The train ride from Irkutsk in Siberia, Russia to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia offered the most beautiful scenery. So I will already warn you that this is an image-heavy post filled with photos of the breathtaking landscape of Russia and Mongolia. We were lucky to be traveling when the colors were beginning to change, so we could see the gorgeous foliage.
Church of Our Lady of Kazan
If you plan on taking the Trans-Siberian or Trans-Mongolian Express and plan to stop in Siberia, Irkutsk is the city most recommended. Irkutsk is full of history and is just an hour away from Lake Baikal. It’s also nicknamed the “Paris of Siberia”.
First view of Lake Baikal
When Koen and I decided to make a stop in Siberia, Irkutsk was the obvious destination to spend a few days because of its proximity to Lake Baikal, the world’s largest freshwater lake, containing 23% of the world’s fresh surface water (also the world’s deepest lake, the world’s clearest lake, and the world’s oldest lake)! There were a few options of which city to visit to see Lake Baikal, and in the end we chose Listvyanka, the ‘French Riveria of Siberia’.
An American in Antwerp 