Altai’s Multa Lakes: the most picturesque mountain views! (PHOTOS)

1. A whole cascade of lakes is located deep in the Altai Mountains. Every summer, lovers of outdoor leisure visit for boating, fishing and hiking in the surrounding areas. They are situated at about 1,700 meters above sea level in the Multa River basin. 

2. The nearest settlements to the lakes are the villages of Multa and Maralnik-1. All the routes to the lakes usually pass through them. There is a public bus from Barnaul, Biysk and Gorno-Altaisk (travel time 9-14 hours) along the famous Chuisky tract, one of the most picturesque roads in Russia, to the village of Multa. Getting to Maralnik-1, which is 9 km closer to the lakes, is possible by a taxi from the village of Ust-Koksa, the administrative center of this district.

3. The road to the mountain lakes starts there, a 13-km windy route through the forest. Tourists usually go there either on foot or order a transfer by truck or SUV. It is impossible to pass with an average car. However, many tourist groups prefer to bypass the “official” road through the mountain grades to see more beautiful places and not get stuck in the mud of the ruts.

4. The largest of the Multinskiye lakes are the Verkhneye (Upper), Sredneye (Middle), Nizheneye (Lower) and Poperechnoye (Cross-sectional). Overall, there are more than 40 of these lakes. Interestingly, all of them have turquoise water, but the shades are different. It is unreal to see all the lakes in one day, they are several kilometers away from each other and through narrow mountain passes. 

5. Although there are numerous camping sites and tourist infrastructure on the shores, cell phones and electricity are mostly not available (the model place for Internet detox!). As a rule, there is a connection to the outside world only near campsites (but not all of them). At the same time, all the campsites organize transportation to the lakes from the settlements, as well as all tours and hikes. 

6. Nizhneye Lake is the nearest to the villages and one of the largest in this district of Altai (shoreline length is 6,570 meters, and the average depth is more than 20 meters). There, you can find the majority of tourist bases. In summer, the lake warms up to +15°C, so if you are not afraid of cool water, you can even swim. 

7. You have to walk about 4 km along the forest path along  the shore to get to the next lake, Sredneye Lake. These lakes are separated by the Shumy waterfall, formed of large boulders. One of the popular routes is a motorboat trip on the Nizhneye and Sredneye lakes. 

8. It’s about 5 km from Sredneye to Poperechnoye Lake, along mountain trails. This lake is higher than the others, in an incredibly picturesque place, surrounded by glaciers. Its water is cold all year round and bright blue.  

9. The Verkhneye Lake is about 3 km from Poperechnoye. It is also the coldest one. In July, the water temperature does not exceed +8°C. 

10. In good weather, you can see Belukha Mountain, the highest point of Altai, from the shores of Multinskie Lakes. From Nizhneye Lake it is only 60 km and some tourists combine vacation on the lakes with climbing Belukha.