Golden Mountains of Altai

The Golden Mountains of Altai region, stretching broadly across southern Siberia, presents a landscape of indescribable diversity and deep mystical beauty. The designation encompasses several distinct areas that together represent a complete, unbroken sequence of Altai altitudinal vegetation zones, from dry, dusty Asian steppes and lush, dense cedar taiga all the way up to animated alpine meadows and snow-capped peaks like the mighty Mount Belukha. This tremendous geological and climatic variety creates utterly excellent living conditions for rare and highly endangered wildlife species; the region is perhaps most globally renowned as a critical sanctuary for the elusive and majestic snow leopard. The valleys of the Altai also hold immense cultural and historical significance: having been populated for millennia, they contain ancient burial mounds (kurgans) and fascinating petroglyphs detailing the lives of early nomadic horsemen. In 1998, UNESCO rightfully recognized this unique treasure by adding it to the World Heritage list.

Nearby cities

Novosibirsk

Novosibirsk is the third largest city in Russia and the administrative center of Siberia.

Yekaterinburg

Yekaterinburg is located on the eastern slopes of the Ural Mountains and marks the geographical border between Europe and Asia.

Kazan

Kazan is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan and is known for the harmonious coexistence of Christian and Muslim cultures.

Chelyabinsk

Chelyabinsk is a major industrial center located in the Ural Mountains.

Omsk

Omsk is one of the largest cities in Siberia, located at the confluence of the Irtysh and Om rivers.

Ufa

Ufa is the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan and is located at the confluence of the Belaya and Ufa rivers.

Krasnoyarsk

Krasnoyarsk is located on the banks of the Yenisei River and is one of the oldest cities in Siberia.

Perm

Perm is located on the banks of the Kama River in the European part of Russia, near the Ural Mountains.

Tyumen

Tyumen was the first Russian city in Siberia and today serves as a major hub for the country's oil and gas industry.

Tolyatti

Tolyatti is the center of the Russian automotive industry and home to the manufacturer AvtoVAZ (Lada).

Izhevsk

Izhevsk is the capital of the Udmurt Republic and is known worldwide as the armory of Russia.

Barnaul

Barnaul is the administrative center of Altai Krai in southern West Siberia.

Ulyanovsk

Ulyanovsk is known as the birthplace of Vladimir Lenin and was originally called Simbirsk.

Irkutsk

Irkutsk is one of the largest cities in Siberia, located near Lake Baikal.

Tomsk

Tomsk is one of the oldest cities in Siberia and a major scientific center.

History & landmarks

Yelabuga

A historic town on the Kama River, the birthplace of painter Shishkin and the final home of poet Tsvetayeva.