Bolshie Koty & Great Baikal Trail
Большие Коты
A lakeside village reachable only on foot or by boat. The Great Baikal Trail runs about 20 km along the shore from Listvyanka, making it the classic Baikal hike.
Bolshie Koty is a small lakeside village about 20 km northeast of Listvyanka. It has no road connection and can be reached only by boat or over the ice. The Great Baikal Trail starts from Listvyanka and follows cliffs and forested hills along the shore for about 20 km. It takes 6 to 8 hours and offers superb scenery, making it an ideal introduction to long-distance hiking. The village has a biological station of Irkutsk State University and a small lake biology museum, and you can stay in wooden guesthouses. In summer, hydrofoil boats run between Bolshie Koty and Listvyanka, so you can hike one way and take the boat the other. Some sections of the trail are steep, so bring plenty of water.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Listvyanka
- Baikal Museum
- Port Baikal
- Bolshoye Goloustnoye
- Taltsy Museum
- Icebreaker Angara
- Sukachev Estate Museum
- Church of Our Lady of Kazan