The Bogdino-Baskunchak Reserve is much more interesting and catchy than its name. Here in one day you can see this much! For example, as a wolf hunts. Or how people on the surface of the lake are "stars." Or how rare tulips are blossoming. Finally, in the reserve you can sing along to the rocks. This is not some ordinary karaoke!
How to get here
The reserve is far from the habitable places. It is located in the Akhtubinskiy district of the Astrakhan region, not far from the border with Kazakhstan. The hymn of this place could be the song "Steppe and steppe around".
Trains from major cities reach the station Upper Baskunchak. From here there are 10 kilometers, which can be overcome by shuttle bus or taxi.
If you are driving your car, then you have to leave the car next to the reserve, about a kilometer away. Find BBZ is simple - there is only one way, besides tourists are escorted to the reserve by a crowd of local children. For a moderate fee, of course.
Flora and fauna
This reserve was created to protect semi-desert places and the unique Lake Baskunchak. Under the supervision of the authorities are also Mount Big Bogdo and the oasis "Green Garden". ББЗ is an important migratory way of birds from the north of Siberia to places of wintering. Take away the reserve, and not the fact that the birds survive.
Flora and fauna are rich here. In the reserve you can find more than 400 plant species. There are only 60 species of lichens here.
As for the fauna, here there are more than 200 species of birds, of which a dozen are listed in the Red Book. In the majority of the BZZ, animals characteristic of deserts are found. For example, the same rodents. And the saiga migratory way passes through the reserve. Here they have a favorite watering-place.
Visiting rules
The Bogdino-Baskunchak Reserve is a semi-enclosed area. To get here with an excursion, it is necessary to notify the BLZ administration within not less than 7 days. The application must specify the day, time, number of the group and the route.
When visiting the reserve it is worth observing several important rules that, firstly, will make staying in the Shore Protection Zone safer, and secondly, preserve the local beauty.
For example, do not change the route, it can be done in extreme circumstances. Do not litter, cut old bushes and trees. God forbid tearing flowers! This can only be done by botanists, and then with the permission of the administration.
Do not take anything with you to remember. Photographing - please, but again only with the permission of the BLZ management. Do not be like Ostap Bender and "hammer Mike bucks": let the stones and trees remain without enthusiastic inscriptions.
Naturally, no fires. Also, you should not take your pets with you. They can be terribly frightened at the sight of, for example, a fox or a wolf. Local animals must be treated with respect. Let them calmly pass by, and not run away in horror from your cries.
- To see how the salt is extracted on the lake is a fascinating process, in which special combines and railway trains participate. The wagons stand directly on the surface of Lake Baskunchak!
- To take home a healing clay - it's full-full near the lake. Tourists take clay as a souvenir. Although it can easily wither on the road, and then it can not be blurred, but sprinkled.
- Listen to the sounds of the forest - while walking through the forest, do not create unnecessary noise. It is better to listen to music: singing birds, babbling water rustle leaves.
- To see the hunt - near the fresh lake of Karasun you can sometimes find a wolf who watches the birds. To see how the beast hunts on TV is one thing, and live - absolutely different emotions.
Entertainment, excursions and attractions of the nature reserve
Some of the most popular attractions of the reserve, which show every tourist.
Singing mountain
Big Bogdo is a sacred, or "singing" mountain, one of the most notable places in the reserve. She sings because, with a moderate wind, sounds are heard on her slopes that somehow resemble a murmur.
In general, the mountain in form resembles an animal that lay near the lake. Bogdo changes color according to weather and time of day. For local residents, these phenomena are a complete mystery, so they consider the mountain sacred.
Climbing it alone is difficult, it is better not to go unaccompanied. But from the top of Bogdo opens a wonderful view of the unusual salt caves, small lakes and flowers growing on the slopes.
Lake Baskunchak
Lake Baskunchak - the Russian Dead Sea. From a distance it seems as if the lake is covered with ice. This illusion is created by bright saltwich shining in the sun.
Baskunchak according to the composition of saline solutions is no worse than the Israeli Dead Sea, and maybe even much better, because of its medicinal properties, it is one of the first places. It is even called the "salt of the Earth", because it is there that up to 80 percent of all the salt of Russia is mined. The properties of this lake are amazing, even traditional medicine claims that its water can save 50 different diseases.
Racing on the lake
The most curious can drive by trucks right to the middle of the lake. This is also quite an unusual journey, because if you look overboard, you will see that you are driving straight on the water. The bottom of the lake is so dense that the truck never zabuksuet. Approaching the middle of the lake, you can see the rails, which are laid directly on the salt floor. That's the way the trains go, which transport salt to the plant for further processing.
Motorists-extremals have long been chosen by the thick salt crust of the lake. Record Baskunchak was installed in 1962 - Ilya Tikhomirov dispersed on the lake to 311 kilometers per hour. Today, this achievement is almost impossible to beat, because due to the increase in salt production, the surface of the lake has become unsuitable for further races.
Caves
More than 20 caves can be found on the territory of the reserve. The longest stretches for a mile and a half, it is called the Baskunchakskaya. This cave is one of the largest in the Northern Caspian region.
The Baskunchak, judging by the inscriptions on the walls, was discovered in the early 20th century. Here you can hide from the heat, walk through the underground galleries and dip your hands into the waters of the cave lake.
| Greater Bogdo Mountain, Bogdino-Baskunchak Reserve |
| Ordinary goat, Bogdino-Baskunchaksky Reserve |
| Autumn Steppe, Bogdino-Baskunchaksky Reserve |
| Screech-owl, Bogdino-Baskunchak nature reserve |
| Sacred Black Lake, Bogdino-Baskunchak Reserve |