Lake Baikal at Listvyanka

Lake Baikal in Siberia is the oldest and deepest lake in the world, more than 1,600 m deep, and holds about a fifth of all the fresh unfrozen water on Earth. Listvyanka, the village where the Angara River flows out of the lake, is the easiest place to see it, and a popular stop on the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Visit the Baikal Museum to see the nerpa, the world's only freshwater seal, and to learn about the lake's unique wildlife. Take the chairlift up to Chersky Stone for the view, try smoked omul fish at the market by the harbour, and walk part of the Great Baikal Trail along the shore. In winter the lake freezes so thick that people drive across it.

Listvyanka is about 70 km from Irkutsk, about an hour by minibus, or by hydrofoil along the Angara in summer. Check your government's current travel advice before planning a trip to Russia.