Baskunchak (lake): how to get there? What are the healing waters of the lake?

Russia is famous for its rivers and lakes, which are harder to find in the whole world. Some ponds attract their picturesque beauty and charm, others - rare properties. Lake Baskunchak, which is located in the Astrakhan region, is interesting for travelers, tourists and guests of the region, both.

Geographical position

The reservoir is located in the north of the Astrakhan region, not far from it there is a settlement - the city of Akhtubinsk. The reservoir has an elongated shape (from north to west), its length reaches 18 km, the width varies from 6 to 13 km. The total area is 115 square meters. Km. The distance from the Caspian Sea is 270 km, from the Volga River - 53 km to the east. Currently, the whole adjoining territory is part of the Bogdino-Baskunchak Reserve, where Lake Baskunchak is rightly recognized as the pearl of the region. The status of the nature protection object was received by the region in 1997. Since that time there are special conservation regimes that do not allow numerous guests to harm the environment or spoil the rare natural attractions.

The Baskunchak is a marble lake, it is so called because of an unusual species with salt deposits. From a distance it looks like ice. Many people first take it for a surface, dotted with holes, as if water is looking through the crust of ice. These "ice holes" - the result of the extraction of salt from the surface. It is in these places that swimming is very useful for the body.

Legends

The lake is literally surrounded by myths. It has been known to people since ancient times, merchants and traders constantly carried their caravans through the surrounding territory. Legends are composed of its name - in translation from the Turkic languages it can be translated as "the head of a dog". They say that once, in ancient times, the lake became so shallow that its bottom was exposed, and the merchant who was passing by decided to cut his way and go straight on it. The rapid step of the horse and her hoofs protected the animal from salt, and the dog running after it, bruised the paws on the crystals and died. Then the rainy season began, the lake was filled with water, and the dead dog's body was preserved in salt and constantly floated to the surface, many travelers saw it. Another legend also speaks of a canine death - in the heat the caravan of merchants passing by saw a lake, travelers stopped near him to rest. The dog who accompanied the people rushed to drink water, but from an excess of salt the animal was poisoned and fell into the lake. And the dog's head was seen for a long time on the surface of the water.

And the most beautiful of the legends tells of the unhappy love of a girl who was forcibly given away for a rich man, and so her beloved died. She cried at the foot of the mountain for several days, and from her tears she got a salt lake.

Properties

The Baskunchak (marble lake) lies 21 meters below sea level. Its water is very salty, in some sources it is said that it exceeds the indicators of the Dead Sea. Its salinity is 300 g / l. The lake itself is a deepening of the salt mountain, the base of which extends thousands of meters deep. It is fed by numerous springs and a river called Gorkaya. In the lake there can not exist either plants or animals-only bacteria that have the ability to carry such a salt concentration live there.

The product of vital activity of these organisms is a special clay, which covers the entire coast. This clay and mud have a number of healing properties, curing many diseases. Salt Lake Baskunchak is widely used for recreational purposes. The air around it is also curative, it contains a lot of bromine and phytoncides, which have a beneficial effect on people. Saline solution, which is filled with a lake, is called brine. It positively affects many organs and systems.

Indications

Many vacationers are interested in the question: Lake Baskunchak that heals? Healing mud has a beneficial effect on the musculoskeletal system, nervous and genitourinary systems, digestive organs. A good effect is achieved in the treatment of skin diseases, ear, throat, nose and respiratory system. The muds of Lake Baskunchak have anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antispasmodic effects. Water has a number of therapeutic effects: vasoconstrictive, cardiostimulating, immunocorrecting, anti-inflammatory, beneficial effect on metabolism and improves the digestive tract. Treatment of it is indicated in the presence of diseases of the circulatory system, digestion, skin diseases. Healing water has a number of contraindications. People who have such diseases as tuberculosis, cancer, hypertension, infectious and venereal - in acute stage, glaucoma and eczema, treatment is not recommended. It is best to use the medicinal properties under the supervision of specialists - there is a dispensary nearby, in which there is an opportunity to undergo a full course of recovery in comfortable conditions.

Baskunchak, lake: how to reach

The reservoir is located near the border with Kalmykia. The nearest settlements are the Upper and Lower Baskunchaks, their indigenous population is the Kalmyks. By road, you can get to the lake along the Volgograd-Astrakhan highway, from it there is a direct road with good coverage. From Volgograd to the reservoir you need to go along the left bank of the Volga, a distance of about 200 km. The road passes through the city of Akhtubinsk to the villages of Upper and Lower Baskunchaks, before entering the latter one, it is necessary to turn to the right - and the Baskunchak, the lake, will open before the travelers. How to reach him from the villages, local residents can tell - for a special reward. Along the highway there is a railway, on it salt was delivered earlier. From the nearest cities there are regular excursion buses, you can reach them.

Salt Extraction

Lake Baskunchak has been known since ancient times, it is famous for the purest salt - 98%. It was mined, starting from the VIII century by hand, and sent along the Silk Road. The first mention of this place is found in historical sources since 1627. At that time, salt was extracted with the help of shovels and crowbars, from the lake to the shore it was delivered on camels. Since the 1920s, mining has been improved - machines and combines have been used, a railroad has been laid for export. For one hour with the help of special equipment it is possible to extract up to 300 tons of salt. Lake Baskunchak, where one of the main salt deposits in Russia is located, is mastered by the Bassol enterprise. It supplies up to 80% of all the country's reserves. And the salt of this particular deposit is distinguished by its purity and the most useful properties.

Place for racing competitions

One of the unusual places for conducting automobile competitions is the Baskunchak, the lake. (How to reach it, it is indicated above.) From 1960 to 1963 a high-speed highway was built on it. During the competition, 29 all-Union records were established. The race took place on a round, absolutely flat road, the length of which was 20 km. Salt cover, covering the surface of the lake, was a unique place for the competition - it is absolutely flat. Later, when the production of salt was increasing, the hydrological situation changed on the lake, and its surface became unusable for racing. In this regard, regular competitions in this region stopped

Sanatorium

Salt Lake Baskunchak attracts many guests from all over the country. The sanatorium in its surroundings with the same name consists of one building, where guests are offered 1-, 2-, 3-bed rooms equipped with everything necessary for recreation and living. Each room has a shower, toilet, toilet, satellite TV, refrigerator, cutlery. The food offered in the sanatorium, 4-time, has its own dining room. You can book a tour of the reserve, visit the salt museum, which contains historical artifacts that tell you about the local fishery. The dispensary offers a variety of therapeutic treatments with healing mud and baths. There is a massage and laser therapy, physical training and special meals. On the territory of the sanatorium there is a cafe, a gym, a sauna, a pharmacy, a gym, several shops. It is convenient to get there by rail to the station "Upper Baskunchak", or on the highway. The main landmark is the Baskunchak, the lake. How to get to the health complex, you can ask the local residents or holidaymakers.

Lake Baskunchak: reviews

Visiting the lake, travelers all as one admire the unusual scenery and vivid impressions of the trip. Tourists recommend to take shoes with you, where you can go swimming, as there are a lot of sharp salt crystals on the bottom of the lake. In addition, you need fresh water - to rinse after bathing. If the salt water from the lake gets into the eyes, it burns the mucous, especially the painful it is borne by the children. Swim here is taken carefully, so as not to splash yourself or nearby. Healing muds are widely used by holidaymakers directly on the beach, but it is better to get dirt as close to the center of the lake - it's cleaner there. Salt water literally pushes to the surface, while bathing it leaves a lot of impressions for everyone who came to Lake Baskunchak. The reviews of the guests about it are numerous and mostly enthusiastic, so they will be useful to everyone who plans a trip for the first time.

Prospects

The Baskunchak is also unique from the point of view of inexhaustibility - its reserves are constantly replenished in a natural way. It is interesting because human intervention has not done much damage to this particular ecosystem. In 1927, scientists tried to reach the bottom of the junction and determine the underlying rock. Wells were drilled, excavations were made and work was carried out. They stopped at a mark of 257 meters - and until the bottom did not reach. Despite the endless salt reserves, the lake is still in a protected area - this means that careful treatment of it is regulated at the state level. Lake Baskunchak, where the main salt deposit is located in the country, is not only a unique natural site, but also an important resource of the Russian economy.