A Study in Green or Meet Bashkiria

The Republic of Bashkortostan is rightly called the Pearl of the Southern Urals. It spreads its mellow lands between the river Volga in the West and the Ural Mountains in the South. Sports, well-being and outdoor adventure are the three pillars of Bashkiria’s tourism and hospitality industry. Today Olga Lesyk, aided by a local person, will hit the high spots of this multicultural region famous for its recreational resources.

Bashkiria may not be among the world’s top destinations. In fact, the ‘republic’ bit can be confusing, if not misleading, to an unsuspecting traveller. Yet it is part of the Russian Federation. Quite symbolically, my today’s ‘friendly local guide’ has a beautiful, typically Bashkir name – Guzel. 

'Bashkiria’s tourist appeal is self-evident’, says Guzel Abdeeva, a private English language tutor from Bashkiria’s capital city of Ufa. ‘On the landscape front, 300 coves, 600 brooks, 800 lakes, steppe, valleys and hills – all constitute three wildlife reserves and a national park. History and geology fans will be delighted to see the Palaeolithic drawings on the walls of Shulgan Tash cave, dating back more than 12,000 years. Some of Bashkiria’s historical monuments and archaeological findings were once competing to be on the list of Russia’s Seven Wonders. Among these were: Shulgan Tash cave, mount ridge Iremel (home to the local wild hive bees nicknamed Burzyanka, after a district within Bashkiria) and a gold nugget Irendyk Bear. Its shape does resemble a bear! The nugget is considered a national treasure of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Bashkortostan and is kept in the National Bank RB. But what makes Bashkiria one of Russia’s top destinations is its mild climate and a wide range of health resorts. Today, one can choose from thirty-one health centres each offering their beneficial treatments with medicinal waters, therapeutic mud, phototherapy, kumis-therapy (‘kumis’ being fermented mare’s milk) etc. The ones I would recommend are Tanip (Танып), Assy (Ассы) and Yangan Tau (Тянган Тау)’.

Information & Links

Time zone: GMT +6

More on travel in Bashkiria: iguide.travel/Bashkortostan

www.yantau.ru/en