The old Trans-Siberian railway is going around Baikal. The SW shore of Baikal is very harsh. Therefore when the Trans-Siberian way was built, the builders had to cut the long long step in rocks. This step is going along the shore from Port Baikal to Kultuk. On those places where the capes of rocks go far to the sea they made tunnels. I am fond of the elegant and accurate way the tunnels were inserted into the landscape.

This old road has lost its significance after erecting the Irkutsk dumb and power station which lifted the level of Baikal water. Today this road is in sore and desolation. And this makes it even more charming...

The tour along the road. My student picture.

The old road ends at Kultuk at the SW end of Baikal. On this picture we can see how the road goes - at the very frontier of the water. Beyond, there is a long peninsula Shamanka looking like a swimming dinosaur and then in the valley a small town - Slyudyanka.