Best of Buryatia

Buryatia Essentials

Buryatia offers a unique blend of Siberian wilderness and Central Asian heritage. This selection covers the region's diverse history, from the 12th-century Merkit Fortress to the 19th-century tea-trade hub of Kyakhta. Architectural highlights include the Atsagatsky Datsan, a historic center for Tibetan medicine, and the Trinity Cathedral. Engineering feats like the Devil's Bridge viaduct on the Baikal-Amur Mainline contrast with natural landmarks like the Khubuty waterfall and panoramic viewpoints overlooking the Selenga river valley.

Buryatia Essentials — Map

Giacomo Cantelli / Public domain

A

Merkit

The Merkit was one of the five major tribal confederations of probably Mongol or Turkic origin. in the 12th century Mongolian Plateau.

Аркадий Зарубин / CC BY-SA 3.0

B

Obruchev's Museum of Local History of Kyakhta

The Obruchev's Museum of Local History of Kyakhta is a museum in Kyakhta, Republic of Buryatia, Russia.

C

Devil's Bridge

A semi-circular viaduct on the Severomuysky Bypass of the Baikal-Amur Mainline. This 35-meter-high engineering structure was built to navigate steep mountain gradients and is known for its unique curved design and technical complexity.

D

Acagatskij dacan

Established in 1825, this Buddhist monastery was a renowned center for Tibetan medicine and philosophy. It is historically significant as the home of Agvan Dorzhiev, a diplomat and tutor to the 13th Dalai Lama.

E

Kahtinskij Troickij sobor

An early 19th-century Orthodox cathedral built in the Empire style. Once one of the grandest churches in Transbaikal, it stands as a monument to the wealth generated by Kyakhta’s historic tea trade with China.

F

Vodopad na Hubutah

A mountain waterfall located on the Khubuty River in the Eastern Sayan range. It is a natural landmark within the Tunkinsky National Park, accessible via hiking trails through the Siberian taiga.

G

Skala

A prominent rock formation and viewpoint offering panoramic vistas of the surrounding landscape and the Selenga River valley.