For a real traveler, it is not the number of places visited that matters, but their quality. Agree, to visit the South Pole is much more honorable than, for example, to go to Paris. There are no more white spots on our planet, but, nevertheless, there are many secluded corners that are inaccessible to most tourists...

No. 10. Easter Island, Chile

1. Easter Island, or Rapanui, belongs to Chile and is considered the most remote island on the planet from the continent (3500 km to the coast of Chile).

2. On April 5, 1722, the Dutch traveler Jacob Roggeveen noticed the island of Rapanui on the horizon and named it in honor of the great Easter holiday.

3. At the time of the discovery of the island by the Dutch admiral, the population of the island was 2-3 thousand people. After this event, the island was forgotten for 50 years. And in 1770 the island was annexed by Spain.

4. The ancient culture of Easter Island is shrouded in mystery and charm. The most famous symbol of Easter Island is the large statues-idols made of stone. Moai statues reach a height of 20 meters. They are made in the form of a head with a torso.

5. Moai idols were made in the period from the 12th to the 15th centuries, after this period their production abruptly stopped. Why the production of Moai stopped and where the people who inhabited the island disappeared is still a mystery.

No. 9. City of La Rinconada, Peru

6. The city of La Rinconada is located in the Andes mountains in the permafrost zone at an altitude of 5100 meters above sea level. Getting to the city is very difficult. The air temperature here is always below zero. There are no plants suitable for human consumption. And because of rarefied air, people quickly lose strength.

7. La Rinconada was formed at the end of the 20th century as a small settlement of gold miners. From the side of the plain, a magnificent landscape of mountain peaks opens up, but when you drive closer, the smell of rotting industrial waste hits your nose.

8. The population of the city is 30 thousand people, almost all of them are engaged in gold mining in mine caves. La Rinconada has a dubious reputation as a city for the poor and the desperate. Gold mining is carried out in terrible conditions, people are not paid wages, they work for a percentage of the gold found, but not everyone and not always find it.

9. Life expectancy in the city is about 50 years. There are reasons for this: there are many accidents, people live and work in poor conditions, the ore emits mercury vapor.

Incredible Facts

There are still places on Earth where no human foot has set foot.

But also on our planet there are places where people should not have lived, but they still live there.

Whether it's unbearable heat, Siberian frosts, or an island that is almost impossible to get to, some people are unwilling or unable to leave their places of residence for one reason or another.

Here is a list of 25 such places.

25. Atacama Desert, Chile/Peru

This desert is considered the driest place on Earth. It rains here 4 times in a thousand years.

Temperatures can range from incredibly cold at night to stifling heat during the day.

Despite these conditions, over 1 million people consider the desert their home, and most of them work in a copper mine.

24. Verkhoyansk, Russia

Despite the fact that this is one of the coldest places on our planet, and officially coldest city on earth, Verkhoyansk is still inhabited.

Where the temperature reached the mark -69.8 degrees Celsius lives a little over 1,200 people.

23. Merapi Volcano, Indonesia

This is the largest in the country active volcano, which is located on the island of Java, near the city of Yogyakarta.

Merapi is also called the "fiery mountain", and it erupted more than 60 times in 500 years. But this did not force nearly a quarter of a million residents to leave their homes, located on fertile land in the shadow of a volcano.

22. Kivu (Lake), Rwanda/Democratic Republic of the Congo

At the bottom of this lake are several million cubic meters of methane and carbon dioxide. If all this comes to the surface, more than 2 million people could be affected.

21. Pitcairn Islands

Sometimes they are called "the smallest democracy on Earth." This state is the place of residence for 50 residents from 9 families.

On the island no harbor or airport- can only be reached by canoe. But there is high-speed Internet.

20. Cook Islands, Australia and Oceania

Only 4 people live here. Used to be here railroad station where the trains were fueled to cross longest straight road on earth.

Since nothing grows on the island, the inhabitants have to bring all the food and drinking water by boat.

19. Minqin, China

This area has a sad future. The rapid growth of the population has led to the fact that on the site of the only river passing through the district, desert formed.

Here left only 155 square kilometers of fertile land.

18. La Rinconada, Peru

The city is located in the Andes at an altitude of about 5 100 meters above sea level. That makes La Rinconada the highest human settlement on the planet. You can get into the city only by climbing a narrow mountain road.

Plus, its ecology is completely unfavorable. Except almost underdeveloped sewerage and wastewater systems, here you can find high mercury content, which remains after gold mining.

live here about 30,000 people, many of which suffer from mercury poisoning.

17. Chernobyl, Ukraine

After a tragic accident that happened in 1986, almost all the inhabitants of this city were evacuated.

To date some workers still live in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, but the time of their stay is limited - only a few days a week they can live there.

It should be noted that the Exclusion Zone is a territory into which no free access, since after the accident she was subjected to intense contamination with long-lived radionuclides.

16. Linfen, China

Until 1978, this city was known for its pure spring water, greenery and rich agricultural culture, which earned it the nickname " Modern city fruits and flowers."

But after the city was turned into the main industrial center of coal mining, furnishings environment changed drastically.

On the this moment it is one of the most polluted cities in the world: air polluted with ash, carbon, leadandorganic chemicals.

15. Pompeii, Italy

After the destruction brought by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on August 24, 79, this ancient Roman city, located in the Campania region and buried under volcanic ash, is still a place of residence for some people.

And all because of the fertile land. Even despite the fact that frozen lava lies at every step, people consider the risk of living in the city justified.

14. Socotra (island), Yemen

Known as "the most ethereal place on Earth", this island is located in the northwest Indian Ocean, about 250 km from the Somali Peninsula, and 350 km south of the Arabian Peninsula.

This makes it so isolated from the rest of the world that most of the flora and faunaimpossible to findnowhere else.

There are only two roads here, but the inhabitants, who number just over 40,000, it does not bother.

Socotra is inhabited mainly by shepherds, fishermen and farmers - they all breed frankincense and aloe, as well as sheep and goats.

13. Barrow (Alaska), USA

Barrow is most northern city in the USA. It is located about 2,100 km from the North Pole, which makes the city incredibly cold.

In addition, Barrow is included in the list of settlements that can "boast" the harshest environmental conditions.

Only 109 days a year the temperature can rise above 0 degrees Celsius. On the average the temperature in the city is below zero for 324 days a year. Plus, frosts and snowfalls can begin in any month, and the polar nights here are incredibly long.

12. Tristan da Cunha (Islands)

Together with Easter Island and the Pitcairn Islands, it is on the list the most remote settlements on the planet.

Tristan da Cunha is located 2,816 km from South Africa and 3,360 km from South America. You can only get here by fishing boats or scientific vessels., but be careful - the locals are not very friendly to tourists.

It is worth noting that immigration is illegal here.

11. Bajo, Philippines

This is not so much a locality as an ethnic group that lives in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Indigenous peoples and tribes from nearby areas were nicknamed "Sea Gypsies" because of their way of life. Even though more and more Bajo decide to move to land, there are families who continue to life on the water.

They live without drinking water and electricity, and they stick to the shore only when it is necessary to bury the dead.

10. Kifuka, Democratic Republic of the Congo

If you are afraid of lightning, then you will definitely not like it here. This village is where lightning strikes regularly, and for every square kilometer there are about 60 lightning strikes every year.

9. Meghalaya, India

This state in India is famous for its torrential downpours and monsoons. The town of Cherrapunji, which is located in this state, has become famous as the rainiest place on Earth - rainfall exceeds 11,000 mm. This amount of precipitation led to the emergence of unique plants.

8. Muli, Faroe Islands

Despite its extremely unstable weather and the complete or partial absence of minerals and vegetation, the four residents of this tiny village in the Faroe Islands are not going to leave their home just yet.

7. Motuo, China

This is the place where incredibly hard to get to. The path to this isolated settlement is considered the most difficult in the world. Here live about 10,000 people.

Here no roads and no communication with the outside world. To get to the mysterious (the word "Motuo" means "hidden, mysterious lotus") you need to make your way through the mountains, and the journey can take a week.

6. Norilsk, Russia

Besides the fact that Norilsk is one of coldest cities on earth, it is also one of most environmentally polluted cities on our planet.

5. Dallol, Ethiopia

This settlement can "boast" of the most high average annual temperature on Earth. Between 1960 and 1966, the highest average annual temperature was recorded here - 34 degrees Celsius.

In addition, Dallol - one of the most remote places on the ground. Here no roads, and to get to it, you need to use the caravan routes, which are aimed at collecting and delivering salt.

Nearby, below sea level, is Dallol volcano(last eruption in 1926). There are no exact statistics on how many people live here.

4. La Oroya, Peru

This city is famous mining and metallurgical industries. But these industries have listed the city most environmentally polluted cities in the world.

Due to lead smelting, literally all residents, including children, have some degree of lead poisoning.

The average life expectancy in this city is 51 years for men and 55 years for women. It is worth noting that on average in the country, people live 20 years more.

The main cause of death is oncology. Here there is many genetic deformities, because for several generations they have not left this lead shell.

3. Oymyakon, Russia

This village is known as one of the "Poles of Cold", ie. region where registered lowest temperature on earth.

About 500 people live here (2012). The length of the day in Oymyakon can vary from 3 hours in December to 21 hours in the summer.

In January, the average monthly temperature is -46.4 degrees Celsius(sometimes it can go down to -50).

On our overpopulated planet of about 7.3 billion people, it seems almost impossible to find secluded places where you can escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Over the past decades, people have increasingly come into possession of an increasing number of places that were once untouched natural beauty. Unfortunately, this also affects the countless species of animals and plants that inhabited these places.

However, if you are one of those who like to relax in serene silence away from everyone, we have good news for you! No matter how incredible it may seem, the man still did not get to everyone secluded places with pristine beauty. Such places, not yet spoiled by the presence of man, can still be found on our planet, although getting to them will be a very difficult task.

To enjoy the beauty of some of the most remote places in the world, you will have to abandon the comforts of the city and travel to unfamiliar places - mountains, jungles and islands, which are thousands of kilometers from busy metropolitan areas and popular attractions.

From a small Indian village surrounded by stunning natural beauty, and an Australian mining town hidden in the scorching desert, to an isolated village in Arizona, where mail is still delivered by mule, here are 25 of the most remote and inaccessible places on our planet:

25. Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland

located on south coast Iceland, the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago is a wonderful example of the beautiful remote place. Populated by almost 4,000 people, this archipelago will be a paradise for every lover of loneliness.

24. La Rinconada, Peru


Located at an altitude of 5.100 meters above sea level, this Peruvian town is proud to be the highest settlement in the world. The city has a poorly developed sewage and sewage system, and in addition, all 50,000 of its inhabitants are struggling with environmental pollution from nearby gold mines.

23. Medog County, China


It may seem surprising, but even in China, the most populous state in the world, there are places where you can hardly meet a person. Located in the Tibet Autonomous Region, this county was the only one in China where there were no roads until 2010. But even now Medog with a population of only 10,000 people remains a very deserted and secluded place.

22. Skeleton Coast, Namibia


Located on the northern part of the Atlantic coast of Namibia, the Skeleton Coast is one of the most extreme, isolated, arid and creepy places. One of the few indigenous tribes able to live in this inhospitable land is called the Himba, whose people live by hunting and gathering.

21. Cape York Peninsula, Australia


Located in the northern part of the Australian state of Queensland, the Cape York Peninsula is considered one of the last remaining desert places on our planet. Being the natural habitat of numerous species of animals and plants, many of which are endemic to this unique region, the peninsula is also home to 18,000 people (mostly Aboriginal people).

20. Kerguelen Islands, French overseas possessions


Also known as the "Forsaken Islands" for its incredibly remote distance from any civilization, the Kerguelen archipelago is a group of islands in the southern Indian Ocean. Located more than 3,300 km from the nearest settlement, the Kerguelen Islands have no permanent population, being the location of a research center used from time to time by French scientists.

19. Munnar, India


India, the second most populous country in the world, also boasts some sparsely populated places hidden in the mountains away from the noisy metropolitan areas. And Munnar small town ok in the state of Kerala (Kerala) in the southern part of the country, is definitely one of those places. Nestled among untouched nature, this city is notable for its picturesque tea plantations.

18. Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland


The city of Ittokkortoormiit, one of the northernmost and coldest settlements on our planet, is located in East Greenland. Known for unique wildlife, animals such as polar bears, musk oxen and seals, the region is also home to nearly 450 people who make their living primarily from whale catching and polar bear hunting.

17. Oymyakon, Russia


Located in the eastern part of the Sakha Republic, Oymyakon is an isolated community of almost 500 people. Having a rather complex type of climate, Oymyakon is known as one of the "Poles of Cold", being the coldest place on the planet where a permanent population lives. On February 6, 1933, a temperature of -67.7°C was recorded here.

16. Coober Peddy, Australia


Coober Pedy is a small town of about 1,700 people, hidden in the desert in South Australia almost 850 kilometers from Adelaide. Despite its size and extreme remoteness, this town is known in Australia and many other countries as the largest deposit of opals. The town is also famous for its underground comfortable dwellings, in which people live, hiding from the scorching heat of the day and sandstorms.

15. Hanga Roa, Easter Island, Chile


Anga Roa - main city and the port of Easter Island. The population of the city, numbering about 3,300 people, makes up 87% of the population of the entire island. The city, nestled between the extinct volcanoes Terevaka and Rano Kau, also has international Airport Mataveri, which is one of the most remote airports on our planet.

14. Tristan da Cunha, British Overseas Possessions


Located in the southern part Atlantic Ocean 2.800 kilometers from South Africa and at 3,360 kilometers from South America, Tristan da Cunha is the most remote inhabited island in the world. On an island that is part of the British overseas territories, lives about 300 people, living mainly at the expense of agriculture and handicrafts.

13. Saas-Fee, Switzerland


Surrounded by 13 four-thousanders (mountains whose height exceeds 4,000 meters above sea level), Saas-Fee is a small mountain village in Southern Switzerland. Normal car traffic it is forbidden in Zas-Fee: cars cannot enter the town, they must be left in special parking lots outside of it. Only electric cars are allowed on the streets.

12. Manacapuru, Brazil


Located in the Brazilian state of Amazonas, Manacapuru is a remote municipality nestled in the Amazon rainforest. Located almost 80 kilometers upstream from Manaus, the state capital, this region is inhabited by about 100,000 people. Spread over an area of ​​over 7,300 km², Manakapuru is also home to some of the world's most popular aquarium fish.

11. Bouvet Island, Dependent Territory of Norway


Bouvet Island, located in the South Atlantic Ocean, is considered one of the most remote islands in the world (after Easter Island and Tristan da Cunha Island). Occupying an area of ​​only 49 km², the island has no permanent population. From time to time it is used as a research base. Almost 93% of the island's territory is covered with glaciers.

10. Innamincka, Australia


Innaminkka is a tiny community in northeastern South Australia and one of several communities that provide access to the extremely inhospitable Simpson Desert. Located hundreds of miles from the nearest towns, this settlement is home to nearly 15 people constantly struggling with unbearably hot and dry climates, not to mention frequent sandstorms.

9 Foula Island, Scotland


As part of the Shetland archipelago, Fula is one of the most remote British Isles with a permanent population. Covering an area of ​​only 13 km², the island is home to only 38 people who live mainly on agriculture, sheep breeding, and birdwatching as Fula is the natural habitat of numerous bird species.

8. McMurdo Station, Antarctica


The research center and main population center in Antarctica, the most isolated continent on the planet, McMurdo Station belongs to the US Antarctic Program and is affiliated with the National Science Foundation. The station can accommodate up to 1,258 people who will have to contend with the harsh Antarctic climate.

7. Adak, Alaska


located on island of the same name in Alaska, Adak is the westernmost municipality in the United States. A city with a population of just over 300 people is located in the subpolar oceanic climate zone characterized by persistent cloudiness, moderate temperatures, strong winds and frequent cyclonic storms. It rains 263 days a year in Adak, making it the second rainiest city in the United States after Hilo, Hawaii.

6. Bantam Village, Cocos (Keeling) Islands


As the largest settlement in the Cocos Islands (the outer territory of Australia in Indian Ocean), the village of Bantam is home to most of the 600 people who inhabit the islands. The inhabitants of the village, located in the tropical latitudes, enjoy constant warm temperatures all year round.

5. Supai, Arizona


Located in Coconino County, Arizona, Supai is one of the busiest cities in the US with no roads leading to it. The only way to get there is by helicopter, by foot or by mule. Mail is also delivered here by mule, making Supai the only place in the US where mail is delivered this way. The population of the city is about 200 people.

4. Faroe islands(Faroe Islands), Denmark


Located roughly halfway between Norway and Iceland, the Faroe Islands are autonomous region Kingdom of Denmark since 1948. These remote islands, with a population of just under 50,000, are known for being home to more sheep than people. Another animal typical of this remote area is the Faroese puffin (sea bird).

3. Iqaluit, Canada


Located on the south coast of Baffin Island, Iqaluit is the capital of the Canadian territory of Nanavut. The city, inhabited by less than 7 thousand inhabitants, is distinguished by the fact that it is the smallest capital in Canada in terms of the number of inhabitants, as well as the only capital that is not connected by a highway with other settlements. The only way to get to this remote city is by air or sea transport.

2. Laura, Marshall Islands


Laura is an island and a small town located on Marshall Islands(archipelago in pacific ocean). Laura rises about 3 meters above sea level, being the highest island in the archipelago. This is one of the few places where you can enjoy amazing beaches and virgin nature without sharing this pleasure with numerous crowds of tourists.

1. Svalbard / Svalbard, Norway


The Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard lies in the Arctic Ocean about halfway between continental Norway and the North Pole. Only 2,600 people live on an area of ​​more than 61,000 km², since the archipelago is mainly covered by glaciers. The unique location and remoteness make Svalbard great place to watch the northern lights.

Chechen City of dead, the capital of the Eskimos, the cave with the treasure of Pugachev and other amazing places

The places that will be discussed are incredibly beautiful, mysterious and unique, but not spoiled by the attention of tourists. All of them are located on the territory of Russia. However, getting to them is very difficult. The absence of at least some kind of transport and the presence of state structures with which one must coordinate one's "invasion" of these territories is the main, but not the only, obstacle. However, if you are one of those who are only attracted to difficulties, Forbes will show you the way to seven amazing properties in Russia that few people know about. Only a few have seen them with their own eyes.

Naukan - the ancient capital of the Eskimos

The ruins of the largest settlement of eksimos, liquidated during the "aggregation of villages" in 1958

Where:

Cape Dezhnev, Chukotka Peninsula

The discovery of Okvik, Birnirk and other Paleo-Asiatic cultures, which succeeded each other in this place for three millennia, belongs to permafrost, which pushes any foreign body to the surface. All that today reminds of the capital of the last of these cultures - the Eskimo - are whale ribs sticking out of the coastal grass, as well as numerous bone artifacts of unknown age and purpose, which are not difficult to find among what remains of the barracks built in the 1930s. To call the capital of the Eskimos dead does not turn the tongue. First, unlike the warlike Eskimo islanders from Ratmanov Island, who perished in the mainland collective farms in one generation, Naukan's sea hunters retain their identity even in exile. Secondly, whales still enter the coastal waters every summer. Experts in Eskimo folklore will confirm: whales are looking for their earthly mistresses-sciences who have left these places.

How to get there:

from Anadyr to the village of Lavrentia regular flight airline "Chukotavia", then to the village of Uelen (departure is carried out according to the weather). Alternatively, you can take a whaleboat that sails along the Bering Strait from June to August.

Cape Ryty - shamanic pyramids on the shore of Lake Baikal

An unexplored monument of primitive architecture on a sacred place for shamanists

Where:

northwestern shore of Lake Baikal

Formally, disembarkation of passengers on the cape, pitted with dry riverbeds and streams, is prohibited: this is the territory of the Baikal-Lena Reserve. It is also forbidden informally: according to the beliefs of the Buryats, the access of strangers to the shamanic place of power should be strictly limited. Shamans, apparently, have something to hide: science still does not know who, when and why built a stone wall exactly 333 m long on Rytoy and densely forced it with stone cones and pyramids oriented to the cardinal points. In 2002, in the vicinity of the nearby village of Onguryon, biologist Alexei Turuta was hacked to death for disrespect for the spirits, expressed in refusing to tie a sacrificial ribbon on a sacred tree, by which the scientist passed. By the way, in addition to pagan piety, the Ongurens are also known for their technical ingenuity: in the village there is the only steam locomotive in Russia from the time of the Second World War, converted into a power plant.

How to get there:

from Irkutsk by bus to the tourist center "Zama", then on foot to the village of Onguryon (travel trips are possible, but regular transport communication no), continue on foot. Also, the ship "Kometa", plying along the route Irkutsk-Nizhnyeangarsk, you can get to Cape Elokhin, from where you have to walk.

Sindor Lake - part of the prehistoric sea, controlled by the Federal Penitentiary Service

The only natural monument in Russia, access to which is controlled by the penitentiary service

Where:

Knyazhpogostsky district of the Komi Republic

The taiga lake of unprecedented beauty, left over from the prehistoric sea, is comparable in area to the island of Valaam. It was on its banks at the beginning of the 20th century that many sites of primitive man were discovered, and some time later a corrective labor institution M-222 was built here, which ceased to exist quite recently. First of all, M-222 is known as the place of detention of most of the doctors convicted in the famous case, as well as the fact that Sergey Dovlatov served as a warder here. Not far from here, according to numerous folklore sources, Yirkapa, the cultural hero of Komi, died. Having lost his magical power, after he did not spare the daughter of a sorceress during the hunt, who turned into a deer (according to another version - a magpie), Yirkap banally drowned in Sindor. Finally, Sindor Lake is the habitat of Nikolai Prokushev. This is how a neat 50-year-old bearded man appears - a forest hermit, a lone hunter and an original thinker.

How to get there:

from Yaroslavsky railway station by Moscow-Vorkuta train to Sindor station, then on a passing railcar along the Sindor narrow-gauge railway to the camp site of the M-222 institution. The so-called camp site consists of several houses on the territory former camp adapted for lodging for the night by fishermen on the banks of the Ugyum River, two to three kilometers from the lake. Attention: all the personnel of the Sindorskaya narrow-gauge railway, once built for the needs of Ust-Vymsklag and still operating (including diesel locomotive drivers), are prisoners, and the railway is still under the jurisdiction of the Federal Penitentiary Service.

Averkina pit - a cave hiding Pugachev's treasure

Unexplored cave equipped for housing by unknown persons

Where:

Satkinsky district of the Chelyabinsk region

The entrance to the cave is an almost vertical 20-meter gap in a rock overgrown with forests above the left bank of the Ai River and is almost invisible from the outside. Inside - two grottoes with an area of ​​10 and 20 square meters. m, an underground lake with potable water and positive temperature at any time of the year. The total length of the surveyed underground passages- about 100 m. Back in the 1920s, the inhabitants of the cave were known local residents under the collective name of Averky. Rumor painted the caveman as a fugitive convict, a Tartar with nostrils torn out, then a holy elder, then a Kerzhak-Old Believer, invariably attributing to him superhuman lust and countless connections with the inhabitants of the convent. Also, according to popular belief, it was here that the gold stolen by Emelyan Pugachev was hidden at one time. In order to eradicate all superstitions, in 1924 the local women's council sent a Komsomol expedition to the cave. During the investigation, a wooden door, a wooden machine of unknown purpose, a bed and many bones, including human ones, were found. It should be noted that subsequent expeditions invariably found gutters hollowed out of wood in the Averkina Pit - the remains of an ancient pipeline, the purpose of which is still unknown.

How to get there:

from Chelyabinsk to the Satka district center by bus number 517, from Satka by bus (route without a number) to the village of Ailino, then on foot.

Tsoi-pede - Chechen City of the Dead

Medieval Chechen fortress-necropolis, which can be visited only with the permission of the FSB

Where:

Itum-Kalinsky district of the Republic of Chechnya

The cape at the confluence of the Argun with the mountain river Meshi-Khi is surrounded on three sides by icy water and is connected to the rocky ridge only by a narrow isthmus. In fact, Tsoi-pede is an impregnable cemetery. The earliest of the 42 crypts date back to the 14th century, and according to a popular but unproven version, they founded it during a devastating epidemic, and the sick came here to die on their own - there was no time and no one to bury the dead. However, this romantic hypothesis is easily refuted by the fact that the neighboring village, located somewhat to the south of the burials, fought too often with its neighbors and could not do without a capacious necropolis for the burial of dead soldiers. They say that the ancient weapons that rested in the crypts of Tsoi-pede, like other valuables, disappeared from here immediately after the deportation of the Chechens in 1944. Today, one who comes to Tsoi-pede is greeted by two pagan altar-pillars, protective swastikas, crosses and solar spirals on the walls, and on the watchtower one can still discern the image of a human figure. It is believed that this is the Christian Saint George - baptized Georgia is nearby, and the proximity of this border, in fact, explains the need to obtain permission from the FSB to visit the City of the Dead.

How to get there:

from Grozny to the regional center Itum-Kali - on fixed-route taxi, then on a ride and on foot. FSB permission is required to enter the border zone.

Porzhensky churchyard - a wooden castle on the site of a pagan temple

A well-preserved wooden pre-Petrine skete, which is possibly the center of the universe

Where:

Kargopolsky district of the Arkhangelsk region

The forest guards an abandoned pre-Petrine skete with a well-preserved painting of the 18th century more reliable than the Ministry of Culture: the roads from the nearest villages are impassable and not known to every local. An empty church, surrounded by a chopped fence with numerous towers, peeks out from behind gloomy gray logs, and around - only Karelian boulders and lakes. Like most ancient Christian buildings, the skete, built in the 80s of the 18th century, most likely took the place of a pagan temple - its main chapel, as well as three surrounding churches of the same time, lie on a geometrically ideal straight line stretched by who knows who and when from the south to north. In some forums, without any irony, the idea is discussed that it is in one of the towers of the Porzhensky churchyard that the so-called Aleph from the story of the same name by Borges is located, which Borges describes as the keyhole of the world - the place where all the points of the universe converge.

How to get there:

by train Moscow-Arkhangelsk (departs from the Yaroslavsky railway station) to Nyandoma station, then by bus to Kargopol, from Kargopol by bus to the village of Maselga, the last 15 km on foot.

Uchar waterfall - the youngest waterfall in the world

160-meter waterfall, which was discovered only 35 years ago

Where:

Ulagansky district of the Republic of Altai

The youngest waterfall known to science - Uchar on the Chulcha River - was unknown to official science until the 1970s. However, science did not live in ignorance for very long, since, as is commonly believed, the waterfall was formed as a result of a powerful earthquake only about 200 years ago. The water has not yet had time to crush the fragments of rocks that form its cascades, and the black stones measure their height with neighboring pines. All this is overwhelming in its scale and makes the difference between a man and an ant almost insignificant. The path to Uchar passes over a cliff and crosses numerous mountain streams, which are not recommended to be crossed without insurance. An important note of a practical nature: moving away from settlements and carriageways, a tourist who finds himself in this part of Altai should not forget about his ranks. It is precisely by the malevolence and treachery of these animals that the local population usually explains to the newcomers the sudden disappearance of their provisions, as well as tires, cigarettes, cash, etc. Something in between a gopher and a jerboa, the imanka (which Dahl's dictionary characterizes as an "earth hare") is really not afraid of a person and able to come very close. However, he still does not eat money and cigarettes.

How to get there:

by car from Biysk to the village of Artybash (the route ends a few kilometers before the final destination), then by boat along Lake Teletskoye. You can also get from Gornoaltaysk: first on a ride to the head estate of the Altai Reserve in the village of Yailyu, then on foot (a guide is needed). Permission is required to visit FGU "Altai Reserve".

Lost on the border of Russia, China, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, the Ukok plateau is not accidentally called a calm zone, since it is isolated from the outside world by a mountain range from almost all sides. This plateau belongs to those territories, the landscape of which has practically not changed since the last Ice Age.
You can get here only by SUV, only in July-August, since the rest of the time the passes are covered with a deep layer of snow. However, even in the summer months, the plateau does not always let travelers in: due to the abundant snowmelt, access roads are very washed out.
There is practically no snow on the plateau itself - strong winds blow it into ravines and hollows. The area is deserted and only occasionally a shepherd wanders here in search of pastures for livestock.

Rub al Khali desert

The Rub al-Khali desert, located in Saudi Arabia recognized as the largest area on the planet covered with sand. Its area exceeds France, Belgium and the Netherlands combined. Many desperate travelers dream of conquering the vast desert expanses, while for the Bedouins the “abode of silence” is a formidable and frightening element. The mesmerizing beauty of these places does not excite the nomads - they are more concerned about whether they can get to the next oasis.

Woe to the traveler who got lost in the sands of Rub al-Khali: 300-meter dunes stretching for hundreds of kilometers and sweltering heat can kill even the most courageous traveler.
During one of the recent expeditions, scientists managed to find 31 species of plants and 24 species of birds in the desert. But for researchers it is still a mystery how living organisms could adapt to such harsh climatic conditions.

Amazonian selva

Despite intensive deforestation, the Amazon Selva still remains the largest area on earth. rain forest. If the Amazon itself and many of its tributaries have been studied, then the impenetrable jungle occupying thousands of square kilometers is a solid white spot. Giant trees grow so close to each other that it is not possible to see the area from an airplane. Few people dared to conquer the dense and dangerous jungle.
However, more recently, Brazilian scientists were able to look inside the Amazon rainforest. Near one of the tributaries of the Amazon - the Zhavari River, they discovered an unknown Indian tribe. Areas of cleared forest allowed the discovery to be made. Enlarged photographs obtained as a result of aerial photography showed the economy of the natives: thatched dwellings, baskets of cassava and papaya, as well as primitive tools. Judging by the reaction to a flying plane, this is a spectacle for the local tribe a curiosity.

Tepui Guiana Highlands

In that part of the Guiana Highlands, which is located on the territory of Venezuela, there are amazing rock formations - mesas or tepui, which became the prototype of " lost world» Conan Doyle. Tepui have been studied relatively recently, since for an unprepared person to get to them, and even more so to climb, is an extremely difficult and dangerous undertaking.
Now the highest of the table mountains - Roraima, which the first expedition stormed for a whole month, is already available for tourists. With others, scientists are just getting to know each other. The Sierra Neblina tepui turned out to be a real sensation. Scientists have discovered here a huge number of endemic plants and animals, including frogs that hatch their offspring like birds and giant ants that can gnaw through small branches with their jaws.

Dry valleys of Antarctica

On the seemingly completely covered with snow and ice Antarctica there is a dry place - the McMurdo Valley. Here, for mercy, 8 thousand square meters. km. almost 2 million years there was no precipitation. Powerful Katabatic winds, the speed of which reaches 320 km / h, and rocky spurs make this place almost inaccessible to humans.
In the absence of snow, temperatures of -50°C seem extremely cold. Not surprisingly, there is no life in this place except for some types of bacteria.
However, people rarely come here. Since 2004, NASA has been using the Dry Valleys to test descent spacecraft, as the conditions in these places are as close to Martian as possible.

Irian Jaya

Indonesian-owned West Papua, also called Irian Jaya, is one of the most isolated places from civilization, despite the fact that it is less than 1000 km from Australia. Here life flows as well as several hundred years ago: pristine nature and primitive tribes are not very happy with strangers.
Getting to Irian Jaya requires a few tiring flights, but getting deeper into its heart of virgin highland forests, which is a real paradise for zoologists and botanists, requires more than good physical shape. Not everyone can breathe humid and stuffy air all day long, wander through swamps and bogs through an overhanging canopy of vegetation.
Papuan tribes live in the remote highlands, who a few decades ago traded in cannibalism and were unaware of the existence of the “other” world. Here, in the jungles of West Papua, in November 1961, the trail of Michael Rockefeller was lost.

Tibetan plateau

Tibet is one of the most remote places on the planet from the oceans. It is here, according to European scientists, that the most isolated land area from civilization is the Tibetan Plateau. The researchers calculated the time required to get from the plateau to the nearest major locality. The results showed that the journey to Lhasa takes about three weeks: one day by car and another 20 days on foot. The Swedish traveler Sven Hedin, who visited the Tibetan Plateau, did not meet a single person there in 81 days.