5 HIKING trails across Russia (PHOTOS)

1. The Great Sevastopol Trail

This route is for those who are used to spending their seaside vacations on the move rather than on the beach. It stretches 117 km, from the city of Balaklava in the southeast to northern Sevastopol. The trail includes eight routes, ranging from 11 to 23 km each. One of them, for example, leads from the Laspi Pass to the Baydar Gate, offering views of Mount Ai-Petri, Cape Sarych and the Baydar Valley. A must-see stop is the Temple of the Sun rock, where, according to legend, pagan rituals were performed in ancient times.

2. The Great Ladoga Trail

The route from the mouth of the Tikhaya River to the village of Berezovo runs along Lake Ladoga, the largest lake in Europe. Its most interesting part is Lehmalahti Bay: pine trees, cliffs and the endless blue of the lake. Along the way, you'll encounter ancient quarries and the still-functioning Vuohensalo Lighthouse. Here you can also see the famous Ladoga skerries – a scattering of small islands that abound on the lake. Benches are set up along the trail and, if the weather permits and the water is warm enough, you can take a swim.

3. The Great Baikal Trail

This name encompasses more than a dozen hiking trails that run through the Pribaikalsky and Zabaikalsky National Parks, the Baikal Nature Reserve, Northern Baikal and the Olkhinskoye Plateau. For example, the Listvyanka-Bolshie Koty route runs along the shores of Lake Baikal. Another scenic 12-kilometer route runs along the largest peninsula, Svyatoy Nos. Along the way, you can admire Chivyrkuisky Bay and visit the villages of Katun and Kurbulik.

4. The Oka Trail

This 112-kilometer route runs along the Oka River and connects the towns of Pavlovo-on-Oka and Nizhny Novgorod. Along the way, you can stop in the town of Gorbatov, take a photo of the Okulovsky outcrop and visit the filming locations of director Nikita Mikhalkov's movies ‘Burnt by the Sun’ (1994) and ‘The Barber of Siberia’ (1998). Cross the Kishma River and encounter engineer Vladimir Shukhov’s hyperboloid tower amid the local scenery.

5. The Caucasus Trail

This route connects two regions – Dagestan and Krasnodar Krai – as well as two seas – the Caspian and the Black. The journey from Derbent to Sochi covers about 1,500 km; currently, nine 100-km sections have been marked out (the rest will be marked later). For example, the "Wind's Path" section begins in Khadozhkh, Adyghe, passes through the Guam Gorge and the Fisht-Oshten Massif and reaches the Black Sea coast in the village of Loo. This hiking route is for those who appreciate contrasts – from the glaciers of Fisht and the caves of the Lagonaki Highlands to carefree beaches.

More travel ideas for Russia will be discussed at the ‘Travel’ forum, which will be held in Moscow on June 10–14, 2026.