Siberia

Despite its reputation, Siberia is not just about cold snow!

Siberia (Russian: Сиби́рь see-BEER’) is a region in Russia.

Regions

Western Siberia (Altai Krai, Altai Republic, Khakassia, Kemerovo Oblast, Novosibirsk Oblast, Omsk Oblast, Tomsk Oblast)

Krasnoyarsk Krai

Eastern Siberia (Buryatia, Zabaykalsky Krai, Irkutsk Oblast, Tuva)

Cities

Lake Kutserla in the Altai Republic

• Novosibirsk
• Barnaul
• Irkutsk
• Krasnoyarsk
• Kemerovo
• Novokuznetsk
• Omsk
• Tomsk
• Ulan Ude

Other destinations

• Lake Baikal. The pearl of Siberia. It is the deepest and one of the purest lakes in the World.

Understand

With an area of nearly 10 million sq.km., Siberia is vast. While the popular view of Siberia is of howling arctic wastes dotted with penal colonies, the truth is more complex. The west of Siberia is covered by a swampy plain, the central plateau is heavily forested, and the east has mountains soaring to above 3,000 meters. Only the extreme north is true tundra, where temperatures can hit -68°C in winter.

Get in

By train

Krasnoyarsk station, near the midpoint of the Trans-Siberian Railway

The Trans-Siberian Railway, connecting Moscow to Vladivostok, is by far the most famous method of transportation in Siberia. Covering a distance of 9,289 kilometres, making it one of the longest railways in the world, the full trip takes over 6 days and crosses 8 time zones. Its branches the Trans-Manchurian and Trans-Mongolian connect to Beijing in China, the first directly, the second via Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia.

Less famed is the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM), a northern line running parallel to the Trans-Siberian for 4,234 km. Completed only in 1991 and built mostly for military reasons, further away from the border of China, the BAM is much less touristed.

See

Cold ostriches in Siberia

• Mountainous Altai (Gorny Altai) - this region of Siberia is very popular among eco tourists. Mountainering and mountain rivers' rafting are wide spread here. The area is famous for its stunning scenery.
• Ethnic Khanty Nomad Camp, Kazym
• Ethnic Mansi Nomad Camp, Yasunt

Do

• Mushroom picking
• Hiking/biking
• Alpine Sports
• Whitewater rafting
• Cross country skiing
• Dog sledding
• Reindeer herding

Drink

• Vodka (водка) and tea (чай)

Get out

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