Listvyanka

Where it is & how to get there

• From Irkutsk: About 1 hour by minibus or taxi along the Angara River.
• Boat: In summer, hydrofoils on the Angara also link Irkutsk and Listvyanka.
• On foot: The village stretches along the shore; most sights are within 20 minutes.

The story of Listvyanka

Listvyanka grew where the Angara River flows out of Lake Baikal, the only river that leaves the lake while more than 300 flow in. Legend says Baikal threw the Shaman Stone at his runaway daughter Angara, and the stone still sits in the river mouth.

Today the village is the easiest way to see Baikal in a day. The Baikal Museum shows the lake's unique wildlife, including the nerpa, the world's only freshwater seal, and the Chersky Stone viewpoint looks out over the lake and the Angara.

Best time to visit

Tips before you go

• Take the chairlift to Chersky Stone.
• Visit the Baikal Museum to see the nerpa seals.
• Take the chairlift to the Chersky Stone viewpoint.
• Buy smoked omul at the market by the pier.

What's around Listvyanka

• Baikal MuseumLake science and nerpa seals.
• Chersky StoneViewpoint above the Angara source.
• Taltsy MuseumOpen-air wooden architecture museum on the way.
• Great Baikal TrailHiking along the shore.

Questions travellers ask