and then back again to irkutsk. it would be a perfect 2 day tour... but be aware the tourist train does not have departure every day, so check before leaving.