Smolensk Lakeland National Park

Smolenskoye Poozerye - the Smolensk lakeland - protects about a hundred and fifty thousand hectares in the north-west of Smolensk region, where retreating ice left a landscape of thirty-five lakes in kettle holes among moraine ridges, spruce and pine forest and bog. It is a UNESCO biosphere reserve. Lake Sapsho is the largest and the centre, with the village of Przhevalskoye on it - named for Nikolai Przhevalsky, the explorer of Central Asia who bought an estate here and used it as his base between expeditions, and whose museum is in the village. Elk, boar, beaver, lynx and wolf are present; brown bear occasionally. There are walking trails, a bird tower, an ecological path through bog on boardwalk, and a sanatorium using local mineral water and mud. Visitor numbers are low, which is the appeal and the reason facilities are thin.

What you actually see

• The thirty-five lakes - glacial kettle holes among moraine ridges and forest.
• Lake Sapsho - the largest, with Przhevalskoye village on its shore.
• The Przhevalsky museum - the explorer's base between Central Asian expeditions.
• The boardwalk - an ecological path across bog with a bird tower.

When to go

May to September; autumn for colour and mushrooms. Two days to a week. Winter brings skiing and a very quiet park.

Honest expectations

Remote, with limited public transport and a long drive from Smolensk. Mosquitoes and ticks are severe in summer, with encephalitis risk. Accommodation is limited to the sanatorium and guesthouses. Trail marking is inconsistent.

Nearby

Przhevalskoye is the base village; Smolensk and its walls are south-east.