Altai - another gem in my collection 💎

Altai is one of those places that really makes you work for it. It’s not the easiest region to get to, but the sheer variety of landscapes absolutely pays you back for every hour spent on the road.

Your journey usually starts in Gorno-Altaysk - the regional center and, honestly, not the most charming city on Earth. No offense to the locals, but there isn’t a whole lot to do there as a tourist. Think of it more as a logistical hub or a layover spot rather than a destination in itself.

The real Altai begins as soon as you leave the city and head toward the Chuysky Trakt. It’s a historic road stretching almost 1,000 km from Novosibirsk all the way to Mongolia. A good chunk of it runs along the stunning Katun River - that’s the one you can see in the photos. In the colder months, the Katun turns this surreal, milky-turquoise color (sadly I missed that, but you should absolutely Google it).

The Chuysky Trakt itself is a restored historic route that winds through the mountains, with scenic passes and constantly changing landscapes. You start with medium-altitude Altai mountains, then gradually move into territories with towering, snow-covered peaks, and then - quite abruptly - the scenery switches to steppe and high plateaus closer to the Mongolian border. It feels like several countries packed into one road trip.

The people are warm, welcoming, and laid-back. There are cows and horses - everywhere - at some point it genuinely feels like you’ve just walked into a Milka chocolate commercial.

If Altai isn’t on your travel list yet, it really should be. I 100% recommend visiting.