Today we want to introduce you to natural wonders - amazing phenomena that were created by nature, not man. So…

Ha Long- bay with an area of ​​about 1553 km². Located in the northern part of Vietnam, in the Gulf of Tonkin in the South China Sea, near the city of Ha Long (about 164 km south of Hanoi). It is a popular tourist attraction. It includes about 3 thousand islands, of which 989 have their own names, as well as small rocks, caves and cliffs characterized by high biodiversity. The bay is home to 499 plant species (14 endemic) and 1,847 animal species (60 endemic). The region has a population of about 1,600 people, most of whom live on houseboats.

Table Mountain

Table Mountain- a mountain with a truncated, flat top, and steep (precipitous in the upper parts), stepped slopes. Located on the southern shore of Dining Bay, near the city of Cape Town, South Africa. The mountain covers an area of ​​about 6,500 hectares. Its height is 1085 m above sea level. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in South Africa and a symbol of Cape Town. There is a cable car from the mountain, built in 1929, capable of transporting 900 people per hour.

River Puerto Princesa- an underground river located 81 km from the city of Puerto Princesa on the island of Palawan, Philippines. The waterway and the area around it are part of the Puerto Princesa Underground River National Park. The main attraction of the reserve, covering 22,202 hectares, is the river flowing underground in a cave. Its length is about 8 km and until the discovery in 2007 of an underground river on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, the Puerto Princesa River was considered the longest underground river in the world. Its depth in some places reaches 8 m. Only a section of 1.2 km is accessible to tourists, and only if special permission is given.

Jeju- an island of volcanic origin located in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula, on the border of the Yellow and East China Seas. Formed by a volcanic eruption about 2 million years ago, it is composed primarily of basalt and lava. Belongs to the Republic of Korea. Today it is the largest island in the country. Covers an area of ​​1845 km². Population - 583,284 people (2011). The highest point, the extinct volcano Hallasan - 1950 m.

A volcano 3170 m above sea level, located in central Mexico in the state of Michoacan, near the village of the same name, approximately 322 km west of Mexico City. This volcano began to form on February 20, 1943 in the corn field of Dionisio Pulido with a small hole measuring 7 cm. A few hours later it was already a heavily smoking hole 9 meters deep. After 24 hours, a 50-meter cone formed on the surface. In the first year of its formation alone, the volcano reached a height of 336 m. Over the next eight years, Paricutin continued to grow slowly, spewing ash and molten rock. Its last recorded eruption occurred in 1952, after which the volcano “fell asleep”, reaching a height of 424 meters. During the formation of Paricutin, three people died, two cities were completely evacuated and buried under lava, and three were partially destroyed.

Iguazu

Iguazu- a cascade of 275 waterfalls on the Iguazu River, formed 130–140 million years ago. Located 23 km from the mouth, on the border of the Brazilian state of Paraná (in the Southern region of Brazil) and the Argentine province of Misiones. 80% of the total area of ​​the waterfall is located within the territory of Argentina, the remaining 20% ​​is in Brazil. Quite a large number of waterfalls, located in a crescent shape with a length of 2700 m, attract 1.5–2 million tourists every year. It is one of the most visited tourist attractions in South America. The height of the water fall here is 82 m, but at most cascades it is no more than 60 m. The sound made by Iguazu Falls can be heard within a radius of 20 km.

Also known as northern lights- an optical phenomenon in the sky over the polar regions of the Earth, formed as a result of the interaction of charged particles of the solar wind in the magnetosphere. It occurs at an altitude of 90–130 km above the surface of the planet. The duration of the aurora ranges from several minutes to several days. They are the basis of many legends and myths of the northern peoples. For example, the Vikings believed that it was dead warriors who rode horses across the sky and illuminated the path to the afterlife.

Chomolungma

In third place among the natural wonders of the world is Chomolungma or Everest- the highest mountain on Earth, located in the Himalayas on the border of China and Nepal. Its height is 8848.43 meters above sea level. Its status as the highest peak in the world attracts climbers of all types. This is why summit expeditions are an important source of tourism income for Nepal. For permission to climb to the top, extreme sports enthusiasts will have to pay $10,000 to $25,000 US dollars. The best and safest time to climb is early May.

The world's largest coral reef system, located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia. Made up of billions of tiny organisms known as coral polyps, they form more than 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands spanning more than 2,300 kilometers. Covers an area of ​​348,698 km². It is the world's largest ecosystem and is home to many species of fish (1500), shellfish (5000) and plants (400 species of coral and 500 species of algae). The Great Barrier Reef is also the largest structure in the world formed by living organisms. It is also Australia's main tourist attraction, bringing the country about $1 billion a year.

Everyone has definitely heard about the legendary 7 wonders of the world - the greatest creations of mankind - in childhood, even if not everyone can remember them in order. And although most of the monuments from the history textbook will no longer be able to be seen, people have managed to compile, to the delight of tourists, many other, alternative, lists of outstanding attractions that have survived to this day.

Ancient wonders of the world

The first attempts to highlight the exceptional achievements of mankind in the list of wonders of the world took shape in the written heritage of ancient Greek authors, starting from the Hellenistic era. The “selection” of the main monuments of all times occurred gradually.

Thus, Herodotus was one of the first to compile a historical list of “miracles”: in his “History” we talk about three grandiose structures on the island of Samos - a mountain tunnel, a dam and the temple of Hera.

Soon, other thinkers expanded the list to seven attractions: seven in ancient Greece was considered a holy number and was an indispensable attribute of the solar gods and myths about them.

The classic “7 Wonders of the World” of the Ancient World, familiar to many from the school curriculum, are historically associated with the empire of Alexander the Great - the second half of the 4th century BC. e. Of these, two attractions were ancient Egyptian, four were located in the territories of Ancient Greece and one was in Mesopotamia (or more precisely, in Babylon).

The Pyramid of Cheops is the oldest, the first wonder of the world and the only one that has survived to this day. Part of the pyramid complex in Giza - the main attraction of Egypt.

The legendary Babylonian Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the second wonder of the world, supposedly existed from the end of the 7th century BC. e. until the 1st century BC e., destroyed due to floods.

The temple statue of Zeus at Olympia, reaching about 12-17 meters including the pedestal, was made of ivory, ebony and gold, and stood for about nine centuries: from 435 BC. e. until the 5th century - burned down in a fire.

The ruins of the fourth wonder of the world, Artemis in Ephesus (from the 6th to the 4th or 3rd centuries BC), are now part of the Turkish city of Selcuk (near Izmir).

Of the lost landmarks, the most enduring was the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. Unusual for the mid-4th century BC. e. The architectural monument existed for 19 centuries: it was destroyed by an earthquake, then partially dismantled for building materials. The ruins of the mausoleum can be seen in Bodrum, Turkey, which is the current name for the city with the historical location of the fifth wonder of the world.

Earthquakes caused the death of two more ancient wonders: the bronze statue of the Colossus on the island of Rhodes (lasted only 65 years, destroyed in the same 3rd century BC) and the Lighthouse of Alexandria in Egypt (the seventh wonder of the world, collapsed in the 14th century).

Google Maps panorama “At the foot of the Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu)”

New seven wonders of the world

The list of new wonders of the world, each of which continues to amaze tourists, was compiled in the first decade of the 21st century, in 2001-2007. Currently, this is the most famous of such ratings and therefore, along with the UNESCO World Heritage List, it is the main must-see landmark for tourists actively traveling around the world. It was compiled by a specially created non-profit foundation, The New 7 Wonders of the world, based on international voting using the Internet and other means of communication. Some 100 million votes were taken as part of the selection of attractions, but since the conditions allowed for multiple votes, the list became questionable almost immediately after publication.

One of the undisputed leaders of the list is the Great Wall of China. It stretches across the north of the country for almost 9 thousand kilometers, and taking into account the ruins - more than 20 thousand kilometers. China's most famous landmark blends seamlessly into the landscape and is a truly impressive sight. Several areas are open to tourists. The most popular is Badaling, connected by transport to Beijing.

The ancient Colosseum is an iconic landmark of Rome, its signature silhouette. This amphitheater, a masterpiece of architectural thought from the 1st century AD, was declared a wonder of the world almost immediately after its creation by the Roman poet Martial, his contemporary.

The symbol of Rio de Janeiro - the statue of Christ the Redeemer on Mount Corcovado - blesses the city, extending its arms over it from above. At night, the illuminated figure of Christ is clearly visible from almost any part of the city, but the best view of it is from Mount Pan de Azúcar. In the list of the new 7 wonders of the world, the statue erected in honor of the centenary of Brazilian independence is the youngest attraction, its age is less than a hundred years.

Lost in the middle of the desert in Jordan, Petra, the capital of the ancient kingdoms of Idumea and Nabatea, opened to Europeans only in the 19th century. The main attractions of Petra, the “city of stone”, are the crypts carved into the red sandstone rocks and the rock temple of El Deir.

The pearl of Muslim architectural art in India is the Taj Mahal mausoleum-mosque in Agra, built in the 17th century by the will of the padishah Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. It is not surprising that today the Taj Mahal is considered not just an outstanding architectural and spiritual monument, but also a symbol of love. Every year, the marble complex becomes a place of pilgrimage for millions of people from all over the world.

The lost city of the Incas, Machu Picchu, is located in what is now Peru. This sixth new wonder of the world was created as a sacred mountain refuge when the Incas ruled Pachacutec in the mid-15th century. However, the high mountain city remained inhabited for less than a century - until the invasion of the Spaniards, who, however, never reached it. The worldwide discovery of the Incan “city among the clouds” occurred only in 1911. Many mysteries of Machu Picchu remain unsolved; they still haunt researchers.

Completing the list of modern wonders of the world is the legacy of the Mayans, another lost civilization of America. The sacred city of Chichen Itza in the north of the Yucatan Peninsula was founded around the 7th century AD; the Toltecs who captured it later contributed to the architecture of the complex. It is not known exactly why such a developed city was deserted at the end of the 12th century. The complex of surviving Chichen Itza monuments includes pyramid temples, gaming “stadiums,” ruins of colonnades, a sacrificial well, and an observatory.

For almost four years, votes have been selected for the best natural wonder of the planet. More than four hundred protected natural areas of the world were included in the list of candidates for the seven new wonders of the world. As a result of popular voting, 7 new wonders of the world, seven amazingly beautiful territories of the planet received the right to the final selection.

Natural wonders of the planet - seven wonders of the world

1. Iguazu Falls is located among bizarre piles of rocks, on the border of two countries - Brazil and. Huge streams of water make noise, foam, break up into millions of splashes, sparkling, forming several rainbows. The river has 275 waterfalls along its entire length, the highest flow falling from a height of 72 meters.

2. Mysterious places in Halong Bay are called “the place of dragons.” Straight out of the emerald waves of the South China Sea rise scattered unusual outlines of rocks, reminiscent of a Dragon, a Man's Head, Roosters, and a Sail. These colorful islands have many caves and grottoes. The slopes are covered with forest, steep and difficult to access, mostly uninhabited. There are more than a thousand of them. Salty sea lakes are hidden behind the limestone ledges of the rocks.

3. The Amazon River winds its way through the territories of several countries. It has an incredibly huge water pool, which becomes even larger during the rainy season, spreading over a width of about one hundred kilometers. What makes the pool unique is the Amazonian thickets - it is basically an impenetrable jungle. The number of species of flora and fauna is endless. One of the wonders of the river is the huge, round, green water lilies.

4. The Indonesian island of Komodo is magnificent, with a beautiful coral reef consisting of tiny marine invertebrate inhabitants. The miracle of the island is the large dangerous monitor lizards that live on it. The Komodo dragon is the largest lizard on the planet and hunts quite large animals.

Komodo Island

5. Jeju Island in South Korea, created by nature from basalt lava, with the once formidable Hallasan volcano and many wonderful parks, is a great place for. The island is transformed in spring when the cherry blossoms bloom.

Jeju Island

6. Beautiful protected areas of Puerto Princesa in the Philippines, where a large underground river flows. It starts in one of the caves, which has many stalactites and stalagmites.

Puerto Princesa

Droplets of water, penetrating into the underground caves from above, form relief piles consisting of limestone crystals - stone icicles. Those that hang on the roof of the grotto are called stalactites, and the candles that grow on the floor are called stalagmites. Some stalactites grow sideways and upward, sometimes connecting and forming bizarre columns.

7. High mountain range - Table Mountain in the Republic of South Africa, with a table cut off the top, a flat plateau with the peaks of the 12 Apostles and Devil's Peak. You can climb to the top of the unusual mountain by cable car. From the height of the ridge you can see protected areas, a mountain lake, and you can see the ocean and the city of Cape Town in the distance.

The nature of our planet is so amazing and beautiful that when we travel, every time we discover new horizons, the most beautiful places, countries and cities - new wonders of the world.

There are so many miracles in the world that man has created. Unusual buildings and structures, beautiful parks and colorful tea plantations. But the impressions fade after we see what miracles nature creates! All that remains is to be surprised and admire the creations of the Earth. How many more mysteries does our planet conceal?

Now watch, admire and plan your trips to see these natural wonders with your own eyes!

1. Red Beach - a bloody miracle of nature

In China, in the delta of the Liaohe River near the city of Panjin, there is a beach of the same name. In summer, this beach is not much different from other beaches on the planet. But with the onset of autumn, Panjin Beach turns blood red. A spectacle of extraordinary beauty!

This phenomenon is due to the presence of seaweed, which begins to grow from April to May, in the summer during the stormy period they have a rich green color, and by the end of their existence they notify everyone of their demise in a bloody red color. Our nature is so symbolic!

2. Devil's Tower - a mystery of nature

In the USA, in the state of Wyoming, in the heart of the Great Plains, there is a mysterious tower called Devil's Tower, whose origin is still debated by scientists. How could such a powerful natural structure arise in the middle of the plains? Besides the fact that this natural monument is striking in its size (the height of the devil's tower is 1556 m above sea level), its relief is no less mysterious.

The entire surface of the tower is cut by straight grooves, looking at which it is difficult to imagine that they were not created by man.

A miracle of nature, man-made balloons or a message from space? More than one scientist has puzzled over the mystery of the origin of these balls. What versions have not been put forward! Perhaps these are fossilized dinosaur eggs, the impact of glaciers, geological formations, man-made creations of our ancestors, the creations of aliens.

And this is not a complete list of hypotheses.
It is also surprising that such natural wonders are found in different parts of the world. Perhaps the most famous are in New Zealand, where they are called “Watermelons of Elijah the Prophet”, but the inhabitants of Costa Rica called them the balls of the gods. This miracle of nature can be found in China, Brazil, Israel, Romania, Kazakhstan and even Russia.

4. Gates of Hell

Another mystical miracle of nature is located on the territory of Turkmenistan in the Kara-Kum desert. This is truly a breathtaking and scary sight! In the middle of the flat desert there is a huge hole spewing flames! This phenomenon arose relatively recently, it is about 40 years old.

Some Aksakals explain the appearance of the crater this way: in the 70s, the earth collapsed at this place as a result of a breakdown of a drilling rig, when exploration work was carried out. Gas accumulated in the resulting crater, which was burned. But the crater is still burning and, according to external signs, is not going to give up, terrifying local residents and attracting tourists.

5. Eye of the Sahara

The second name of this miracle of nature is the Richat Structure. Located in Mauritania. Now this large natural formation of a perfect round shape, reminiscent of an eye, attracts photographers and tourists from all over the world. But for the first time the Richat Structure was captured from space. The astronauts were quite surprised when they saw the desert looking at them.

Scientists have not yet come to a consensus regarding the origin of the Eye of the Sahara. Our planet never ceases to amaze us, creating such masterpieces of nature.

6. Great Rock - Fallen Elephant

Uluru Rock is perhaps Australia's most famous natural wonder. The natural phenomenon is more than 700 million years old. The huge rock is located in the middle of the desert. Over the course of a day, the rock changes its color: becoming lilac, then purple, then acquiring a blood red color, and finally, by noon, it looks like a large piece of gold.

Many believe that from a bird's eye view the outline of the rock resembles a giant dead elephant.
Historians and geologists still argue about the origin of this natural phenomenon, and the aborigines have their own legend regarding this rock. In ancient times, on both sides of the rock, two tribes lived and did not bother. And everything was fine until one tribe decided to invite another to visit. But the invited tribe was carried away by beautiful women and did not show up to the meeting. The leaders of the hospitable tribe were offended.

As a result of this misunderstanding, the tribes exterminated each other, and their souls still live in the rock of Uluru. According to legend, it is forbidden to take stones from the cliff, because... they bring misfortune, but many tourists ignore this ban, but in vain! Postmen say that many parcels containing stones from Ursulu Rock are arriving in Australia. Feeling the negative consequences of the broken ban, unlucky tourists return the stones to their homeland.

7. Grand Prismatic Spring - a natural miracle of incredible beauty!

The Great Prismatic Spring is located in Yellowstone National Park in the USA. The source attracts tourists with its incredible beauty. Another eye of the Earth is sky blue in the center, turning into emerald green and bordered by bright fiery streaks. But not only the beauty of the place allows us to classify the Big Spring as a wonder of nature; it is truly an anomalous zone on our planet.

Compared to other sources, its temperature increases several times faster when immersed inside. For example, in springs located in Central Russia, when diving to 100 m, the temperature rises by only 2-3 degrees, while with the same dive in Grand Prismatic Spring, the temperature increases by 60 degrees. As a result, at the very epicenter of the Great Prismatic Spring, the temperature reaches 800 degrees!

8. The seven-colored lands of Chamarel - isn’t this a miracle of nature?

On the island of Mauritius, near the village of Charmel, there are multi-colored sand dunes, looking at which it is difficult to believe that nature created them without human intervention. It still remains a mystery how sands of seven colors manage to create various bizarre patterns, while maintaining the obligatory condition - not to mix with each other.

9. Is the Fly Geyser a miracle of nature or a man-made product?

Looking at the Fly geyser, you might think that this is a come to life painting by a surrealist artist. The “Fly” geyser looks so unusual in its shape and color. Fly Geyser is located in Nevada, USA. And even though the beginning of the geyser was due to the actions of people (in search of oil, drillers reached an underground lake, realizing that there was no oil, they stopped research), 40 years later nature completed what people had started and created a geyser of unusual beauty. Therefore, we confidently classify Fly Geyser as a wonder of nature.

Nature surprises and amazes us with its imagination, but some structures created by people can amaze us no less.

10. Miracle Island

A small island located in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Africa, called Socotra, is a unique place on Earth. Looking at the landscapes and bizarrely shaped plants of this island, you get the feeling that you are admiring the views of another planet or plunged into the deep past or distant future of our Earth, the views are so unusual to our eyes.

11. Sable Island - another mysterious island

Perhaps this is the most mysterious and unusual island in the World. Located in the Atlantic Ocean and owned by the state of Canada, it is rightfully considered the most dangerous and mysterious island in the world.

Not only does this island live its own independent life, periodically changing its shape and outline, but its sands also have a habit of masquerading as the color of the ocean, thereby causing disasters for ships that, not seeing an obstacle, crash into the edges of the island, resulting in a shipwreck and people dying . Therefore, among sailors this place is usually called cursed.

Not far from the Yukon Peninsula (Central America) there is a beautiful natural wonder called the Great Blue Hole. The perfectly round funnel surrounded by coral reefs attracts the attention of thousands of divers and photographers from all over the world. The giant well is considered one of the most interesting places on Earth to dive. The inside of the sinkhole is decorated with various limestone natural sculptures, and its waters are home to beautiful and dangerous fish.

13. Chocolate hills - another miraculous miracle of nature

Unusually shaped hills are located on the island. Bohol (Philippines). Not only among scientists there are several versions of the origin of these hills, they are also shrouded in various legends spread by local residents. Only one thing remains unchanged - looking at this work of nature there is no doubt - it is truly a miracle!

14. Lake Hillier - Australian natural wonder

The Pink Pearl of Australia - this lake is beautiful! It is located on the island. Middle, off the western coast of Australia. Framed by white openwork crystals of white salt, the lake resembles a large gem. A beautiful natural phenomenon! Until now, scientists cannot solve the mystery of this lake - why does it have such an unusual pink color?

This phenomenon is called Danxia landform (Pink Cloud) and is located in northwestern China, near the village of Zhangye. Really beautiful! Steep multi-colored rocks - what is not a miracle of nature?

The nature of Russia is our main wealth. In our country we have the highest mountain in Europe, the largest forest, the largest swamp, a pink lake and the most unusual desert.

1. Baikal

Baikal is the deepest lake in the world (1642 meters). It ranks first in the world among freshwater lakes in terms of volume of fresh water (19% of world reserves). There is more of it than in all five Great Lakes combined. If suddenly all the water on Earth disappears, Baikal will be able to provide water to humanity for five years.

2. Valley of Geysers

There are about 100 geysers in the Valley of Geysers, 20 of them are large. They are comparable in size to the hot springs of Iceland, Yellowstone National Park and New Zealand. Their uniqueness is that they are located in a small area (only 5 km along the Geysernaya River).

3. Krasnoyarsk pillars

There is such a phenomenon - “stolbism” - a fanatical desire to conquer Krasnoyarsk rock climbing without insurance. The pillars are located 3-7 km from Krasnoyarsk, there are more than a hundred of them and each has its own name. Their age is 500 million years.
Their height reaches 90 meters. The uniqueness of the pillars is that a reserve was created here back in 1925, on the territory of which there are about 1,300 species of plants, 58 species of mammals, and 199 species of birds. Every year about 200 thousand tourists come to admire the Krasnoyarsk pillars.

4. Vasyugan swamps

This is the world's largest swamp system in the north of the Tomsk region on the plateau between the Ob and Irtysh. The age of the swamps is 10 thousand years. The area is more than 53 thousand km², the length of the swamps from west to east is 573 kilometers.

Every year the swamp captures new territories. It is a source of water, a reservoir of oil and gas, peat, and an area of ​​untouched nature inhabited by rare species of birds and animals.

5. Komi Forest

The primeval Komi forest became the first natural site in Russia recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. This is a huge untouched natural area (15% of the territory of the Komi Republic).
The uniqueness of the forest is that nature here has retained its original appearance. Not long ago, gold deposits were discovered in the Komi forest. But the state decided that virgin forest was more valuable than gold, so its production was frozen.

6. Vottovaara

The mountain in Karelia is called the “Russian Stonehenge”. There are megaliths, lakes, bizarre trees and even a stone staircase. Vottovaara is called “Stonehenge” because of the seids, the huge stones that are located here.
There are several versions of their appearance. According to one of them, the subsidence of the glacier led to this arrangement of stones, according to another, the reason was an earthquake that occurred here BC. Some scientists believe that seids are of artificial origin and had a cult purpose among the Sami.

7. Weathering pillars

The weathering pillars on Mount Manpupuner in Komi are also called “Mansi balvans”. These are 7 rocks with a height of 32 to 42 meters. They are called weathering pillars because 200 million ago there were mountains here, but over time they collapsed, exposing the remains of hard rock. Previously, these stone sculptures were worshiped by the Mansi; today the pillars are a unique and inaccessible geological monument.

8. Elbrus

Elbrus is a volcano in the western part of the Caucasus range, which has been inactive for about 2 thousand years. Its height is 5642 meters. It is the highest mountain in the Caucasus, the highest mountain in Europe and the highest point in Russia.
Elbrus is covered by 23 glaciers, the area of ​​which is more than 130 square kilometers. Elbrus supplies water to almost the entire North Caucasus. Its glaciers give life to three large rivers - Kuban, Malku and Baksan.

9. Lena Pillars

The Lena Pillars are located only 140 km from Yakutsk (for those places this is a trifling distance). In their current form, they appeared 400 thousand years ago, as a result of the uplift of the Siberian platform, which made the river valleys deeper.
Some of the pillars reach a height of 150 meters. For geologists, the Lena Pillars are a real find: among these rocks many rare fossils of extinct animals are found, for example, a mammoth, a woolly rhinoceros, and a Lena horse.

10. Putorana Plateau

The Putorana Plateau is located in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The name translated from Evenki means “lakes with steep banks.” Its length is almost 500 km, and its area is 250 thousand km², which is comparable to the size of Great Britain. The closest city to the plateau, Norilsk, is located 300 km away.
The Putorana Plateau is a unique natural reserve. There are 25 thousand lakes and a lot of animals, which is not typical for these northern latitudes. Included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

11. Curonian Spit

The Curonian Spit is an almost 100-kilometer narrow strip of land that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the rest of the Baltic Sea. And on it are dunes. The drifting dunes on the Curonian Spit are the highest in Europe (from 30 to 60 meters). Between 10 and 20 million birds fly over the coma every spring and fall. The Curonian Spit is also unique for its “dancing forests”. Since 2000, the Curonian Spit has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

12. Kungur Cave

The Kungur Ice Cave is one of the largest in the world and the only cave in Russia specially equipped for excursions. It is located in the Urals, between Perm and Yekaterinburg.

The age of the Kungur Ice Cave is almost 10-12 thousand years. The total length of the corridors is about 6000 meters, and the length of the tourist path is 1.5 km. The cave has 58 halls and about 70 lakes. Some grottoes reach 50-100 meters in length and 20 meters in height.

13. Lake Trinity

You cannot swim in Trinity Lake on the Maly Semyachik volcano - it has a very high concentration of sulfur and acid. This “water” can even corrode aluminum oar blades. This lake has a very bright color - bright green - due to the combination of hydrogen particles with acids.
Due to cracks at the bottom, the depth of Trinity Lake is constantly changing. The temperature also changes - from 20 to 60 degrees.

14. Uzon Caldera

The Uzon caldera in Kamchatka is a unique natural monument and object of biogeocenosis. There is a rich flora and fauna here, but the local lakes are especially impressive. One of them is filled with weak sulfuric acid, mercury and sulfur are released around the others. Minerals are formed literally before our eyes. The most interesting thing is that these lakes are also inhabited; bacteria that produce acid live in sulfuric lakes; archaea, one of the oldest forms of life, and thionic bacteria live in others.

15. Lake Elton

Elton is a drainless self-sedating lake in the Palla district of the Volgograd region, the largest salt lake in Europe with medicinal brine and mud. The largest mineral lake in Europe by area. Its mineralization is 1.5 times higher than in the Dead Sea. Due to the algae Dunaliella salina contained in the water, the color of the lake is reddish. Since the time of Ivan the Terrible, Elton has been used for salt extraction.

16. Zeygalan Waterfall

Zeygalan Waterfall in North Ossetia is the highest waterfall in Europe. Its height is more than 600 meters. Most Europeans, however, don’t even know about it and consider the Swiss Rheinfalls Falls to be the highest. Zeygalan, originates in one of the gorges at an altitude of 4000 meters. Geologists say that this unique natural circus, on the slopes of which waterfalls are born, is the crater of an ancient volcano.

17. Lake Proval

The unique and one-of-a-kind Lake Proval is located inside the Mashuk laccolith mountain in Pyatigorsk. The diameter of the cave in the form of a tapering funnel with a lake at the bottom is as much as 15 meters at its widest point, and its height is 41 meters.
Due to the sulfur and bacteria contained in the water, the water in the lake is bright turquoise. Its temperature ranges from 26 degrees above zero.

18. Rotten Mountain

Rotten Mountain is the largest mud volcano (vomit) in the Russian Caucasus. It is located near Temryuk. Of course, it can be called a mountain with some exaggeration. This plateau is more than a kilometer in diameter, and there are cones and vents on it.
Despite the not very appetizing name, the mud of the Rotten Mountain vomit is not only safe (their temperature is no more than 14 degrees), but also medicinal.

19. Crater lake Elgygytgyn

Elgygytgyn means “non-freezing.” This Chukotka lake is unique in that it has never frozen over in all 3 and a half million years of its history. Therefore, its bottom sediments are indispensable soil samples for scientists that can tell about geological history. In this regard, Elgygytgyn has no analogues in the world.