The Republic of Bashkortostan, located in the south of the Ural Mountains, is famous for its natural resources. Endless steppes and plains, rapid mountain rivers and transparent lakes, high cliffs and deep caves - all this is Bashkiria. On its territories, there are 3 state reserves, as well as a national nature park.
Bashkiria is famous for its health resorts that use the gifts of nature for the treatment of the body - mineral waters, mud. The real treasure of the region is wild bees and fragrant Bashkir honey, which has no analogues in the whole world. An ancient craft - bee-keeping is still flourishing here. In these places there are a lot of activities for fans of outdoor activities - mountain resorts, hiking, river rafting, equestrian sports, speleological tourism.
The most interesting and beautiful places in Bashkiria
List, photos with names and descriptions of the best attractions in the region!
Reserve "Shulgan-Tash"
The reserve was created in the middle of the last century and covers an area of 22.5 thousand hectares. It is famous for the population of Burzyan bees living in these places, which gives honey, famous throughout the country. And another of its attractions is the Kapova Cave, 3 km long. Unique rock paintings of animals, huts, various figures and signs were found in its depths. They are made quite realistically with ocher, sometimes coal. It is believed that the period from creation is the XII-X millennium BC.
Shikhany mountains
Shikhany is a mountain range of four peaks, stretching for 20 km along the Belaya River. In ancient times, the sea splashed on this place, and the mountains were underwater reefs. Until now, they have preserved the fossilized remains of corals, sponges, algae, and clam prints. Their age is about 300 million years. In fact, this is a real open-air geological museum. In addition, the flora in this area is unique and contains rare plant species.
Yangantau
Burning mountain - this is how its name is translated. There are 5 points on it, through which hot jets of steam with a temperature of up to + 150 ° C come out to the surface. The phenomenon of the mountain is still unexplained; volcanic activity is absent here. Nearby there is a spring with mineral water Kurgazak. The popular health resort Yangan-Tau located in these places uses all natural resources - steam, water, mud, dry air to treat a number of diseases.
Mount Iremel
The symbol of beauty and the second largest mountain in the South Urals. The Bashkirs consider it sacred, before it was even forbidden to climb it. Now thousands of tourists come to conquer its summit. This does not require special skills, although you will need good sports training - you will have to go 14 km uphill and the same amount back. In addition, the weather here is very changeable - it can start both rain and snow. Since 2010, the regime of the protected area has come into effect on the mountain.
Monument to Salavat Yulaev
The grandiose monument to the national hero, poet and associate of Yemelyan Pugachev was created over 30 years and was installed in the center of Ufa on the banks of the Belaya River in 1967. This is the largest equestrian statue in all of Europe. Its weight is 40 tons, and its height reaches 10 meters. The monument was made of cast iron with a bronze coating. The monument serves as a visiting card of the capital of the republic and a symbol of the entire Bashkir people striving for independence.
Lake Bannoe
The deepest lake in the republic, a delightful natural monument, a popular vacation spot for tourists. The name is associated with a legend according to which Emelyan Pugachev arranged a bath day for his troops in this area before the battle. The lake is located in the South Urals, surrounded by beautiful mountains, the water in it is fresh and crystal clear. The reservoir is famous for its rich fishing. The famous ski resort, sanatoriums, camps, rest houses are located nearby.
Don't Miss: Top 25 - Bashkortostan Lakes.
National Museum of the Republic of Bashkortostan
One of the oldest and most honored museums in Bashkiria, which was founded in the middle of the 19th century. It is located in a restored old building built in 1905. 35 museum halls contain about 200 thousand unique exhibits introducing visitors to the history, culture and nature of the Bashkir region. The museum continues to replenish its fund collections to this day, annually organizing archaeological and ethnographic expeditions.
Lyalya-Tulpan Mosque
The religious Islamic center of Ufa, the pride of local residents. The building of the mosque was built at the end of the last century on the banks of the Belaya River. Its minarets, more than 50 meters high, resemble tulip flowers - one of the symbols of the Muslim world, which marks the arrival of spring. The interior decoration is also worthy of admiration - colored stained-glass windows, floral ornaments, marble cladding, crystal chandeliers. An educational institution for Muslims, a madrasah, has been opened in the building of the mosque.
Krasnousolsky resort
The famous in Bashkiria medical resort is located on the Usolka River, in the foothills of the Southern Urals. About 250 springs with a unique composition of mineral water, which have a miraculous effect on the human body, brought him fame. They are used both for drinking and for taking medicinal baths. Also, for healing from many diseases, silt mud of lake origin, hirudotherapy, salt caves are used here.
White river
The main waterway of Bashkortostan, the longest tributary of the Kama. It crosses almost the entire republic from south to north, begins in the mountains, and then turns into a full-flowing flat river. The river is very popular with boaters; the journey along it can take several weeks. Along its banks there are many interesting sights - mining plants, rocks and caves, fortresses, etc. The river also attracts fishing enthusiasts.
Blue Lake
One of the most beautiful reservoirs with clean and transparent water, which has the status of a hydrological monument. The small lake owes its amazing bright blue color to the deposits of blue clay at its bottom. In this case, the color shades of the water may change depending on the lighting. The lake is fed by several underground sources, so the water in it is always cold, not higher than + 5 ° C, and does not freeze in winter. White limestone cliffs rise next to the reservoir.
Nugush reservoir
One of the natural pearls of Bashkiria, which is part of the national park of the same name. The reservoir, which is called both the lake and the sea, was created in the middle of the last century on the Nugush River. Its length is 25 km. It is distinguished by crystal clear water of amazing blue, picturesque coastal mountains and cliffs covered with forest. This is a popular recreation area, where tourists are offered all kinds of entertainment no worse than at seaside resorts.
Aigir rocks
The rocks on the northern slope of Mount Karatash are named after the Bashkir village and railway station located nearby. Although the locals call them Shurale's Teeth. This is the spirit of the forest in Bashkir folklore. The steep cliffs are 50 m high; from their peaks, magnificent views of the neighboring mountains and the highest point in the South Urals, Yamantau, open. And also to the valley of the Maly Inzer River, which forms several rapids in this place.
Yumaguzinskoe reservoir
One of the youngest man-made structures on the Belaya River. Filling it with water was completed at the beginning of this century, after the construction of the hydroelectric power station. The total length of the reservoir is 57 km. Along its banks there are beautiful rocks of bizarre shapes.One of them is the rock of the Three Leaders with images of Lenin, Marx, Engels. Of interest is the island of Sakasska - a former mountain with a deep cave, which, after being flooded, turned into an island.
Kuk-Karauk waterfall
This waterfall is of a cascade type, it is located not far from the village of Makarovo. The total length of all cascades is about 12 meters. The most spectacular Kuk-Karauk is in the spring, when it is full of water due to the melted snow, and the roar of the seething water streams can be heard from afar. In summer, the river becomes shallow, and only small streams remain from the waterfall. There is a picturesque landmark surrounded by a mixed forest, next to the famous Salavatovskaya cave.
Inzer gears
The mountain range in the upper reaches of the Inzer River is one of the most amazingly beautiful places in the South Urals. Its length is about 10 km, the maximum height is 1161 meters. Of particular interest are the tops of rocks in the form of teeth in the north of the ridge; these formations are also called a rocky circus. The height of the stone teeth reaches 35 meters, and the shape of some of them is so intricate that it is difficult to believe in their miraculousness. The flora and fauna in this area is rich and varied.
Askinskaya cave
The cave is located in the South Urals next to the stream of the same name and is famous for the unique relict ice blocks inside it. It is a hall more than 100 meters long and 26 meters high, the floor of which is covered with ice, and figures of the most bizarre shapes grow out of it, the largest is 15 meters high. The temperature here is subzero all year round. The cave has very good acoustics, even very quiet sounds are amplified many times over.
Natural park Kandry-Kul
One of the most picturesque natural areas of Bashkiria, a popular vacation spot. On the territory of the park there are 18 species of animals and 24 species of plants - very rare and under protection. The main pearl of the park is the Kandrykul lake with incredibly clear water, which means "beaver". Beavers really live and build their dams here. On the lake there is an island of Utrau, about 1 km long, where numerous species of birds nest.
Atysh waterfall
The uniqueness of the waterfall lies in the fact that the water flows out of the cave grotto and falls into the lake below from a sheer cliff 5 meters high. Its name is translated as "shot", it seems to shoot out of a rock. The waterfall was formed due to the exit to the surface of an underground river, so the water in it is cold, even in summer it does not exceed + 4 ° С. And in winter, the waterfall freezes, and the streams of water frozen in the ice present an equally breathtaking beauty picture.
Gadelsha waterfall
The waterfall is named after a nearby village; it is the largest three-stage waterfall in Bashkortostan. The total height of its cascades is about 17 meters. In spring and autumn, the picturesque waterfall is deep and most majestic. Since the middle of the last century, this area has been declared a natural monument. The waterfall is famous for its deposits of valuable species of jasper and a variety of flora, some of which are under protection.
The first cathedral mosque of Ufa
The stone two-story building of the mosque with one minaret was built in the first half of the 19th century with donations from Muslims. Subsequently, it was rebuilt many times. At the end of the 19th century, a sacred relic was transferred to the mosque - a few hairs from the beard of the Prophet Muhammad. For 30 years, starting in 1960, it was the only functioning mosque in Ufa. The Supreme Mufti of Russia holds services here every Friday.
Muradymovskoe gorge
One of the most picturesque natural parks of the republic, founded in 1998, is located along the bed of the Bolshoy Ik River. Its area is 23,000 hectares. The landscapes of the reserve are mesmerizing - majestic cliffs, endless forests, out of 500 plant species, many are listed in the Red Book. The fauna is no less diverse - 122 species of birds, 40 species of mammals, 9 species of fish. The gorge is famous for its caves, there are more than 4 dozen of them, in some of them the sites of ancient people were discovered.
Ufa Botanical Garden
The botanical garden was created on the territory of the forest park back in the 30s of the last century. Visitors can see a huge variety of unique flowers, trees and shrubs here. Of particular interest is a greenhouse with exotic plants of the tropics, cages with parrots and aquariums with fish, benches for rest are also located here. And also scientific research is being carried out on the territory of the garden, laboratories and special greenhouses have been created for this.
Source Red Key
The second largest and most powerful spring of drinking water in the world, a natural monument, the pride of Bashkiria. It is located near the village of the same name. Every second, 15 m are thrown to the surface of the earth3 water enriched with mineral elements. These are the water resources of the Yaman-Elga River, which begins in the mountains of the Southern Urals and flows underground at a depth of 40 meters for 60 km. A distillery is located nearby, bottling useful mineral water from a spring.
Memorial House-Museum of S. T. Aksakov
The opening of the museum in Ufa was timed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the birth of the writer. It is located in a wooden house on the banks of the Belaya River, which at one time belonged to the Aksakov family. The interior of the late 18th - early 19th centuries has been recreated in its rooms; the furnishings of several children's rooms were created on the basis of the writer's works. Here you can see numerous documents, portraits, books published during the life of Aksakov.
Friendship Monument in Ufa
One of the main attractions of the capital of the republic is dedicated to the 400th anniversary of reunification with Russia. The majestic monument consists of two 35-meter pink granite steles connected by three gray rings. At their foot are two sculptures of women, Russian and Bashkir, holding laurel wreaths in their hands. The monument rises on the steep bank of the Belaya River, from where a magnificent view of the city landscapes opens.
Akhunovsky menhirs
A complex of 13 granite stones up to 2 meters high near the village of Akhunovo attracts archaeologists and tourists from all over the region. Eight of the stones are set in a circle, one in the center and four to the side. It is not known for certain what the menhirs were used for. The most common astronomical version is that the stone complex is an ancient observatory. Excavations allow us to determine the approximate time of its use - XV-XII centuries BC.
Lake Aslykul
The largest drainless lake in Bashkiria with bitter-salty and very clean water. It is located on the territory of the Belebey Upland, in the place of a karst sinkhole. It has a relatively shallow depth of 5-6 meters, due to which it warms up well and disposes to swimming in the summer. The reservoir is rich in fish and serves as a haven for geese, swans, pelicans, and many songbirds. The surroundings of the lake with rich and unique nature have been declared a national park.
Vatan Ethnic Park
The main highlight of the park is the ethno-village of seven yurts, introducing the guests of the city to the original culture and customs of the indigenous people of Bashkiria. Here you can find household items, works of folk artisans, and national clothes, in which you can take pictures. In one of the yurts you can learn about the natural resources of the region and taste the main ones - honey and kumis. Themed festivals, fairs, concerts are held at the park site.
Ski complex Kush-Tau
The popular resort is located on the slopes of the mountain of the same name, the longest of the four Sterlitamak Shikhan. For professional athletes and just lovers of skiing, there are several slopes of different levels of difficulty, as well as a snowboard park. Lifts lead to all slopes. Lightweight tubing tracks are designed for children.The clean air and the magnificent nature of these places contribute to a complete rest.
