Altai Territory is famous not only for its agricultural achievements, but also, perhaps, the richest hydrographic map in the country. On the territory of the region there are about 13 thousand lakes, large and small, fresh and salty, each of which is unique in its own way. Some are extremely picturesque: photos of Altai lakes fascinate with their unique beauty. Others are famous for their rare healing properties, while others are luxurious resorts with hotels and water parks no worse than foreign ones.
Photos of Altai lakes: a lake on Krasnaya Gora. 
Photos of Altai lakes: Akkemskoe lake, Belukha mountain. 
Photos of Altai lakes: Lake Akkemskoye near Belukha Mountain (photo from An-2 aircraft). 
Mountain Altai. Lake Kuiguk. 
Altai, Lake Srednemultinskoe, September. 
Teletskoye Lake is the largest lake in Altai. 
South of Lake Teletskoye. 
Teletskoye lake. The Altai name is Altyn-Kol, which means the Golden Lake. 
Altai, south of Lake Teletskoye, in the background - Chulyshman canyon. Taken from the Bele cordon. 
Mountain Altai, Lake Teletskoye, October. 
Mountain Altai, Teletskoye Lake near the village of Yaylyu. Dawn, January.
The most unusual lakes of Altai
Due to the variety of landscapes, each reservoir of the Altai Territory is beautiful in its own way. For example, Lake Zerkalnoye, located in the Barnaul belt pine forest, is surrounded by light coniferous relict forests, which give the coastline a special charm.
Lake Svetloe, also known as Swan Lake, is an amazing corner of nature, where the water is crystal clear and transparent to the very bottom. Due to the abundance of springs, the reservoir does not freeze even in the most severe frosts, and the water temperature does not fall below + 5 - 6 degrees C. Therefore, ducks and swans winter here, which you can admire from special viewing platforms.
Altai, Lake Svetloye. Small Lake Beloe is chained in granite shores and has a regular rounded shape. In the center of the lake there is a small island where, according to legend, the famous Ural industrialist Akinfiy Demidov was engaged in the production of coins bypassing the courtyard of Empress Elizabeth. In 2010, the reservoir was awarded the status of a natural monument.
Altai, Lake Beloe. The bitter-salty Raspberry Lake has been known since the time of Catherine II. A unique feature of the reservoir is the pinkish-crimson color of the water, which is obtained due to the vital activity of special planktonic crustaceans. From ancient times, pink salt was mined from the bottom of the lake and supplied to the court, with which the empress surprised the overseas guests.
Altai, Raspberry Lake. 
Altai, Raspberry Lake. Beauty and benefits
Lake Gorkoye in the Novichikhinsky District of Altai has the status of a natural monument and is famous for its curative mud and picturesque sandy beaches. The reservoir attracts not only those who want to improve their health, but also those who like kitesurfing.
On the shore of another lake Gorkoye, located in the Yegoryevsky district, the popular Lebyazhye sanatorium has been welcoming vacationers for a hundred years. People come here to enjoy curative silt mud, mild climate and mineral water, similar in composition to Essentuki 17.
Lake Bolshoye Yarovoye is surrounded by an almost flat, treeless plain, and part of the coastline is cut by deep ravines. Since 1972, spa treatment has been carried out here, and the popularity of this place is explained especially by the healing water, which is similar in composition to the waters of the Dead Sea.
Paradise for tourists
The freshwater lake Aya is a favorite vacation spot for many, where you can stay at one of the camp sites, swim in summer, sail on boats and catamarans, and go ice skating in winter. Lake Aiskoe is located in one of the hollows of the Altai Mountains and, according to local legend, was formed where the Moon came down to earth to save people from a terrible cannibal.
Altai, lake Aya. The Kolyvan Lake, which the locals simply call Savvushka, is surrounded by heaps of small mountain ridges of the most bizarre shape, and the lake itself will remind a person with a rich imagination of a sapphire gem enclosed in a granite frame.
Kolyvan Lake or simply Savvushka in Altai. Kulundinskoe is one of the largest lakes in Altai, with an area of \u200b\u200b728 km 2. Its depth is only 2.5 - 3 m, but the lake never freezes, and in summer it warms up to 25 degrees. It is not surprising that thousands of lovers of nature and picturesque landscapes strive to get here.
Everyone who travels to Siberia must bring with him numerous photos of the lakes of the Altai Territory, which conquer with their original beauty and diversity.
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It would be trite to call Altai “the land of a thousand lakes”, especially since there are actually much more reservoirs on its territory. Among the reservoirs located in this amazing territory there are lakes with fresh water, there are lakes with salt water, many of them are considered healing. Some Altai lakes were formed immediately after the ice age.
Numerous travelers, lovers of independent hikes, when describing their impressions of visiting the lakes of Gorny Altai, often use words such as "magic", "fabulous", "amazing" and even "mysterious".
Lakes of Altai Territory
Many steppe lakes of the Altai Territory are considered medicinal, their water contains a high concentration of minerals. The water of some lakes is colored pink, because of the crustaceans living in it. This gives the reservoirs an unusual, truly fantastic look.
Gorny Altai lakes
The reservoirs of Gorny Altai are distinguished by their special, mysterious beauty. The water of those that originated from the glacier is very cold, often suspended ice floats in it, and in others it is quite possible to swim. These are the most visited.
Any tourist, including any lake in Altai in the itinerary of his trip, will get an unforgettable impression of contemplating the unique beauty of the surrounding nature or will be able to feel the healing properties of the salt water of the steppe lakes. You can easily find and select lakes on our map or in our section of lakes.
Altai is a region, though not the warmest, but healing. Altai medicinal herbs and honey are known to everyone, but few know the lakes of this region. Meanwhile, in Altai there are dozens of lakes that are loved by the inhabitants of the region themselves, and what is surprising is that each lake has a special composition of water, which makes it stand out from other bodies of water.
1 Salt lakes are a natural landmark of Altai and are located in the northwest of the region. Several dozen lakes are salty, and all of them are used to obtain healing mud, and the inhabitants of the region bathe in them in order to improve their health. Lakes Solenoe, Belenkoe, Kulundinskoe, Syropyatovskoe, Guseletovskoe, Baklan, Lechebnoe, Malinovoe, Gorkoe - only a small part of the salt lakes of this amazing region. Altai residents love to spend their weekends on the shores of these amazing and healing reservoirs.
2 Moss Lake is an amazingly beautiful reservoir located in Altai. It is noteworthy that the maximum depth of the lake is only 2 meters, and the entire bottom of this reservoir is covered with vegetation. On the shore of a moss lake there are pine trees and picturesque boulders. Since the lake is shallow, it warms up perfectly - even those people who are constantly freezing like to swim in it. Fishermen also love Moss Lake because it often grants them a generous catch. Moss Lake has the status of a natural heritage of the Altai Territory.
3 Lake Beloe is a picturesque reservoir with a pebble beach. The banks are covered with dense grass, flowers and bushes of viburnum and wild rose - all this adorns the lake. Smooth Lake has an area of \u200b\u200bslightly less than three square kilometers, but in the middle of a calm reservoir there is a beautiful island overgrown with spruce forest. This lake is a natural monument that gives people fish and a place to rest.
4 Video: GORNY ALTAI. Mysterious Lake !!! (MYSTERIOUS LAKE). Blue (geyser, silver) lake in Gorny Altai. The lake is located in Ulagan region, 7 kilometers from the village of Aktash.
5 Kucherlinskoye Lake is one of the largest reservoirs of Gorny Altai of glacial origin.
6 Salt Lake Bolshoy Yarovoe is a favorite place for tourists.
7 Teletskoye Lake is one of the most popular and most visited lakes in the Altai Mountains. Also, this is one of the deepest lakes in Russia and the world, its depth reaches 325 m.
8 Picturesque mountain lake Aya - known for its warm and clean water, in summer you can swim here, even if you are not a walrus.
9 At the source of the Shavla River, the most beautiful Shavlinsky lakes in Altai are located.
10 Lake Julukul, sacred for the Altai.
“Mists, his transparent thoughts, run in all directions of the world. The lakes are his eyes looking into the universe. Waterfalls and rivers - his speech and songs about life, beauty of the earth, mountains ”said Grigory Choros-Gurkin about the Great Altai.
The beauty of these places cannot be described in the reviews for tourists, we will focus on the most popular and interesting places where you can relax with your family and friends.
When they say "Altai", they usually mean either Gorny Altai, or salt lakes of Altai the edges.
Mountain Altai
A favorite place not only for Siberians and advanced in ecotourism Russians, guests from all over the world come here, and every year the number of foreign tourists in Altai is growing. The most popular holiday destinations are the numerous tourist centers along the Katun. Chuisky tract goes far into the mountains, lovers of solitude climb almost to the Aktru pass, and those who have enough fresh air, unusually beautiful landscapes and the noise of the mysterious Katun stop in houses on the shore. The river itself is very cold, not every walrus dares to swim in it, so most of the summer tourists are concentrated near the Turquoise Katun and the freshwater lake Aya.
If you are going to Altai by your own car, you can stop at any base you like, on the coast or in the mountains, in houses or in tents, and every day do outbound excursions by car.
So, the most popular for swimming, the freshwater lake Aya is located 10 km south of the village of Maima. The lake area is 9 hectares, the coastline is about one and a half kilometers. The lake is very picturesque, and most importantly, warm - in summer the water warms up to +25 C.
It feeds on the reservoir from springs, there is an island almost in the center, and on it there is a romantic gazebo. In summer you can ride a catamaran or pedal boat on the lake, in winter you can go ice-skating on areas cleared of snow.
Turquoise Katun is an artificial reservoir on the left bank of the Katun, near the village of Manzherok.
This is a tourist and recreation special economic zone, and among the common people it is the most popular place on the Katun. Due to the fact that the reservoir is artificial, the water warms up here to more than 20 degrees, a water park, attractions, and places for recreation are arranged on the shore.
Altai region
Officially. Altai Territory is located in the southeast of Western Siberia, 3419 km from Moscow. Territory 168,000 square kilometers.
Informally. Altai Territory is very large and varied. The topography changes as you move through the territory. He is, as if, a growing bear, at first quiet and calm, then huge and majestic. So the steppes and plains grow into foothills and mountains.
Officially. The climate is temperate continental, formed as a result of frequent changes in air masses.
Unofficially. The four seasons have many options, and each year come back to see them from different angles. You can come in a hot summer, or you can come in cool and rain. Give variety! - this is the main rule of Altai weather.
Summer and Altai Mountains
Officially:The Altai Mountains are a complex system of the highest ranges in Siberia, which are separated by deep valleys of mountain rivers and vast basins located inside the mountains.
Informally: Altai nature is amazing. Tourists from all over the world rush to these places to enjoy beautiful views of high mountains, mountain rivers, mysterious caves and uninhabited spaces. Immerse yourself in the tranquility and beauty of these places.
The settlement of the Altai Territory began
in the eighteenth century
Young Russia needed metal for the production of weapons and coins. The Ural factory owner Akinfiy Demidov founded the first metallurgical plant in 1729 - Kolyvano-Voskresensky. The bowels of Altai were rich in silver. In 1744 Demidov started the production of silver. The result of Akinfiy Demidov's activities in the Altai Territory was the establishment of a feudal mining industry based on the serf labor of registered peasants and artisans.
Event tourism in the Altai Territory
The creation and development of bright, interesting events in the business, cultural, sports life of the Altai Territory has become the basis for the development of event tourism in the region. The region annually hosts more than a dozen festivals, forums, holidays that can attract thousands of tourists from various regions of Russia and from abroad. These are the VISIT ALTAI International Tourism Forum, the Maralnik Blossom holiday, the Altayfest beverage festival, the Day of Russia at the Turquoise Katun, the Shukshin Days in Altai Festival, the Asia-Pacific International Youth Forum, the SCO Forum, the Siberian International Health Forum and medical tourism, the holiday "Altai wintering" and many others.
health and beauty
Officially. The useful flora of the region has 1184 plant species. The largest group of drugs, including about 100 types widely used in official medicine.
Informally. Broth, herbal teas, berry fruit drinks - this is what everyone who comes to Altai Krai should try. Spa, health and wellness centers use products made on the basis of Altai herbs.