 Main page » Tourism » Natural and environmental tourism
The area of special reserved territories in the Arkhangelsk Region exceeds 3.4 million hectares, which makes 8.7 % of the Region territory. The most picturesque natural areas with breathtaking landscapes, rich and original flora and fauna have survived in the Region.
Vegetation differs from the North to the South: from scarce mosses and lichens on the Arctic islands to the high conifers in the South. Many plants, such as lady’s slipper (Cypripedium calceolus), Calypso bulbar are listed in the Red Book of Russia. One can meet rare and disappearing animal species, among them osprey (Pandion haliaetus), white-tailed sea eagle, golden eagle, peregrines (Falco peregrinus) and others.
Important for natural and environmental tourism are the areas abundant in berries and mushrooms. The average year crop of berries reaches 150 thousand tons (cranberries, cowberries, bilberries, cloudberries, great bilberries). The average year crop of mushrooms is up to 65 thousand tons (edible boletus, milk mushroom, coral milky cap, saffron milk cap, orange cap boletus, brown cap boletus).
Unique natural objects are karst caves, many of which (352 caves) are concentrated in the Pinezhsky District of the Region. Underground karst grottoes and systems are the largest and the most numerous in Europe. It is a fairy-tale kingdom of ice hidden from man’s eyes deep under the ground. The largest of the caves, the Konstitutsionnaya (‘Constitution’) Cave, of 6.7 km in length, Pekhorovsky Proval (Pekhorov’s Karst Hole) with a waterfall of 20 m high, natural karst complex near the Yeraskins Lake, the canyon of the River Sotka - they all can be considered as natural monuments of the world importance.
Magical is the stern beauty of the White Sea. The cold sea greatly influences the nature of the Arkhangelsk Region by making the climate milder and thus allowing the abundance of fishes, sea animals and great resources of sea weeds; the latter number about 200 of species. The Kiy Island is also a unique nature creation; it is situated in the mouth of the Onega Bay of the White Sea. Its grey granite cliffs of 25 m high, wide sand beaches and magnificent pine forests are very impressive.
From mid-May to the end of July one can enjoy white nights, a unique natural phenomenon in Arkhangelsk. Then the sun sinks behind the horizon line for not more than 9 minutes, so the nights are as light as the days. It all makes the Arkhangelsk Region a very special tourist resource.
| |
Monastery
