Irkutsk

Irkutsk has always been the most important and big cities in Siberia. It used to stay on the way of the greatest trade routes: to the USA and China. Now it's one of the biggest cities of the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Because the city is close to Baikal, has unique history and beautiful architecture, hundreds thousands of tourists come there every year. So the city has an advanced industry of entertainment and tourism.

In Irkutsk you can see different memorial houses, built in 19th century, almost everywhere: churches and temples, masons of merchants of decabrists, dwelling houses and tenement buildings. The city is famous because of its wooden architecture and temples. Also it has many different museums and theatres, unusual monuments and buildings of different periods of Russian history. Most of Irkutsk's sights are located in its centre, and it's very convenient for the tourists.

One of the main streets of the city is Karl Marx street. Walking along this street you can enjoy the wonderful buildings of 19-20th century, built after the great fire of 1879. Also you should walk along the Angara's riverside. There's also an excursion motor ship sailing up and down the river. If you embark it, you will be able to enjoy the beauty of this land.

Many travellers deem visiting Baikal their duty. There are buses, that can take you to the village Listvyanka, where you can see the lake (of swim in it, if you're brave enough), try some Baikal omul and watch the unique animals of this land - the Baikal seals.

The city itself becomes more and more about tourists. In 2011 a lot of new sights appeared in Irkutsk: the Moscow gates, the monuments dedicated to the founders of the city and the decabrists' wives, block #130 and so on. Also on demand there is a big variety

of guidebooks, was founded the Tourist information office, the signs were place at every sight of seeing, and a special pedestrian route "The Green Line" was designed. The efforts hasn't spent in vain: now Irkutsk is one of the most interesting tourist places in Siberia.