Baskunchak salt lake in Bogdo. Big Bogdo. Lake Baskunchak – Russian Dead Sea

In the north of the Astrakhan region in the Akhtubinsky district there is the largest salt Lake Europe and Russia – Lake Baskunchak .

“In the Caspian steppe, not far from Mount Bogdo, there lived a bai. This rich man had many sheep and horses. Bai was proud not only of his flocks and herds, but also of his beautiful daughter.
Among the rich man’s many shepherds was a dexterous, jack-of-all-trades, strong and handsome young man. One day the owner's daughter, walking in the steppe, accidentally met him. The boy and the girl fell in love with each other. From that time on they met often. One evening, the girl ran to her sweetheart and told her that her father had decided to give her in marriage to a rich, old and disliked man. True to his love, the young man jumped on his horse and rushed to the owner's yurt. Entering the yurt, he began to beg the girl’s father to give her to him as his wife. Bai became furious and ordered the servants to severely punish the beggar. The young shepherd soon died from the beatings.
Grieving for him, the girl went to Mount Bogdo, sat down at its foot and began to cry. Without closing her eyes, she shed tears for several days. From her tears a stream flowed into the lowlands of the steppe, from which a salt lake was formed, which now exists under the name Baskunchak.”

And here is another version of the fairy tale:

“Once upon a time, in times long past, it happened that the lake became completely shallow. The bottom of the lake, formed from salt crystals, was revealed and tempted the rider to ride on the snow-white surface. Some reckless driver decided to take the opportunity to shorten the path. Sparing neither himself, nor the horse, nor the dog that accompanied him, he set off along the bottom of the lake. Thanks to its fast running and good hooves, the horse happily carried the rider, but the dog, having injured its legs on sharp salt crystals, only reached the middle of the lake. Then it started to rain. The lake was covered with a layer of salt water, and the corpse of the dog, saturated with salt, survived damage for a long time. Since then, for many years, in stormy weather, the head of a dog often floated out from behind the raging waves, which could be seen by anyone who was near the lake. That’s why “baskunchak” (dog’s head in Kazakh) became its name.”

Lake Baskunchak is the saltiest lake in the world. It is located on top of a giant salt mountain. Locals Baskunchak is called the lake of the sun, because on cloudless days its surface flashes with dazzling light.

Baskunchak is a unique gift from nature. Even its air, saturated with salt vapors, is very beneficial for the lungs and can cure a number of respiratory diseases. Therapeutic mud and clay help with skin diseases and joint diseases.

The water of the lake will give you an incomparable feeling of weightlessness, pushing your body to the surface. If you don't know how to swim, then this is an ideal body of water for you, because... it is impossible to drown in it.

Be extremely careful when taking salt baths. If you take even one sip of water, you will receive a severe burn to the esophagus and internal organs.

Thousands of tourists come to Baskunchak every year, and they are attracted not only medicinal properties lakes. After all, unique landscapes reminiscent of the landscapes of another planet, beautiful steppes, stunning karst caves and other attractions cannot leave anyone indifferent.

Lake Baskunchak is a unique creation of nature. This is a kind of depression at the top of a huge salt mountain, whose base extends thousands of meters into the depths of the earth and is covered with thin sedimentary rocks. The area of Lake Baskunchak is 106 square meters. km. This is a compensation trough filled with salt and clay deposits of the Permian and Quaternary periods. The lake is a large endorheic basin, which is replenished with water from surface and underground sources. About 25 springs and one small river flow into the lake - Gorkaya. It originates in Kazakhstan, the water in it is bitter-salty, reddish-brown in color due to the ferrous minerals it contains.

Lake Baskunchak, the “all-Union salt shaker” and “dog’s head” is a source of high-quality edible salt. As a result of salt mining, fractures up to 8 meters deep were formed. The depth of salt reaches 6 km. The lake's salt is almost pure sodium chloride (98% NaCl). You can drink beer right on the shore and lick the edge of the shore as a snack: for your own pleasure, and for the amusement of others.

In the brine of Lake Baskunchak, as in any salt lake, only salt-loving bacteria live. Everything else perishes. So you won’t be able to catch fish in Baskunchak. And on the coast there are deposits of medicinal clays - this is a product of the vital activity of salt-loving bacteria.

For the first time, Lake Baskunchak, as a place where “they break salt, pure as ice,” is officially mentioned in the “Book of the Big Drawing.” The book was compiled in the 16th century and supplemented in the so-called “Discharge Order” in 1627:

“And below Balykli beyond the Volga there is a salt lake (Eltonskoe) along 90 versts, and near that lake there are fresh deposits... From the Golden Horde, from the Akhtuba River against the Naryn sands, lies Lake Uskonchak, or Utonchak (Baskunchak), and in the lake there they break pure salt like ice... From Astrakhan down the Volga River to closer salt 70, and to distant salt 100 versts"

In 1780, academician Gildeshtet wrote:
“Soon a picture of salt mining unfolded before me. Three squares of land, two hundred fathoms each, dug in with low ramparts and surrounded by narrow grooves, represented three phases of production. In one complete sea water, the salt evaporated, settling into a pale gray layer with a pinkish tint, shining in the sun. In another, she was raked into piles. The women raking it, with shovels in their hands, trampled knee-deep in shiny black mud, and somehow very deadly, without shouting or talking, their dirty gray figures moved slowly and tiredly against a black, shiny background of greasy, salty and caustic brine ", as this mud is called. Salt was exported from the third square. The workers, bent over the wheelbarrows, stupidly and silently moved forward.”

“The beginning of salt development on Lake Baskunchak dates back to the first half of the 18th century, but then this development, without reaching significant proportions, ceased under the influence of increasing competition from Lake Elton. Resumption of salt development followed in 1867. The removal of salt on Lake Baskunchak is carried out by Kyrgyz workers using ordinary picks, crowbars and shovels; salt is delivered to the shore in camel carts.”

The history of salt production on Lake Baskunchak is dramatic, like the history of any salt production anywhere. They went to “salt” to make money, i.e. earn relatively big money through hard physical labor, accompanied by illness and crime.

“Go to the salt, brother! You will always find work there. You will always find it. Because this is a backbreaking, desperate business.” M. Gorky “On the salt.”

In plan, Lake Baskunchak has an irregular shape with a general orientation in the north-west direction. The length of the lake along the major axis is 18 km, the width ranges from 6 to 13 km, total area- 110 sq. kilometers. The absolute elevation of the salt surface is minus 21.3 m.

Races to set speed records in racing cars were held here. The natural surface was an absolutely flat, strong salt crust that formed at the bottom of the lake during periods of drying, on which, first, using wooden poles and then strips of brown clay, a straight track 8 m wide was marked. The length of the track prepared for the races reached 13 km. The first record races took place at Baskunchak in 1960 and were carried out until 1963 inclusive. Later, due to the expansion of salt mining on the lake and the subsequent deterioration of the hydrogeological situation, the bottom surface became unsuitable for record races. “In total in 1960-1963. During the races on Lake Baskunchak, 29 all-Union speed records were set (19 of them exceeded international ones), including the absolute all-Union record - 311.4 km/h (1963, I. Tikhomirov, “Pioneer-2”).”

In such armor, the ZIL-112S car was prepared for the speed record, which was to be set at the bottom of the dried salt lake Baskunchak.

August 2012 marked the 130th anniversary of the founding of the Baskunchak salt mine, the successor of which is the largest Russian salt enterprise, Bassol OJSC. The lake is located on the territory of the reserve. Going to the lake, you will automatically find yourself in it. Be sure to explore its territory. Mount Bogdo, which is located near the lake, was consecrated by the Dalai Lama. If you favor Buddhism, you can climb to the top. Be sure to visit this unique lake, the medicinal properties of which are equated to the properties Dead Sea and you won't regret it

“In the Caspian steppe there once lived two heroes: a father and a son. They did not have their own farm, so they grazed flocks of other people's sheep. At that time there was neither a hillock nor a mound in the steppe. When the tall grass rose in the spring, no animals or predators hiding in the steppe could be seen behind it. One day, a father and son went to the Urals. Upon returning home, they agreed to take with them Ural mountains on a block of Ural stone. The father took the big one, and the son took the smaller one. The road is long. The path is difficult. The younger hero began to become exhausted. He took off the burden, lay down to rest, but died immediately. Having buried his son, the father moved on. He wanted to bring the block to his native tent. Walking along the shore of a salt lake, he decided to take a pinch of salt into his mouth. But as soon as he bent down to get the salt, the mountain fell on him with all its weight. The hero fell, and the ground around him turned crimson, which is why it is still red to this day.
In this place, above the flat steppe, a lonely block remained, which the inhabitants of the steppe called Mount Bogdo."

Astrakhan region known not only for its unusual salt lake Baskunchak, but also Mount Big Bogdo, located near the famous salt lake.

Mount Big Bogdo is the only real mountain in the Caspian lowland. The foot of Bogdo lies two dozen meters below sea level, and the top is about 150 higher. Every year Mount Big Bogdo becomes higher. The fact is that inside the mountain there is a salt dome, which increases by about 1 mm per year. The height of Greater Bogdo above sea level is 149.6 m, and even more above the surrounding area.

Mount Bogdo has developed above-ground and underground forms of karst relief - beams, funnels, caves, grottoes, etc. Today, the vicinity of Mount Big Bogdo and Lake Baskunchak has more than 30 caves, the largest of which, Baskunchakskaya, reaches 1.5 km .

Mount Big Bogdo brought to us the remains of the Mesozoic era. In the cliffs of the mountain there is a marine Triassic with the fossilized remains of animals that lived 200-250 million years ago - this makes Big Bogdo a real geological paradise. In addition, Mount Big Bogdo is the only place in Europe, where Triassic sedimentary rocks rich in skeletal remains come to the surface.

The Big Bogdo is unusual in its color - one of its sides has a red tint. This is explained high concentration various metals. However, despite the confirmed scientific fact, there is a legend that explains such an unusual coloring of Mount Big Bogdo: according to legend, Mount Bogdo used to stand on the banks of the Ural River, but two Kalmyk saints decided to move it to the banks of the Volga. After long fasts and prayers, the Kalmyks lifted Mount Big Bogdo onto their shoulders and carried it across the endless sultry steppes, but one of them fell under the weight of the burden the minute he saw a beautiful local woman, and a sinful thought flashed through his head. The mountain crushed him and became irrigated with blood, which is why one side of it is still red.

Bogdo among the Mongols and Kalmyks means something sublime and majestic, just as in this sense the Chinese owner is called Bogdo Khan, “the highest khan.” Local population believes that Big Bogdo Mountain is consecrated by the Dalai Lama and they come to worship it. According to another legend, Mount Bogdo was formed from a sacred stone that was brought by Kalmyk pilgrims from the distant Tien Shan mountains.

The foot of the Bolshoye Bogdo mountain is hidden by a trail of screes that were formed during the weathering process. On the rocky cliffs of the southwestern slope of Bogdo you can see spectacular weathering forms of sandstones and other rocks of Paleozoic age. The presence of shallow caves, stone niches and pillars, cornices and numerous depressions similar to giant honeycombs made the Big Bogdo a sounding mountain. The phenomenon is explained by air vibrations between stone pillars, drafts in communicating caves. Therefore, people call the southwestern slope of the mountain “Singing Rocks.”

Lake Baskunchak and its immediate surroundings is without a doubt one of the most fascinating places in the southern part of the country. In my opinion this is business card the stunning and diverse Astrakhan region

And remember that you can click on each picture for better viewing (Sony a7 camera)

You need to focus on the village of Nizhny Baskunchak. The road leading to it is a dead-end (a branch from the Volzhsky - Astrakhan highway), paved and of very decent quality. Then you don’t have to waste your time looking for the entrance to the mountain. Firstly, in order to leave the village in the right direction, it is better not to enter it at all, and secondly, there are so many forks inside Nizhny Baskunchak itself that it is easier to put a special boy offering services in the car and he will show you the correct exit. At first he will charge you 300 rubles for his super-guide services, but in the end it easily drops to 100-150 rubles. So, take it with you, drive 500 meters and then everything becomes clear. Time is usually more valuable

The road to the checkpoint in the Bogdinsko-Baskunchaksky Nature Reserve looks something like this. After the village along a well-rolled steppe road, another 15 kilometers

You hit the barrier, your aunt comes out and says 190 rubles per person. You need to go out, get a pass and listen to instructions. After the barrier is raised, you need to drive about 4 kilometers along a road reminiscent of the Tibetan highlands. It's like you're in Nepal

Fascinating pictures

If you're lucky, in such places you can hear the singing of the wind due to a certain topography and the direction of movement of air masses

You can stop, take photos, breathe

But it’s forbidden to approach the rocks. And it is right. Firstly, it’s a nature reserve, and secondly, it’s a unique place in world geology and geography, and I’ll explain why later.

The pictures are different. But in fact, it doesn’t fit in my head - how in the middle of the steppe, which stretches for many hundreds of kilometers with the most ordinary flat surface, mountains like this rise sharply...

In fact, the heights are not extreme. The base of the Big Bogdo mountain is located at an altitude of minus 20 meters from sea level, the top is plus 130 meters above sea level. It turns out that the height of the mountain is only 150 meters, but in good, clear weather without haze, this hill can be seen 50-70 kilometers away. Amazing steppe effect

After 4 kilometers you reach a parking lot, from where a view opens towards Kazakhstan. For tens of kilometers

Initially there are three routes:
1. To Mount Big Bogdo
2. Along the hills around the mountain (2.5 km)
3. To Lake Baskunchak and around it (more than 50 km)

Now only the second one is open. You can’t go to the mountain because an endangered species of lizards listed in the world’s Red Book was recently discovered there, and the third route opens on July 15, which is officially stated on the reserve’s website

Start of the route. No special training is required and there are no steep climbs. And it seems visually that the trail is less than 2.5 km

The northeastern slope of the mountain has a reddish tint. This place is called a mecca for photographers. And also for historians, geologists, geographers and many others. By the way, Buddhists consider this mountain sacred and every Kalmyk should come here on foot at least once and bow to the holy mountain. So, the red color is red clay, which is 300 million years old. Just think about this figure! While preparing to write this material, I came across good comparison that Christianity is only 2 thousand years old, and this earth is 300 million. In this place, especially if you are not surrounded by crowds of tourists (in my case there was no one else), a short time you can understand how earthly problems are insignificant in their essence... The best psychotherapy is not a good neuropsychiatrist or therapist, it is a trip to such places. I don’t understand why people go to Bali for six months when there are places nearby

Stunning scenery. The trail along route number 2 is quite well developed, although, in my opinion, there is no need for these railings here

There are information boards everywhere with the history of the place, its legends, characteristics of Lake Baskunchak - one of the largest salt lakes in Europe

No color enhancement, everything is natural. IN different time the shades vary throughout the day. It gets even redder

A Zen-like landscape opens up from the hilltops. On the left is a piece of Lake Baskunchak

Observation deck. You can’t believe that you are at an altitude of only 100 meters. The effect of the steppe is that any mountain seems huge

Cloud shadows

Salt has been mined on Lake Baskunchak for many years. The dead-end branch of the railway track goes directly to the lake, from where freight trains are scattered all over the country. The first mentions date back to the 8th century, when salt was also mined here and rolled along the Great Silk Road

A special word in support of the tourism department of the Astrakhan region. Just great guys! Without unnecessary intrusiveness, trying to preserve the reserve, people here have created excellent conditions for a pleasant pastime. For example Saratov region I can say that in the region there are no less unique places, but they are in an extremely neglected state and do not smell of any tourism. Why all these benches and railings - you ask? The answer is simple - talk to the locals. They will tell you about the dirt and devastation that was in these places before the protected area was created. Now at least some control and cleaning

Yes, distance from regional center serious, the round trip road was almost 800 kilometers. But it was worth it. I'll tell you and show you everything in order.

The views already on the rise are the most stunning:

The view from the top is even more stunning:

I went down and walked to the lake. From the top of the mountain the distance seemed very modest, in reality it turned out to be about 20 minutes on foot. The distance was brightened up by yet more stunning views:

Next begins the salt lake Baskunchak, which is not inferior in healing properties to Dead Sea in Israel. The water is oily and very bitter.

The return journey was accompanied by no less beautiful landscapes:

Summary: going is a must. Virgin nature made a strong impression on me - you understand that all this has been standing for thousands of years in almost the same form in which it is now. A huge charge of positive energy - you leave the reserve with an absolutely clear head, in a very good mood, with the feeling that, at least a little, your soul has become purer. The energy there is very good.

Photo and text: Alexander Ralnikov

Coordinates: N48 8.364 E46 51.462. It is necessary to move from the village of Nizhny Baskunchak, going around the lake in an arc from the west. Mount Bolshoye Bogdo is located on the territory of the reserve; entry is paid.

The Astrakhan region is famous not only for its unusual salt lake Baskunchak, but also Mount Big Bogdo, located near the famous salt lake.

Mount Big Bogdo brought to us the remains of the Mesozoic era. In the cliffs of the mountain there is a marine Triassic with the fossilized remains of animals that lived 200-250 million years ago - this makes Big Bogdo a real geological paradise. In addition, Mount Big Bogdo is the only place in Europe where Triassic sedimentary rocks, rich in skeletal remains, come to the surface.

The Big Bogdo is unusual in its color - one of its sides has a red tint. This is due to the high concentration of various metals. However, despite the confirmed scientific fact, there is a legend that explains such an unusual coloring of Mount Big Bogdo: according to legend, Mount Bogdo used to stand on the banks of the Ural River, but two Kalmyk saints decided to move it to the banks of the Volga. After long fasts and prayers, the Kalmyks lifted Mount Big Bogdo onto their shoulders and carried it across the endless sultry steppes, but one of them fell under the weight of the burden the minute he saw a beautiful local woman, and a sinful thought flashed through his head. The mountain crushed him and became irrigated with blood, which is why one side of it is still red.

Bogdo among the Mongols and Kalmyks means something sublime and majestic, just as in this sense the Chinese owner is called Bogdo Khan, “the highest khan.” The local population believes that the Big Bogdo Mountain is consecrated by the Dalai Lama and come to worship it. According to another legend, Mount Bogdo was formed from a sacred stone that was brought by Kalmyk pilgrims from the distant Tien Shan mountains.

The foot of the Bolshoye Bogdo mountain is hidden by a trail of screes that were formed during the weathering process. On the rocky cliffs of the southwestern slope of Bogdo you can see spectacular weathering forms of sandstones and other rocks of Paleozoic age. The presence of shallow caves, stone niches and pillars, cornices and numerous depressions similar to giant honeycombs made the Big Bogdo a sounding mountain. The phenomenon is explained by air vibrations between stone pillars and drafts in communicating caves. That’s why people call the southwestern slope of the mountain “Singing Rocks.”

Salt lake Baskunchak and Mount Bolshoye Bogdo are part of a unique natural complex. In 1997, the Bogdinsko-Baskunchaksky natural complex was declared a reserve (Bogdinsko-Baskunchaksky Nature Reserve), where a special environmental regime was established on an area of 53.7 thousand hectares.

Guide: how to get to Mount Bolshoye Bogdo and what to see

Since the easiest way to get to Bogdo is from the village of Nizhny Baskunchak or Lake Baskunchak, we will consider this option.

So, when moving from the village towards Mount Bolshoye Bogdo, you will have to make a small semicircle. Drive south out of the village and follow the rolled dirt road. Your landmark on the left will be Lake Baskunchak itself, and in front to the right will be the towering mountains of dumps from a gypsum quarry. At the quarry itself (N48 12.000 E46 48.064), where Marble Lake is located, you can stop and admire the opening landscape. At the fork near the quarry, keep left and then go straight for about 8 kilometers. Eventually you will arrive at the entrance to the reserve (N48 08.018 E46 49.094), where guards and inspectors are on duty. Entrance cost – 170 rubles. per person (RUB 140 per child), paid on the spot (transport to be paid separately). Contrary to information on some websites, no prior arrangements are necessary. You can receive further instructions on the spot, but we will still tell you a few points.

After the barrier you should go straight, you can stop at the singing rocks (N48 07.850 E46 49.609). Having reached the end, leave the car in the parking lot (N48 08.363 E46 51.460) and walk to the top (N48 08.562 E46 51.333). This is the standard route No. 1, sometimes it is replaced by route No. 2 - a walk along the paths along the red slope, this good way take a closer look at the landscape.

We read and watched a lot on the Internet about the wonderful salt lake Baskunchak. We were planning to go. And finally, in the summer of 2012 we were able to visit there.
There is a lot of information about Baskunchak and the nearby Mount Bogdo (emphasis on the second letter “o”) on the Internet and on television. Therefore, I will present here fragmentary descriptions of a purely subjective nature.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t take a camera with us (she went on another trip), so I’m posting here pictures taken with a phone camera or other people’s photos from the Internet with a link to the author.

The main reason we went there was to experience the amazing effect of Baskunchak's salt water - brine (emphasis on the "s") - you can lie in it without moving and not drown. We simply could not imagine how this was possible! It seemed as incredible as walking on the surface of water or lying on hot coals.

Road
And we were traveling from Novocherkassk, one might say from Rostov-on-Don. First along the M4 to the junction in front of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky. Here, as always, without problems and special impressions. Then we turned right in the direction of Volgograd. The road is of excellent quality, I thought it would be worse. Only immediately after the denouement it’s completely bad. The landscape is melancholic - fields, fields. Two places that can be called landmarks are the bridges, first across the Seversky Donets in Belaya Kalitva, then across the Don in Kalache-on-Don. In front of the bridge in Kalach, you can even stop and admire the views, take a walk above the steep slopes of the Don. There is parking.

As a history buff of the Great Patriotic War, it was also interesting for me to drive through the places where the Battle of Stalingrad took place. For example, in Kalach-on-Don our troops closed an encirclement ring around the Germans. We were thinking about visiting Volgograd specifically to get to know the places and monuments of military glory, but then.
The most difficult section of the route is Volgograd. Big beautiful city, but does not have a bypass road, so I had to drive through the congested center. The road at the entrance to Volgograd is very broken, I would even say it poses a danger for drivers. In the city itself there are continuous traffic jams, which in general is already common. They are now in everyone Russian cities, even in our little Novocherkassk. The organization of the movement is very complex and confusing. Using a GPS navigator, we navigated Rostov, Voronezh and Orel without any problems. But in Volgograd I had to get lost. Unforgettable impression renders the majestic sculpture “The Motherland is Calling!”
We entered Volgograd in the morning, so we did not experience another problem that we encountered on the way back. In evening time a large number of Railway crossings create long, tedious traffic jams. At the same time, you have to wait for the passage of not one, but several trains at once.
We drove along long bridge across the Volga and again into the open air. The further east you go to the Astrokhan region and Kazakhstan, the more deserted and yellow the landscape is with burnt grass. The real steppe was beginning. Once upon a time we lived in Kazakhstan for a long time and such views evoked nostalgic memories of the past.

The road surface from Volgograd all the way to Nizhny Baskunchak was of quite high quality. We have something to compare with, for example, with the roads in the Oryol region.
Also, when moving east all the way to Akhtubinsk, traffic on the highway noticeably decreased. An analogy arose with the classic plot of American films. You know, when a lonely car is driving along the highway, and all around is some kind of Nevada desert, along the way there are only thorns and cacti and not a soul for tens of kilometers. Both interesting and creepy at the same time.
On the way from Akhtubinsk to Nizhny Baskunchak, the landscape generally leveled out and completely lost its green color. This is classic Kazakhstan. Anyone who traveled by train from Russia to Central Asia knows what it looks like.
The movement here becomes much more active. As it turned out, there are a lot of tourists who want to visit the lake. This made us happy. The fact is that my wife thought I had looked on the Internet for some hole unknown to anyone, to which we were going 650 km away, so as to have nothing but anxiety and disappointment. The deserted landscape of the Astrakhan region disturbed her even more. But the abundance of autotourists calmed her down. We mostly saw cars there with Volgograd and Astrakhan license plates, but there were also many from Moscow and various others. But we rarely came across Rostov license plates - only three times.

Road Akhtubins-Nizhny Baskunchak

About how we settled in Nizhny Baskunchak
We enter Nizhny Baskunchak and first of all look for the road to the lake. This is a non-trivial matter; I would even say it requires perseverance. The fact is that tourists’ cars in the center of the village are met by a gang of boys and noisily offered for 50 rubles. (or “how much will you give”) show the way to the lake. This in itself is not bad. But as it turns out in the end, to put it mildly, it is an imposed service. The parking lot by the lake is located about a hundred meters from the center of the village and all roads lead there, because there is nowhere else to go. Given the activity of visiting, you can simply go where everyone is going. In our case, it turned out pretty ugly. We didn’t talk to the boys, but drove on behind the car with Moscow license plates moving ahead, hoping to find a parking lot on our own. But they managed to shout that the car in front was going not to the lake, but to Mount Bogdo, and we fell for it. At the suggestion of our “helpers,” we drove along another dead road (through the rails) and after about 30 meters behind the nearest house we saw what we needed. The road we originally wanted to take also led to the parking lot, but was much better.
Okay, we didn’t have any more such troubles. Having arrived at the place, we discover that there is not a parking lot there, but several parking lots fenced off from each other and each of them invites its own barker. He waves his hand at you and greets you as if you have known each other for a hundred years. You look at them and hesitate where to go. We chose the parking lot that overlooks the lake.

View of Lake Baskunchak and Mount Bogdo from our parking lot

Parking on the lake side

But now we can advise you to better choose one where there is a place for a car with a canopy from the scorching sun. We arrived on a weekday, so there were plenty of parking spaces. On weekends they are packed to capacity.
In addition to the parking spaces themselves, there are showers (50 rubles at a time per person), a shop-stall with a refrigerator (soft drinks and snacks), a cafe and a kebab shop. Parking price 50 rub. per day from the car. You can spend the night in a car, or you can rent an apartment or a house, all this can be solved there. We rented a two-room apartment in a five-story building like this one:

500 rub. day for three days. The apartment is bad and requires renovation. A functioning air conditioner, a Soviet-era TV and a refrigerator with an unpleasant smell inside. Everything is old and scary. Still better than living in a car for three days. You can pitch a tent in the parking lot, but only for the night.
In the center of the village, where the five-story buildings are located, there is a Magnit store, so we could buy the products we were used to at home.

Nearby is the Solonochka cafe. They didn't go there. As you can see, there is a branded beer tent "Don" near the cafe. This beer is made here in Rostov and this probably added to our psychological feeling of comfort.

Population: Russians and Kazakhs. In general, tourists are treated well and friendly. It is clear that tourism is one of the main sources of income there.

Now about the path from the parking lots to the beach

You are not allowed to go to the lake in your own car. The base is the territory of the Bassol OJSC enterprise, which actually mines salt. In addition, it is a protected area. But everyone understands that this is just a way to make money by transporting tourists. But how wonderful camping, a campsite could be formed there right off the coast. But in fairness, it must be said that “Bassol” is not exactly making money out of thin air. You can swim in the lake precisely because excavators have dug a kind of pool in the salt. Without this, vacationers would not be able to enjoy salt water. In its natural state, Baskunchak is simply salt or salt with mud.
So, from the parking lot to the beach it is about 2 km. This path can be walked (in the evening, when the sun is not shining - very good), by bus (60 rubles per person round trip) or by motorcycle with a kind of bench instead of a cradle (150 rubles per person one way). I advise you, if you come there for the first time, to walk at least once - there is something to admire along the way. Riding a motorcycle all the time is a bit expensive, even just once. But considering that these rides with the wind and wild shaking on strange motorcycles have become one of the attractions of Baskunchak, we allowed ourselves this once. And so we always used the bus. It often runs every 15 or 20 minutes. It's always full, but given that the journey is not long, it's not a problem.

To the beach by bus or motorcycle

Baskunchak motorcycle

On foot

Here, for example, is what you can see when walking to the beach

Or that

The so-called beach itself by the lake has a very unattractive appearance - dirty and undeveloped. In general, it must be said that Baskunchak and all its attractions do not have an outwardly striking beauty. This place needs to be assessed not by sight, but by skin, and by peering not around, but into oneself.

Bathing

As I already wrote, the beach is dirty, but right next to the water and especially under it you can see that there is pure salt under your feet. But not in the form of sand, as we are used to seeing it, but simply solid salty solids. Where people walk on the surface, it is smooth, worn out, but where a person’s foot rarely steps or never steps at all, it is clear that the firmament is a solid sharp crystal of salt. Therefore, few people dare to walk barefoot on the beach and especially the bottom. Everyone wears flip-flops.

Is it ice or salt? No - salt!

We go into the water. Warm like a bath. But it's cooler in the morning. And the color is brownish.

So, I gradually go into the water. Shallow water first. I can’t wait to lie down on the surface and not drown. But all the time I think about protecting my eyes from brine. You understand, a concentrated solution of salt in the eye must be very painful. But there are those who splash in your path. People are not afraid for their eyes! I saw it once - the child forgot about the danger and, out of habit, dived headfirst into the water. Cried loudly. The eyes were quickly rinsed with fresh water from a bottle. So fresh water Be sure to take it with you.
Well, I finally lay down on the surface of the water. It was happiness, great childhood happiness!

Of course, I couldn’t relax completely - I had to keep my head up. But if you put something floating, but small, under it, you can generally fall asleep like that.
Almost everywhere the depth of the reservoir is less than human height. But there are places where there will be more. There is another drift option - in a vertical position. You just hang in the water standing without moving your arms or legs. It probably feels like weightlessness.
You can lie on the water and face down. But in this case, a little adventure awaits you. It is simply not possible to stand with your feet on the bottom or roll over onto your back from this position. Any sudden movement can cause your face to plunge into the water. Personally, I admit, I panicked, and they helped me turn over the first time. But then I somehow got used to it.
I broke off a piece of salt crystal as a souvenir:

At home I show it to everyone and let them lick it a little.
After bathing in brine, the body dries out and is covered with salt. People covered with "snow" look impressive.
Have you ever traveled to public transport with people sprinkled with “white powder”?

Excursion to Mount Bogdo

One day we decided to visit Mount Bogdo. There are a lot of amazing reviews about her on the Internet, beautiful photos. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it is the only one of its kind in the Caspian lowland. Steppe and steppe, and suddenly - stone mountain. In addition, Bogdo is one of the cult places of Kalmyk Buddhism precisely because of its uniqueness and, I believe, its proximity to the salt lake Baskunchak.
Finding the road to the mountain is generally not difficult, but it is better to ask about it. At the parking lot they will be happy to tell you, and if you wish, they will find you a guide. Well, I'll tell you a little about this.
The road from the parking lot near Baskunchak to the parking lot near Bogdo is approximately 14.5 km. Considering that you will have to drive on a dusty and washboard-like dirt road, this is a long way to go. Overall it looks like this (starting at the top):

The main thing is to get to the fork at the marble lake in Sredny Baskunchak and turn left correctly, and then you won’t get lost.
Before you get to the parking lot, you need to pass the post with a barrier. Naturally, you have to pay to visit there. Now I don’t remember how much, but I remember it seemed quite expensive. But everything is official, as it should be with a receipt.

Then the road gets even worse. But on the left appears a low, almost solid rock with bizarre shapes formed by the wind. There is already something to see and something to photograph.

When you reach the parking lot, you realize that this is truly a tourist site. The parking lot itself is specially equipped, there are signs and information signs at every step, metal stairs with wooden planks lead to the tops of the mountain.

They could also put the road here in proper shape, since they have already taken up the development of tourism.
Then serious disappointment awaited us. We saw a sign that prohibited climbing to the top of Bogdo. My first thought: “Why didn’t they warn us at the entrance!? Probably so that we would pay anyway!” There was a desire to break the ban, because no one sees. Maybe there is no longer a ban, but the sign remains, because they didn’t say anything at the entrance. But, still, law-abiding people did not dare to break it. Yes, and the ban could be associated with some kind of danger for us. Later it turned out that at that time on Mount Bogdo it was the breeding season of some kind of lizard that lives only here.
The moral of this mini-story is this: before going to Bogdo, check with the locals, at the administration of the reserve, or at least at the entrance before paying to see if there are any restrictions for visiting.
We didn’t get to the top of Bogdo, but we walked along the second route, which goes lower. We were satisfied.

Red slopes of Bogdo with a view of Baskunchak

Amazing color!

In ordinary mountains, you stand at the top and see other similar peaks around you. And from Bogdo you see the expanse of the earth or white, salty surface around you. That is, you are not standing in one of many similar places, but in a special, elevated one. This is very unusual and exciting!

Overall we were pleased with the trip. We received new, unexpected impressions and reasons for thought from him. It’s even scary to come there a second time, so as not to spoil the aura that has formed. But it is very worth coming here at least once. I recommend.