Severobaikalsk

Severobaikalsk (Russian: Северобайка́льск see-veer-uh-bigh-KAL'SK) is small town in located on the shores of Lake Baikal Buryatia, Russia.

The center of the city

Understand

The town was founded in 1974 and has a population of around 26,000. It is a big railway hub of Baikal-Amur Mainline and has no big industries. The streets have 5-floor apartment houses with unusual outlines as if they were made of cells. You won't see buildings with balconies for the seismic safety precautions. The center of the city is Leningradsky Prospekt that goes from the railway station to the Central square.

Get in

By train

Severobaikalsk Station

The city is a major stop on the Baikal-Amur Mainline. It is a 4.5 day journey from Moscow, with the train making stops in large cities such as Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk and Bratsk.

• 1 Severobaykalsk railway station. (updated Oct 2021)

By plane

The nearest airport is in Nizhneangarsk 25km away from the city. You can fly to Irkutsk (1 hour 15 min) and Ulan Ude (1 hour 20 min).

By boat

During the summer, there is a hydrofoil service from Irkutsk—an 11-hour journey. Three times a week.

See

• Museum of the BAM builders at 2, Mira st.
• Art gallery at 40, Druzhby st.

Get a local bus south to the picturesque fishing village of Baikalskoe, & hike up the headland, for breathtaking views of Lake Baikal. It's possible to follow the track around the clifftops, & loop around via a camping ground in a bay, back into Baikalskoe.

Do

Hire a cutter and go to the hot springs for soaking.

Buy

• You can visit an exhibition in Dom Kultury and choose a souvenir. There are also paintings and photographs of local artists.

Eat

Try traditional dishes at бузии house.

Drink

• 1 Bomond Coffee Shop, 38 Mira Street. 09:00–22:00 daily. 
• 2 U Prichala Coffee Shop, Portovaya Street. 10:00–01:00 daily. 
• 3 Rial'to Coffee Shop, 8 Leningradsky Ave, ☏ +7 924 652-41-51. 09:00–21:00 daily. 
• 4 Wasabi Bar, ☏ +7 951 625-65-15. 12:00–01:00 daily. 
• 5 Kamchatka Bar, 10 Leningradsky Ave. 16:00–00:00 daily. 

Sleep

• Dom u Baikala (Дом у Байкала), 3 Neptunsky proezd, ☏ +7 301-30 2-39-50, baikal-kruiz@yandex.ru. One and two-floor wooden houses with single and double rooms with toilet, douche and TV inside. Price for a single stay is 750-800 руб, double is 1500 руб. You can also play billiard or order week excursions, which include yachting, rafting, visiting a waterfall and a sandy beach. 
• Hotel Olymp (Отель Олимп), 2Б Poligrafistov st, ☏ +7 30130 2-39-80, defail@yandex.ru. Business and standard room includes TV, minibar, a safe, refrigerator and Wi-Fi, toilet and a douche for one room or two. 1300-2200 руб. 
• Hotel Golden Fish (Золотая рыбка), ☏ +7 30130 2-22-31, +7 30130 2-11-34, golden_fish89@mail.ru. The hotel includes three cottages, one in the city, two in the forest, with double rooms for 2500 руб, 1900 руб, 1200 руб accordingly. Additional services: Russian sauna, massage, breakfast, transfer to airport, tours to hot springs and fishing. 

Go next

By train to Novosibirsk (40 hours), Krasnoyarsk (30 hours), Bratsk (14 hours), Irkutsk (31 hours) and Ulan-Ude (38 hours). By plane to Ulan-Ude from airport in Nizhneangarsk.

Routes through Severobaikalsk

Tayshet ← Bratsk ←

W  E

→ Tynda → Komsomolsk-on-Amur