Experts have named seven scenic routes for road trips in Russia

Russia is a country with vast expanses and diverse landscapes. The specialists of the Avito Travel accommodation booking service have collected seven of the most scenic routes for car trips. The recommendations of the experts were reviewed by Izvestia on March 9.

Yalta– Sevastopol highway (35K-002)

This is a regional road with a total length of just over 80 km. On such a small plot there are several landscape zones at once. At the same time, the service noted that the route can be called all-season: the landscapes will be different, but equally beautiful. On the way, the travelers will pass Yalta, Livadia, Alupka, Koreiz, Simeiz, Foros, Balaklava and Sevastopol.

"Driving along this highway, you can observe picturesque seaside landscapes, coves, cliffs, wooded mountains, pristine beaches and even the Foros Church, which stands on a cliff at an altitude of 400 m. The track is also unique in that the Russian national mountain cycling and highway racing teams periodically train here, experts said.

Kola highway, Murmansk region

The R-21 highway is part of the European route E105. The Cola is the northernmost federal road in the country and the northernmost expressway in the world. It is located on the border with Norway, stretches for 1.6 thousand km far into the Arctic and leads to St. Petersburg. It is along the "Kola" that you can drive to the Arctic Ocean and the bays of the White and Barents Seas. The route passes through Zapolyarny, Pechenga, Murmansk, Petrozavodsk and St. Petersburg. On the way, you can stop at Ladoga and Onega lakes, Imandra, visit the villages of Umba and Teriberka, and see the large Khibiny mountain range.

Kislovodsk – Jilly Su highway in Karachay-Cherkessia

Travelers can observe Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe, for the entire 85 km of the way along the mountain serpentine. The journey takes an average of three to four hours, and summer or autumn is considered the best season for the trip. Tourists will be able to enjoy blooming Alpine meadows, steep slopes, mountain passes and sharp turns from the rocky peaks and observation decks.

"The high-altitude highway (in some places it will be necessary to travel at 2,000 m above sea level) runs through villages such as Industriya and Kichi-Balik, as well as the Shijatmaz plateau. Along the way, you can get to know the local cuisine better and try homemade khichins, shurpa, goat cheese and shish kebab in roadside cafes," the service noted.

The Usinsky tract (R-257) in the Krasnoyarsk Territory

It is a 436 km long road. The route connects Abakan and Kyzyl, along the way you will see a variety of views from the Sayan Mountains and the Ergaki Nature Park to the endless steppes. The tract is part of the Yenisei Federal highway (R-257), which almost exactly follows the route of the ancient Tea Road. Plains are replaced by taiga, mountain passes and steppes. Tourists will be able to see Sleeping Sayan, Hanging Stone, Parabola Rock, Lake of Artists, Dragon's Tooth Peak, Jerboa Waterfall, Bird Peak, Lake Svetloye and Stone Town.

Kolyma highway (R-504)

The road stretches for 2,032 km, of which 1,197 km are located in Yakutia and another 835 km in the Magadan region. This is one of the most severe roads in Russia in terms of difficulty and climate, and the only federal highway with no asphalt on most of it. Starting from the Yakut village of Teply Klyuch, the taiga and swampy plains outside the window begin to give way to spectacular mountain ranges and hills. The road passes through the village of Nizhny Bestyakh and other settlements: Tyungyulu, Churapcha, Ytyk-Kyuel, Khandyga, Kyubeme, Ust-Nera, Artyk, Kadykchan, Kholodny, Susuman (Bolshevik), Yagodnoye, Debin, Orotukan, Myakit, Atka, Palatka, and ends in Magadan.

The road from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to Ust-Kamchatsk

The length of the highway is 713 km, it impresses with its beauty. Along the way, you can see endless forests, tundra and real active volcanoes, including Klyuchevskaya Sopka. It is the largest volcano in Eurasia, reaching a height of 4,850 m. The expert warned that you should be careful: the route runs through the wild, and bears are often found. The road is covered in eight hours and passes through Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Nagorny, Yelizovo, Razdolny, Koryaki, Zeleny, Nachiki, Sokoch, Galany, Milkovo, Klyuchi and Ust-Kamchatsky.

Olonets – Sortavala road

The section of the Olonets–Sortavala road in Karelia is 193 km long and runs along the shore of Lake Ladoga. Through the windows, travelers will be able to see the skerries, fjords and the Bay of Rautalahti. The best time to travel is from May to October and from January to March. The road can be covered in just 2.5 hours, and on the way you can pass Olonets, Skotnoye, Varshko, Losevo, Priozersk, Lahdenpohya, Sortavala, Helyulya, Lyaskela and Kolatselga. Experts advised visiting Konevets Island and Konevsky Monastery on the way.

Earlier, on February 23, experts from the OneTwoTrip travel planning service told Izvestia about popular spring destinations. According to their information, Russians are more likely to choose Sochi, Lake Ladoga and Dagestan for recreation. Experts singled out Egypt, Japan and Turkey among the foreign destinations.